NEW DOC CHRONICLES BEATLES' FIRST U.S. VISIT

As if you needed another reason to not move from the couch during Thanksgiving weekend, on 11/29 Disney+ will premiere a new documentary, Beatles '64, marking the 60th anniversary of The Beatles' legendary first visit to the U.S.

The film was produced by Martin Scorsese and director David Tedeschi (who edited Scorsese's 2011 George Harrison: Living in the Material World) and uses the same restoration and demixing technology unveiled to jaw-dropping effect in Peter Jackson's 2021 epic, Get Back, also released over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Expect dazzling new iterations of the Fab Four's February 1964 performances on The Ed Sullivan Show and their first U.S. concert, in Washington, D.C., footage from which was filmed by celebrated documentarians Albert and David Maysles. New interviews with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are included, as are the recollections of devoted early Beatles fans who braved the maelstrom to see their moptop idols in person.

The Ed Sullivan appearance was one of the most-watched TV events ever—with 74 million people (roughly half the population of the U.S. at the time) tuning in to see John, Paul, George and Ringo play five songs. It’s widely considered one of the most important moments in the history of music and television, especially coming, as it did, less than three months after the assassination of JFK. The exhilarating performance seemed to instantly lift the nation's lingering pall and promise a brighter future.

Fans looking to relive the era even more extensively can also pick up vinyl reissues of seven Beatles albums released in America between January 1964 and March 1965. Due 11/22 from Apple Corps Ltd./Capitol/UMe, Meet The Beatles!, The Beatles’ Second Album, A Hard Day’s Night, Something New, The Beatles’ Story, Beatles ’65 and The Early Beatles were cut from the original mono master tapes.

Beatles '64 was produced by McCartney, Starr, Margaret Bodde, Olivia Harrison, Sean Ono Lennon, Jonathan Clyde and Mikaela Beardsley. Jeff Jones and Rick Yorn are executive producers.