MovieChat Forums > Help! (1965) Discussion > Klang's finger

Klang's finger

posted 20 years ago by monsieurzy
19 replies | jump to latest

The restaurant scene right after the table (and soup bowl) is bisected, Klang (Leo McKern) holds up his hand to show that HIS finger had been cut off by mistake, McKern holds up his hand, THEN quickly tucks his finger under..this always bugged me, even as a kid I could see that it was a poorly executed gag
...I know it's cool to say that A Hard Day's Night is great and Help sucks (especially if you're a worshipper of His Majesty John Lennon) but I find Help just as entertaining and fun

[–] Baravelli_the_ice_lady 20 years ago

Actually, unless I'm mis-remembering, that movement (bending the...ring finger, was it?) must just be a symbol of that cult, because at the end of the film when they're about to sacrifice Ringo, you can see Klang has got his ring finger bent with his hand held up.

Or I could be nuts. Either is equally possible.

"And now, I'm going back in the closet...where men are empty overcoats..."

[–] [email protected] 20 years ago

I always thought Klang was pulling a 'look what you (almost) did!' sort of thing there - I do like that angry face he pulls.

[–] monsieurzy 20 years ago

I think you're both reading waaaaay too much into what is a simple mistake, possilby due to budget restrictions on doing an extra take.
Richard Lester seems to have let a few go through in this film, maybe he gave up trying to control the Beatles who were too busy getting high to put any effort into their performances (eg Lennon at the book shelf..he does a hurried search though several volumes, then pulls out the one he wants..then he does an extra (useless) search on the shelf....it was probably funny to the Beatles at the time, but on the screen it screws up the gag)..this reminds me of the gags in a jerry lewis film, always taken beyond the point of funny and into the realm of lame self indulgence.

[–] Baravelli_the_ice_lady 20 years ago

I think you're both reading waaaaay too much into what is a simple mistake, possilby due to budget restrictions on doing an extra take.

So what? If we can find a joke in what was originally a mistake, then all the better.

And I thought the shelf thing was funny. (And I don't think Jerry Lewis is funny!) It's surreal, it's kooky. That kind of stuff just doesn't translate to some people, but to others it's sheer brilliance!

"You're just wasting your breath, and that's no great loss, either."

[–] benny9_99 20 years ago

Okay,
First off, there isn't a frame in HELP! that Dick Lester did not want in the movie. He was a perfectionist.

The gag you all seem to have missed when John is looking thru the books on his shelf is, the only book on his shelf is his (multiple copies) 'A Spaniard in the works' came out after 'In His Own Write'... So I hope this needs no further explanation.

and I don't think you guys are looking deep enough at the last few shots of the restaurant scene. There are some things going on w/ the symmetry of the frame...
Its a very symmetrical film...

[–] Baravelli_the_ice_lady 20 years ago

The gag you all seem to have missed when John is looking thru the books on his shelf is, the only book on his shelf is his (multiple copies) 'A Spaniard in the works' came out after 'In His Own Write'

I didn't miss that. That's why I love that scene so much!

Did you ever notice the scene in A Hard Day's Night where they snuck In His Own Write into a scene? (It's on a shelf in the background in a scene where, I think, the tailor is rolling up his tape measure because the band is late for their fitting.)

"You're just wasting your breath, and that's no great loss, either."

[–] michelle_mabelle 20 years ago

Yeah, I totally noticed that. I was so proud, cos you can just make out him in his little cap on the cover.

The Apple Scruffs Corps, 04
The Scruff formerly known as julies_call

[–] BlackGoldMustang 16 years ago

by monsieurzy

I think you're both reading waaaaay too much into what is a simple mistake, possilby due to budget restrictions on doing an extra take.
Richard Lester seems to have let a few go through in this film, maybe he gave up trying to control the Beatles who were too busy getting high to put any effort into their performances (eg Lennon at the book shelf..he does a hurried search though several volumes, then pulls out the one he wants..then he does an extra (useless) search on the shelf....it was probably funny to the Beatles at the time, but on the screen it screws up the gag)..this reminds me of the gags in a jerry lewis film, always taken beyond the point of funny and into the realm of lame self indulgence.

Talk about reading way too much into something, lol

"Instant Karma's gonna get you"

[–] reh1223 18 years ago

i dunno, I always thought that it was like a form of hand gesture for the cult, sort of like the middle finger or something, and Klang was angry so does it to bhuta (was it bhuta?).

Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall

[–] tom_good 17 years ago

i just thought he was making a "finger gun" like hes going to shoot him for messing up.

[–] am_buglet_82 16 years ago

I always thought he was implying, "We are GONNA get that finger!", lol.

"Did you ever notice the scene in A Hard Day's Night where they snuck In His Own Write into a scene? (It's on a shelf in the background in a scene where, I think, the tailor is rolling up his tape measure because the band is late for their fitting.)"

NO, I've never noticed that!
That gives me an excuse to watch the movie again (I watched it last night and still didn't notice it)!

Thanks!

-Amanda

"She will remember your heart when men are fairy tales in storybooks written by rabbits"

[–] [email protected] 16 years ago

Well, I hope you did notice they snuck in John's sequel 'A Spaniard in the Works' in this one.
What am I saying, 'snuck'? It's impossible to not see! Gave me a good laugh though.

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] dannyguitar 15 years ago

At first I thought his finger was supposed to be removed but then when I saw that it was obvious he was holding up his whole hand and then tucking the finger I thought he meant "get Ringo's finger" a bit like drawing a finger across your throat as a gesture to mean you will kill someone.

Plus I'm pretty sure he has the finger in the rest of the film so it wouldn't make sense if it's supposed to have been cut off.

***"What are you going to do, bleed on me?"***

[–] monsieurzy 15 years ago

jesus christ, years later and people are STILL looking for hidden meaning...it was meant as a throwaway gag,nothing more, like in a cartoon where Daffy Duck gets his beak blown off and then in the next scene it's miraculously back..Klang was supposed to show that HIS finger got chopped off instead of Ringo's, but Leo McKern didnt hide it quick enough when he brought his hand up into shot...Dick Lester (who was quickly losing patience with The Beatles showing up stoned) fiugred no one would notice or care (little did he know there would one day be an imdb.com discussion board), left it in the scene, and they moved on to the next shot
...what a nightmare to be stuck in a movie theatre with a bunch "oh, there's gotta be hidden meaning here" idiots

[–] arbilab 14 years ago

Naw, if Klang had his finger chopped he would have had more of a reaction to that. He was making a gun gesture at the guy who flubbed the attack. That matches his expression while he does it.

[–] monsieurzy 14 years ago

a gun gesture?!?!?...oh jesus, this is too much..there must be a special film appreciation 101 out there for all the morons who miss the blatantly obvious and go looking for hidden esoteric meaning

[–] anoctopusgarden 14 years ago

He was obviously pulling The Shocker.

[–] knightwind88 14 years ago

Pull my finger.