Ed Rudy part 3
On Tuesday, February 11th, the Beatle boys headed
for Washington D.C. and their engagement at the Washington Coliseum. They had
originally planned to fly down to Washington.
However, a snowstorm developed and it was decided that the Beatles would
go to Washington via train. The
Pennsylvania Railroad made arrangements to add on a special coach to their
daily “Congressman Express” train.
The Beatles made their way to Pennsylvania station, and with
the help of a regiment of policemen, reached their special coach which was
already full with newspapermen and radio interviewers. Thousands of teenagers were on hand at
Pennsylvania station. The noise of
everyone screaming an hollering, at the top of their voices was deafening. As the train moved out of Pennsylvania
station, all the members of the Beatle party breathed a sigh of relief for they
had not been protected by the police and all had been terribly shaken up,
pushed and shoved. It was in the station
that our broadcast line had been broken by the crowd…during a live broadcast and
we were cut off the air.
Throughout the run to Washington, there were interviews upon
interviews, picture sessions upon picture sessions. The Beatle Boys enjoyed every minute on the
train and were amazed at how different they are from English trains—not having
small and separate compartments. When
the train arrived in Washington, so many Beatle fans showed up that the police
was unable to control the crowds. A big
20 foot “Welcome to Washington” sign was held up by some of the fans. It was torn down by other Beatle fans trying
to get closer to the Beatles. The police
formed a flying “V” wedge to help the Beatles to their limousines. When they finally made it to their cars, they
headed directly for the Washington Coliseum where a press conference was
arranged prior to the booked stage performance.
At this time, we interviewed the Beatles. We asked them, “Aren’t the screams a little embarrassing
to you?” John Lennon replied, “The
screams are wonderful. It’s the teenager’s
way of showing appreciation. During a
show, it helps to swing the show into a wonderful success.”
Another member of the press asked them when they expected to
take their holiday (vacation) to which Ringo replied, “This was supposed to be
our holiday until we were booked for America and came here!”
The Washington Coliseum set up a center stage in the middle
of the auditorium. The audience viewed
Beatles from all directions and the Beatle Boys moving around on stage to give
everyone a chance to see them. Ringo Starr, mounted on a revolving platform
pounded away on the skins as he was slowly turned around.
The reception in Washington was real fab. The screams and shouts deafening, the
applause vibrating the rafters as all 9,000 Beatle fans made the Beatle Boys at
home in the U.S.A. capitol. The Beatles
perspired under the hot lights of the stage and dodging showers of jellybeans,
put on one of the greatest shows for their fans. They rewarded their fans with a real gear
session. New York WINS deejay, Murray
the K had a direct line to the Coliseum and broadcast from backstage.
As the Beatles waited to leave their Coliseum engagement, and
while arrangements were being made to sneak them out, the boys sat around in
the office of show promoter Harry Lynn.
When the go sign was received, the boys were led on a sneaky route, more
complicated than any smuggler’s route ever devised during the days of the Civil
War.
The Beatles headed for a special reception and costume ball
at the British Embassy. An English
Major-general attached to the British Embassy was there all decked out with a
Beatle wig and a mask. Frank Mitchel,
Embassy Press Attaché, of the staid British Embassy was asked about the
Beatles. Said Mitchel, “I think they’re
fine…a riot!” Then continued Mitchel, “the
Beatles have given me more work to do than at any other time since the Queen of
England was here sever years ago.” A
diplomatic curve was thrown to Attaché Frank Mitchel; one wit said that “the
Beatles were the British payment for the Sky Bolt. Do you think there is any validly in this? “ Mitchel said, “No I wouldn’t say they’re the payment for the
Sky Bolt. No…let’s say they’re the British payment for all that Spam you sent
us during the war.”
At one time, we were able to corner Ringo. We asked him the following question. “Ringo, you are often referred to as the sex
symbol of the Beatles. So tell me: do you consider yourself so?” Replied Ringo, “I’ve never heard this one
before. No, you can see me, you can
see I’m no sex symbol. You can see my face.” We asked Ringo if he anticipated the fabulous
reception that he received in America to which he replied, “We never expected
anything like this at all. It’s even
great than some of our English engagements.
The least reaction we had was in France were 78% of our audience was
made of boys. But here in America, it’s
real gear.”
The Beatles were then introduced to Ambassador and Lady
Onmsly-gore along with others in a receiving line at the British Embassy. In the excitement, Sir David Onmsby-Gore
mixed up the boys with their names. The
boys, in addition, made it all the more confusing by referring to John as
George, to Ringo as Fred and to Paul as Charlie.
