“Yellow Submarine” general release in the UK

Beatles’ Sub is bang on course!

United Artists, the company distributing the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine cartoon, today denied reports that attendances at the two West End cinemas showing the film had been below expectations.

“On the contrary we’ve had excellent audiences,” said a spokesman. “It certainly won’t lose money.”

It was announced last night that the Rank Organisation had decided not to put the film on general release because of adverse box office returns. It will now be shown at only about 150 cinemas of the 270 on the circuit.

“We showed the film at about 12 selected pre-release cinemas around the country and the results didn’t come up to expectations,” said a Rank spokesman.

But in the West End, business has been excellent. At the London Pavilion, where the film was premiered less than three weeks ago, audiences have already paid more than £20.000 to see it, and at Studio One in Oxford Circus it is booked for an indefinite run.

“We are absolutely astonished at Rank’s reaction,” said United Artists.

At Apple, the Beatles’ company which made the million dollar film, there was great surprise, too. Executive Mr. Jeremy Banks said: “The Rank Organisation have made their own decision. We cannot understand it. There is tremendous interest in the film in America where it is to open at Christmas.”

From Evening Standard – August 6, 1968

Cinemas drop new Beatle cartoon film

The Beatles-cartoon film “Yellow Submarine” was dropped by a number of cinemas last night. The Rank Organisation, shocked by adverse box-office returns, cut the film from scheduled screenings in North and South London. And I understand that a top-level decision is to be taken this week about programme arrangements for their 350 other cinemas in the provinces.

In London, the only comment from a Rank spokesman was: “All I can say is that Yellow Submarine has now been booked for a lesser number of theatres than originally planned. The box office has not been up to expectations.” Fifteen cinemas in the North London circuit have been affected this week.

The eighty-five-minute colour film was the first picture presentation by Apple — the new Beatles empire which closed down its first fashion boutique last week because of lack of trade.

An Apple executive said last night: “I am amazed by the Rank decision to drop ‘Yellow Submarine.’ The critics and trade papers were pretty well unanimously for it.“

The film is a feature cartoon on the Beatles and their long-playing record album “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” The group make an appearance themselves at the end of film.

From Daily Mirror – August 6, 1968

SHARES of Northern Songs, the Beatles’ company, dropped by 10 1/2d. to 23s. 1 1/2d. yesterday on the shock news that the Beatles’ cartoon film “Yellow Submarine” is being taken off some cinemas because of poor attendances. Northern Songs collects money from songs in the film.

From Daily Record – August 7, 1968

Film chief slams bad-business claim

THE next Beatles single will be a song titled “Hey Jude,” featuring Paul McCartney on lead vocal — it is a slow blues with a soul sound and a 40-piece orchestral accompaniment. Flip is the track which the NME named five weeks ago as a likely title for the new disc, “Revolution” — this is a slow rocker, with John Lennon as vocalist. The record is scheduled for release on the Apple label on Friday, August 30 — two weeks later than originally planned. Other initial Apple releases — by Jackie Lomax, Mary Hopkin and the Black Dyke Mills Band — have also been put back to this date.

National newspaper reports that the Beatles-inspired cartoon film “Yellow Submarine” was being dropped in London’s West End were strongly denied this week by the distributors of the movie, United Artists.

The company’s publicity director Charles Berman told the NME: “Comments about the film doing poor business at the London Pavilion are sheer nonsense. The cartoon was only booked in for three weeks, and had to make way for the previously-arranged premiere of “The Graduate.”

“Box-office business for ‘Yellow Submarine’ at the Pavilion has been absolutely tremendous — it has been taking about £8,000 per week. It is still showing at another London Cinema, Studio One, and will be running there indefinitely. It is also being screened at 25 London suburban cinemas, out of a possible 32 on the circuit — hardly the mark of an unsuccessful film.”

In reply to suggestions that the cartoon is being dropped by the Rank Organisation from many cinemas on its circuit, Beatles press officer Tony Barrow commented: “It is merely a re-shuffllng and rescheduling of the cinemas into which it has been booked. The film is still playing a very extensive schedule of cinemas.”

From New Musical Express – August 10, 1968