April 1966 in London - repost

This is a classic story from Joyce Kilbane of "With a Little Help From My Friends" newsletter.   What makes this story even more special for me is that I got to hear Joyce herself tell me the story in person this past summer.   And while I was familiar with the story, there is something extra special about hearing a first generation fan talk about meeting the Beatles and seeing their expression on their face.   They go back to that 14-year-old Beatlemaniac in an instant.  

I just love this photo and thought it was perfect for the Thursday Throwback post for this week.  

England in April 1966

By Joy Kilbane

Originally published in the April 1974 issue of “With a little help from my friends”

You must realize that I was a mere kid of 15 when I went in ’66.  My first trip out of the country with my mother and younger brother.   A fun-packed trip going with one’s mom.  I would’ve been happy just spending all my time at EMI.  But naturally my mom had other ideas.  A boat trip along the River Thames during a blizzard.  Yeah, in April!  Bopping around Windsor Castle.  Staring at the Palace Guards.  The old tourist deal.   But MY basic interest was at EMI Studios, so I’m gonna tell you about the first time I ever met the guys.

Mom, Jim (my brother) and I found out where the now well-known EMI on Abbey Road was.  Actually, I was the one who found out.  You see, I promised to get pipe tobacco for one of my teachers back home and it just so happened that a “Beatles Monthly” book was on a rack.  I found it!  #29 with Lennon on the cover.  Well, I naturally acted very normal, you know, dancing around the shop, the whole bit.   So the nice man behind the counter decided that he liked the free entertainment he was getting so he gave me the address of EMI.  But first the all-important question, “Do you like the Beatles?”  Naw, I think while I chew on the book, I really came to see the broad in the Palace!  Naturally, I told the guy I did like the Beatles.

That night in our hotel room, I just happened to get “Run for your Life” on the radio.  The plans were made to go and see the guys at the studio tomorrow, which was Wednesday April 13, 1966.

We arrived at this green colored building, enclosed with a brick wall.  Two driveways and a sign at the top of the door, EMI RECORDING STUDIO.  Sounds reasonable.   Just to let people know what the green colored building was for.  Okay, as I check further into my mind I’ll tell you what I wore that day.  I wore pink trousers, blouse, tennis shoes (for fast running) and a blue raincoat.  There was quite a few girls outside the gates and I made friends with all.  American fans were very rare in ’66, so I was made welcome.  Found out each other’s “fave rave” and I stuck close to this one girl, Carole, who said “John Lennon,” the magic name.

As the minutes wore on, Mom decided to check at the building and see what time the guys were due to arrive. I waited to see if she’d come flying out of the door like she said she might (the studio guard wasn’t very nice). She didn’t fly out the door and she told me the guard said they’d be coming around 2:30.  I wanted at that moment to go home! It was almost time for them to arrive.  No way.  I was to stay until I saw all of them (the first time you do get to meet them, or anytime really, you get hit with the big chicken and that was me!).   The girls were very nice.  I remember one of the girls asking this other one what she would do if George turned up at that moment.  She said, “I’d let this paper fly (the paper with her address and those of the other girls) and I’d drop this pen.  Then go!”  All of us had a rather nice talk.  Not to mention-freezing together.  It was very cold that day!