The Beatles Boys enjoyed their evening with the social elite
of Washington even though they were jostled, pushed and shoved in all
directions by everyone. One gal snipped
off a bit of Ringo’s hair from behind his left ear with a small manicure
scissors. Ringo’s statement cannot be printed
here, but you can imagine what he said.
At the stroke of midnight, the Beatle boys made like
Cinderella and headed back for the Shoreham Hotel and a much needed rest. This day was a real hectic day in the life of
each Beatle. The pace had been
killing. As I headed back to my own
hotel room, I wondered, “What nice glory?”
On Wednesday, February 12th, the Beatle Boys
headed back to New York. Again it was a
train journey and the Beatles crowds were everywhere. Enroute on the train, the boys were rested,
and in a fun making mood. Ringo kidded
around with reporters, donned a woman’s fur coat complete with white Astrakhan
hat. John kidded around on his hands and
knees crawling under the swivel seats of the train. George, on the other hand, dressed up as a
waiter and with napkin over arm, had fun serving the train’s passengers. Ringo off in the corner of the special coach
was trying to get a few more winks of sleep.
Many photographs loaded him down with cameras while others were ringed
around him taking pictures.
Since nobody had thought about this day being Lincoln’s
birthday, more confusing and chaos was added to the expected bedlam. This was because, it being a holiday, schools
were closed everywhere. Naturally, thousands
upon thousands of additional Beatle fans, who would normally be attending school,
had now made their way to Pennsylvania Station to welcome this Beatles
back. Pennsylvania Station was packed
with fans and never in the history of the railroad station was confusion so
rampant.
Many other trains had to extend their departure time because
passengers couldn’t get to the gates to get on the trains. It was really a fab day for the Beatles. As at the Washington Coliseum, again the
Beatle boys were smuggled out of the railroad station and to their Plaza Hotel
accommodations. Beatles fans, at the
hotel were everywhere. Crowds extended
for blocks all around.
When the Beatles arrived at the Plaza hotel, they were
hemmed in by fans everywhere. Mounted
policemen were called in to make an opening with their horses. Finally, the Beatles were rushed into the
hotel.
The chaos and havoc created by the Beatles must have been of
some concern to the New York city police department. They sent one of their top police aides to meet
with the Beatles. He appeared
white-faced and nervous as he tried to establish order out of confusion. George whispered to Ringo, “It looks like he’s
cracking up!”
During the police conference, it was agreed that the boys would
leave by a back freight elevator and through the Plaza Hotel kitchen, and then
out through a secret door of the hotel in order to go to the late afternoon and
evening shows that were scheduled at Carnegie hall. This proved to be a good way of getting the Beatles
out of the hotel and over to Carnegie Hall without too much confusion although heartbreaking
for the fans waiting in front of the hotel.
Carnegie Hall, known as the venerable shrine of classical music,
echoed to a resounding wave of Beatlemania.
Approximately 3,000 fans jammed packed their way into Carnegie Hall
paying form $1.65 to $5.50 per squashing.
Each of the performances lasted about 2 hours. New York’s deejay, Murray Kaufman and B. Mitchell
Reed, acted as emcees. Each performance
was pure bedlam and those tucked away in the balcony and rafters heard nothing
of the Beatles, saw the Beatle’ lips moving, but in the din of the shouts,
whistles, screams and hysterical squeals overpowered the Beatle sound.
Beatle fans rocked and reeled back and forth in their seats
to the temp of the music set by the Beatles.
Jellybeans pelted the famed Beatles throughout their performance. When the history of Carnegie Hall is written,
the double-header performance of the Beatles will surely by highlighted as one
of the most spectacular performance to ever emanate from this staid concert
hall. At the end of the evening performance,
the boys sneaked around back to their Plaza Hotel suite and were early to bed
for a night of restful bliss.
Beatlemania in America was firmly entrenched and the British had finally
established a Beatle front in the United States.
Sara!! I can't write on all of today's entries because I'm out the door, so I'll just sum it all up here.....wow!!! The Carnegie Hall pics! And the Ed Rudy accounts! The shopping-in-Miami story....and the beauty contest winners, all stuff I didn't know, or haven't seen, I just don't how you do it!!! Great, great stuff!!! I'm going to be gone until Tuesday, so have a great few days off, you've earned a great weekend!!
ReplyDelete