Many people today are remembering that it is the anniversary of when the Beatles first landed in American in 1964. They are posting photos of the Beatles landing at J.F.K. airport or of the funny press conference that happened after they checked through customs. But I am going to take a slightly different approach in honoring this day. I am going to look at the Beatles and their fans who stayed outside of the Plaza Hotel where the fellows stayed while in NYC. The story goes that when Brian booked the Plaza, the Beatles were still unknown in the States and the folks at the Plaza thought they were going to be British business men. Boy were they in for a shock! The Beatles were not welcomed back to stay at the Plaza and stayed at the Warwick during their other tours.
Here is what the Plaza Hotel looked like on the outside while the Beatles were staying there....
While inside of the Plaza, fans were trying to sneak into the hotel to see the Beatles. Many were trying to pretend like they were reporters, maybe it worked? Leaving the hotel was a wild time as well. But they made it.
The best film to watch to get a fan's view of this time in Beatles history is the movie, "I wanna hold your hand." While it is a work of fiction, it really shows how the fans felt and acted during that time. If they ever turn this movie into a musical (which I think they really should do), then I WILL play Rosie. I don't care how old I am, I was born to be Rosie from "I Wanna Hold your Hand."
One of my fave Beatles-related films!
ReplyDeleteHa!!! Rosie is the one who is with the nerd who blows the trivia question? Hilarious movie, I love that movie. On You Tube most of it is up there, except for the very beginning.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for these photos!!! I agree, the Plaza Hotel is where it was all happening, baby! (see how I worked in that Murray The K reference?)
One of the best books (in my opinion) about meeting the Beatles "for real" is Al Aronowitz's amazing "The Beatles and Bob Dylan"....a collection of memories from 1963 (he wrote the Saturday Evening Post article in '63) right up to hanging with George at "Bobfest" in 1993. There's a fantastic remembrance about Murray The K that will actually make you cry, I kid you not.
Aha! Not so fast! I have discovered an error!!! And you know how we Beatlefolk absolutely HATE to make errors! After all, this is important stuff! This is history!
ReplyDelete(recently I played the 80s Beatles Trivia board game with a first generation fan, and I beat him. He lost on the question what was the song that broke the Beatles in America and he said "She Loves You". After that, he actually couldn't look me in the eye and was visibly bummed!) (and I TOTALLY understood!!!)
So with that I must give a slight correction to this otherwise impeccable account: The Beatles stayed at the Delmonico Hotel for the '64 tour, when they played Forest Hills, and met Bob Dylan!
It's the smallest of things, and I know probably everyone who ventures here knows that already but...just for history's sake!
I know Rosie and the "nerd" in "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" know what I'm talking about! "Ringo is the oldest and at the same time the youngest Beatle" HAHAHAHAHAHA. That's it, I'm due for a viewing of that movie!