The Man Who Framed the Beatles: A Biography of Richard Lester

The title of Yule's book would provide a more accurate description of its contents if it and the subtitle were reversed. Beatles fans may find Lester's reminiscences here about the Fab Four entertaining, but there is little new information about the group, and his recollections of directing Help and A Hard Day's Night comprise only a small portion of the book. But Yule ( Sean Connery: From 007 to Hollywood Icon ) does provide a thorough overview of Lester's work on such films as Petulia , The Three Musketeers , Superman II and Superman III. Readers may find the biography a bit slow at first while Yule gives the details of Lester's early professional days in Britain. The pace picks up when Yule gets to the Lester's more recent movies and discusses such performers as Sean Connery, Raquel Welch and Richard Chamberlain. This is a flattering portrait, and Lester's cooperation with his biographer extended to providing many of the book's photos, including several of himself with the various Beatles. (Mar.)