Use the open gate. Just relax.
Use the open gate.
Got a call one day from Granada Television in England.
They said The Beatles were arriving in two hours in New York at Idlewild Airport
and would we like to make a film of them?
I put my hand over the phone and turned to my brother and said,
"Who are The Beatles? Are they any good?"
Fortunately, he was the one that knew about that kind of music.
I knew something of classical music.
He said, "Yeah, they're great."
So we both got on the phone and made a deal and rushed out to the airport.
Granada knew that this might be a great moment,
although no one could be sure
whether there would be five or 5,000 people showing up at the airport.
We want The Beatles! We want The Beatles!
But they were right. This was a historical moment.
These guys, The Beatles, were almost like from another planet.
My brother and I started working together in 1960,
four years before we made The Beatles film,
my brother doing the sound and me doing the camera.
Along with The Beatles, on that same plane,
were two guys from Granada Television who were helping to produce the film,
and they had some ideas that, for us, were kind of archaic.
My brother and I have always been averse to interviewing people.
We'd rather get spontaneous information,
people experiencing something rather than answering questions.
However, you never know whether something you've shot
is appropriate for the film, so we were open-minded about it.
40 years have gone by now
and it's a good time to look at some of the material that didn't go into the film.
In retrospect, some of the stuff that we did of the kids, in interview form,
is fascinating, no question about it.
It's phenomenal that people would come to see this and not to see the President.
President Johnson came a few days ago and there was practically nobody here.
I figured, what can be so vital as The Beatles?
And I see that there is nothing.
It's just people seeing them. I can see their music isn't bad.
I'd rather listen to a good jazz show any day. Mingus or Mulligan.
I saw them twice.
- They had hair like this. - They were so cute!
I like Paul. Ringo's cute too.
We want The Beatles!
We don't usually like rock 'n' roll. But we think they're just great.
- What's your music? - I go to Juilliard.
- It's all classical. - What is it?
This is Italian arias. I just think they're the greatest.
It's interesting to see people go crazy over four people.
There are thousands more like them.
- What do you think of them? - They're all right.
They don't particularly excite us.
Anyone can rise out of the crowd and do something like that.
It's just that they've worked at it.
- Where do you come from? - New York.
- Are you from New York? - Yeah. We want to know...
- What great force is behind you? - No force.
I can play the guitar better and she can sing better...
We're going to be "The Beatle-ettes".
I remember a time when there was a young man by the name of Frank Sinatra
who generated this kind of excitement and this kind of a spark
and I don't think it's bad.
I kissed him!
Everyone tried to stop me but I just ran around them.
Then Ringo came out of the car.
I went to kiss him. I put my arm around his neck.
He looked at me and knew I was going to kiss him
so he put his cheek out.
Why do you think these kids yell and scream?
They did it for Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. It's the way they are.
- It's their age. Like getting crushes. - We did it at their age.
They're better than Elvis Presley. He stinks. He's so old, anyway.
He's old and ugly.
As we looked over the material
we decided we were better off spending more time with The Beatles in their hotel.
38.
Is there a Miss Lillian Lang?
Yes. She's just coming to the phone.
- Come on, Lily girl. - Can you put her through, please?
Talk to her and find out whether it's the right one.
In front of the mike. Get the others.
Sorry about that.
I want it on this line if it's Brian Matthews.
Look at that. That's good. Filming and accepting a chocolate.
You know, I admire you.
When we got into the hotel room,
the light wasn't perfect by professional standards,
what's called "high production value".
It was the kind of lighting that you find in a hotel.
That was perfect for us. We didn't want to change it in any way.
It was enough light so that we were properly exposed.
Nothing about the lighting would upset them
or get them to be any different from what they were.
Overseas will call you back in 15 minutes.
Hello. What is this?
Whose are these ciggies we're smoking?
- Anybody got a light? - I do.
This is a man, not a woman. I see. Yes. Thank you.
- What's happening? - 15 minutes. They'll call back.
We can have a rest from these cameras for 15 minutes.
It was at a time, fortunately,
when my brother and I had perfected the instruments that we needed -
a camera that I could hold on my shoulder, that would be very quiet,
and a tape recorder that was so technically advanced
that we could shoot without being connected with one another.
So we were totally mobile.