One of the girls happened to look down the road, and she yelled, “Here comes Paul!”  I couldn’t move!!  As his car came into the driveway, on my right (first driveway you see), all the girls crowded around.  The poor baby couldn’t get his car inside the parking lot. Only one of the double gates was opened.  So he was waiting for the nice guard to let him in.   I was still stoned.  I just could not move!  Some of the girls moved away from Paul’s car and got behind me – a little helpful push and I became acquainted with his door handle—right in the gut, which hurt so, I made the facial agony look.  Ahhhh, must tell you that while all that was going on, HE smiled at me.  I just so happened to run into the driver’s side of the car---shit!   I pried the handle from my gut and just in time.  The nice guard had the gate open for Paul who then went into the parking area, and all the girls followed with me – in shock and lagging behind.  Paul got out of the car, and you’d never believe what he wore!  Besides the dark tight trousers, which I didn’t notice, he wore the black furry coat.  The one he wore in “Help.”  His hair was windblown, and he was holding a cigarette---shit!   He looked so damn good!  He came out of his car and I was pushed right up to him –not on my own power, mind you!  The girls helped me once again.  I was about a foot away and the reason for that is the fact that I somehow stopped myself from running right into him!  Power disc heels on my tennis shoes – one of the girls grabbed him by the arm and said, “Paul, this girl came all the way from America to see you.”  He looked down at me and smiled, “Oh really? Where is she?”  All the while, he kept looking at me.  I just couldn’t say anything!  I wanted so much to talk to him – but I just couldn’t!  I did find myself doing the splits though – no lie!  He still kept the torture going by watching me and smiling – he even winked at one point!  Torture!  He realized that I wasn’t up to talking to him, so he smiled once more and turned toward the stairs.  Shit!  It was in shock!  I can’t really put into words just how I felt but I just about had to be carried out of the parking lot.  Then mom started in on me.  “Why didn’t you….”  Do this and that.  I felt worse.  I wanted to talk to him.  The only thing Paul knew is that I made quaint faces and I can do the splits.  I ask you!  I wanted to go back home, right then and there!  I just couldn’t make an ass out of myself with the others as well, but mom vetoed the suggestion.  “We came here for you to see all of them, and we’re not leaving until you do!”

Not more than 5 minutes after that, I noticed a black Rolls Royce.  “Shit, it’s Lennon!”  Again I asked if we could go home.  No.

The Rolls went into the other driveway from the one Paul had gone into.  The other girls were already into the parking lot.  I followed the Rolls.  The door opened and Ringo got out.  I didn’t expect him!  But there he was.  I didn’t pay that much attention to him.  It’s the guy that came out after!  I couldn’t believe my eyes!  John came out and what he wore really freaked me out, but good.   Lennon wore that beautiful green cord outfit that he had on in “Help.”  Honest to God!  It looked like him and Paul just walked right out of the movie screen!  I just wanted to die.  I love that outfit!  I don’t know if he had his hat with him or not – but it wasn’t on his head and his hair was all windblown, like all their hair because it was windy as well as cold.   I got behind Lennon and I was so close to him—I could’ve just wrapped my arms around him, but too chicken!  Rich started to watch me to see what I’d do.  Do you know the feeling you get when you know there’s someone behind you?  John started to look over his right sholder—I went to his left side.  This little game kept up for a while.  Ringo was enjoying the little dance I was doing behind John.  I just thank God Lennon didn’t spin around and see me.  If he did, I would’ve croaked!  It didn’t matter much if the others saw me, but  I was really hung up on John at the time.  Not that I don’t still love him.  I do.  I just don’t understand now and I am messed up with Paul now.  Anyway he didn’t give me an attack by turning around.  He just walked toward the stairs.  Ringo was smiling or should I say laughing!  And my mother was talking loud again, “why didn’t you talk to him…”  I again felt terrible.

Harrison was on his way by this time into the parking lot.  I remember looking in his direction and seeing my mother poke her head into his smoked-glass windshield.  I remember thinking, “Oh poor George!”  Can’t help but feel sorry for the guys when people stare at them like they belong in cages.  Or—if they had a chance – try to shove them into a scrapbook like some of the so-called “fans” I know--- and naturally, can’t forget the “back stabbing” fans of the guys – but—that’s a different story.  Anyway, stupid me, I just ran in front of George’s lovely maroon Jaguar and he was nice enough to put the brake on or he’d have a nice RED Jaguar.  He parked his car and out he came!  Shit!  That man!  He had on a suede outfit with matching boots.  I about dropped my teeth!  I started walking up to him.  To be truthful, it wasn’t my idea to go to him.  My faithful feet just started and I naturally had to follow, soooo.  I was getting closer and closer to him and his eyes, forget it!  He watched while I approached him.  I guess the other girls were in a state of shock when they saw me going on my own power.  So was I!  I couldn’t have been more than three feet away from him when he moved his hand.  Man!  I never moved to the opposite direction so fast in my life!  I honestly thought he was going to belt me for running in front of his car.  I couldn’t’ say what his expression was when I flew to the other side of the parking lot.  Could take a guess though!

