Danielle Solzman
Beatles ’64 is another Thanksgiving gift for Beatles fans, drawing on previous footage filmed during the first U.S. visit in 1964. It follows the remastering of Let It Be back in May. However, the documentary coincides with the release of The Beatles: 1964 U.S. Albums in Mono on vinyl.
Every documentary about The Beatles in 1964 draws from What’s Happening! The Beatles in the U.S.A. by filmmakers Albert and David Maysles. Apple owns the original negatives of the 1964 16mm documentary, later re-edited into The Beatles: The First U.S. Visit. Instead of remastering the 1991 documentary, we’re getting an all-new film that includes at least 17 minutes of new footage from 1964. It’s been a while since watching the earlier documentary–the film is not streaming but is available on DVD–but I feel like there’s a good amount of footage in both films. Park Road Post remasters the footage for viewing in 4K. Audio has been demixed by WingNut Films and remixed by Giles Martin. The many interviews only serve as a reminder of just how big the four lads from Liverpool had become by February 7, 1964.
The John Lennon interviews come from previous TV appearances while the George Harrison interviews are clearly taken from The Beatles Anthology. While other interviews–including new interviews with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr–are contemporary, the interview with Ronnie Spector was filmed in 2014. At one point, you can see producer Martin Scorsese asking questions to Ringo.
“We were kind of normal, and the rest of the world was crazy,” George Harrison says. “Everybody got into the mania when the Beatles came to town.”
You’d think that the interviews would be with their inner circle, right? This isn’t the case. There are other musicians who got to know the Beatles. Both Smokey Robinson and Ronald Isley discuss their feelings of learning The Beatles recorded covers of their songs. Leonard Bernstein’s daughter, Jamie, discusses watching The Ed Sullivan Show with her family. It just speaks to how big the appearance was–73 million viewers!
“They were the first white group that I’d ever heard in my life who said, ‘Yeah, we grew up listening to Black music,’” says Smokey Robinson.
What you would find in February 1964 is many fans gathering outside The Plaza Hotel in New York City, just wanting to catch a glimpse of The Beatles. Some even tried to sneak into the hotel. As for the band themselves, the mass hysteria outside made them feel like prisoners inside. That’s where Ronnie Spector and the Ronettes came to save them. The late singer discusses taking The Beatles to a barbecue restaurant in Spanish Harlem where nobody recognized them. They are the biggest musical act in the world in 1964 and NOBODY could even recognize them?!? But also, how is it that I am just now hearing about this for the first time?!? I feel like it is something that I should know. Oh, well.
In addition to their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, the tour also included an appearance at the Washington Coliseum and another The Ed Sullivan Show appearance while performing in Miami Beach. They returned for another appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in New York but the film focuses mostly on everything taking place through their time in Miami. But anyway, there’s more insight here into the DC show, especially with the band playing in a round. Ringo discusses having to get on and off the drum riser so that they could move it around. Meanwhile, we hear their feelings on the soiree at the British Embassy. Where the British ambassador had warm feelings for them, the same could for the staff.
While this film is coming out at the same time as the new vinyl box set, it makes you wonder what else could be coming down the pipeline. Peter Jackson has previously said that he could make another film from the Get Back tapes. As much as I just want to watch the remastered footage, I also appreciate the interviews in the film. David Lynch was an unexpected treat! That being said, how much of the original Maysles footage has yet to see the light of day? Hell, this film alone was two years in the making, even if Beatles fans only heard of it very recently for the first time.
Beatles ’64 adds to the larger pop cultural conversation about the band’s first U.S. visit.
DIRECTOR: David Tedeschi
FEATURING: Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, George Harrison, Joe Queenan, Vickie Brenna-Costa, Danny Bennett, Jamie Bernstein, Ronnie Spector, Jack Douglas, Sananda Maitreya, Jane Tompkins, Smokey Robinson, Harry Benson, David Lynch, Ronald Isley
Disney+ will release Beatles ’64 on November 29, 2024. Grade: 4.5/5
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