This offbeat musical feature follows John, Paul, George and Ringo of The Beatles as they go about band business. Formulated to be a 36 hours "in the life of", the story finds them having difficulties with their manager (Norman Rossington) and with Paul's grandfather (Wilfred Brambell) between their regular rock-star duties. Among various adventures, the Fab Four appear at a press conference, in a skirmish with police, in the studio, on the road and the like. Richard Lester's direction features showy techniques that may not date well, such as fast and slow motion, jump-cutting and cinema verite, but it certainly pleased its audience at the time of its release. The film was one of the most successful films of the year in 1964, earning several times that of its production cost and nominating Alan Owen for a Best Original Screenplay Oscar and George Martin for a Best Score Oscar. Lester also directed the more expensive, less successful sequel, Help!, released in 1965.