Kim WillisUSA TODAY
Nothing else that might happen in their careers could be bigger than going to America. Or so The Beatles thought in 1964.
“They're all so free on this trip, and joyful,” says David Tedeschi, director of the new Disney+ documentary “Beatles ‘64” (streaming Friday), which follows the Fab Four and their most devoted fans through the chaotic days before and after the band’s Feb. 9 appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” “Even later on in 1964, it wasn't the thrill that it was in February.”
The footage, shot by Albert and David Maysles for a rarely seen 1964 TV documentary (“What’s Happening! The Beatles in the USA”), is supplemented with fresh interviews with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, interspersed with recollections from those early admirers. Martin Scorsese, a producer on the project, also gets a tour of Starr's well-preserved Beatles wardrobe, including the drummer's hot pink “Sgt. Pepper” uniform and green pinstriped “Hey Jude” jacket.
Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox.
Most thrilling for the audience will be the restoration of the original 16 mm film, with the live performances demixed by “Get Back” director Peter Jackson’s WingNut Films and remixed by Beatles producer Giles Martin. The band’s famous concert at Washington Coliseum − their first in America − finally can be heard over the screaming, weeping and rhapsodic crowd.
USA TODAY spoke with Tedeschi about what viewers can expect from “Beatles ‘64”:
(Edited and condensed for clarity.)
Question: Fans have seen a lot of this footage before, but it’s safe to say the Maysles brothers’ documentary is unfamiliar to most. So why start here for a new documentary?
David Tedeschi: We have 17 minutes of new footage from the Maysles, not to mention a plethora of other material we were able to find. The project started with Apple, and I think they felt this particular story hadn't really been told in "What's Happening!"
I'd never seen the fans like you see them here. They're pretty articulate about what’s happening, both in the new interviews but also in 1964, when they're so young. Their perspective gives a real emotional spine to the film.
The surprising backstory: How The Beatles went viral in 1964
What’s really striking is how the trip is the prototype for “A Hard Day’s Night.” There are all these shots of them making mischief on the train from New York to Washington.
I think this is who they were. They have a lot of energy, and being in the United States was their dream. It's a joke at the press conference when they ask George (Harrison), “What are your ambitions?” And he says, “To come to America.” But it’s also true.
The trailer has this goosebump-inducing moment, where they’re getting off the plane, returning home from their trip to America. And you see it from their perspective, it’s literally shot over their shoulders. Were there other moments you think are particularly telling about their experience?
When they're going to rehearsal and the crowd of young women comes toward them. They don't know whether they're going to be able to get out of the car, and you see literally hundreds of people running alongside the car. And the performance in Washington was a revelation. It was like the footage grabbed me by the neck and brought me into 1964, and I got a real feeling of what The Beatles were like as a live band.
Almost everybody in the film identifies their favorite Beatle, which was such a thing at the time.
Jamie Bernstein (Leonard's daughter) says it very clearly: If you were a Beatlemaniac, you had to have one. That was in her mind; sort of an unwritten rule. She loved George and it was all about George, but then she changed to John (Lennon). I love all of them, you know.
Ronnie Spector says The Ronettes managed to take the Beatles to Spanish Harlem for barbecue, where they went unrecognized. I imagine that didn’t happen at any other time on this trip.
Keep in mind, it was before “Sullivan.” So “I Want to Hold Your Hand” was No. 1, the radio was playing The Beatles constantly, but not everyone knew what they looked like.
The film talks about The Beatles' apprehension as their plane got closer to the U.S., and John mentioning Lee Harvey Oswald. Were there concerns about their safety after the Kennedy assassination?
Their biggest concern was that nobody was going to be meeting them at Kennedy (Airport). They didn't know what to expect. Many seasoned observers, such as Frank Sinatra, really didn't think that they would have much of an impact in New York. No British act ever had.
Brian (Epstein, the band’s manager) was conscious of security because he was very protective of the guys. John mentioned Oswald because John had a great sensitivity and insight almost on another level than most of us have, and he understood the parameters of what could happen.
Their experience at the British Embassy (where a guest snipped off a lock of Ringo’s hair) seemed really bad.
Can you imagine, you're the guest of honor, and they treat you like crap because they think you're low class?
You ask Paul what he would say to John and George if they were here today. How emotional of a moment was that for both of you?
It was the end of a very long day. It had literally been hours of just one more (question). And Paul goes, “It’s a doozy, isn’t it?”
Yeah, it was laden with emotion.
