The three appearances of the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show were rebroadcast during the summer, and that's what being promoted above on the Journal TV page of July 11, 1964.
There was certainly a lot of Beatles music played in our house while I was growing up. My older sister was a big fan, and had all the albums. Consequently the Beatles provided a sort of soundtrack for memories of those days.
My three siblings and I each had a favorite Beatle (mine was goofy Ringo) and we each had one of the Beatle dolls. In later years, we turned over our dolls to my sister so she had a complete set.
We watched the TV cartoons on Saturday morning and had the Beatles "Flip Your Wig" game by Milton Bradley.
I kind of lost interest in the Beatles when they got into drugs and the hippie look, and started getting arrested frequently. I remember going to see Yellow Submarine (1968) and not liking it as much as the TV cartoons because of the psychedelic art.
For me the last straw – decades later – was a series of rude and insulting comments that Paul McCartney made about President George W. Bush, both during his presidency and afterwards. The remarks were classless and it changed my personal opinion of the Beatle.
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The pop quartet have popped up on this blog before. This post dealt with Beatle wigs on sale at the Patio Room adjacent to the Colony; and this post announced the availability of those Beatles dolls at Rigbee's Bargain Town.
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The TV listings on that July 11, 1964 page has some goodies. There's a Bowery Boys movie (In Fast Company) on Channel 8 at 6:00 PM and later that night, one of my favorite movies – Niagara.
Oh...
ReplyDeleteI remember watching old Ed that night and thinking I'd much rather see Topo Gigio instead of trying to hear 4 long-haired guys trying to sing overtop of the screeching of hundreds of screaming girls.
The Ed Sullivan Show was a cultural phenomenon in its own right. Besides Topo Gigio, it had acrobats, plate spinners, Señor Wences, opera singers, comedians, Broadway stars, pop vocalists and of course rock acts like the Beatles. It even had its own song in the Broadway hit "Bye, Bye, Birdie" - "Hymn for a Sunday Evening."
ReplyDeleteI remember watching this very show - love the Beatles then and now, although, like Dan, I am more fond of the early material than the drug-addled later fare.
I recall my dad, at the ripe old age of 30, saying they were a “talented bunch of young kids” while watching their debut on Ed Sullivan. Sure miss those old variety shows, before everyone had perfect teeth and fillers, etc. I too had the Ringo doll, but would have preferred Paul at the time. Ringo did age better in the long run - wish I had that doll now.
ReplyDeleteHey - I think I recall seeing “Help” with the neighborhood kids at a special showing at the Antlers Hotel, where we sat on folding chairs. Anyone else remember seeing it there - or am I mistaken?
I never got to see the Beatles on the Sullivan show; my mom never watched it. I do remember watching ARREST AND TRIAL back then, with Chuck Connors and Ben Gazarra, a precursor to the LAW AND ORDER franchise.
ReplyDeleteI have a bunch of Beatles 8 track tapes that I bust out every now and then that I listen to when I want to pretend what it was like to be a hippie.But then I also listen to The Doors,Rolling Stones,Elvis,etc...all on 8 track of course.
ReplyDeleteBeing an old ad guy I love all the local advertisers sandwiched in the TV grid. My old pal George Robinson of Chicken Delight and later Chicken Galore selling buckets of chicken with all the fixin's at a great price! Plus Putt-Putt golf on at 5:30 - who needs the Beatles PS I'm with you Dan after 1965 you could keep the Beatles Todd
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