SI44. A Lunch Menu Signed During Filming of the Train Sequence in the Movie “A Hard Day’s Night”

Description

On Wednesday, March 4th 1964, The Beatles were 3 days into the filming their first feature film entitled “A Hard Day’s Night” – just 2 short weeks after returning from their triumphant first U.S. visit. On this day they filmed some of the train sequences that appear early in the film, while traveling between Acton in West London and Minehead in the West of England – with a brief stop in Crowcombe Heathfield Station in Somerset.

Lunch was served on the train and here is a luncheon menu from that very day that gave the diner various choices for a starter, main course, dessert and coffee. All four have autographed the back of this menu beautifully using a blue ballpoint pen. The menu, which measures 4 1/2″ x 6 1/2″, is in excellent condition, having been well kept over the years.

Also, it is worthy to note that it was on this day that George Harrison met his future wife Pattie Boyd for the first time, as it was her first day of filming after having been hired by the film’s director Richard Lester, who had worked with her previously in a potato chips commercial

This is an exceptional set of Beatles autographs, obtained while the band was filming their critically acclaimed first feature movie which had a whole new batch of great songs, and the fact that it was signed on the back of a dated lunch menu ties it to the exact date and placement of The Beatles at the time of signing.

Here is a video link to a scene from “A Hard Day’s Night” that was shot on March 4, 1964 – the day this menu was signed: