The Beatles: The First U.S. Visit

Beatles: First U.S. Visit (1994)

*** (out of 4)

Very entertaining documentary taking a look at The Beatles as they head to the U.S. for the first time to do three Ed Sullivan shows as well as a concert in Washington, D.C.. I had seen all of the concert/Sullivan stuff in other forms but the documentary still kept me entertained with everything that was happening behind the scenes. It was fun seeing the four men off the stage, although I'm not quite sure what they were going for with all their cigarette humor. It seemed like the boys liked playing with their cigarettes with the scene where Ringo is blowing the smoke into Paul's face. The Washington, D.C. show is one I've seen and listened to before via a bootleg tape i had back in the day. I never really liked this show because it was hard understanding the band due to all the screaming girls but the audio here was a lot better. Even with that said, I can't blame the band for quitting the tours due to this type of stuff. Of the four Sullivan shows I'd say I enjoyed the last one the best as I think their version of Twist and Shout was the best performance from anything here. This documentary certainly can't be compared to The Beatles Anthology but it's still fun.

This is essentially a re-edit of the Maysles brothers' documentary about the Beatles' first visit to the US. About 20 minutes from the TV movie version ("What's Happening! The Beatles in the U. S. A.") have been dropped and live footage from their Ed Sullivan Show appearances and their concert at the Washington Coliseum have been inserted.

So, here's the thing. This isn't like most Maysles projects in that they only had a small window to film the band, so the Beatles are constantly aware of and playing to the camera. To be frank, their incessant capering started to get on my nerves, and coupled with the nearly constant sound of young women shrieking at them made this a pretty tough watch. It's an invaluable document, but not one I really enjoyed.

Shown here as part of BBC2's Beatles' night, this vibrant documentary is the real-life alter-ego of the "A Hard Day's Night" Beatles' stereotypes and shows that the Fab Four were quite witty and offbeat enough, without fictional embellishment.

Covering their arrival in the States in early 1964, just as "I Want To Hold Your Hand raced up the charts as their debut US hit and taking in concerts in Washington and Miami, interspersed with their historic and record-breaking appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show, we get a first hand glimpse of the punishing schedule the Beatles endured in their bid to break America. Their youthful exuberance and enthusiasm gets them through and it's obvious that they take delight in their new-found celebrity in the homeland of rock 'n' roll, from where they took so much early inspiration. This of course was to pall, so that within two short years they'd exert their collective wills to get off the constant grind of globe-trotting touring.

Their infectious, unscripted witticisms raise many a smile at their numerous press conferences and it's easy to see them unconsciously debunking the myth of fame and cult of personality which was the norm amongst pop idols of the pre-Beatle era, notably a certain Mr Presley, of course.

The music's terrific, all the early classics turned out with vim and skill, again before their growing tiredness and cynicism, allied to their inability to hear what they were playing, conspired to drag down their performing standards.

My only criticism is that a certain Mr Lennon is strangely absent from much of the backstage proceedings, perhaps because he required to attend to the needs of his wife, she unsurprisingly hidden away (you just see her in one scene) in the background while Paul refers to him at another point as "the married one"). That said, Paul George and particularly Ringo put themselves about entertainingly, so that in the end you never doubt that America will catch the British wave and propel them to super-stardom.

As a long-term Beatles fan, who admittedly finds the later era Beatles a much more interesting proposition as people and musicians than the lovable mop-tops on show here, this was a fascinating insight into how four provincial lads would become world figures and mostly deserving of everything that came their way through personality, hard work and of course, loads of talent.

The Beatles' First U.S. Visit is, behind "The Compleat Beatles" and their self-produced "Anthology", the most entertaining and revealing about this musical group of four doing what they were born to do, on the way to the crest of their musical creativity. The performances on the American "Ed Sullivan Show" are entertaining for fans and interesting as historical documents, but the true gems are the sequences of non-performance documentary footage of all four members of the group, Brian Epstein, and (briefly, hush-hush ;)) Cynthia Lennon. This footage provides a window into The Beatles' emotional state during this life-altering point in their career. They balance organized professionalism (largely achieved by Brian Epstein, often under-appreciated in that he was managing a musical act achieving unprecedented popularity with no precedented business or professional model) with their excitement of their success in America. Then and now, largely the Holy Grail of success in entertainment. It is interesting to compare their reaction to fame with, on one hand, more impressionable, and on the other hand, more stoic celebrities. Paul, as would seem to be his role in their entire career together, acts as a conduit between George, John, Ringo and their handlers, like gently encouraging Ringo to pack his suitcase thoroughly in a "mother hen" voice. Funny. Watching them listen to themselves on the radio in America, seeing footage of car-mobbing people from the INSIDE of their car, seeing John tease instrumental DJ Murray The K (none the wiser) with pervy English slang, and The "Ed Sullivan" performances themselves are priceless. Though by February 1964 they were well versed in Hotel Room culture, their upbeat moods reveal their happiness (and reported surprise) at their reception from the moment they stepped off the trans-Atlantic airplane. Seeing this week of pivotal events in rock n' roll history from is a wonderful peek behind the Beatles' curtain on par with their "Anthology" and not to be missed by any casual or greater fan. Probably, if purchased, one of the Beatles-related home media films you will find yourself repeat watching more than others. Well shot by the Maysles brothers, directed and edited. Highly recommended.

It's as if you're along for the ride as a spectator in the Beatles' entourage. A revealing look at the hoopla from their prospective. The behind the scenes footage has an intimate feel as there is no narrative to distance you from what's happening. The continuity flows seamlessly, though one wonders if the Maysles may have fabricated some of the ambient dialogue in the editing.