Celebrated filmmaker Martin Scorsese is once again diving back into the world of The Beatles, this time opting to explore the entirety of the Fab Four in the new documentary Beatles ’64, which hits Disney+ on November 29, and chronicles the band’s journey to America to perform on The Ed Sullivan Show. This will be Scorsese’s second Beatles doc; back in 2011, he delved into the history of one of its members with the film George Harrison: Living in the Material World.
Per Variety, Beatles ’64 follows John, Paul, George, and Ringo as they land in New York City for the first time to perform their iconic set on The Ed Sullivan Show, which saw them bang out five songs in total, and change the face of music as we know it. Beatles ’64 was executive produced by Scorsese and directed by editor and Scorsese collaborator David Tedeschi (Pretend It’s a City, The Rolling Thunder Revue). Featured in the new documentary is never-before-seen footage of the iconic group, their fans, and new interviews with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, the only two surviving members of the quartet. Also highlighted is newly restored footage by Albert and David Maysles, two documentarians known for 1966’s Meet Marlon Brando, and 1970’s Gimme Shelter, which focused on the last leg of The Rolling Stones’ legendary 1969 tour, which culminated in the infamous Altamont performance that led to the death of Meridith Hunter at the hands of a Hell’s Angels member.
Watched by 73 million viewers, which was a television record at the time, The Beatles’ performance on The Ed Sullivan Show is widely regarded as a turning point in American music, and helped kick off both Beatlemania and the British Invasion, which saw an influx of UK bands help shape the counterculture here in the States throughout the remainder of the 1960s. As an important moment in the history of the arts, we can’t think of anyone better than Scorsese to highlight the occasion, as not only is he one of the greatest filmmakers of all-time, but a self-professed super-fan of The Beatles, meaning he’s sure to handle the material with a detailed eye.
From Rock ‘n Roll to Catholicism: Is There Anything Scorsese Can’t Do?
Beatles ’64 isn’t the only documentary of Scorsese’s that will premiere later this year, as he’ll also be tackling the subject of Catholicism in Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints. The eight-part docudrama is set to hit Fox Nation at some point in 2024 (an exact date has yet to be set), and will detail the lives of such noted Catholic figures as Francis of Assisi, John the Baptist, and Mary Magdalene, all of whom went on to become canonized as saints in the Christian faith.
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It’s a testament to the versatility of Scorsese, who might be known as one of the greatest directors of crime dramas, but isn’t afraid to get into heftier topics such as the life of the aforementioned saints, as well as Fran Lebowitz, and the history of the New York Review of Books, all of which he’s explored in previous documentaries. Look for Beatles ’64 to hit Disney+ on November 29.
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