Goodfellasdirector Martin Scorsese appears pretty prominently in the new Beatles documentary on Disney+,Beatles ‘64, and it’s not immediately obvious what he has to do with the Beatles. While it hasn’t been quite as widely acclaimed as Disney’s other Beatles docs,Get BackandLet It Be,Beatles ‘64has a great soundtrack, and it’s been well-received by fans.It offers an intriguing insight into one of the most crucial periods in the history of the band, with newly restored footage of some of their most significant performances.
Beatles ‘64explores the cultural impact that the Beatles had on the United States after their first visit to America in February 1964. It features gorgeously restored footage ofthe Beatles’ turning-point performance onThe Ed Sullivan Show. The documentary contrasts footage of the Beatlemania fad with the interpersonal conflicts between the band members. It has a lot of interesting revelations about the band during this period, butit also has a lot of footage of Scorsese. So, why is he featured so heavily in the doc?
Martin Scorsese Is A Producer On Beatles ‘64
Scorsese Co-Produced The Doc With Margaret Bodde
Scorsese appears inBeatles ‘64because he worked on the doc as a producer. He co-produced it with Margaret Bodde.Bodde is the executive director of the Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization that Scorsese founded in 1990to protect and preserve important motion pictures. The restored footage of the Beatles’ historic 1964 performance onThe Ed Sullivan Showfeatured in the doc falls within the remit of the Film Foundation’s mission. Olivia Harrison, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and Sean Ono Lennon are also attached as producers onBeatles ‘64.
Martin Scorsese Has A History With The Beatles Documentaries
Scorsese Directed George Harrison: Living In The Material World In 2011
This isn’t Scorsese’s first rodeo with the Beatles. In 2011, Scorsese directedGeorge Harrison: Living in the Material World, a three-and-a-half-hour documentary about the life of George Harrison, for HBO;the editor of that doc, David Tedeschi, is the director ofBeatles ‘64. During the making ofLiving in the Material World, Scorsese and Tedeschi became close friends with Harrison’s widow, Olivia Harrison, which led to the three of them working together onanother Beatles documentary, this time comprising the whole band.
Beatles ‘64features footage that Albert and David Maysles filmed for the 1964 documentaryWhat’s Happening! The Beatles in the USA.
Beatles ‘64is the latest in a long line of music documentaries that Scorsese has been involved in. He directed The Band’s farewell concert film,The Last Waltz. He directedNo Direction Home: Bob Dylan, about the life of Bob Dylan and the cultural impact of his music. He directed the Rolling Stones concert filmShine a Lightduring their A Bigger Bang Tour. He helmed another Dylan doc, this time specifically focused on his 1975 tour, calledRolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese.
Beatles ‘64
Cast
Beatles ‘64 is a documentary directed by David Tedeschi, showcasing the rise of The Beatles during their landmark 1964 visit to New York City. Utilizing rare footage, it captures Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr’s transformative impact on music and culture as they achieved global fame.