When I turned around, he wasn’t in sight.  My educated guess is he ran inside the studio to compare notes with the other 3 on the dingy American.  One of the girls grabbed him and stuck him in her scrapbook.  I was so sick!  Mom started on me again and I really didn’t want to appear like a jerk to the guys.  Mal Evans (such a sweetheart!) started up the stairs.  I don’t know where he came from but anyway, my mom asked if I knew who he was.  I nodded and she told me I should go up to him and ask him to get the guy’s autographs for me.  Now—I didn’t like that idea very much.  So my mother bopped up to him and talked to him for a bit.  Next thing I knew, Mal Evans was on his way toward me.  There was nowhere for me to run this time!  I was against the wall!  I had a Beatles Monthly with me (#32 with Ringo on the cover drinking tea) plus six Beatle postcards (2 group shots and 4 individual).  Mal took them from me and went inside the studio.  A few minutes later, he came out and started toward me once again with a big smile on his face. He put the book and cards in my hands and went back into the studio.  I couldn’t bring myself to open the book or look at the cards.  The girls kept coaxing me and finally I opened the book, First page had a photo of George with his furry coat.  It was signed.  Looked through the book and found that Harrison had signed two different pictures.  John signed one and Paul signed a really crazy one of him—he had this wild look on his face, and he’s about to attack a wall inside the studio with many switches on it.  Ringo didn’t sign any from the book –I guess the others didn’t let him have it.  But they all signed the cards.  I was so happy at that moment!  I just wanted to cry.

Now was the time when my mother, Jim and I were on our way to do some tourist business.  Not that I wanted to, but what can you do?  We caught a cab, waved to the girls and were on our way.  I didn’t pay much attention to what went on after we left the studio, except when we arrived back to our hotel room, I noticed that I’d ripped my trousers (from doing the splits for Paul).

After I came home to Ohio, I received a letter from Janet, one of the girls at the studio.  I now quote from her letter, “after you had gone, Paul came out, and when he came back with Neil, he banged on the door but the doorman thought he was us fans so he would not let him in.  How marvelous it was, he was out there for at least 10 minutes and he was getting madder and madder.  Oh, he was so good looking.  I was right close against him.  He’s lovely!”

Wouldn’t you know it!  I missed that!  Oh!  By the way—the background of “Paperback Writer” was recorded on Wednesday April 13, 1966…that’s a day I will never forget.

#9 Dream come True (repost)

This week's flashback post is from the June 1976 issue of McLen fanzine and was written by Margie Paturzo.

#9 Dream Come True

From Issue #12 (June 1976) issue of MacLen

By Margie Paturzo

On the morning of May 24, 1976, Monday, Kathy S. and I woke up early and proceeded to go to the Dakotas. We arrived there at 9:45 and sat down in the front on the railing.  The doorman was giving us dirty looks, but we didn’t care.  We sat and waited.

Around 10:30, some more girls joined us.  We all sat there talking about John and showing each other pictures we carried with us.  Then, one of the girls, Karen B., said, “Here comes Sean.”  We all turned to look and we saw this elderly look and we saw this elderly Japanese woman wheeling a beautiful baby in a stroller.  We were all delighted as we watched him pass by us.  I must admit, he is cute.  He was wearing shorts and had on a white hat and what looked like some kind of Japanese slippers.

After he went by, we were even more excited ‘cos we figured that John would be out soon.  We were wrong.  We waited and waited and around 12:15, the nanny brought Sean back.  Again we were delighted and we were sure John would be out after the nanny took Sean up.  Or so we thought.

