Give My Regards to Broad Street (1984)
A former Beatle once spent a fortune of his own money making a movie about losing a tape.
GIVE MY REGARDS TO BROAD STREET (1984) stars Paul McCartney as a version of himself, a musician racing against a 24 hour deadline to find a missing master tape before he loses his recording company to a shady businessman named Rath. The plot, such as it is, serves as a loose frame for a string of musical numbers and re-recorded Beatles and Wings songs.
Peter Webb directs from a script written by Paul McCartney. Bryan Brown plays Steve, tangled up in the mystery, while Ringo Starr and Linda McCartney appear as themselves. Ralph Richardson turns up in one of his final screen roles, and Tracey Ullman gets an early film credit as Sandra.
It flopped on release, but the soundtrack outlived the movie, and the film remains a strange time capsule of McCartney in the mid 1980s.
About the Film
Six million dollars says they won't find Harry by midnight.
- Directed By
- Peter Webb
- Runtime
- 109 minutes
- Released
- November 28, 1984
- Certification
- PG
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Starring
- Paul McCartney, Bryan Brown, Ringo Starr, Barbara Bach, Linda McCartney
More Credits
- Genres
- Drama, Music, Mystery
- Language
- English
- Origin
- GB
- Studios
- MPL Communications
- Written By
- Paul McCartney
- Produced By
- Andros Epaminondas, Peter Manley, Linda McCartney, Paul McCartney
- Cinematography
- Ian McMillan
- Music
- Paul McCartney
- Also Starring
- Tracey Ullman, Ralph Richardson, John Burgess, Ian Hastings, Philip Jackson
Where to Watch
No US streaming, rental, or purchase options listed right now.
Source: JustWatch
Physical Media
Other editions
I really wanted to see this when I was in junior high, but it came & went in 1 week. I still have the 45single of “No More Lonely Nights.”
Jim Delaney I remember MTV playing that song a bunch for a while, even after the film faded quickly. I was guessing mostly for the David Gilmour guitar solo.
Matthew Spalding It was a top 10 hit.
Casey Bartholomew still couldn’t save the movie.
Matthew Spalding No. Movie sucked. But the song and the soundtrack were pretty good.
Casey Bartholomew Yeah those are always fascinating when a soundtrack does better than the film it’s meant to support.
Matthew Spalding why would you guess that? what a dumb understanding of how 80s pop worked. You dumb dumb head. lol.
Rita Atkinson, did you know that this existed? If so, have you seen it and is it worth a watch?
The soundtrack is among McCartney’s best. I’ve been known to enjoy the movie, but I can pretty easily admit it’s not “good.” But it’s Paul and Paul’s great. 😅
Weird movie
The one thing this movie has shown me is that Paul can’t act. Great musician; but horrible thespian.
Travis Goss it’s funny that he’s, very clearly, the worst actor of the four Beatles
Travis Goss painfully self conscious in front of film cameras.
Travis Goss He’s better on camera being himself than playing himself.
but strangely he is great and very funny in his music videos . Sir Laurence Olivier would have had trouble making this script come alive but Paul is really wooden in the film self conscious as if someone told him “don’t act like you are having fun”
I like his re-recording of Silly Love Songs more than the ’70s original
James Noble I can’t stand it. When I’ve watched it (on streaming), I always fast forward through it. I dislike the costumes and everything about that number.
Shari Green yes, I’m not sure what they were going for with the elaborate costume and makeup. But I do like the funk bass on the updated version of SLS
I liked the movie and I still have and love the soundtrack.
Actually saw this in the theater in 6th grade. My mom and I were the only ones in the theater, but it was the beginning of a lifelong fascination with Paul and the Beatles
The movie was terrible it flopped it’s opening weekend and had the quickest release on VHS that I could recall and back in the ’80s. It was basically the fall of his recording career as far as the chart success.
Paul’s excursions outside of music have not been good.
I love this movie
The version of The long and winding road is the ultimate one. Great sax solo.
Tom So That’s the ONLY remake on the album I give any notice to.
As a screenwriter, Paul makes a great musician. You’d think he’d have learned after The Magical Mystery Tour debacle.
Interesting, never heard of…
I quite like it. In terms of being a great piece of cinema… No, it’s not. But if you look at it as being a collection of music videos, with a loose connecting story, it works and is a bit of fun. It helps if you’re already a McCartney fan to begin with.
Godawful. The ending is an insult to the viewers intelligence. Macca is a great songwriter, but this and MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR demonstrated he likes to see himself in front of the camera but had absolutely no talent for filmmaking.
Sean Brady why?
