Beatles support the Family Dog

I found this newspaper clipping from the November 22, 1968 San Francisco Chronicle and I thought it was interesting:

Beatles Support the Family Dog
By Ralph J. Gleason

the Beatles have come to the aid of the beleaguered Family Dog whose permit to hold dances at the Avalon Ballroom has been revoked (the dances will go on this weekend, incidentally, the decision is under appear).

Chet Helms, chief of the Dog tribe, got a cable from London Wednesday night signed by John, Paul, George and Ringo.

"We hear you are having difficulties.  You know you have our support and our love for what you and yours represent."  The Beatles cabled the Family Dog in an unusual gesture.  A nice touch was the way they added a parenthetical phrase, "The Beatles" after their names.

In addition, the Beatles have shipped a print of the Magical Mystery Tour, their TV show which has not been shown in the United States except for the two days at the Straight Theater last spring and in Los Angeles that same week.

If the TV film arrives today as it should under ordinary circumstances, Helms will have a special showing of it tonight at 11 o'clock at the Straight Theater.

In addition, if the film arrives in time, there will be showings of it tomorrow and Sunday at the Palace Theater in North Beach, according to Helms.   There will be a special showing at 7 o'clock tomorrow and Sunday at the Avalon as well.

In order to handle any problems arising from a delay in shipping the film, Helms says that announcements will be made on KSAN-FM this morning indicating whether they will be able to keep the schedule and also giving specific times of the screening at the Straight and Palace Theaters.



The film has to be shipped back to London on Monday so these will be the only showing of it in the U.S. at this time.

When the Magical Mystery Tour was screened last spring at the Straight Theater, it was something of a sensation.   Young people thronged to the theater to see it.  There seems to be almost no chance that it will ever be seen commercially on U.S. TV  despite the undoubted interest in it.  Several scenes appear to disturb network officials and possible sponsors here.

Personally the Magical Mystery Tour film delighted me and the sequence of the dancing, a take-off on the musicals of the 30's, was worth the price of admission all by itself.