Around 2:15 or so, Ann joined us with Pat and Joy (from “With a Little Help from my friends” fame) and Maryann.  We talked for a while and Kathy and I told them about seeing Sean.  After a while, Pat, Joy, and Maryann left.  Ann joined the rest of us to wait for John.

We started getting hungry so Ann went down the corner and got us hotdogs and sodas.  Believe me, hotdogs never tasted so good!   I kept thinking, “Watch John come out and see me with a hot dog in me gob!”

Around 3:10, Sean was wheeled out again.  I must add that no one took pics ‘cos we were afraid the nanny would tell John and then he would be furious when he did come out.  So we just watched, Ann getting her first glimpse of Sean.  And then we continued to wait.

We were all standing on the doorman’s side of the entrance at that time.  Well, after about another hour, Ann and I walked over to the other side.  I sat on the wall while Ann stood in front of me and the other side.  I sat on the wall while Ann stood in front of me and talked to me.  Well, at around 3:30,  I caught a glimpse of two people, a man, and a woman, walking out.  I recognized Yoko first, because of her long, frizzy hair.  Well, Ann hadn’t noticed them yet and was still busy talking to me, so I said, “It’s him, it’s him!” as I recognized the man in the white Levis.  Yoko must have heard me ‘cos she turned around to look at us, smiled and said, “Hi.”  By this time, Ann and I were on our way over to them.  So was everyone on the other side.

John was looking up and down the street for a cab and when Ann and I arrived by his left side, he was looking the other way.  Well,  Ann backed away and started taking pictures.  So I took out my pen and paper and said, “John?”  Well, he jumped back, looked at me and said, “Oooh, you scared me.”  In turn, I said “Oh John I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.  Can I have your autograph?”   All this time I was looking up into his face, unable to believe I was there with HIM!  He took the pen and paper and proceeded to sign his name.  I moved over in front of Yoko and John handed me back the pen and paper (see black and white photo).  I took it and was shaking so bad from being nervous that I hugged Yoko and told her how beautiful I thought Sean was (The things one will do when they see their favorite Beatle!).  Anyroad, I stood near Yoko, out of everyone’s way while they took pictures, and just watched that man.  While he was signing Kathy’s autograph, he asked where we all were from.  Well, everyone was yelling out their hometowns:  Chicago, Ohio, Delaware and then I yelled out “Connecticut!”.  Well, he must’ve realized (or thought) that I was the one he had written a letter to recently thanking me for “whatever I had sent him” to quote his words.  He looked up and glanced at me for a second, then went back to doing what he was doing.  I nearly melted into the ground.  All I kept saying in my mind was, “thank God he didn’t ask me if I was Margie.”

He finished what he was doing and looked up and raised his finger and said, “Here’s the cab.”  He took Yoko’s hand and started to cross the street.  Everyone yelled, “Goodbye John” and watched him cross the street to the waiting taxi.  I immediately started crying ‘cos I just couldn’t believe what had just happened.  Kathy and I hugged each other and cried (her favorite is John too, can you guess?)   We watched the taxi until it turned out of sight and then we ourselves took a taxi – to the Stanhope Hotel, where Paul stays.  Within an hour of seeing John, we saw Paul leaving his hotel.  But that in itself is another story…

The Autumn of '68 -part 2 (repost)

It is Thursday and so as I move closer to the 10th anniversary of the little place on the internet, I am posting my third memory post.     I want to thank Cindy for sending me this color photo of Joanne and Paul.   It might be a bit faded, but it is 100 times better than the bad black and white photo I originally shared. 

This story was originally posted here on July 30, 2013 but originally came from the 1980 issue of the McCartney Observer fanzine. 

