In Memory of Ed Rudy

Ed Rudy is the interviewer standing close to John. 

 

Another person with a strong Beatles connection has recently passed away.  Journalist Ed Rudy died on November 7, 2022.    Ed traveled along with The Beatles during all the stops during their first trip to the United States in February 1964.    He interviewed them along the way and made two very well-known records of those interviews.   Just about every Beatle fan in the United States had at least one of those Ed Rudy records because you got to hear their actual voices!  That was gold to a fan during that time, especially since A Hard Day's Night hadn't been released quite yet -- this was the first opportunity many fans had to really hear The Beatles accents and speaking voices.  (besides the short news clips of the press conference they might have seen on T.V.).

Ed Rudy made another record following the first North American tour in 1964.   Until a few years ago, Ed Rudy was a major presence on Facebook in Beatles groups -- he was typically selling his CDs (what used to be the records had been upgraded to CDs).   But he also took the time to answer questions.  I did a short interview with him during the 50th anniversary of the Beatles coming to America, and he was very nice to answer my questions and had a good memory of what was happening.  

While Ed Rudy isn't a significant player in the Beatles story, like so many people, their paths crossed, and he used that to further his career.   And who could blame him?   Many fans recall his records with great fondness.   Much sympathy goes out to his family and friends.   

If you follow the "Ed Rudy" tag, you can read some of what he wrote about the Beatles in fan club newsletters in the 1970s.  

The Beatles Boys in Miami --Ed Rudy part 5

Here is the last part of the article Ed Rudy wrote in 1964 about the his time with the Beatles during their 1st U.S. trip.    This section covers the Beatles in Miami, including the Sullivan Show.   The details are pretty interesting.

I wanted to thank Ed Rudy for giving me the permission to reprint his story.   Be sure that you check out this sight to order your own Ed Rudy interview Cds and hear him talk to the Beatles during this time. 

This part of the story appeared in issue #46 (April 1984) of With a Little Help from my Friends.

On Friday, February 14^th, the Beatles were up early.  As I dressed, another member of the press informed me that the Beatles had been out on the beach for hours already.  They were soaking up the morning sunshine and posing for photographers on the beach and in the surf.  The Deauville Hotel is sealed completely around by walls with fenced breakwaters.  It is almost impossible for anyone to sneak in under ordinary circumstances and with the Beatles visiting the hotel; the management was extra careful, employing security men to watch for trespassers.  We felt sorry for the hundreds of Beatle fans who tried all kinds of methods to try to get near their idols.  

During the day, all kinds of offers were extended to the Beatle boys.  A millionaire manufacture offered his luxurious houseboat to the Beatles.  Another offered his beautiful yacht.  Still another offered his sumptuous mansion complete with Olympic size, private swimming pool.  It was here that Life magazine took an exclusive group of photographs. 

The Beatle boys took advantage of the lovely yacht, which came complete with Captain and crew and they cast off to take in a sight-seeing trip around the Bay of Miami.  All members of the press were excluded, although a local photographer and reporter managed to stow away without being seen.  When they were discovered, the yacht was turned around and docked to put them ashore.   The Beatles and their manager had decided that it was not fair to the other members of the press to let them stow away and make exclusive pictures and get exclusive interviews.  In late afternoon, the Beatles headed back to the yacht basic and then headed back to the hotel.

The special group of Miami Beach policemen assigned to the Beatles during their stay was headed by Sgt. Buddy Dresner.  Hoping the Beatle boys were interested in seeing how a policeman and his family lived in America, he invited the boys for dinner and an evening at his home.  It had been a long, long time since any of the Beatles had had a home-cooked meal so they quickly took him up on his splendid offer.

The Beatles enjoyed the chance of pace with their evening at the Dresner home.  They met his wife, Dotty along with his three children Barry, Andy and Jeri—all Beatle fans!  They, particularly, enjoyed the tasty dinner of roast beef, peas, green beans and baked potatoes with a delicious vegetable salad on the side.  They finished off the terrific dinner with each Beatle getting a tremendous piece of strawberry shortcake oozing with whipped cream.   They stayed until 11 o’clock, then bid their host a fond goodnight and sped back to the hotel.

