Richard Lester | Biography, Movies, & Facts

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href="https://cdn.britannica.com/93/175593-050-EA769101/Richard-Lester-man-filming-the-Beatles-A.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/337343/188155"> <picture> <source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/93/175593-050-EA769101/Richard-Lester-man-filming-the-Beatles-A.jpg?w=300"> <img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/93/175593-050-EA769101/Richard-Lester-man-filming-the-Beatles-A.jpg?w=400&h=300&c=crop" alt="A Hard Day's Night" loading="eager" /> </picture> <button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"> <em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em> </button> </a> </div> <figcaption class="card-body"> <div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"> <span> <a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/93/175593-050-EA769101/Richard-Lester-man-filming-the-Beatles-A.jpg" data-href="/media/1/337343/188155"><em>A Hard Day's Night</em></a> <span><span>Richard Lester (third from right) with the Beatles and an unidentified man (standing, centre left) during the filming of <em>A Hard Day's Night</em> (1964).</span></span> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <span class="link-blue">(more)</span> </button> </span> </div> </figcaption> </figure> </div><div class="topic-header"> <div class="d-flex align-items-top justify-content-between"> <div class="d-flex flex-column"> <div> <div> <h1>Richard Lester</h1></div> </div> <div class="topic-identifier font-16 font-md-20">American filmmaker</div> </div> </div> <div class="d-none d-sm-flex flex-row"> <div class="mr-10 mb-15"> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 btn-sm 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Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). </div> <div class="type-menu"> <label for="feedback-type" class="label mb-10">Feedback Type</label> <select id="feedback-type" class="form-select mb-30" name="feedbackTypeId" required> <option value="" selected="selected">Select a type (Required)</option> <option value="1">Factual Correction</option> <option value="2">Spelling/Grammar Correction</option> <option value="3">Link Correction</option> <option value="4">Additional Information</option> <option value="5">Other</option> </select> </div> <label for="feedback" class="label mb-10">Your Feedback</label> <textarea id="feedback" class="form-control mb-30" name="feedback" maxlength="3000" rows="7" required></textarea> <button class="btn btn-blue" type="submit">Submit Feedback</button> </form> <div class="success-messaging d-none mt-30"> <div class="title">Thank you for your feedback</div> <p>Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="md-websites-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif pb-15 border-bottom font-weight-bold"> External Websites </div> <div class="pb-20"> <ul class="list-unstyled mt-20 lh-lg"> <li><a class="external" href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/112581%7C130142/Richard-Lester/" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">Turner Classic Movies - Biography of Richard Lester</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/richard-lester-mn0002104314" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">AllMusic - Biography of Richard Lester</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="toc-header-marker"></div> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 js-header-ai-ask-button d-none btn-sm btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 mr-0 mr-lg-10 ml-5 ml-sm-10 ml-lg-0 p-10"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> <div class="md-byline module-spacing "> <div class="font-serif font-12"> <span class="written-by text-gray-700"> Written and fact-checked by </span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Richard-Lester/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="qf-title font-weight-bold font-14 mb-10 text-center"> Quick Facts</div> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Born: </dt> <dd>January 19, 1932, <a href="/place/Philadelphia">Philadelphia</a>, <a href="/place/Pennsylvania-state">Pennsylvania</a>, <a href="/place/United-States">U.S.</a> (age 92)</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Notable Works: </dt> <dd><a href="/topic/A-Funny-Thing-Happened-on-the-Way-to-the-Forum-film-by-Lester">“A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/A-Hard-Days-Night">“A Hard Day’s Night”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Help-film-by-Lester">“Help!”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Robin-and-Marian">“Robin and Marian”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Superman-II">“Superman II”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Superman-III">“Superman III”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/The-Bed-Sitting-Room">“The Bed Sitting Room”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/The-Knackand-How-to-Get-It">“The Knack…and How to Get It”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/The-Return-of-the-Musketeers">“The Return of the Musketeers”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/The-Three-Musketeers-film-by-Lester">“The Three Musketeers”</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/Richard-Lester"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref703806"></span>Richard Lester</strong> (born January 19, 1932, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Philadelphia" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Philadelphia</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Pennsylvania-state" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Pennsylvania</a>, U.S.) is an American filmmaker who successfully transferred the fast-cut stream-of-consciousness style of television commercials to the big screen. He is best known as the director of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/the-Beatles" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Beatles</a> movies <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/A-Hard-Days-Night" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true"><em>A Hard Day’s Night</em></a> (1964) and <em>Help!</em> (1965).</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">A <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/piano" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">piano</a> <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="prodigy" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/prodigy" data-type="EB">prodigy</a>, Lester continued his musical activities while pursuing a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/clinical-psychology" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">clinical psychology</a> degree at the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/University-of-Pennsylvania" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">University of Pennsylvania</a>. After graduating in 1951, he worked at a local television station, beginning as a stagehand and eventually becoming a director. He traveled to Europe in 1954, ostensibly as a “roving correspondent” for a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/newspaper-syndicate" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">newspaper syndicate</a>, and paid his way by playing <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/guitar" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">guitar</a> and piano. Within a year he was working at <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/London" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">London</a>’s <a href="https://www.britannica.com/money/ITV-television" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Independent Television</a> studios as a composer and director. He hosted his own one-shot <em>The Dick Lester Show</em> in 1956, which though a disaster led to a series of choice directorial assignments on the various television projects of <em><span id="ref703855"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Goon-Show" class="md-crosslink ">The Goon Show</a></em> cocreators <span id="ref703813"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Spike-Milligan" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Spike Milligan</a> and <span id="ref703815"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Peter-Sellers" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Peter Sellers</a>. Also during this period, he began <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/directing" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">directing</a> commercials, an activity to which he would periodically return throughout his career.