Autumn of ’68 (part 2)

Written by Linda Rabe and Jo Ann DeFilippe

We woke up quite late the next day, remembering the night before.  We knew for sure our trip would be the best ever for us.  We went round to see some of the sights and got back in time for dinner at the hotel and went up to our room to get ready to go to Paul’s house leaving about 11pm and took a cab to Cavendish.   It was really quiet except for Eddie who was under the gate crying…so we stuck our hands under the gate to pet him and he was nibbling our fingers!   We climbed the wall to see if Paul’s car was in the yard.  When we didn’t see it there we knew he was at Trident recording so we made ourselves comfortable for the wait for him to come home.   Shortly later we saw two cops coming up the block towards us.  So we casually picked ourselves up and started walking down the block.  Then we head “Hey, Girls!”  We were afraid to turn around, but when we did they were smiling.   We waited for them to catch up to us.  They came up and asked us where Paul was.  We said, “Paul who?”  They said, “What were you doing then?”  We said we were walking down the block and heard a dog crying so we stopped to pet it.  We told them we were going to Regents Park and they said don’t go there all the freaks go there this late at night.  So we said we would go to Primrose hill, and they said not to go there because all the homosexuals go there.  All of a sudden a car drives down the block and one of the cops said, “There goes Paul.”  We said it was not.   The one cop told us, “If we told you not to go back to the house you’d be back there in an hour anyway” and he laughed.  We then proceeded to walk to Wellington with them and told them that we were going to go to Scotland and visit our pen pals.  They said goodnight and started for the prescient and we told them we were going to get a taxi home (such liars).  When they were out of sight we went back to visit the crying dog.

A half hour later a car pulled up with people we had never seen before.  They got out and opened Pauls’ gate with a key and pulled in the yard and shut the gates and went in.  About fifteen minutes later we saw the guy in a window on the third floor next to the music room, when Ivan appeared in his car.  He got out and said hello.  Ivan asked us who was in the house.  Not knowing who the people were we told him some fat guy and his wife.  Ivan laughed.  He ran the bell and said, “Paul sent me round.”  No one came to open the gate for him so Ivan had to jump over it again and let himself in.  We felt bad for Ivan because he didn’t have a key and the other guy did.  Shortly later we saw a car coming up the block and thought it was a cop car so we started up the block again.  We turned around to look and saw Pauls’ brother Mike getting out of the taxi, with the rest of the Scaffold and three girls.  Mike asked who was inside and we said “Some guy and his wife and Ivan.”   Mike said, “Ivan!  What the bloody hell is he doing here?”  Mike took off his jacket and handed it to one of the girls and jumped over the gate, and let everyone in (except us).  A half hour later a cab pulled up and he asked us if we were the ones who wanted a taxi.  We said no it must be them inside.  We rang the bell and mike answered and I told him his cab was here.  Mike, the three girls, and the Scaffold and Eddie came out.  We spoke briefly to John of the Scaffold and they got in the taxi and pulled off and left us there with Mike and Eddie.  Mike yelled out to them, “Ta, ra good ta.”  It was almost four in the morning and I decided to ask Mike where Paul was.  He said “He’s said “He’s recording and won’t be home until very late, so why don’t you go home and get to bed.  I think that would be a very good idea, now I think.”  We asked Mike if we could take his picture and then we would go home.   He said ok, each of us took a picture alone with him and once the flash didn’t go off (as usual).  And Mike said not to worry, that sometimes they do flash and sometimes they don’t flash.  We tried again and the flash was bright and Mike said, “Oh shit, that one!”  As we were taking the pictures Mike was holding Eddie and we were petting Eddie.   After we finished Mike said are we going to go home and go to bed new.  We said yes.  Mike said “Well then, I’m satisfied.  Goodnight to you.”  We all said goodnight and went and got a taxi.

We got up late again the next day and just did some sight-seeing and couldn’t wait until that night to go to Paul’s house.  So at 11pm, we left for Paul’s house.  We sat around on the curb to his courtyard in front of his gates.  Every time a car came speeding up the block we would say, “Shit, it’s him….it’s not him.”  Then another car came speeding up the block and we thought it was him because as the car came closer it slowed down, but then it made a slight turn as if to go into the garage across the way.

