Why George Harrison Was Skeptical of Beatles Biopics After Their Breakup: “Free-For-All”

The Beatles’ catalog is one of the most coveted. Their songs are so iconic that anyone would kill to see even a smidge of their success. Countless people have used The Beatles’ music to secure the success of their own ventures over the years. While some are apt homages to the band, others are not.

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The biggest issue with the countless movies and other media that have used Beatles music is that many, especially in decades past, didn’t secure proper authorization. According to George Harrison, creatives had a “free-for-all” with the band’s music shortly after their breakup. This was largely due to their mountain of legal troubles that kept them busy.

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George Harrison’s Issue With Beatles-Focused Media

Harrison once said that many artists and industry executives who made Beatles-led media in the wake of their breakup didn’t secure the proper rights. The band was so busy fighting over rights themselves that no one was able to cut infringement off before it happened.

“All those naughty Broadway shows and stupid movies that have been made about The Beatles, using Beatles names and ideas, are all illegal,” he explained. “But because we’ve been arguing among ourselves all these years, people have had a free-for-all.”

“It’s terrible, really,” he added. “People think we’re giving all these producers and people permission to do it and that we’re making money out of it, but we don’t make a nickel. So it’s time that should be stopped.”

After the band broke up, many people tried to tell the definitive Beatles story. However good they may have been, if they didn’t give credit where it was due, fans can’t accept them.

‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band‘

There was one film that Harrison let slide because they did get proper credit: the 1978 Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band film. The film follows a cast led by Peter Frampton and The Bee Gees as they tell a loose story of the band fighting industry corruption.

The film was a critical and commercial flop, failing to live up to the album of the same name. Despite the negative reviews, Harrison thanked the creators for paying for the copyright.

“Although I suppose the Sgt Pepper film is all right because they’ve paid the copyright on the songs and made up their own storyline,” Harrison once said. “The reports on it were so bad that I didn’t want to see it. But maybe it’s good. I don’t know.”

Overall, no one has made a proper Beatles film yet, and that’s due to the scale of their music. Even if they do their due diligence and get the rights, they’re left to figure out the specifics. How do you bottle up The Beatles into an imitation or pastiche? It’s a tall order.

(Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)