When was the first US showing of Magical Mystery Tour and when did you first see it ?

I first saw it broadcast on the local PBS affiliate in Philadelphia (Channel 12). I videotaped it. It was combined with the Shea Stadium film and I'm pretty sure there were having a fund raiser that night. The TV station probably stopped in the middle of both movies to request money.

I believe the year was early 1985. I'm thinking it was same night I also videotaped Neil Young and the International Harvesters on Austin City Limits. I watched the Neil Young thing often. I really wish THAT was available for purchase.

I had a chance to see a film print of "Magical Mystery Tour" in high school - but I had some sort of conflict - probably football practice - and I missed it. I remember being SHOCKED that my high school somehow had a print. I think there were some signs around the school saying "Beatles film fest". We had a small theater that could show a movie. I remember the school showing us "To Kill a Mockingbird" one day.

When I saw the signs around school my assumption was they were showing "Help" or "Hard Day's Night" (both of which were on television regularly back then). The showing would have been around 3 or 4 PM (basically 'after school') I'm guessing the year was 1979.

 

Same here. I think I taped that showing - I had just gotten very into the Beatles, filled in what little I had on record with the current crop of Capitol issues and a few foreign pressings, and was excited to see MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR, which had always been a favorite album.

Harry

 

That's where I first saw it as well.

I do remember radio ads back in the early 70's for a late night showing at the local civic center, but of course, I was too young to go.

 

I first saw it at a local movie theater near me between showings of another film in 1980.

 

I first saw it in college shown on campus as a double feature with the 1964 Washington Coliseum concert. It was probably either 1978 or 1979. I had been dying to see it for years by that point.

 

I did also but when I did, it was earlier than 85. I'm thinking more like 1983.

 

I'm not positive about the date I watched/recorded the two Beatles films from Channel 12.

I could believe 1983 - but for some reason I have it tangled up in my mind with the Neil Young broadcast - which I'm certain was after 1983. Wikipedia claims Neil's appearance on ACL was taped in Sept of 1984 - and that's consistent with me seeing the broadcast in early 1985. I remember seeing Neil at Live Aid with the International Harvesters and then about two months later in concert at the Mann. Those are clearly 1985 concert appearances.

I probably put the Neil Young ACL broadcast on the same videotape as The Beatles films and that's why I'm assuming they were taped (by me) on the same night (when its possible I taped them on separate nights). I used to use "4 HR" tape speed option so it would have fit.

I do remember the Neil Young broadcast was a surprise when I taped it. They were supposed to show something else and changed their mind at the last minute - like they discovered they didn't have the RIGHT to broadcast it.

Maybe they were planning to rebroadcast The Beatle films (or a different one like "Let It Be") and they were told to NOT air it. ACL would never have had that problem since its a PBS production.

 

I was at that Mann concert also!
I seem to remember WHYY running MMT and Shea together for a few years there so 1985 is plausible.

 

My memory is that both MMT and Shea looked horrible.

I remember thinking that the pre-Beatles parts of the Shea film are more interesting than the Beatles parts.

I remember buying a VHS copy of each (or maybe just one) - sold in a record store - distributed by some company out of Long Branch, NJ.

The quality was no different for the tapes I purchased. I wouldn't be surprised if the home video tapes were mastered from a television broadcast.


I eventually got the remastered MMT (with the Ron Furmanek remixes) on VHS and laserdisc. And I was very happy to see how the excerpts from Shea looked on the Anthology release...

I need to get the new MMT blu-ray. I was stunned by the quality of a brief extract I saw as a preview for a download (probably on AppleTV).

 

I thought I had already chimed in, but apparently not.
It was probably in late 77. I know I was taking my (now) wife to the films at Eastern Michigan U(back when they were HURONS) because they were hip films and they were cheap. It would be probably 77. Shown in a classroom theatre and .... it.....was........awful. Terrible print, terrible sound, and with the limitations inherent with a 16 mm projector making it worse, it was a stoned magical evening. But if I ever saw MMT again it would be too soon. The movie tainted the music it was so bad. I finally did get the VHS in the 80s and it was a lot better than I remembered but I still found myself syncing up the CD with the videos just to bump up the experience. I now have the latest DVD and I am pleased to have it. And, while I don't consider it a favorite, I now consider it a pleasant hour spent.