The Rutles: All You Need is Cash

The Rutles: All You Need is Cash. 1978 Above Average Productions Inc., Broadway Video & Rutle Corp (issued on DVD by Rhino Home Video).
Starring: Eric Idle, John Halsey, Ricky Fataar, Neil Innes, Michael Palin, George Harrison, Bianca Jagger, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, etc.
Appearing as Themselves: Mick Jagger, Paul Simon
Directors: Eric Idle & Gary Weis
Buy All You Need is Cash at Amazon.

The Rutles, whose resemblance to The Beatles is purely and satirically intentional, originally appeared on a sketch on Eric Idle's post-Python sketch program on BBC2, Rutland Weekend Television way back in 1975. When asked to host an episode of Saturday Night Live a year later, Idle brought along some Rutland videotape clips, including one of The Rutles. Lorne Michaels suggested that Idle turn the mock band into a full fledged mockumentary, which aired on NBC on March 22nd, 1978, finishing dead last in the Nielsen ratings for that week. Way to go, guys!

All You Need is Cash is a sketch film closely following the chronology of The Beatles' own rise to fame, with songs written and performed by Innes, who did a wonderful job sounding like actual tunes done by the Fab Four. In a sense, the music, which was released as a soundtrack album, was more successful than the show it was created for, which certainly isn't unusual.

Highly recommended, especially for fans of Python, SNL, The Beatles, or whatever you fancy.

P.S. All You Need is Cash was an inspiration for Rob Reiner when he put together This is Spinal Tap, which will be reviewed here at some point.