Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi‘s Beatles ’64, a newish doc that Disney+ will release on Friday, 11.29, will feature (a) never-before-seen footage of the lads and their howling, shrieking fans during the height of Beatlemania in February ’64, and (b) new interviews with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.
But the main selling point, it seems, will be up-rezzed, digitally-enhanced footage from Alfred and David Maysles‘ “What’s Happening! The Beatles in the U.S.A.“, a 16mm documentary that originally aired on 11.13.64 on CBS.
The footage, restored in 4K by Park Road Post. will look much, much better than ever before. But the restoration aspect aside, Beatles ’64 sounds like a nice Disney + gimmee for Marty, David and friends….paychecks all around.
Marty’s co-producers are Margaret Bodde, McCartney, Starr, Olivia Harrison, Sean Ono Lennon, Jonathan Clyde and Mikaela Beardsley, with Jeff Jones and Rick Yorn executive producing.
Eight months ago I lamented that footage of the Beatles first U.S. press conference, which happened inside the Pan Am terminal at JFK airport on Friday, 2.7.64 or 60-plus years ago, still looks shitty. The Park Road guys will presumably make it look brand new.
Posted on 2.3.24: Earlier today I was looking for some restored news footage — HD, 4K, perhaps even a 60 fps makeover or at least deliciously restored with enhanced sound — that I was sure someone had created. To my gradual surprise I was surprised to discover that except for some cruddy-looking colorized footage nobody has done squat. The same footage that was broadcast later that day on local news channels is all you can find. Strange. You’d think someone along the way would have done something to intensify those iconic sounds and images, but no.