Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Does anyone remember a TV movie from the 80's (70's!?) with this title? I can't seem to find any proof it actually existed, but I seem to remember it.

Does anyone know? Was it any good?

Yep, it came out in 1979. It was so-so. Pete Best was a consultant for the film. I think Dick Clark produced it or had some connection into it. It had alot of errors in it, but it was entertaining for the time. It's shown every so often on a few of the cable networks.

Ah...thanks. Weird that it never came out on vid or DVD. What kind of errors did it have, if you remember? Just curious if I should scour the earth for it....

Can't remember the specifics, but just alot of historical inaccuracies. That and the fact that Pete Best had some input into it gave it a rather one person's perspective on the group's history. I enjoyed 'Backbeat' much, much more. Just my opinion.

I remember that film, too! It arrived over here in 1980/1981. I was with my parents enjoying the summer holidays, and I saw a poster advertising the movie. When we all came back to our hometown, a friend and I, both keen fans of The Beatles, went to a cinema to watch the film. It was very, very exciting. Yes, it sure had lots of errors and mistakes, but I was mesmerized. Some girls in the audience did shout and scream!

I remember seeing it when I was young. It did have it's share of inaccuracies. I think I still have a copy on vhs that I taped off TV.

Howdy,

I enjoyed "Birth of the Beatles". It's been so long since I've watched it. I recall it portraying Paul unfavorably; petty and bickering. Seems Paul was always photographed unflatteringly, too. I remember John playing a MG 330 late in the film (oops! not a big mistake IMHO).
For me this film was more enjoyable that "Backbeat". YMMV and probably will

Larry

I agree it was more enjoyable than Backbeat. A few are available on Ebay. One is:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=432&item=7527758989&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

I just watched BIRTH OF THE BEATLES after a number of years.

Ugh... what is so infuriating is that they COULD and SHOULD have gotten the details right.... the history is there ... the old photos are there ... its as if they INTENTIONALLY tried to get so much of the key stuff all wrong.

And the instruments? Fuggedaboudit.

Paul's Solid 7: some sort of weird upside-down strat-a-like copy

Georges Futurama: some weird solidbody that didn't look anything like it (it even had 6 inline tuners!)

John's Club 40: They came pretty close on this one.

John's 325: Probably the worst of it. Their first (Hamburg) attempt at a 325 was a Mapleglo 660. Then they gave him a Mapleglo 330. Then for the Sullivan show it was another 330, this time some sort of brownburst which was interesting to look at but totally WRONG. Christ almighty, if you were setting out to make a film like this the FIRST prop you'd be sure to get right was Lennon's 325! Am I right or am I right?

George's Duojet and Country Gent: They simply gave him a Tenneseean... hey, close enough, right? .. Wrong!

I could go on and on about the other factual innacuracies / combinations of events / incorrect sequencing and flat out lies, but the whole experience has given me a headache.

Go here for the DVD http://www.instantliving.com/

First page, scroll down to bottom of page and to the right, click on COOL LINKS.

Then, click on The VIDEO BEAT.

Once in the VIDEO BEAT site, click on ROCK AND ROLL MOVIES up where it says BROWSE.

You'll find all kinds of cool stuff!!!!!!!

This is the Production Designer's territory, and the guy or gal who did BoBB, screwed up bigtime. Even worse is that correct instruments are readily available or at lease (in the case of the Futurama) fakeable. BTW, a limited number of Futurama replicas are being made for reissue.

Even though it had a ton of errors in it, I still enjoyed it because it gave you a look on how they probably were before Ringo came into the picture. I didn't care too much for Backbeat as it centered around Stu Sutcliffe more than the others.

It did show pretty well the gulf between Pete and the others... how he was never really part of the in-crowd... "not a Beatle" as they have John saying.

But the facts and timelines were so screwey... for instance the movie completely eliminates Alan Williams and has the Larry Parnes character as the one who sends them to Germany.... and there is so much more.

But of all things that would be so easy to get right are the instruments themselves. Its obvious that the movie producers just didn't give a **** about accuracy.

Well then somebody has to get on the stick and do it right...Oh yea, with Beatles Anthology DVD's who needs a bio pic now?

Yea, I think you're right.... the real thing is the real thing.

On the other hand, wouldn't it be great to see a really accurate movie of those years 60 thru 63? Maybe they could make it TOTALLY accurate and have a 4 year long movie. I know I'd go see it.