It just stopped and it looked like a woman driving.  The lights were very bright and it was hard to tell. We were getting very pissed off wondering what the hell she was staring at us for.  This went on for a good five minutes all of a sudden the car came speeding up and made a sharp turn into where we were sitting, almost running us over.  The woman turned out to be Mr. McCartney all by himself.  We jumped up in a hurry afraid of being killed on the spot.  He still sat there staring at us and we thought that maybe we forgot to put on our trousers.  We stood there holding one carnation each which we swiped from our hotel dining room.  Paul then opened the door and the radio was blasting he was whistling.  He came to Jo Ann and took her carnation and said: “thank you.”  He then took Carol’s flower.  He then went to Linda whose flower was stuck in her buttonhole and had a very tough time getting it out with him standing there patiently and starring.  She finally got the carnation loose and gave it to him, and said, “With love from me to you.”  And Paul said, “ahh.”  He went to the back seat of his Aston and took an album and put the flowers in it.  He was dressed in a beige suit with elephant bells which were just coming in style.  He then walked over to the front of the car to open the gates and Jo Ann said to Linda, “This car is beautiful.”  Paul turned around and said, “Thank you.”  We were surprised he had heard because the motor of the car was very loud and Jo Ann said it very soft.  Still whistling, he got back in the car and we watched him pull into the garage, as he was coming back towards us, Miss Eastman appeared at the door and Eddie came running out.  She was wearing a blue lounging outfit.  Eddie started to run to us and Eastman shut the door.  Jo Ann said, “Watch Eddie doesn’t go in the street.”  And Paul then called Eddie and whistled and Eddie turned and ran to him.  Paul still walked over to us tripped over Eddie and we thought he was going to end up on this face.   We all said, “Be careful!”  He started to close one gate and leaned on it and we told him he almost ran us over, and with his silly little smile he said, “I wouldn’t do that.”  We told him that we met his brother the night before.   He pouted and said “Oh yeah.”  (We later found out from a certain source that he gets jealous if you mention another fellow even his brother!)  Paul was looking very tired so we just said goodnight to him and he smiled and said: “Hey well, I’ll see you anyway, goodnight!”

The next evening when we arrived at Paul’s house we made ourselves comfortable again.  Around one o’clock the Aston came speeding up the block as usual and turned into the driveway and he sat there smiling at us.  He had on a tan jacket and looked beautiful as always.  Miss Eastman was sitting on his left and staring out the front window of the car and looking quite annoyed as usual.  The motor of the car was loud and Paul asked us “Are you enjoying your holiday?”  It was very difficult to hear him and Jo Ann kept saying “What?” and Paul kept repeating it very patiently.  We finally caught what he was saying and told him yes.  As the two of them remained seated in the car we think they were waiting for each other to get out and open the gate.  Paul then put his left hand on the back of her neck and scratched her neck.  She turned her head away from him and stormed out of the car as Paul sat there patiently and smiled at us.  When she got to the gate the three of us looked at her and smiled.  She wouldn’t smile back.  She just threw her head back very dramatically.  We felt hurt because we didn’t do anything to her.  Paul pulled into the garage.  As we were standing waiting for Paul to come back she looked and just slammed the gates right in our faces!  We then got furious and were going to kick the gate and call her a bitch when we heard Paul’s footsteps passing her by and coming closer to the gates.  EH opened one and leaned on the other and looked at us as if to say he was sorry.  We told him that we met a neighbor of his who was with his dog and told us that you were a very nice boy.  Paul’s reply was, “Don’t believe him.”  Linda said, “Why you’re not a nice boy”   Paul just smiled and Eddie came running out of the house towards us.  Paul bent to pick him up and said, “Hiya Ed…Hey, well, I’ll see you anyway.  Goodnight.”  We said Goodnight to Paul.