The floor show, in the hotel’s nightclub, was scheduled to start just as they arrived back at the Deauville.  Instead of going to their suites, they decided to take the show in so the Beatle party headed for the night club and a table to watch the show.  Don Rickells, the emcee-comedian of the show, brought the house by poking fun of the Beatles in a friendly manner.  Exclaimed Rickells, “Look over there!”  Then continued Rickells, “Here’s Miami’s top policeman guarding four Zulus when all over the city there’s fighting and stealing.”

The Beatles thought this and his other humorous but insulting asides were quite funny and it broke them all up in uncontrollable laughter.  John and his wife broke away from the Beatle party after the show was over to go to bed early while Paul, George and Ringo stayed up a little longer to visit with Myron Cohen a well-known comedian and Carol Lawrence a famous singer and dancer.

On Saturday, February 15^th the boys attended rehearsals for the Ed Sullivan Show that was scheduled for the early evening of the following day—this was their purpose in coming to Miami.  The boys had slept late, had breakfast together in their suite, then for a few hours on the beach for some sunshine.

After a light lunch at 2:00, the Beatle boys headed for the Deauville Hotel Theatre.  The “Stamp-out the Beatles” movement started to gain momentum when Beatle fans joined in the hundreds because CBS wouldn’t give out any tickets to outsiders.  Those people staying in the hotel were given preferred seating with many parents and children greedily going to both the rehearsal and the live T.V. show the next day. 

More than 3,000 true Beatle fans had formed into a line starting as early as 7:30 in the morning waiting for the opportunity to just get in and be able to watch the Saturday rehearsal.  By afternoon, most realized it was a lost cause, many angrily heading to join the “Stamp out the Beatles” movement.  The Detroit group of “S-O-T-B’s” headed for the Deauville hotel to demonstrate but quickly broke up when they found too many loyal Beatle fans still around to do battle.  A few hundred fans managed to get into the theatre to watch the Beatle boys during rehearsal.  The balance, of thousands, went home sad and forlorn to always remember the great disappointment in their life of not being about to see the Beatles perform.  

During the rehearsal period, the Beatles went over their music and the songs that they would sing.  Then the boys rested while the other acts rehearsed.  When they were called the second time, John Lennon had disappeared.  He was nowhere around and the whole show was in a turmoil trying to figure out where he had gone.  Then somebody looked behind a curtain and there he was…sound asleep!  Exclaimed Paul, “I thought he’d been kidnapped by the Detroit Stamp out the Beatles gang!”

Toward evening, with the Sullivan rehearsals over, the Beatle boys headed back to their hotel suite to have dinner together.  Then after dinner, they relaxed for a while then turned to an evening of telephone interviews with deejays throughout the United States and Canada.  Each Beatle went to bed early, to get plenty of rest, for tomorrow would be their third and last to show for America.

On Sunday, February 16^th the Beatle boys spent the morning out in the sun and surf mingling with the hotel guests, photographers and newsmen and those few Beatle fans who managed to get by the security patrol.  The Beatles were amazed at the warm and even Miami weather with each day bringing its share of bright sunshine while folks in England at this time were cold and shivering, as were people in other parts of this country.

Toward noon, the boys headed back to their hotel suites to have lunch and plan for this evenings T.V. show.  Part of the afternoon was spent with Capitol record executives setting up recording schedules and record releases planned for the future.

Early in the afternoon, lucky Beatle fans began to line up for the live T.V. performance.  These fans held tickets for the Sullivan Show and were waiting for the doors to open so that they culd get front row seats.  However, CBS had printed up 3,500 tickets for a theatre that seated on 2,600 s that 1 person out of every 4 would be out of luck and unable to get in.  As it turned out, hotel guests who held tickets were allowed to go into the theatre first.  Those people got the best seats.