</p><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="242871" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/50/23150-050-A823EED9/The-Beatles-A-Hard-Days-Night.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/337343/242871"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/50/23150-050-A823EED9/The-Beatles-A-Hard-Days-Night.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/50/23150-050-A823EED9/The-Beatles-A-Hard-Days-Night.jpg?w=300" alt="A Hard Day's Night" data-width="1600" data-height="1241" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/50/23150-050-A823EED9/The-Beatles-A-Hard-Days-Night.jpg" data-href="/media/1/337343/242871"><em>A Hard Day's Night</em></a><span>The Beatles in <em>A Hard Day's Night</em> (1964), directed by Richard Lester.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">While working on Milligan’s TV series <em>A Show Called Fred</em>, he provided frantic, non sequitur filmed segments. These came to fruition in his theatrical-film directorial debut, <em>The Running, Jumping and Standing Still Film</em> (1959), which featured Milligan and Sellers in a series of <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="surreal" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surreal" data-type="MW">surreal</a> sketches and sight gags. Lester graduated to features with <em>It’s Trad, Dad!</em> (1962), a low-budget capitalization on <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/United-Kingdom" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Britain’s</a> then current <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/Dixieland" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">traditional jazz</a> craze. When he helmed his first studio-financed <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/motion-picture" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">film</a>, <em>The Mouse on the Moon</em>, the following year, he continued to rely upon working methods he had honed for television, including the cost-saving use of multiple cameras. Because of this work, Lester was chosen to direct the <span id="ref1200647"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/the-Beatles" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Beatles</a>’ first film, <em><span id="ref703816"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/A-Hard-Days-Night" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">A Hard Day’s Night</a></em> (1964). Though tightly scripted by <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alun-Owen" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Alun Owen</a>, the film possessed a charmingly spontaneous, improvisational energy that not only <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="encapsulated" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encapsulated" data-type="MW">encapsulated</a> the dizzy euphoria of “Beatlemania” but influenced moviemaking in general during the 1960s. Described by critic Andrew Sarris as “the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Citizen-Kane" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true"><em>Citizen Kane</em></a> of jukebox musicals,” <em>A Hard Day’s Night</em> was followed by another enjoyable Beatles-Lester collaboration, <em><span id="ref1200648"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Help-film-by-Lester" class="md-crosslink ">Help!</a></em> (1965).</p><div class="module-spacing"> </div><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">With the exception of <em><span id="ref703817"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Petulia" class="md-crosslink ">Petulia</a></em> (1968), a comparatively straightforward account of an extramarital affair in contemporary San Francisco that starred <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Julie-Christie" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Julie Christie</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-C-Scott" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">George C. Scott</a>, Lester’s other 1960s movies—the “swinging London” spoof <em><span id="ref1200650"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Knackand-How-to-Get-It" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">The Knack…and How to Get It</a></em> (1965), the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Broadway-street-and-district-New-York-City" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Broadway</a> <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="adaptation" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adaptation" data-type="MW">adaptation</a> <em><span id="ref1200651"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/A-Funny-Thing-Happened-on-the-Way-to-the-Forum-film-by-Lester" class="md-crosslink ">A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum</a></em> (1966), the wickedly satiric antiwar pieces <em><span id="ref1200649"></span>How I Won the War</em> (1967) and <em><span id="ref1275866"></span>The Bed Sitting Room</em> (1969)—were cut from the same stylistic cloth as the director’s two Beatles pictures, and the first of them was awarded the Palme d’Or at the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/Cannes-film-festival" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Cannes film festival</a>. His later films were more “mainstream” than his earlier efforts, though no less visually stunning. These included the all-star swashbucklers <em><span id="ref1200652"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Three-Musketeers-film-by-Lester" class="md-crosslink ">The Three Musketeers</a></em> (1973), <em><span id="ref1275861"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Four-Musketeers" class="md-crosslink ">The Four Musketeers</a></em> (1974), and <em>Royal Flash</em> (1975), the revisionist <em><span id="ref1275864"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Robin-and-Marian" class="md-crosslink ">Robin and Marian</a></em> (1976), the bittersweet historical romance <em>Cuba</em> (1979), and the lavish comic-book derivations <em><span id="ref1275862"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Superman-II" class="md-crosslink ">Superman II</a></em> (1980) and <em><span id="ref1275863"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Superman-III" class="md-crosslink ">Superman III</a></em> (1983).</p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD5 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">After <em><span id="ref1275865"></span>The Return of the Musketeers</em> (1989), Lester virtually retired from filmmaking, reportedly disheartened by the on-set accidental death of his longtime colleague, comic actor <span id="ref1200653"></span>Roy Kinnear. He was briefly <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="coaxed" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/coaxed" data-type="EB">coaxed</a> back to work by former Beatle <span id="ref1275867"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Paul-McCartney" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Paul McCartney</a>, who engaged the director’s services for the concert feature <em>Paul McCartney’s Get Back</em> (1991).</p><span class="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="md-signature"><a href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</a></span><span class="md-signature">This article was most recently revised and updated by <a href="/contributor/encyclopaedia-britannica/12989892">Encyclopaedia Britannica</a>.</span><span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":1,"pageId":337343,"pageLength":557,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.14"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.130.14' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"C","adLeg":"C","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"BIO_MEDIUM","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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Richard Lester | Biography, Movies, & Facts | Britannica