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11.19pm
18 April 2013
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A friend gave me this book that his ex-girlfriend left behind when they broke up. Does anyone know it? George Martin wrote an introduction for it and the cover was designed by the original art director for the film. I’m sure it has little to do with The Beatles themselves, but I’m looking forward to reading it. I’m always looking for something Beatles-related (and not too large) to read on the train on my way to and from work.
"If you're ever in the shit, grab my tit.” —Paul McCartney
11.37pm
18 April 2013
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Interesting… I see there is a competitor book called “Up Periscope Yellow” by Al Brodax, and that apparently The Beatles hated Al Brodax for whatever reason. Can anyone elaborate on this? Also, there is supposedly (not sure if it is real) a statement from the other co-creators of the movie saying that Brodax’s book is full of insulting inaccuracies and that Inside The Yellow Submarine is the true account:
Heinz Edelmann, the designer of the ‘The Beatles Yellow Submarine ‘ film, suggested a brief group statement from a core group of co-creators of the film regarding Al Brodax’s rendering of Yellow Submarine history in his new book, Up Periscope Yellow. The statement is as follows:
“We do not consider Up Periscope Yellow by Al Brodax to be either a fair or an accurate book. We would also like to protest on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves, like the late George Dunning. As far as the truth can be reconstructed about how the Yellow Submarine film was made, Dr. Bob Hieronimus did it in his book, Inside The Yellow Submarine .”
Signers to this statement as of August 26, 2004 are:
Heinz Edelmann, Art Director
Bob Balser, Animation Director
Jack Stokes, Animation Director
Charlie Jenkins, Special Sequences director
Jack Mendelsohn, one of the Screenplay writers
Lee Minoff, original story and one of the Screenplay writers
Roger McGough, uncredited Screenplay writer
Max Wilk, author of the novelized version of Yellow Submarine
In addition, several co-creators sent their own personally worded statements.
Sir George Martin, Musical Director, said: “I am completely sympathetic to the points that [Edelmann] make[s] about ‘Yellow Submarine ‘. My experience on the film happily was not the same as Heinz Edelmann or the marvelous people at TVC. My main liaison was with George Dunning who I found to be inspirational. I am convinced that George’s genius was the principal reason for the enormous success of the film, and he made it into the icon that it became.”
John Coates, Production Supervisor, and head of TV Cartoons and Norman Kauffman, Assistant to Animation Director, said as a quote from TVC, “Al Brodax’s book is part pure fiction, but at 78 his memory is obviously no longer reliable.”
Heinz Edelmann, Art Director, added: “Part of this book is pure fiction, and we are not really amused by all of this. It is connected only in the most tenuous sense to the reality of the production.”
Bob Balser, Animation Director added: “Hooray! All we can say is that You Are So Right!!! And thank you for defending us all.”
Other animators and artists are expected to be added soon.
"If you're ever in the shit, grab my tit.” —Paul McCartney
7.52am
Reviewers
17 December 2012
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The Beatles certainly weren’t keen on Brodax, hence their original reluctance to have anything to do with Yellow Submarine beyond giving a few songs that had become “orphaned” when they hadn’t found a home for them on any of their proper releases. The reason for their dislike was that Brodax was the producer behind The Beatles Cartoon, which they thought was a travesty. As time went by, and after they had split, they would occasionally express more after for the series than they felt at the time.
They turned against YS as soon as they heard of Brodax’s involvement, fearing it would became the same type of parody that didn’t reflect that they were outgrowing the cheeky moptops of 1964 by the time of the first episode in September 1965, and was still showing them in exactly the same way when the last episode went out in May 1969.
However, in spite of Brodax’s involvement, because the production was British-based, and the directors, writers, and animators sought to catch the feel of Swinging London and Sgt. Pepper , the group began to realise that they were not going to have to attempt looking enthusiastic about a feature-length version of The Beatles Cartoon.
Al Brodax didn’t get the film he wanted (hence his cutting of the Hey Bulldog sequence in the US), but The Beatles did get something they were more than happy to put their name to.
I can’t comment on the accuracy of Brodax’s account in his book, but Inside The Yellow Submarine is a great book that involved many of those involved in the film on the day-to-day basis.
"I only said we were bigger than Rod... and now there's all this!" Ron Nasty
To @ Ron Nasty it's @ mja6758
The Beatles Bible 2020 non-Canon Poll Part One: 1958-1963 and Part Two: 1964-August 1966
7.27pm
Reviewers
29 November 2012
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You guys have sparked my interest…I’ll have to track down a copy of this Inside the Yellow Submarine book!
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8.23pm
Reviewers
17 December 2012
Offline I certainly wouldn’t hesitate to recommend, though The Beatles are quite peripheral to the story, involved to varying degrees throughout. It does tell a great story about London’s animation community at the time – as just about every animator in London (from those just out of college to those who were at the top of their game) set about creating one of the great 60s animations, and many babies!
"I only said we were bigger than Rod... and now there's all this!" Ron Nasty
To @ Ron Nasty it's @ mja6758
The Beatles Bible 2020 non-Canon Poll Part One: 1958-1963 and Part Two: 1964-August 1966
11.50pm
18 April 2013
Offline I finished the book. An interesting tidbit…I learned the origin of a quaint track I have on one of my bootlegs. There is a version of Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds with an intro recorded by Dick Emery, the voice of The Boob. The Beatles vetoed its inclusion in the film.