Meet The Beatles During Help (repost)

This weeks blast from the past came to this blog in two parts.    The first part was posted on September 1, 2009.  It was taken from the August/September issue of Beatlefan magazine and was written by Mark Vidals.   Several months after I originally posted the story, Mark contacted me and sent me color copies of his photos.  

Most 18-year-olds in 1965 would have given anything to meet the Beatles.

Mark Vidalis of Fairfield, CA, not only met all of the Fab Four but also made his mark in history by appearing as an extra in their second movie, "Help!"

At the time, Vidalis was visiting his mother in Nassau, the Bahamas, taking a vacation after graduating from high school in West Palm Beach, FL. Unknown to Vidalis, however, the attorney his mother worked for was handling legal affairs for the production company filming the Beatles movie on location there.

"One day, the lawyer asked me what I was doing," Vidalis explained. I told him, "Nothing," and he said, "Good, we're looking for bums." Then he told me to be at a local hotel that night, but he wouldn't tell me why.

Not having much else to do and curious as well, Vidalis showed up and found himself in an interview with director Richard Lester for a $14-a-day part as an extra in the movie.

Lester was looking for people who weren't too tall because "They didn't want anybody in the movie so big they overshadowed the Beatles," Vidalis said. "He also asked if I'd been involved in contact sports in high school because the part included some very physical work." Vidalis qualified on both counts and got the part.

The first day he was called for shooting was for a scene in the old prison camp. "The Beatles weren't even there, and I was extremely disappointed," he said.

The next day, though, he got a call to report to a house to be made up for the day's work. While standing on the balcony of the house talking with other extras, the four immortals from Liverpool joined them.


"For a couple of minutes, I was in awe," Vidalis said. "Here were guys who had people screaming and fighting to get close to them, and I had a chance to shoot the breeze with them." Soon they were making small talk, however, and Vidalis's thoughts changed to "I bet nobody will believe this when I get back to Florida."


Ringo Starr was the most laid-back member of the group. Vidalis recalls while George Harrison was the most "tense." Once, he asked Harrison for his autograph, and Harrison refused. "He was a little short-tempered that day," Vidalis said.


He recalls that Paul McCartney and John Lennon were together often and were both witty and personable. Overall, he remembers, The Beatles were outgoing, fun and easy to talk to.

"In between scenes we'd sit around talking as if they weren't the most famous people in the world," Vidalis said. On one occasion he even worked up the nerve to ask Lennon if he could have his picture taken with him, knowing that some people would never believe him without such concrete evidence. Lennon readily agreed.

In that photograph, Lennon was wearing a rumpled, striped jacket -- the same jacket he wears on the back of the "Help!" album cover. Vidalis later pilfered the jacket as a souvenir, figuring the wealthy Beatle would never miss it. He returned it when the distraught Lennon turned the Beatles' quarters upside-down hunting for it. It was Lennon's favorite jacket at the time.

In the movie, Vidalis portrays one of the high priest's troops who attempts to capture Starr and retrieve the sacred ring. In one scene shot in the ocean, he was called on to put Starr underwater. After he did, Starr pulled him under and came up yelling, "I can't swim." He really couldn't either, Vidalis said.

"In another scene, I had to climb up into a coconut tree and drop a coconut onto John Lennon's head, then jump out of the tree, making it look like I fell out." When he tried to make the jump, the board supporting him gave away and he really fell. "Fortunately, they only had to do the one take. I made it clear I wasn't climbing into that coconut tree again anyway."

In one of the last scenes of the movie, Vidalis and the other bad guys are walking in the ankle-deep surf, having given up their pursuit of the Beatles. "There's only one extra with his face towards the camera, " Vidalis said, "That's me."

By the time the two weeks of filming ended, Vidalis had decided the movie business wasn't for him. He wanted only to return to Florida and see how many people he could impress with what he had done. He was even offered a part in the James Bond movie, "Thunderball" but he turned it down because "after the Beatles, James Bond was nothing."