When it came time to let the outside Beatle fans in, almost all the seats were taken and only a few hundred were allowed to get in.  This caused a riot and additional police had to be called in to calm the many teenagers who had waited from four to eight hours to get in.

Consequently,  due to hotel guests being given preferential seating, the real fans who would have made the boys really give out with a great performance were missing and so were their “oohs” and “aahhs” and their screams, whistles and shouts.  Only a token group of fans were on hand to cheer the boys on and this caused television viewers across the nation to think the Beatles were slipping.

Thousands of Beatle fans sadly went home to watch the boys on their T.V. screen while hundreds of fans, who held tickets, sat down in the street and cried their little Beatle hearts out.

After the show was over, a large party was arranged in honor of the Beatles.  Maurice Lansberg, owner and manager of the hotel was host and the entire cast of the Sullivan Show attended along with technicians and orchestra members.  The Beatles enjoyed a buffet which included taste tempting dishes of seafood, meat and fowl.  The boys enjoyed the shrimp and lobster the best with tender choice slices of roast beef next in line.

After the buffet, the Beatle boys put their heads together with their manager, Brian Epstein, and decided to stay in Miami for an additional five days.  They had planned to go back to England to attend the big Oxfam Charity Luncheon, where they were to be guests of honor.  This was a big affair to be attended by all the big names in England including Harold Macmillan as the host along with Dir Alex Douglas-Home, Prime Minister.

From Monday, February 17^th to Thursday February 20^th, the Beatle boys enjoyed their Miami vacation of warm weather and bright sunshine.  Bags of fan mail were forwarded to them to go over while the Miami post office delivered many heavy sacks more every day.

All over the U.S. people were aware of the Beatle invasion and everybody was talking about them.  The newspapers were printing news about them, radio and T.V. stations were reporting all the latest gossip about them as their music was played by deejays on just about every station across the land.

In Miami, Beatle talk was the biggest thing going.  Said Richard Rodgers, famous composer, who was on the beach on vacation, “The Beatles the healthiest thing to happen to show business since the discovery of penicillin!”  Stated Myron Cohen, comedian, “They’ll be trying to stamp out the Beatles or the next thirty years and who cares?”  Bob Hope cracked with, “Oh course I did the Beatles.  If I didn’t, my kids would take my television set away!”  In the meantime, Don Rickells worked this one into his act, “Stamp out the Beatles?  I can’t even get close enough to throw a stone at ‘em!”

During the week, the Beatle boys tried their hand at water skiing.  George lost interest quickly and relaxed in the shade as he watched the other boys try their luck on the skis.   Paul was the greatest and he managed to stay on his skis longer than the other Beatle boys.  However, john and his wife, Cynthia both did well too.  Ringo appeared to enjoy himself the most although his skiing was the worst of the lot.

And during the week, as the Beatle boys soaked up the sunshine in Alex Douglas home spoke out with praise for the boys even though they had missed the Oxfam Charity Luncheon in their honor.  Said Air Alex, “I say, the Beatles are really great!”  Replied the Beatles to this, “Wait ‘till he find we’ve taken over 10 Downing street for our rehearsal hall!”  Stated Sir Alex, “They’re Britain’s ultra-secret weapon!”  Answered the Beatles, “Let’s hope he doesn’t change his mind about us like he did with the Skybolt!”  Continued in Alec, “They’re the biggest dollar earners England has at the moment!”  Exclaimed the four Beatles, “Little does he know that our money is being put into Swiss banks!”

With the world’s heavyweight championship fight scheduled for Miami, both Sonny Liston, champion, and Cassius Clay, contender, were set up in training camps nearby.  The Beatles decided to visit Cassius Clay, at his training headquarters so off went the boys followed by photographers and reporters.  Cassius pretended to land a left on the jaw of each of the boys as photographers snapped away.  As he posed for pictures with Ringo, he finished up the picture taking session by lifting him up over his head with Ringo more surprised than anyone.

