I’ve heard it said “This is Spinal Tap” was the first mock rockumentary or rock mockumentary. I disagree and think it was a black and white film from 1964 called “A Hard Day’s Night”. What do you Dopers think?
Ooh, that is intruiguing. Listening to the director (Richard Lester) and his crew, once they spent time in Liverpool they got to know that sense of humor, and wanted to feature it.
They also wanted to exaggerate (“parody” if you will…) the crowds of screaming fans chasing the lads and decided to begin the movie with that.
Was that biography, or a send up?
Was it really a documentary of the Beatles, or more a… mockumentary?
In defense of the latter, I submit Paul’s grandfather. (“He’s a very clean old man…”)
Wilfrid Brambell, the actor who played Paul’s grandfather was the star of BBC’s “Steptoe and Son” which US tv turned into “Stanford and Son”. Throughout the series, the father was called and referred to as “a dirty old man”.
Definitely A Hard Days Night.
Wasn’t there a movie parody of the Beatles? Maybe the Buggles or similiar.
The Rutles. A combination of Monty Python and SNL cast. Predates Spinal Tap by several years.
Yes, that’s it. Thank you.
They lent each Beatle a copy of the movie to see before it was released. Lennon liked it so much he wouldn’t return it.
I’d nominate The Kids Are Alright. It’s legitimate concert and documentary footage, but it’s definitely a very light-hearted and not at all serious film, between the clips of John Entwistle skeet-shooting with his gold records and Keith Moon talking about how he’d never officially been hired and such.