“A Hard Day’s Night” will be screened at the 1891 Opera House Friday. It was first screened there in 1964 when the location was known as Fredonia’s Winter Garden Theatre.

In 1964, Fredonia’s Winter Garden Theatre was packed for The Beatles’ first feature film “A Hard Day’s Night.” As part of this year’s Fredonia High School Class of 1970 reunion, the Winter Garden – now the 1891 Fredonia Opera House & Performing Arts Center – honors the film once again with a screening on Friday, July 25, at 7 p.m.

This will be an encore showing of the film, which returned to a full house last summer for the 60th anniversary of its release. Sponsored by the FHS Class of 1970 as part of its reunion festivities, and by The Wretched Group, this screening is open to the public.

Starring John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, the film was nominated for two Academy Awards, including Best Original Screenplay by Alun Owen. McCartney later said, “Alun hung around with us and was careful to put words in our mouths that he might’ve heard us speak.”

Originally released by United Artists, the film also featured famous actor Wilfrid Brambell as McCartney’s unruly grandfather. Uncredited cast members included model Pattie Boyd, model/actress Charlotte Rampling, and singer/songwriter Phil Collins, all among the Beatles’ adoring fans.

British critic Leslie Halliwell described the film as a “comic fantasia with music,” and awarded it a full four stars. In 1999, the British Film Institute ranked the movie as the 88th greatest British film of the 20th century. In 2004, Time magazine rated it one of the 100 all-time greatest movies. Rated G, the film runs one hour, 27 minutes.

Sixty years ago, the average price of a movie ticket was $1.01. As a throwback to 1965, tickets to this screening are $1 (you keep the penny!) and are available at the door only.

The 1891 Fredonia Opera House Performing Arts Center is a member-supported not-for-profit performing arts center with a mission to “present the performing arts for the benefit of our community and region … providing access to artistic diversity … and high-quality programming at an affordable price.” It is located in Village Hall in downtown Fredonia. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.fredopera.org.