There was nothing, technically, with the equipment that we had,
that would stop us from getting behind the scenes and close to people.
We had this big, mass press interview. About 100 people there.
And then we got out of that and we had a Cadillac each.
Marvellous cars.
You know, in New York,
"Please Please Me", "She Loves You" and "I Wanna Hold Your Hand"
are all number one, all joint.
I think "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" has gone two million.
Two.
And "Please Please Me"... No, not "Please Please Me"...
"She Loves You". That's done a million, I think. Almost.
We don't know for definite yet. They'll give us the sales figures tomorrow.
I hope so.
Yeah, it's number one in "Cashbox" and "Billboard".
Tell him not to forget. We're only away for ten days.
We'll be back and we're thinking of him.
Oh, yeah. You always get rumours.
We're coming back to do the film for seven weeks.
People need to have attention paid,
whether they're celebrities or ordinary people.
The act of recognition is a worthwhile one and a good one for people.
Knowing in my heart that it was good for them, that it would be good
for the people watching the film, and for us in making the film...
I felt good about it and that helped to establish trust.
It's the way you look at somebody and it's the empathising...
the love, if you will, that you share with them,
that gives you that kind of access.
And we liked these guys a lot.
- Funny mike there. - I say, it's a funny mike.
If we could get the camera down on this mike it'd be a real laugh.
Defy convention.
Down on it. Come on.
Cut! Take 29!
We want The Beatles! We want The Beatles!
How many of us want to go up?
We've got to set up a couple of lights too.
There are lights in the room.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve.
You can't get enough people in the room.
Who made the deal with you? The wire services?
Yes. Both wire services said they wanted 15 minutes.
- All right? - All right. You're running the show.
I'll have to object to their offices.
There's three Beatles upstairs, right?
- Yeah. One is sick. - Nobody's getting to him?
- No. He's in bed. - Then I'll back out and leave it to them.
How can you exclude the "Daily News"?
We have the largest circulation in the country.
- How can you make a deal...? - I didn't make a deal.
I made no deal. The AP and the UPI called up.
We've been here since before 9:00. They got here after we did.
I've been here since before 9:00.
- So you call and make appointments? - We've tried to do that, yes.
You call and make an appointment. You get 15 minutes.
We're calling in now, personally. Is the answer yes or no?
- I can't hear. - Is that the way you work it?
How about the roof? That'll satisfy everybody.
It'll be easier.
The New York skyline in the background.
You'd get the buildings in the background.
...if somebody is the manager? - Why not just let them walk on in?
What's happening?
We're waiting for it to open.
I think we've got to have no photography in there
so the writing press have a chance.
There's another fella organising it better than you.
The guys were always very much themselves.
Professional cameramen would show up and say, "Do this. Do that."
We'll wait till the background clears.
For them, being in front of a camera meant performing for it.
That had become their natural way of behaving, so we stuck with it.
We can't see the centre fella up here.
Spread out a bit more.
Who's that cameraman up in the tree?
You've got a Beatle-cut, too!
How about giving him a kiss, little girl?
Can you turn around this way, fellas?
Turn around and smile.
Yeah, that's...
Look around here. Round here, little girl!
George couldn't show up for this press affair
because he had a sore throat.
- There's a tremendous crowd. - Are we gonna get in?
We wanted very much to get into the "Ed Sullivan Show"
and film the guys in the studio.
But try as we did, and even with Paul's help,
we couldn't get by the front door. It was union rules
that outside cameras couldn't come in without special permission.
Brian! Can we film something?
Just let him speak to the people. Can they do it from back here?
- Yeah. - Then he'll speak to the people.
- You're not allowed in. - Aren't they?
We didn't want to miss The Beatles.
What were we going to do if we couldn't get into the "Ed Sullivan Show"
and couldn't film in there?
And we mentioned this problem to Murray The "K".
- Where do you watch the show? - At home.
- Are people there? - Just my wife and my in-laws.
- No kids? - No kids.
Where can we go and get some kids watching?
Some fans. Any idea? Youngsters, you know?
I think you fellas hit Sullivan good. He's smiling.
He hasn't smiled for 15 years.
He's going to air. Now shut up or I'll punch you.
You can tell that to the boss.
