5 Comments on Beatles: From Liverpool to San Francisco

K. E. Westphal on Sun, 1st Aug 2010 8:46 am


There are some really fine clips of Beatles antics and snips of interview materials that were new and interesting to me. Yet I found there to be far too many airport longshots of screaming teenaged fans, which after the fifth scene of screaming fans it becomes pretty dull!

The “documentary” does an OK job of covering the early history, utilizing many chronological lists of things like singles releases and drug experimentation………. I was left wishing that it dug deeper….. worth a watch, only purchase if you are a Beatles fanatic!
Rating: 3 / 5

Lynn A. Haynes on Sun, 1st Aug 2010 10:05 am


This was bought as a gift but I’m told the DVD was very well done. Much enjoyed.
Rating: 5 / 5

K. Tanaka on Sun, 1st Aug 2010 11:29 am


As others have noted, this is basically a British television documentary of the Beatles’ phenomenon. It will be an awful bore for anyone only mildly interested in the Beatles, as the presentation is delivered with the zest and panache as a BBC documentary on the Spanish flu epidemic. The narrator’s monotone and the monotonous corny style of the feature are sure to drive most people nuts after 15-20 minutes. And don’t expect to hear any of the Beatles’ music, either. Apparently the filmmakers didn’t license any at all.

Indeed, if it wasn’t for some of the interesting news film clips I would have pitched this quickly. But this dvd is packed with documentary film clips that few people have probably seen, certainly not in the U.S..

Even so, however, I could only get through 40 minutes of this at a sitting. The style just drove me up a wall and clip after clip of “the lads” at press conferences, passing through airports, and pushing through screaming crowds of young girls also became monotonous, regardless of whether or not I’d ever seen it.

So although the price is right, I recommend this only for the hard-core fans.
Rating: 3 / 5

David Bolter on Sun, 1st Aug 2010 1:28 pm


Like all Beatle fanatics, I’m always on the hunt for rare archival footage, and for the cheap price, this is a pretty good buy. You have to skip through the majority of boring year-by-year commentator narration, but the clips of choice are the ‘63/’64 interviews/awards, Ringo’s interviews after his tonsil operation, the MBE interview, Yellow Sub comments by Paul and George, Paul and Linda post-wedding clips, and the ‘66 interviews and newsreel footage.

Contrary to another review here, there isn’t much more of the ‘bigger than Jesus’ footage. I recall a PBS station in the mid’80s running LOADs of unseen footage, with follow-on questions to Paul and John by the media at the same hotel press conference; I had it on Beta, but who knows where it ended up. It’s in someone’s possession, but it’s not here.. Just pretty much the same stuff you’ll see on Anthology. The ‘66 interview with the group prior to a concert was pretty good (mentioned elsewhere), but George and Ringo didn’t necessarily look ‘happily stoned’.

All in all, I agree with others, that for the price, it’s an excellent value for the 10 minutes of accumulated rare footage time you do get. Just buy a bunch of these cheap DVDs, don’t expect too much, keep the ones with the must-have, hard-to-find footage, store ‘em in your Beatle archive and toss out all the rest.

Rating: 3 / 5

Beatlefansincethen on Sun, 1st Aug 2010 2:51 pm


This DVD is wonderful.Filled with footage of interviews,press conferences, etc.Some of them pretty rare.Some are included in Anthology but they were edited down.Here they are shown more complete ,maybe even in thier entirety.The video is excellent.Great preservation job.The only disappoinment is,and others have said this,that there is no Beatles music or concert footage.Guess they had problems with getting permission.Instead you hear this generic,psuedo-rock,muzak throughout.The footage makes up for that however.An interesting addition is the Feb.1964 Heathrow Airport press conference when the boys returned from America.Unlike Anthology, here is shown a much longer,uncut version.Not very good for Paul because he seems to either fart or burp(you can’t tell which)while answering a question.Very surprising and funny.The best part that stands out in my mind,is a very long expose’ on the Jesus controversy.A British reporter is seen in America interviewing southern,teenagers in a record store.One can’t decide whether she likes the group anymore because she’s just so hurt by what they said,and another can’t wait to start burning all of his Beatle records.Strange and riveting stuff. He goes on to interview the record shop owner then the DJ who started the controversy.During the interview the DJ says three times that he doesn’t know if “they” (The Beatles)are black or white.So I guess in addition to being an incredibly cranky,creep of a stuffed shirt,he is also… NEAR SIGHTED.The British reporter finishes his expose’ with a lengthy interview in what looks like a bathroom of all places,with the Beatles.John and Paul dominate with their views.It’s interesting to note the change in the boys from 1964 to 1966.The biggest change is in Paul.In 1964 he is very much a young boy excited by fame,giddy almost,and charmingly unsophisticated.By 1966,he has turned into a serious,somewhat jaded,seasoned celebrity.Actually they all undergo this change but it’s very obvious in Paul.This video actually covers their entire career from 1963 to 1970 with a voice over telling the story.Having been a fan for 37 years,I mentally blocked out the voice over but even if you know nothing about the fabs,you probably don’t need it.You should just read the Anthology and buy the accompanying DVD boxed set and you’re good to go.Then buy this DVD.
Rating: 5 / 5

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