The Knack ...and How to Get It: Difference between revisions

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After seeing [[Ann Jellicoe]]'s play ''The Knack'', the producers envisioned a film adaptation. They offered the position of director to [[Lindsay Anderson]], who refused.<ref name="Steiner">{{Cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/84070 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108052621/http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/84070%7C0/The-Knack-And-How-To-Get-It.html |url-status=live |archive-date=8 November 2012 |title=The Knack ...and How to Get It |last=Steiner |first=Richard |access-date=7 June 2017 |work=[[Turner Classic Movies]]}}</ref>

Having worked with [[The Beatles]] on ''[[A Hard Day's Night (film)|A Hard Day's Night]]'', Lester was another candidate for director, and agreed to take the position.<ref name="Steiner"/> Lester made major changes to the play, adding his own touch through direct address, unexpected oddly-edited sequences, humorous subtitles, and a [[Greek chorus]] of disapproving members of "the older generation."{{citation needed|date=June 2017}} Filming took place inover a few weeks in November and early December 1964, and Lester employed television advertising techniques.<ref name="Steiner"/> Talking about the film in the 1980s, actor [[Ray Brooks (actor)|Ray Brooks]] said: {{cquote|He’s a very visual man. They reckon that you could take any frame from ''[[Help! (film)|Help]]'', ''The Knack'', and ''[[A Hard Day's Night (film)|A Hard Day’s Night]]'' and you could put it on the cover of Time/Life. Everything was so beautifully shot."<ref>[http://www.chrishunt.biz/feature24.html ''Ray Brooks interview''] by [[Chris Hunt]]</ref>}}

Lester himself makes a brief cameo as an annoyed bystander. [[John Barry (composer)|John Barry]] contributed the jazzy score, which features a memorable organ solo by [[Alan Haven]]. [[Jane Birkin]], [[Charlotte Rampling]], and [[Jacqueline Bisset]] all made their first cinematic appearances in the film as extras, together with ''[[Top of the Pops]]'' disc girl [[Samantha Juste]].