Paul Is Dead…Again…in Comedy Short

A new comedy short pokes fun at the bizarre "Paul McCartney is dead" rumor of the late sixties.

The sixties was a weird time. And it seldom got weirder than when the rumor came out that Paul McCartney was dead.

As the rumor went, the Beatle bassist was supposedly killed in a car crash in 1966, and replaced by a lookalike/soundalike for the remainder of the band's existence.

The band reportedly hinted at Paul's secret demise via audio and visual clues on a number of Beatle recordings. For example:

On the cover of Abbey Road, the Beatles seem to be marching in a miniature funeral procession. Paul is barefoot and out of step with the others, supposedly indicating that he is no longer among the living.

Songs such as A Day In the Life and I Am the Walrus, supposedly offer subtle hints of Paul's untimely demise.

A figure on the cover of Sgt. Pepper is holding a hand over Paul's head, signifying death.

Now the rumor is the basis of a new short comedy film, the aptly named Paul Is Dead.

Director George Moore said, "My friend and co-writer Ben told me about the conspiracy theory during a drunk taxi ride; I’d never heard of it before and found it really entertaining. I made one of those off-hand comments that people make all the time; ‘That would make a funny film’, but the following day we decided to actually make it happen."

The film is only slightly more ludicrous than the actual rumor. Rock critic Dave Marsh had the last word on the "Paul is dead" meme: "A dead person would have never sued to dissolve the Beatles' partnership."