The Beatles produced five films during their time together: A Hard Day’s Night, Help!, Magical Mystery Tour, Yellow Submarine, and Let It Be. Some were cinematic successes, and some were not, but—along with subsequent reissues, bonus material, and Peter Jackson’s The Beatles: Get Back, a documentary companion to Let It Be—they comprise an endlessly fascinating document of key phases in the group’s career.

In this comprehensive deep-dive into the band’s movies, author and longtime music journalist Steve Matteo follows the origins, filming, and often frenzied fan reception of projects from the 1964 premiere of A Hard Day’s Night through 1970’s Let It Be to the release of Get Back in 2022. Matteo explores the production process, original theatrical film releases, subsequent VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray releases, and bonus materials, along with the US and UK soundtracks. In addition to copious anecdotes and behind-the-scenes details, he also places these films in their larger context, a period of unprecedented artistic and commercial innovation in British and world cinema. Filled with stories and insights that will satisfy collectors, buffs, and casual fans alike, this is the definitive account of an underappreciated part of the Beatles’ creative output.

Steve Matteo is the author of the books Let It Be and Dylan and contributed to the collection The Beatles in Context. He has written for such publications as The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, New York, Time Out New York, Rolling Stone, Spin, Elle, and Salon. He often appears on radio in his capacity as a music journalist and author.

"Love film? Love music? Steve Matteos "Act Naturally: The Beatles on Film" is the book that you didnt even know you needed ... Matteo demonstrates how the Beatles, as the 20th-century Renaissances undisputed masters, bent their chosen media—musical and visual culture alike—to their will."—Salon

"An up-close and in-depth look at the Fab Fours five films."—Newsday

"Meticulously researched and infectiously enthusiastic ... Matteo takes readers on one hell of a journey."—PopMatters

"Offers a thorough look into the making of The Beatles’ feature films (and Magical Mystery Tour), including recording and filming dates, as well as examining how they fit into an ever-changing landscape of music and cinema during that most creative and exciting of decades."—Goldmine

"Matteo’s knowledge of The Beatles is remarkably vast ... Matteo’s work is a must-read for serious Beatles fans, researchers, and experts. But it can also be enjoyed by the novice as well. For those longing to be transported back to the Sixties in all its full-blown glory, this is your billet, and it’s a front-row seat!"—Culture Sonar

"Provides a deeper perspective on The Beatles films, illustrating how they were both products of their time and yet beyond them."—Beatlefan

"A much-needed and fascinating look into the films of The Beatles ... The ‘go to’ book on this subject."—Spill

“Engaging and informative … Matteo doesn’t just spill the beans on what went on behind the scenes; he provides historical and cultural context that made it all possible.”—Republican-American (Waterbury, CT)

"With the meticulously researched Act Naturally, Matteo offers fans, casual and obsessive, a better understanding of what the band achieved in film, as well as how and why each project came together."—Pop Culture Classics

"You might not suspect a book about the Beatlesas celluloid heroes could take you down so many rabbit holes, but that’s exactly where Steve Matteo’s Act Naturally leads. Matteo doesn’t just spill the beans on what went on behind the scenes; he provides historical and cultural context that made it all possible."—Ugly Things

"Matteo’s vast knowledge of the Beatles brings a wealth of information to each chapter that is not strictly related to the group’s films but includes details that almost certainly influenced the way the boys performed ... A must-read for serious Beatles fans and researchers. It can also be enjoyed by fans at every level, as it presents the total story of what was going on at the time, leaving the reader with a more complete understanding, and appreciation, of each film."—Octopus Garden: The Beatles Fanzine by and for Fans

"Act Naturally chronicles the rich cinematic history of the band."—Tim Riley, author of What Goes On: The Beatles, Their Music, and Their Time

"A terrific read that puts the Fabs’ films into an insightful and fact-filled context with a fresh perspective on just how important the movies were to their lasting legacy."—Dennis Elsas, legendary WNEW FM and WFUV New York disc jockey and co-host of Fab Fourum on Sirius XM

"With Act Naturally: The Beatles on Film, Steve Matteo provides readers with the definitive, go-to book for understanding the group’s cinematic forays. Chockful of new information, Act Naturally is rife with stories about the Fabs’ filmic excursions and key aspects of their unparalleled contribution to music and celebrity culture."—Kenneth Womack, author of John Lennon 1980 and Fandom and the Beatles

"Steve Matteo is the perfect companion and tour guide in navigating the Beatles’ fascinating dalliance with film, from the British New Wave of Richard Lester’s A Hard Day’s Night to the atmospheric verité of Michael Lindsay-Hogg’s Let It Be. This is a most welcome—and long overdue—exploration of an important but often overlooked facet of the Beatles’ saga."—Mark Rozzo, author of Everybody Thought We Were Crazy and a founding member of Bambi Kino

"Fans of the films of the Beatles have not been given a book to revel in for many years. Steve Matteo has provided one: a deep-dive look at the Beatles, their soundtrack music, and their films. The Beatles remain the epitome of what a band can be. All-time greats. Matteos history swiftly and clearly follows their path, transporting the reader to swinging ’60s London and beyond. This book is every Beatles fans ticket to ride."—Noah Charney, author of The Devil in the Gallery: How Scandal, Shock, and Rivalry Shaped the Art World

“The Beatles are a gift that keeps on giving. Steve Matteo’s book is a gift in itself. For those of us who will always love the Beatles, Matteo’s book renews and expands this love of the songs and the four guys we thought we knew.”—David Yaffe, author of Reckless Daughter: A Portrait of Joni Mitchell

“Act Naturally is saturated with the author’s contagious love for his subject. It’s a miraculous chronicle of how those precious films came to be, their history from every imaginable angle, the characters—likely and unlikely—who had a hand in the productions, and industry logistics. I am so grateful to have been shuttled back to the 1960s, to swinging London, and to the Beatles’ glorious films. I learned a lot, and anyone interested in films of the ‘50s and ‘60s will get a huge charge out of this wonderful and meticulous history.”—Maura Spiegel, author of Sidney Lumet: A Life and Professor of English and Film at Columbia University

"Genuinely impressive ... Matteo has a good eye for little moments, moments that humanize these gods among men, as well as ones that pay tribute to the so often criminally under-looked people involved in productions."—Film Inquiry