"If you're ever in the shit, grab my tit.” —Paul McCartney
12.58pm
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline Expert Textpert said
I finished the book. An interesting tidbit…I learned the origin of a quaint track I have on one of my bootlegs. There is a version of Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds with an intro recorded by Dick Emery, the voice of The Boob. The Beatles vetoed its inclusion in the film.
Supposedly John wasn’t willing to share any royalties garnered thru it’s release.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
1.21pm
10 August 2011
Offline A few years back, I went to a lecture given by Al Brodax on this topic. I always felt that the movie is too long and that one song needed to be removed towards the end. However, I wondered why it was “Hey Bulldog ” that got the ‘ax’ and not “It’s All Too Much .” (By the time the song comes around, I was indeed thinking “It’s All Too Much “.)Brodax said he thought “It’s All Too Much ” is the better song. [When IveJustSeenAFaceo is done tallying the results, I’ll be curious to see how the two songs measure up relative to each other.] But in his lecture, he also said that the only Beatle he got to know was George – so I’m thinking he didn’t want to cut one of George’s songs…
"Into the Sky with Diamonds" (the Beatles and the Race to the Moon – a history)
3.26pm
18 April 2013
Offline Into the Sky with Diamonds said
A few years back, I went to a lecture given by Al Brodax on this topic. I always felt that the movie is too long and that one song needed to be removed towards the end. However, I wondered why it was “Hey Bulldog ” that got the ‘ax’ and not “It’s All Too Much .” (By the time the song comes around, I was indeed thinking “It’s All Too Much “.)Brodax said he thought “It’s All Too Much ” is the better song. [When IveJustSeenAFaceo is done tallying the results, I’ll be curious to see how the two songs measure up relative to each other.] But in his lecture, he also said that the only Beatle he got to know was George – so I’m thinking he didn’t want to cut one of George’s songs…
According to the book, Hey Bulldog was cut because the animation that went with it (done by Jack Stokes, I believe) was considered to be of a different style to the rest of the film–more traditionally cartoony. Also, the segment was removed because, just as you say, the end portion of the film was too long. However, I do remember reading that several people on the film crew felt Hey Bulldog was the best song.
Apparently, whatever Brodax says can be taken with a grain of salt. Several of the co-creators of the film have called him out concerning his made-up stories and lies.
"If you're ever in the shit, grab my tit.” —Paul McCartney
3.41pm
Reviewers
29 November 2012
Offline I’ve also read the reason Hey Bulldog was removed was that it extended the movie and they felt that “American audiences couldn’t sit through a film that long the way British audiences can,” whatever the hell that’s supposed to mean! 
"I know you, you know me; one thing I can tell you is you got to be free!"
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4.22pm
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline DrBeatle said
I’ve also read the reason Hey Bulldog was removed was that it extended the movie and they felt that “American audiences couldn’t sit through a film that long the way British audiences can,” whatever the hell that’s supposed to mean!
Lack of an attention span?
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
6.24pm
1 November 2013
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meanmistermustard said
DrBeatle said
I’ve also read the reason Hey Bulldog was removed was that it extended the movie and they felt that “American audiences couldn’t sit through a film that long the way British audiences can,” whatever the hell that’s supposed to mean!Lack of an attention span?
Maybe they are hating on America cause they are mean. All people are smart and dumb everywhere.
7.20pm
14 December 2009
Offline Expert Textpert said
I finished the book. An interesting tidbit…I learned the origin of a quaint track I have on one of my bootlegs. There is a version of Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds with an intro recorded by Dick Emery, the voice of The Boob. The Beatles vetoed its inclusion in the film.
Haha, “Picture yourself just of nuclear fission/With library cards under metaphor skies/Hahahaha!” I like that little ditty so much I couldn’t help using it in my “Alternate Hystery Tour” megamix. (Always loved the Boob!)
Sounds like an interesting book, but I wish somebody other than Brodax had written it. I read an account of some of the YS filming backstory in Mojo magazine a coupla years ago and the guy just badmouthed basically everybody. Bloody film producers, with their delusions of being creative artists…
I suspect the actual reason “Hey Bulldog ” was excised was to keep the film’s running time just under 90 minutes, therefore enabling more screenings per theatre per day.
The following people thank Von Bontee for this post:
BeatlebugPaul: Yeah well… first of all, we’re bringing out a ‘Stamp Out Detroit’ campaign.
7.30pm
Reviewers
17 December 2012
Offline No, this book was written by Robert Hieronimus, and had the co-operation of most involved in making the film, with a foreword by George Martin. The Al Brodax book on it, which was heavily criticised by most involved in making the film (see post 2 in this thread), was called Up Periscope Yellow.
The following people thank Ron Nasty for this post:
Von Bontee"I only said we were bigger than Rod... and now there's all this!" Ron Nasty
To @ Ron Nasty it's @ mja6758
The Beatles Bible 2020 non-Canon Poll Part One: 1958-1963 and Part Two: 1964-August 1966
9.28pm
14 December 2009
Offline Oh, I see – I really should read these threads more closely. Appreciate the correct info, gold star for your effort – if only there were some way I could thank you!
Paul: Yeah well… first of all, we’re bringing out a ‘Stamp Out Detroit’ campaign.
2.03am
18 June 2017
Offline Here’s a great 2 hour podcast about it: http://podbay.fm/show/75615188…..utostart=1
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