John Lennon as an Actor

Submitted by Bob Ramsdell April 1st, 2011

I subscribed to Ramparts magazine in the 1960’s. I was going through a box pf the magazines and noticed this cover with John Lennon as a badly wounded British soldier. It was from a British anti war movie called “How I Won The War”. It ws a very funny movie and the article has picture of a lot of the great characters from British comedies.

5 Responses to “John Lennon as an Actor”

  1. Allee Willis

    I saw John Lennon in the other English film he did, “How I Won The War…” or some title like that, I think directed by Richard Lester. The film wasn’t my cup of tea so I didn’t enjoy John but I always liked the fact that he did more than just music. He was probably really good; I just couldn’t get past the fact that I was bored with the film.

    • Bob Ramsdell

      Ramparts was a sort of left leaning magazine. A lot of conspiracy stuff. I have a very complete set of JFK conspiracy items from all media. The magazine has articles about Muhammed Ali, CIA involvement in national and international incidents. the Black Panthers, Robert Kennedy before assassination, etc. Each month there is a well done short story on many subjects. It has many ads for Hippie culture items. Cover art work is excellent and very different. I subscribed to it for two years. I checked on eBay and the Lennon cover has been selling for around $70.
      Bob Ramsdell, Albany Oregon

  3. raygregoire51

    Ramparts magazine was a Catholic publication. In 1964 my friend and art mentor, Dugald Stermer was hired out of Texas to be the art director. It was Dugald’s first big job. The magazine became a famous “muckraker.” Ramparts ran on a slim budget. There wasn’t a lot of money to hire artists and such, so Dugald was not only the art director, but he was also the artist for most of the magazines. So as not to look as though it was a “one man show,” Dugald used different styles and he used different names as an artist. Some used were his children’s names. This issue is the first Ramparts I ever bought as a teen because Lennon was on the cover. The periodical folded in 1975 and Mother Jones Magazine popped up in it’s place. Dugald was asked to illustrate the first cover of Mother Jones.

    When Ralph Gleason and others started Rolling Stone Magazine, with Dugald’s blessing, they used many of his elements of design for their rock music publication.

    In this issue there was the “only” music review the magazine ever did. It was of Jazz bassist Charlie Hayden’s album, “Song for Che.” About eight years later I became friends with both Dugald (He was my friend and art mentor/I even took care of his three children at times) and Charlie. Charlie once put on this album for me to listen to. It was a free form thing which I just couldn’t grasp. I told Charlie it gave me a headache. He then put on an album he did with Kieth Jarrett. That was much easier for me to handle. Strange what life hands you at times. Oh, and Mother Jones Magazine bought a cartoon from me(A fish in the desert with a diver’s respirator and a water bottle strapped on it’s back), I believe the Feb/Mar 1977 issue.

    After Ramparts, Dugald began working as a freelance designer and illustrator doing Levi Strauss and other ads, and Time Magazine covers. He did a great Rolling Stones cover(Pencil and watercolor) of “Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young”(August 29th, 1975 issue). Mr. Graham Nash purchased the original from Dugald.