One evening, during this week, was spent going to a drive-in movie.  The film was “Fun in Acapulco” starting Elvis Presley.  They enjoyed the drive-in and being able to see a motion picture while sitting in an automobile. 

Another afternoon was spent making their rounds to record stores buying up the latest Rock n Roll singles and albums to take back to England with them.  Part of this day was also spent shopping for little knick-knacks to take back with them, also.

The Beatle boys took in motorboat racing, house boating plus another yacht trip around Miami Beach.  During one afternoon a big barbeque was given in their honor and the boys enjoyed real special steaks that were tender and luscious as well as the biggest they had ever had in their lives.

On Friday, February 21^st, the Beatles made preparations to fly back to New York’s Kennedy airport, then back to London.  They packed all their apparel, made room in their luggage for their newly purchased gift items and records, said their goodbyes to their Miami friends and headed for the Miami airport. 

At the Miami International Airport, thousands of Beatle fans were on hand to bid them adieu and the Beatle boys took time to wave their fond farewells to all their friends before they stepped onto the jet plane.

Arriving at Kennedy Airport in New York, the Beatles were quickly hustled to their Pan-am jet that would take them to London.  The New York police wanted to get the Beatle boys off and away before any hysterical outbursts from fans might occur.  Because of this, a great many fans didn’t even get a fast glimpse of the boys and the Beatles were not given the opportunity to wave to their fans.

Our last interview with the Beatles took place inside he Pan-Am jet plane.  The Beatle boys, all four of them, think America is real great and that they can’t wait to get back for their month long trip in August and September.  They want to thank everyone for making their stay in America a great moment in their lives.  They will never forget their tumultuous welcomes by Beatle fans everywhere they went.  It was great—real fab—absolutely the gear!

Then we were told it was time to leave the plane unless we wanted to go to London.  So we gave the boys our very best, turned and left the jet plane.

It was sad, indeed to watch the plane taxi out to the runway, then pick up speed and fly away growing smaller in the distance.  The Beatles were going home after a two week period in America.  And so was yours truly, Ed Rudy and as I turned and walked back to the terminal building, I happily whistled.  The Beatle boys had given me an honorary title that I’ll always cherish.  The Beatle boys had told me I was the “Fifth Beatle!”

Beatle boys invade Miami Beach (Ed Rudy part 4)

On Thursday, February 13^th, the Beatle Boys departed from the Plaza Hotel to the enjoyment of the hotel management, but not their New York Beatle fans.  They had had a hectic visit from the Beatles that will long be remembered.  Even though this was a school day, thousands of Beatle fans were everywhere to wish them a fond farewell and a safe flight to Miami, the land of sunshine, and their scheduled show emanating from the Florida City.  Their National Airlines Flight left the Kennedy airport at 1:30 pm as thousands of Beatle fans waved their final goodbyes.

The flight of the Beatle boys had been booked for first-class seats but somebody had played a joke on them and had changed their seats over for the budget tourist class.  As a result, the Beatles were jam packed, with their entourage of newspapermen and photographers into narrow seats.  However, the four Beatles enjoyed the 3 ½ hour flight to Miami by joking with all the members of the press and other passengers making the flight.  We took time out to tape an interview during this flight with each of the Beatle boys.  Each was excited over the prospect of visiting a warm and bright Miami after hearing so much about this city. 

Around 4:00 in the afternoon, the National Airline’s jet plane safely touched down at Miami airport then taxied to the arrival strip.  As we looked out the jet’s windows we could see thousands of fans everywhere.   For a moment, we thought we were back at the Kennedy airport except for the beautiful blue clear sky and the bright sun.

As the plane’s door was opened, we could hear the screeching and screaming of Beatle fans and we wondered how each of the Beatle boys felt being welcomed everywhere in America by their wonderful fans.   To seasoned newspapermen and broadcasters, this was an unusual sight indeed.   Never before, anywhere, had any member of the press ever viewed such chaos and confusion and we have all travelled with some pretty big world leaders.  Now, here were four English lads setting records for welcoming groups wherever they were expected to appear.  It was fantastic, absolutely amazing and actually unbelievable.  Yet, it was happening, right in front of our eyes all along the Beatles route. 

