8mm Forum: Beatles on Ed Sullivan

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Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on September 15, 2008, 01:38 PM:

Beatles on Ed Sullivan
200ft B&W
Red Fox Films

This is the original Kinescope (filmed off TV) of the Beatles first TV appearance in the USA on February 9 1964 and features 'Please Please Me','Twist and Shout' and 'I want to hold your hand'. It is quite grainy , in black and white of course, but because it is live TV it really recaptures the early 60's nostalgia., particulary with the brief moments of Ed introducing the group in his inimitable style - "A really good shew!" (Alan King once said of the great Ed Sullivan that nobody knew what he did on TV, but he did it better than anybody else! ). The girls, of course, are all in hysteria, shreiking their heads off and jumping up and down, and the boys (all wearing jackets and ties, and many wearing those black thick rimmed 'Robert Q.Lewis' glasses!) are in a shocked, immobile, silence, looking very unhappy indeed about the revelation before their eyes. There is a great crane shot as the camera tracks in on Ringo beating on his drums with his hair flopping around. Apparently the screaming of the girls in the theater was so intense that the CBS TV cameramen could not hear the directions over their headphones, and had to 'wing' all their shots. Whatever, they did a great job. The film ends with Ed extolling the audience " All right, Let's hear it again!".

Being A Kinescope, the print quality is not great. But you know you are watching a live TV show filmed off TV in 1964, so it actually adds to the authenticity and feel of the film. The picture actually frames up and down slightly as though there may have been some synch problems during the recording. Either that, or the pandemonium in the theater was causing the camera to shake! Sound quality is average. Packaging is the generic Red Fox beige cardboard box.

Print B
Sound B

Posted by Joe Taffis (Member # 4) on September 15, 2008, 05:05 PM:

a nice little film Paul, and in my opinion as a musician as well as a film enthusiast, this film of the third live appearance of The Beatles on Ed Sullivan's show contains the very best version (live or studio) of "I Want to Hold Your Hand" [Smile]

Posted by Robert Tucker (Member # 386) on September 25, 2008, 03:16 AM:

On the same topic what do you think of the Washington DC concert, which was not the best of quality, but it was live but captured the moment. Not sure who released the print but from what i remember it was the full concert 2x400ft

Also Shea Stadium which was released in full on 3 or was it 4x400fts. I do find these two titles very rare and hard to come by these days especially in good condition.

With the Red Fox Sullivan shows how many were produced on Super 8 as the Beatles appeared three times i think on his show (not including the one that was recently found)?

I think i have the Beatles Second apperance on the Ed Sullivan show on a 200ft spool.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on September 25, 2008, 11:12 AM:

Robert,

Was that Shea Stadium concert in color on 4X400?

Posted by Robert Tucker (Member # 386) on September 25, 2008, 11:28 AM:

Osi,

Yes it was in colour and i am sure it was on 4x400ft as the concert running time was 50 minutes but i might be wrong?

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on September 25, 2008, 11:39 AM:

In a related note here from little old New York: they are going to tear down Shea Stadium and the Mets will be moving to a new field under construction in the adjacent old parking lot. The land under Shea will become the new parking lot after demolition is complete. (Ditto for Yankee Stadium)

The last concert ever at Shea was done recently by Billy Joel.

Architecturally it's no loss: it had to be the ugliest stadium in the history of sports, it was never even actually finished!

-but historically it's a real milestone!

Posted by Mike Tynus (Member # 1108) on September 25, 2008, 01:38 PM:

The print of SHEA STADIUM that I have is in color at 3x400' reels.

Posted by Joe Taffis (Member # 4) on September 25, 2008, 04:23 PM:

Mike has the print of Shea Stadium that Red Fox sold....3X400' reels, in color. That's the only Shea release I know of. The 3rd appearance on Ed Sullivan is the only one I know of on super 8. The Washington D.C. concert had more than one company release it. I currently have the NILES print (2X400')O.K., but not nearly as good as the print I had several years ago and stupidly sold on eBay for $38.00 (on the 2nd try!). It contained the Beatles making their way to the stage, and at least one superimposed title. I don't know who released it, but that is the print to have. The overall quality was a little better.

Posted by Robert Tucker (Member # 386) on September 25, 2008, 04:42 PM:

Hi Joe,

Thanks for clearing that all up, from what i can remember i had a excellent print of the Washington DC concert which was from a company in Germany/Netherlands that also brought out the Tokyo Japan concert in colour on 2x400ft. The cover boxes were orange, does anyone remember these and the quality??

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