I saw this when I was in high school and I loved it then. I was, and still am, a huge Beatles fan. It’s not terrible and I think it’s a fun movie still.
I had a computer game of this.
I remember mtv gave away the Anglia street rod he drives. Who owns it now ?
AI answer :: Movie History: Featured prominently in Give My Regards to Broad Street, after filming, the car eventually made its way to the United States and was spotted at car shows in Upstate New York.
Paul McCartney was to cinema what Idi Amin was to romance.
Boomer garbage.
It ain’t a great movie but the music holds up.
Eleanor’s Dream, epic !
Paul before writing the script:
Adam: Paul, collaborating with some of his best buds.
I love Paul, but what a God awful movie.
Great soundtrack. Horrible movie.
George must have cackled. If he was even aware of it.
Sam DeMilt Paul ask will you be in it, he said no.
Sam DeMilt he did see it and commented that he “quite liked it”
The Unofficial Godfather of New Wave music.
A terrible movie and Paul’s least best album of his career. But for the classic McCartney track, No More Lonely Nights (which is a diamond in this particular rough) the whole thing can generously be described as ill advised and absolutely forgettable.
Steven Howard and yet here we are still talking about it!
GerryandPhyllis Pirkot About what? 😅
He didn’t spend a fortune and it turned out great Why would anyone see it if they weren’t a McCartney fan? Answer…….to slag it off! That’s just what critics do! The music was amazing and so werethe scenes that accompanied it. I’ve certainly seen a lot worse of a story line and the moral of the story was plain to see.
GerryandPhyllis Pirkot why so defensive?
Derek Montague Just stating fact. Also giving my opinion.😉
GerryandPhyllis Pirkot True, nine million 1980s dollars was probably not a fortune to Sir Paul.
George pointed out in the Anthology documentary that he had a great production company at the time and was a seasoned and very successful film producer. It might have turned out much better if Paul had been willing to collaborate with him and ask for help.
Edward And there you have, in a nutshell, the complicated (to say the least) relationship, with regard to creative matters, between George and Paul.
Always the grudging, arms-length, big brother / kid brother dynamic.
Mark Madonna And there’s no way George would have wanted to do a Paul vanity project.
Edward Shuttleworth That would have never happenned in a MILLION years.
Edward Shuttleworth Good point. He should have done that. Could have made a much better picture. On budget and injoyable. Paul’s my favorite it’s just..Sir Paul and John seemed to be dismissive of George. There’s a scene in the Peter Jackson Get Back when John and Paul are jaming together and George trys to join in and they just blow him off .it’s as if in there eyes…”he’s just little George”. You know
My dad, a Beatle Maniac, described this to me at the time as “more of Paul breaking his neck sucking his own …”. He was a Lennon fan. 😀
John Scott Chances are, had John still been alive, he wouldn’t have liked the film either.
Paul’s acting career should have ended with ‘A Hard Days Night’.
“Hello William”
It’s not good, but it’s not as bad as people say. I mean, in the age of streaming there are some truly terrible movies.
I like the film, not an award winner but I was entertained and of course the music is excellent. I listen to the soundtrack often, was just listening to it this weekend.
and in the end it was a dream … I mean you can’t be serious that this made it through the production team and everyone said “oh great good idea”
Steve Stanz Except it was a half baked idea than a good one.
totally baked
great soundtrack though !
My 12 year old self loved it. I wonder what I would think of it now.
I was 16 when this came out and I asked my mom if she’d take me to see it. She said we could go next week. By the time next week came, it wasn’t playing anymore! It was years before I saw it. The soundtrack is good, but the movie kind of plods along.
Some brilliant songs on there which have been hard to find to listen to! Loved the movie!
Obviously not an Oscar caliber film. Paul even admitted the mistakes he made especially regarding the script. He said there should have been multiple drafts or at least an experienced script writer. I enjoy the film for what it is and I like to feast my eyes on Paul. He was gorgeous.
Shari Green Now if only Julie Taymor had a finished script when she began filming Across the Universe…..
I was one of the few who really liked this film. It was a collection of great videos strung together with a very flimsy plot.. but just a blast from start to finish.
The music is great. I love Paul playing with Ringo. It is a weak plot and a thin storyline.
I never can get this movie at all. Although “no more lonely nights is a great song” the movie was just what the hell is going on here.
I was probably one of the only college students who loved the movie and the soundtrack. No more lonely nights!!!!
This was not long after losing John. We were starving for anything Beatles. The music is so wonderful how could anyone not see the real beauty in this? I loved it and have the DVD which comes out every fall.
The acoustic Wanderlust medley has haunted me for decades and is often in my head 🔥
Bryan Brown?? Yeah okay I’ll watch it.