Where's that coming from? Are we going?
That must be blasting.
Deaf.
Ready, fellas? Let's go. We're late.
It's all happening, baby.
Come on, then. Let's go.
Let's go. Come on.
Smash your face in.
- Leave him alone. - Come on.
- You know that shirt I gave you? - Here you are.
It occurred to us that if we walked down the street
and into the first tenement building, somewhere along the corridor
there would be a family watching The Beatles on television.
When we heard The Beatles' music, we knocked on the door.
The mother of the family came to answer it.
We explained we were making a film of The Beatles
and asked if we could film the family. She said, "Come on in."
We had this wonderful private moment, with the two girls
and the rest of the family watching and responding in a very intimate setting.
Much more interesting, from our point of view,
than just being stuck with a tripod in a well lit...
but not a real life kind of situation like the family.
The Peppermint Lounge was a wonderful opportunity to see the guys off stage,
having fun in such a crowded situation.
Everybody wanted to get close to them.
I had to get the camera in the thick of it all.
Because I was able to do that I was very pleased.
It's one of my favourite scenes in the film.
I'm not influenced by this American scene, baby.
But I love it here, boy, and I dig that hat.
Don't record that cos I'm not influenced.
By gum, Murray, it was a gum scene. Thank you very much.
I wasn't influenced by you either.
It's about time we wrapped it up.
Now that I see this piece that didn't enter the film,
of Murray The "K" bidding them farewell
at the end of this evening at the Peppermint Lounge,
maybe it should have been in the film.
Maybe that would have added an extra dimension.
What are you doing in this hotel?
- Which is the lift? - Go round the other side.
This place smells of disinfectant.
I get the impression you're filming. Is this true?
Maybe.
I do believe this man carrying this lethal weapon on his shoulder...
Pretend you can't see him. He'll go away.
It is such a feeling of great exhilaration
when you've got a camera, you're looking through that lens,
and you know that you're getting something so good for the film.
I didn't know from moment to moment exactly how it would be used,
but I knew I was at the right place at the right time, getting the right thing.
This time Brian Epstein was approached by a guy from ABC Television
as we were leaving the hotel.
The lighting was imperfect by normal professional standards
but for me it was wonderful every once in a while when a silhouette,
especially of Brian, would pop out.
You still saw the taxi cab and the city and so forth,
but with the outline of his face.
You're Epstein, right? Jack Powers. I interviewed you at the airport.
I'm the director of news for WABC.
When are you available today for a telephone interview or something?
- The boys or me? - You.
Four... five... I've got someone coming up at 5:30. About 6:30?
About 6:30 this evening? And I can call you right on the phone?
I'll ask for you to be put through.
- Make it 6:45. - Very good. Thank you.
- WABC is the broadcasting station? - Yes.
The ABC network. It's one of the three big American networks.
I gave an interview to them
almost immediately when I got into the airport.
They're very hot in New York. It's one of the top three stations in town.
That's ridiculous. I don't know. These radio stations, they're fantastic.
- There's nothing like this in England? - No!
You can't just call into a programme to just have a little conversation.
The boys have been speaking on the telephone and listening to it on the set!
Have you had any time for any fun while you're in town?
Have you gone out to dinner?
No. Capitol took the boys out to the 21 Room.
I didn't go. I was tired.
Last night they went out with Murray The "K" but... I don't know.
I had to get up this morning and do things and be alert.
I had a good night's sleep.
I rather wanted to see a show, actually. "Hello, Dolly".
I believe it's very good.
I think a good documentary is an ode to reality.
It gives us our actors, if you will, it gives us the scenes,
it gives us everything that we need.
I'm glad we came by train.
You can see some of the country.
We should have come by plane but, you know, all the snow and that.
What will happen on Thursday? Will there be a plane?
We've got to go to Miami. It's too far by train.
Miami is great. It's a good town.
It's usually no trouble taking off.
Yeah. That's a good thing. Come on down!
It's another thing that supports my view
that if you keep an open eye, things will happen on their own.
From out of nowhere, this little kid comes up
and engages herself relentlessly and happily with Ringo.
Boy, if my mother's sister were here... Oh, boy!
She's like a...
Daddy, how do you pronounce it now?
- Curiosity? - Yeah.
