This fly-on-the-wall documentary was one of about three programmes that made up the BBC Four so-called Beatles Week. It was filmed by Albert and David Maysles, and is a reworking of an 81-minute film they made in 1964 called What’s Happening! The Beatles in the USA.
Some of the footage is familiar from the Anthology series, and for this reason I wasn’t in a rush to watch it, thinking I’d seen it all before, but it turns out to be something more like Don’t Look Back, a proper exercise in cinema verité or direct cinema.
The other enjoyable documentary of the week was the one about the impact the Beatles had in the old USSR, but I think the US Visit trumps that for what it reveals about the band at this pivotal moment. I’m ashamed to admit it, but until today I’d thought they played Ed Sullivan twice on consecutive Sundays, but in fact they played the show three times in a row, the last time after having already packed their bags to fly home.
The concert footage is ropy, of course, with a poor sound mix, and Ringo not even miked up properly for “I Wanna Be You Man” at the Washington concert. On other occasions, Paul’s harmony vocal is louder than John’s lead, leaving the impression that Paul was overdoing it a bit on the harmonies, being a bit too clever-clever. How terribly Beatles of him, you think.
The surprise for me was to see how at ease and confident Ringo was. You really get that sense of the age hierarchy in the band, with Ringo as the older brother who can’t believe his dream (of a visit to the USA) has come true, and George as the slightly whiny, needy, younger brother, worrying about everything, especially when he’s not feeling well.
McCartney is – as you might expect – always aware of the camera (though to be fair, it’s clear the others are acting up as well – so much for verité), but Paul is curiously subdued (perhaps hung over) at times when Ringo and George are centre stage. Then again, it’s Paul rather than John who does all the different voices and accents and skits, while Lennon tends to sit observing. After a while you wonder if the antics are really for the benefit of the direct cinema guys. Instead, you realise that John really is the leader, and that the others are competing with each other for his approval. Lennon sits back like the Jungle VIP, the King of the Swingers, while the other three try to make him laugh.
This is especially evident on the train journey, which sees George and Ringo setting up gags for the camera while John looks on.
The most embarrassing moments feature the out-of-his-depth Brian Epstein, ducking phone calls to try to make himself seem important, while clearly not having a clue what to say or do. Dictating formal letters of acceptance to (presumably) the Ed Sullivan people while his assistant fields all the calls and does all the work. Talk about promoted above your level of competency.
My favourite part in the film was towards the end, as Geroge Harrison – clearly feeling better – strummed an out-of-tune acoustic in the style of Bob Dylan, singing along in Dylan’s talking blues style.
Still six days left on iPlayer.
Filed under: 1960s, BBC, Beatles, Entertainment, Music, Nostalgia, TV, arts, film, sixties | Leave a Comment
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