I can take or leave Paul McCartney – but this film’s a hoot! Needed more Ringo though 🙂
I love the soundtrack. Couldn’t even sit through the movie.
Absolutely love the title track
No more lonely nights was a nice song though
Took my then girlfriend later my wife and I’m surprised she married me after this. LOL but we both loved it it was Paul on the big screen that’s all that mattered
I like the movie I thought the idea was pretty good and of course the music was terrific.
Just think of it like a very long music video about Paul McCartney and the Beatles music featuring Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr and Linda McCartney. It’s a boring movie but the music in it, is great
Does the shady businessman have Allen Klein qualities in him?
The musical hilight was the extended Eleanor Rigby orchestral piece.
Gatis Gaujenieks agreed
I didn’t hate it…some decent scenes but its not a must see…then again the Beatles movies I would say the same about..merely vehiclea for the music.
I love this movie . A box set of album and bluray would be great
I dug it. It has a good heart and memorable soundtrack of re-recorded gems. Visually interesting throughout. Barmy British fayre of a certain affectation, granted- but thoroughly enjoyable 😎
He never did another movie. We were lucky we got it.
https://youtu.be/dk1a1539I-c?is=FqOI-qappvhLh1ha
I’m a long time McCartney, and Beatles fan, but that movie was nothing but embarrassing.
It was a terrible movie. It was the first movie I ever walked out on. I was so bored.
I think it was inspired by his being robbed of the cassettes of Band On the Run in Lagos.
Would have done the film about the band on the run stolen tapes
Love Ballroom Dancing and Wunderlust….Great movie!
The cartoon at the beginning was the best bit and song.
I raced to see it when it opened – not the greatest but I was pleased enough with it, and the soundtrack is still one of my favorite McCartney albums 🧡
John Lennon would puke if he saw that top picture of Paul. Probably call him a marshmellow
Didn’t mind the movie and yes great soundtrack.
It probably didn’t matter to Paul McCartney if it was a success or not the point is that he had fun making it just like Magical Mystery tour. He had the money to do what he pleased, he earned it.
Scott Honeychurch Correct answer.
Scott Honeychurch I thought it was better than “magical mystery tour”
No more lonely nights is a great song with a killer David Gilmour guitar part…
I would agree with those who say he can’t act but actually his Pirates of the Caribbean cameo was very good.
If you hear Little Lamb Dragonfly as Paul grieving the distance between himself and John, No More Lonely Nights can feel like a second chapter. In the first song, the lonely nights go on and on; in the second, Paul sings “no more lonely nights.” The earlier song sounds like a wish for John to come back, while the later one sounds like a promise that the loneliness will end. It’s a moving connection between the two songs, even if Paul didn’t intend them as a pair.
I wonder whether it’s on a list of forbidden subjects because I’ve never heard a journalist ask him about it. And he never plays No More Lonely Nights.
When you think about it, his chart placings were never the same after it.
You can’t really talk of something ‘ending’ Paul McCartney, but Broad Street came close
McCartney was seriously uncool with bland songs when he went solo. So strange 🤔
I thought it was great and have re watched it several times.
Try to see this with the eyes of John. the word pathetic comes to mind
The computer gane ended up being bigger than GTA5
Not everything has to be Citizen Kane. A light watch with great music featuring two of the Beatles. Enjoy it on its simplest level.
Oh, and the great songs that get no airplay and no discussion— Not Such A Bad Boy and No Values….. If they were done as Wings songs we’d be still hearing them all the time!
Great film!!
It’s a dud of a film unless you’re a Beatles fan. Then it’s pretty good
Not a fan of the film. However…I LOVE the soundtrack. My favorite McCartney record from the 1980’s
Ich habe davon noch das Video 2000 tape, glaube davon gibt es in Deutschland kein zweites 😅
Unlike Mystery Tour, which has over the years gotten some positive feedback for being a for runner of the music video,and serialism, I don’t think I can point to any diamond in the rough.the music of course shines.
It turns out this shady businessman was Michael Jackson acting on Paul’s advice
I enjoyed this quirky movie, and the soundtrack is top notch.
Well, don’t forget, he was robbed in another country (Lagos?) and lost all his tapes and nearly lost his life! Anything Paul creates, I’m up for and I thought this movie was a lot of fun!
It was bad, but I still liked it. Back then you didn’t see your favorite artist except on video. It’s not like the internet today.
B-O-R-I-N-G
I think if he concentrated on the story more, instead of making one long music video, it may have been better.
This was sort of like the Magical Mystery Tour movie. The music sequences are great but the storyline could use a lot of work.