She knows all the big words.
- What does it mean? - It means she's nosy.
We took advantage of that moment that sprung up.
It shows a very paternal, loving aspect of Ringo.
He didn't busy himself with something else.
He took care of this kid, who was so curious
and so happy and so proud to be with one of these great stars.
- You said you'd let me... - You want to see the other two?
You have to come down to Richmond.
Yeah. Next time we will come down.
I'm going to introduce her to Paul and John.
- When did you first hear The Beatles? - On the radio.
Then I said, "Yeah."
Before I go, can I ask you, who writes your music?
Who writes it? John and I.
Uncle Paul, would you give me your autograph?
That was good acting!
I've given her it but she was just acting.
You don't know music if you don't listen to them.
- OK? Bye-bye. - Bye.
- Don't forget to come. - I won't.
In so much of what we see, we're constantly reminded
that they hadn't been, and I don't think they ever would be,
spoiled by their celebrity.
That was a wonderful element in their charm and their appeal.
The fella with the camera again!
He's been bugging our scene, hasn't he?
I've seen that rubber thing looking at me. That's a phallic symbol.
Beautiful!
There's a point where The Beatles were interested in how we were doing things.
They got into all kinds of questions about the technology.
Paul and George especially were fascinated
by the way we were making the film
and the fact that we could be so quick on our feet.
The technology had advanced more with us than in crews,
which had outdated equipment, by our standards.
In normal television crews, the camera was fastened to a tripod and so forth.
But they took particular relish
in noticing that the watch that I was wearing was an electronic watch
and that the camera was so fixed
that there was a watch like that in the camera
and one in the tape recorder.
It's that device that kept the two instruments locked in synchronisation.
He's separate from him. There's no cable joining them.
But they're in perfect synchronisation cos they've got little devices there.
He's got one on his camera. He's got a watch, too!
That does exactly the same thing. See it?
Crazy. Can you get Mars on that?
Then my brother set it up so they could hear their own voices.
And they got a great kick out of that.
Every time I see him he's crawling on the floor.
What are you getting through there?
- I can't tell you. - The blooming paparazzi.
That's great!
It's delayed, isn't it?
206. Did you get it?
- It's great! - What's on?
- Talk. - Talk? Who's talking?
You can hear your own voice talking!
Hello. How are you doing, Ringo?
I'm all right.
- Where did you get that hat? - I got it off a girl. What about yours?
It's in sync now. It's marvellous!
- Who's got a ciggie? - I have. Do you want one?
- Can I have one? - You can't. You're on the air.
It doesn't matter.
It's great.
- Say something. - Hello?
- It comes a bit later. - It's an echo.
Now it's direct.
What happens when it comes out late?
What's that?
How is it in sync when it comes out later here?
Is my arm in the way?
You're hearing it a moment after it's recorded.
Are you filming now? Without looking?
He made that camera. He made it himself.
It cost $15,000 to make.
You want to hear about how he's done it.
- Now it's direct, John. - Congratulations.
Oh, yeah. Oh, I don't like it direct.
Hello, John. How are you doing?
I'm all right, thanks. How's yourself? How's your dad?
Sounds like...
What's that?
Is this publicity about this equipment?
I love the comment, which I remember even now...
I think it was John that said...
that Al built a camera... with the help of engineers.
He made it himself, you know. With his own little engineer.
I love that one!
Train station.
There may be controversy over The Beatles' apparel and hairdos,
but they sure have got talent.
I had such a hard time coming into the stadium.
I wasn't allowed to be there in the first place.
So when I finally got to be seated, like anyone else,
I noticed that my camera had been running.
Someone had hit the button.
I quickly changed the magazine and pulled the camera up on my shoulder
and got this wonderful full scene of what looked like a boxing ring,
with a wonderful shower of light coming down on The Beatles.
Because I had a lens that could vary my closeness to them,
I could zoom in and vary the shot.
I turned around and there was Brian Epstein.
Wonderful! I got him, too.
I was in more places and better places
than people who could freely move around.
If you look closely you'll see they were uncomfortable.
"Why are we here?"
See Peter in action.
We can't get any closer.
One reason that the scene at the Ambassador's house didn't make it
was that there wasn't much of a story there.
