Beatles’ Yellow Sub resurfaces

NEWLY knighted Sir Ringo Starr famously sang lead vocals on The

Beatles’ classic track Yellow Submarine. Now rather aptly the animated fantasy film inspired by the Fab Four’s music is to be re-released in cinemas this summer to mark the 50th anniversary of its first release.

Featuring surreal 1960’s pop animation the remastered version has been brought up to date to give a new generation of moviegoers their very own opportunity to visit Pepperland. It is released in cinemas on July 8.

The film originally came out on July 18, 1968, with its world premiere in London’s Piccadilly Circus the night before, with all four Beatles in attendance.

While some of the Fab Four’s best known tracks form the soundtrack of the film – including Eleanor Rigby, When I’m Sixty-Four, Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds and All You Need Is Love – they did not voice their animated characters.

The late Coronation Street actor Geoffrey Hughes, aka Onslow in Keeping Up Appearances, provided Paul McCartney’s speaking voice, with John Clive as John Lennon, Paul Angelis as Ringo and also as George Harrison. Peter Batten originally voiced the part of George but was found to have been a deserter from the British Army and was subsequently arrested during filming, leaving Angelis to complete his scenes. The real Beatles made a cameo appearance as themselves in the film’s final scene.