(1978) Directed by Eric Idle and Gary Weis; Written by Eric Idle; Starring: Eric Idle, Neil Innes, John Halsey, Ricky Fataar, Michael Palin, George Harrison, and Mick Jagger; Available on DVD
Rating: ****½
Side Note: The “cinematic” in Cinematic Catharsis implies that the films I discuss are predominately theatrical releases. With that in mind, I hope you’ll indulge me with this made-for-TV movie (Hey folks, rules are meant to be broken).
“Paul's never been one who enjoys criticism – which is to his detriment. I think it was a mistake, because I think it's important to get criticism. I saw Ringo again the other night, and he's the most balanced of all of them. He came out of it the most sane, because he had to have therapy to overcome alcoholism, so he has some perspective on it, and an appreciation of it – rather than just trying to run and hide from it all, all the time. It was so big... it's ridiculous. I think it's a difficult thing to overcome. Linda loved it. She loved it.” – Eric Idle (excerpted from 2012 interview)
“The Beatles were never going to get back together, but The
Rutles allowed the American public to pretend and to play a kid’s game, with
air guitars or cricket bats as guitars. It was getting so silly with these
Beatles reunion offers that someone needed to do something sillier.” –
Neil Innes (from 2014 interview, featured in 2023 Classic Rock article)
It’s impossible to accurately gauge the lasting impact four
lads from Liverpool made on the global pop music scene in the ‘60s. No, really,
it’s impossible, since the music group in question never existed. Years before
Spinal Tap was a gleam in Rob Reiner’s eye, Monty Python alumnus Eric Idle
introduced us to the rise and fall of another fictional British band, The
Rutles. The Rutles started out as a comic bit by Innes for British television
in 1975, followed by a 1976 comedy sketch on Saturday Night Live. The SNL skit garnered
much attention, playing a big part in Idle’s securing the funding to create a
feature-length film with NBC. With a little help from his friends at SNL (watch
for cameos of famous cast members peppered throughout) writer/director/star
Idle teamed with co-director Gary Weiss and co-star/musician Neil Innes to tell
the story of the alternate-universe Beatles.
The Rutles: All You Need is Cash introduces us to the “Prefab Four,” Dirk McQuickly (Eric Idle), Ron Nasty (Neil Innes), Stig O’Hara (Ricky Fataar), and Barry Wom (John Halsey). The mockumentary traces The Rutles from their humble beginnings, playing in a Liverpool club The Cavern (not to be confused with the Cavern Club), their rise to international superstardom with their “appearance” on the Ed Sullivan Show (using doctored footage from the real show). Idle leaves no stone unturned, chronicling the rise and fall of the Rutles, with their ups and downs, culminating in their final rooftop performance (performing “Get Up and Go” instead of “Get Back”). We learn about the group’s successes and scandals through a clever combination of “archival footage” (shot on 16 mm film and videotape) and interviews with fellow musicians who knew them best, such as Rolling Stones frontman, Mick Jagger.* Jagger’s deadpan delivery sells the musical tall tale (his then wife, Bianca, also appears playing Nasty’s less-than-enthused wife Martini). In addition to his other duties behind and in front of the camera, Idol** appears as the somewhat dim BBC-style narrator, as well as a drug-addled pseudo-intellectual musical “expert,” S.J. Krammerhead.
* Fun Fact #1: In his DVD commentary, Idle mused how Jagger was surprisingly forthcoming about his thoughts on the Beatles, covertly viewed through the lens of his candid comments about the Rutles.
** Fun Fact #2: Although he appears as bandmate Dirk
McQuickly, Idle didn’t play guitar or sing. The music and vocals were performed
by Innes, Ricky Fataar, John Halsey, and Ollie Halsall.
A good parody requires a combination of knowledge and genuine affection for the source material. The heart and soul of The Rutles are the brilliant songs, penned by Neil Innes (formerly of the ‘60s band The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and intermittent collaborator with the Monty Python troupe). More than simply mimicking the style of the Beatles’ songs, Innes intuitively knew what made their music tick, and why it was so catchy. Rather than systematically dissecting the Beatles’ diverse body of work, Innes’ musical creations sprung from his memories of their songs. The results are much more than mere parodies, but fully formed renditions that honor the source material (so much that you might be convinced Innes uncovered a secret stash of lost Beatles recordings). The influences of the original Beatles’ compositions are woven throughout. Don’t be too surprised if you find several of the tunes embedded in your cranium (particularly “I Must Be in Love,” “Ouch,” “Doubleback Alley,” and “Cheese and Onions”).
What did the Beatles members think of this back-handed homage? George Harrison,* who was onboard with the project almost from its inception, makes an appearance as a reporter, commenting on their failed business venture, Rutle Corps (a reference to the Beatles’ similarly doomed Apple Corps). The parody was a tougher sell for Paul McCartney, who was less than thrilled with Idle’s depiction of his quirky mannerisms, but he reluctantly acquiesced to the film being made (probably because of his wife Linda’s enjoyment of it). One of the film’s more pointed barbs depicted Ron Nasty (Innes) with his girlfriend Chastity (Gwen Taylor) in a Nazi SS uniform (surprisingly, John and Yoko loved the parody). Always the diplomat, Ringo Starr seemed to take a relaxed view of the movie (if he objected, he never led on to Idle).
* Fun Fact #3: Idle recalled that when they were filming
with Harrison, some people pushed him aside to ask if Idle and Innes were
“real” Beatles.
The Rutles features so many wonderful gags that it would be a crime to describe them all. Some highlights, however, include a short animated sequence for “Yellow Submarine Sandwich”, * a parody of a Yoko Ono experimental film (substituting feet for posteriors), ** and a “man on the street” interview with the late, great Gilda Radner. After being badgered by Idle’s narrator, she suddenly blurts out a concise, pointed summary of the band and their legacy.
* Fun Fact #4: According to Idle, he hired the same people who animated the original Yellow Submarine for the scene.
** Fun Fact #5: If the voice singing the “You Need Feet”
song sounds familiar, it’s none other than Bernard Bresslaw.
Despite the excellent songs and pedigree of actors/musicians involved, The Rutles failed to make a big splash on American TV. Aired in 1978 during prime time by NBC, it sadly didn’t stand a chance, being programmed against rival network ABC’s juggernaut, Charlie’s Angels. It’s also unfortunate to learn that Idle and Innes had a falling out later, but (to borrow a cliché) they certainly made beautiful music together when it came to this film. Within its scant 76-minute running time, the film manages to pull the wool over the audience’s eyes about the Rutles existence. Perhaps in some alternate universe, it’s the Rutles who rose to fame, while no had ever heard of the Beatles. Your enjoyment of The Rutles: All You Need is Cash will likely be proportional to how much you know the Beatles’ history and enjoy their body of work (and if you don’t like the Beatles, sorry, I can’t help you). Mocumentaries don’t get any better than this one.
Sources for this article: DVD commentary by Eric Idle; “An Interview with Eric Idle,” by Ken P., IGN (2012);
“The Rutles: The Strange and Surreal Story of the Original Spinal Tap,” by Mark
Blake, Classic Rock (April 18, 2023)