Vidalis admits he was an even bigger Beatle fan after the movie than before."It's something I'll never forget. The Beatles were such a big part of the life of anyone who grew up in the '60s. To have met them and even been involved in part of their recorded history makes me feel like I contributed somehow to that history."

MTBFR 10 year flashback: The Best Day of my life (repost)

2019 marks the 10th anniversary of Meet the Beatles...for Real.     I have some special things planned to mark the big day.   For the next 10 Thursdays, I am going to dip into the files and post some of my favorite Beatles stories that haven't gotten very much attention over the years and I think need to be looked at again.      

The first one was originally posted on August 9, 2009.  It is the story of Pattie Emerson meeting George at Kinfauns.   It was found in a 1969 issue of Datebook magazine. 

The Best Day of my Life
By Pattie Emerson, 14, McKinley Junior H.S.
Flint, Michigan


Monday, July 31, 1967, was the best day of my life. That day I met George Harrison. Wendy, Betty and I planned this excursion to Esher for quite awhile. All of the Beatles were supposed to be Athens. You should have
seen us when we read that George and Pattie had landed in London the day before!

We arrived at George’s house at about 10:30, took pictures and movies, and bashfully went to the front door. Betts and Wendy saw someone walk by inside. I was too busy taking movies through the mail slot. I
knocked almost inaudibly on the door and Pattie answered. We asked about George and how her vacation in Greece was. She had just gotten up and wasn’t dressed, and kept hiding behind the door. She said we should come back in the afternoon when George would be there. We asked if he would mind and she said, “oh no!” She was very nice. 

We then went to John’s where we had to stare down with the gardener. We were taking pictures and movies while he was inside asking permission for us. He said John was to be away three weeks so I left my book of poetry with him along with a hurried note to John. (John was home that night. Someone there told us a lie!).

We then left John’s for Ringo’s. When we started to walk towards the backyard via the flowery wall, a woman knocked from an upstairs window, motioning for us to leave. So we did.

We ate lunch at the Bear Inn in Esher (where I had trouble eating knowing we would meet George that afternoon).

We arrived back at George’s a little before 3:30 and stood at the door, waiting for something. We saw George walk past the window, heard him cough and the telephone ring. Then we heard the clock strike half-past. Reading the sign, “doorbell push”, I did and out popped George. I wasn’t scared, but I said, “Do you want to make me cry?” for lack of something intelligent to say. And George replied thoughtfully and seriously, “I don’t want to make you do anything.” That did it. I no longer thought of him as George Harrison, famous person, but as a friend, which he is. He talked to us for over three-quarters of an hour about religion, love, life, music – everything. He said he enjoyed talking with us and he wished he could spend some time with everyone in the
world.

I gave him some beads and the Sgt. Pepper handshake – well never mind. I took movies of George doing the Charleston with my beads.

I’ve never met a man so intelligent and understanding. He seemed to have the answer for everything. He was very funny too. He laughed when I told him I was taking TWA home the next day. I found out the next day he left London for the States at the same time on Pan Am. He recommended a book for me to read, The Autobiography of a Yogi, which if you find it (which isn’t likely) please sent it to me.

George’s front door is a riot! So is the whole house! There are little clippings painted on like “do you want to play like the pro’s?” and “those who enter must beware” and “Front Door”. His living room is what
I’d call Indian Modern. It’s pretty anyway! There was a big white teddy bear on the sofa and beautiful things all over the place. Another surprise was the laundry hanging on the line. I guess they don’t’ have a dryer.

I can’t explain how nice George was. He just talked to us like old friends. He made me realize so much about the world. I’ll never forget him or what he’s done for me. I love him like he loves me and everyone else in the world. He really does. This isn’t just something he says. He believes it, and talking with him made me realize
this.

When we left he said, “Be seein’ ya!” and he meant it. He will. Maybe next year, I hope because I just have to visit this wonderful man again.