As we emerged from the air-conditioned interior of the jet plane into the sunny and warm climate that Miami is famous for, we noted that the Miami International airport was jam packed with fans.  Here was another glorious day that the four Beatles will long remember and we of the press will too.

As the Beatles entourage stepped off the plane, the Beatle boys leading the way, the din of the “oohs” and “aahs”, the screams and the whistles were deafening.  Screeching, squirming, pushing and shoving Beatle fans came from every direction.  The police held back many hundred but true Beatle fans have a way of coming out of the woodwork using ingenious methods.  Up popped a trunk top, on a luggage wagon used for loading suitcases on planes and two Beatle girls sprang out like jack in the boxes.  One headed for the boys, with pen and autograph book in hand while the other was so shocked by seeing the Beatles so close by, that she was frozen stiff.

Beatle fans wreaked havoc with the jalousie-type windows at the airport.  The windows were dirty, from not having been cleaned for a long time, so the fans punched them out, breaking them with their fists, to get a clear view of the boys.  Many stood on chairs, so many on some chairs that they collapsed from the weight.  Solid doors, leading to the field, were bend and hinges broken as fans tried to get close to their idols.  It was the most wild, most indescribable scene I ever witnessed more gear than eve at New York’s Kennedy Airport. 

 The Beatle boys posed for photographers as police sweated and fought the Beatle crowd, trying to hold them back.  The boys had to fight their way into the limousines brought onto the field near the plane.  As policemen walked in front of the limousines, forcing the crowd back, we slowly inched our way out of the crowd.  At the edge of the airport, we picked up our motorcycle escort and headed for Miami Beach.  The airport is located in Miami and the beach portion (actually a separate city from Miami) is separated from the city and many miles away. 

Miami Beach is a narrow strip of land, running parallel with the main body of land that is Florida.  The strip, known as Miami Beach, has more luxurious hotels per square foot than in any other place in the world.  We were headed for the Deauville Hotel, an ultra-swank edifice that is a city itself.  With sirens screaming, we made the approximate 8 miles in about 8 minutes.  The Miami and Miami Beach police really welcomed the Beatles to the land of sunshine.  As we crossed the bridge that separates the two cities, the Miami motorcycle policemen waved goodbye and at the other end the Miami Beach motorcycle policemen were waiting to greet us and lead us the rest of the way right to the Deauville’s Hotel doorstep.

At the Deauville, thousands more Beatles fans milled around the block waving and shouting their welcome greetings.  The Beatle boys were quickly taken into the hotel hurried though the lobby, past the registration desk without registering and whisked up the elevator to their hotel suites.   Each Beatle boy had a large suite to himself.  Each suite faced the ocean and the boys spent quite a little time out on his private balcony, looking out toward the sea and enjoying the warmth of the Florida climate, while below looking up at them from the beach, the cabanas, the pool and the park, were thousands of spectators enjoying every moment of it too.

WINS Murray the K, New York deejay, had accompanied the boys with the Beatle party.  He took them on a private tour of the city a few hours later.  So, after a tasty dinner, and a shower and a shave, the boys went out on the town.

Their first stop was at the Peppermint Lounge on the 79^th Causeway where they met Hank Ballard and surprised the hundreds of teenagers who were there a-twisting and a-turning.  From the Peppermint Lounge, the boys then visited the Record Bar where they spent a pleasant hour.

While we were talking to the manager, the Beatles sneaked off and we lost them for the rest of the night.  Where they went and how they got away from me, I’ll never know.  Anyway, it was late so I went back to the Deauville to get much needed rest.  I was beat.  I had had a hectic Beatle day and a nice shower and a soft bed was a wonderful thing to look forward to. This would be the one night that I would close my eyes and rally enjoy a night of restful slumber.

Ed Rudy story part 3

Ed Rudy part 3

On Tuesday, February 11^th, 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 12^th, 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.