Yet looking back now,
any different moment with The Beatles is worth being in on.
- Got a pencil, anyone? - No.
Round to the left.
Yeah. Just keep going that way.
- Yeah. Louder would have been good. - Louder?
We've never done a show where we played in a wrestling ring.
We didn't know what to do.
This is what our film will be like. On a train...
- Why, have you made one on a train? - It's coming out.
It'll only be a small thing. It'll only take two days to shoot.
They're heading back to New York before they go to Miami.
They can relax more at this point.
I guess word had come back
that there were lots and lots of people watching that "Ed Sullivan Show".
72 million, I think.
I know. We're all drug addicts.
I don't know about you but I'm one.
Turn around and we'll show you to the British public.
- I am turned around. - Oh, yeah. That's his face.
Now here we have a drug addict. Can't get enough.
Can't get off the line.
How long have you been on the drugs?
Let's see. How old am I?
I don't know. Let's see how many rings you've got on your head.
No, you'd better see how many rings I've got on my fingers.
How long have you been on the drugs?
- You have some? - Now he thinks I'm a pusher.
That's enough about drugs then.
Let's talk about Woodbines.
The Woodbine is the greatest little cigarette.
Why? Because it says so on the packet.
Goodbye and thank you.
- Knock, knock. - Who's there?
John the Baptist.
- I thought your name was Murray. - Murray John.
There's so many times in the outtakes when you see my brother
cos I have to turn the camera onto him at the end of each shot
in order to get the synchronisation.
242, OK?
But you see me too because you're looking through my eye
when you look at the screen.
- John, you haven't read a slate yet. - A slate?
- We're putting people to work. - Shout the number.
- What's the number? - 244.
- Roger.
- 251. - Roger.
- 234. - Roger.
- Slate it. - I'll slate you, any more of this.
What are we up to?
- 247. - Bingo!
You've won a major prize.
It was really a very equal kind of contribution.
It took the two of us to produce it,
that is, to maintain a relationship with the subjects
and to ascertain what was coming up next
and to decide where to be, when.
Before going to Miami, my brother took off for England,
because it was best for my brother to make a deal with Granada
so we'd be able to make our own film.
I continued with The Beatles in Miami, with another person to take sound.
- Mr Starr, there's a telegram for you. - Thank you very much.
- We're at the Deauville Hotel. - Everything you got is tagged?
John was off with his wife at that time.
The three remaining Beatles were so entertaining
that I didn't realise until later. "Oh, where's John?"
Cut. End of scene one.
I still haven't packed all my stuff yet.
George, I've done a remarkable picture of you.
That's it.
I saw your girl the other day. You know what?
- What? - The wind was blowing.
- Blowing my girl? - I wrecked that one.
- Blowing her hair all over her face. - She hasn't got a face.
It was blowing her hair all over the road.
Now a word from Coca-Cola. What's the word, Paul?
Coke.
- That was funny. - Shut up, cop.
It is an exciting moment that people hold onto dearly,
those first moments in the career of celebrities.
Especially The Beatles. They were just kids.
There has to be some kind of magic quality that a film could capture,
that could help to give us an understanding
of how they were able to take over a whole nation.
Regards to my brother!
I went a long way from knowing nothing of The Beatles
to not only listening to their music, watching them,
but helping to create a lasting record of exactly who they were
at that time in history.
Wild sounds of the crowd's adulation.
This is to accompany shot seven.
I guess you have to feel some kind of sadness at the end of the film
when they've returned to England.
You realise that it's the end of a certain chapter...
a chapter in their lives as well as a chapter in the lives of people
who have become engaged with them.
Now they're fully into their career
and they've taken another country in their hands.
They're behind you, mate.
Oh, it's him!
This film began a new genre of documentary filmmaking,
by the techniques that allowed us to get so intimate
with the people we were filming.
I've been told that it's no longer possible
to get into situations that are very intimate with a camera,
that people are so savvy to a camera
that they become too camera-conscious.
I don't agree. That hasn't been my experience.
It depends on who's trying to get the access
and how they approach people, how they look at people,
if they, as I do, empathise with them,
feel for them and want to represent them truthfully.
People love that and they always will. That doesn't change.
I can even say that in looking at the film each time,
I'm inspired to go on to do another one.