Compleat Beatles - Producer and Director's Comments

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by dewey02, Oct 4, 2015.

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  1. dewey02

    dewey02 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    The mid-South.
    I searched the forum and while there is always a lot of speculation about how and why this was produced, there are only guesses and speculation. Doing some digging, I found an IMdB post by Patrick Montgomery the producer and director. I posted this as a side discussion/rabbit hole diversion on another Beatles music thread having to do with lawsuits, but thought it deserved its own thread. Very interesting and informative stuff...and a 4 hour director's cut (which we'll never get to see). Apologies if this is not new information.

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083752/board/thread/74747922?p=2&d=188719902#188719902
    I can tell you the history of this film because I produced and directed it. I was hired by Delilah Books in 1980 to make a short promotional film for the two volume set they were publishing of all of the Beatles sheet music called THE COMPLEAT BEATLES. Because the project was being backed by ATV Music which at the time controlled the Beatles publishing rights I had complete run of the song catalog as well as access to all the the EMI masters. I started collecting footage and shooting interviews and by the time I was finished had a four hour rough cut of the entire Beatles story and Delilah realized that it could be much something bigger than just a promotional short. But we did not have the Beatles permission so it was whittled down to two hours as we were forced to remove footage that they controlled the rights to, including the Ed Sullivan Show (we did use the audience shots but could not use the performance). MGM/UA Home Video came up with the money to finish the film and they released it on VHS in 1982, at a time when there were very few music documentaries being released on video. It did very well and then in 1984 Delilah and MGM arranged for it to be released theatrically in the U.S. by a small distributor named Teleculture to give it a second life. It continued to be a best seller on VHS. Some years later, when Paul McCartney was preparing the Beatles Anthology, he bought the negative and all the rights to the film from Delilah to get it off of the market and clear the way for his production. That is why it is not available on DVD and probably never will be.
     
  2. Yosi

    Yosi Senior Member

    Location:
    Japan
    Great info! Thanks a lot!
     
  3. babyblue

    babyblue Patches Pal!

    Location:
    Pacific NW
    Very interesting. I watched this documentary again recently and it really does hold up pretty well. I was surprised, however, how bad some of the interview footage looked. It literally looked like it was picked up off the floor. They probably had to use whatever copies were available.
     
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  4. John B Good

    John B Good Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    NS, Canada
    I still have that VHS tape. Is it of any value to collectors?
     
  5. John B Good

    John B Good Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    NS, Canada
    A few years ago I was finding Delilah online, indicating a new website would open. But now I can't find it.

    Pity, because I'd always hoped their Everly Brothers VHS program, and I think, The Girl Groups video
    would come to DVD, but now it seems unlikely.
     
    Allen Michael likes this.
  6. dewey02

    dewey02 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    The mid-South.
    Not really. You can get a good used copy for about $4 on ebay.
    Doesn't mean it isn't a good movie though.
     
    John B Good likes this.
  7. halfjapanese

    halfjapanese Gifs moider!

    Apple Corps Ltd. did more than clamp down on the unlicensed use of footage and performances it owned. Apple also managed to hold up release of The Compleat Beatles by a few days. The company was granted a last-minute restraining order against MGM, Delilah, Montgomery and others that held up their release of the video documentary. Apple successfully argued that the defendants had misappropriated the proprietary rights, name, and logo of the Beatles. This order was lifted when the defendants worked out a settlement that paid unspecified royalties to Apple.

    Apparently a theatrical release was planned all along, too. At the time the documentary was released in the autumn of 1982, the president of Delilah Films announced that it would be shown in theaters "next spring" and that it would not be aired on television until 1984
     
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  8. RockWizard

    RockWizard Forum Resident

    Paul bought it....DAMN. I enjoy this documentary. I wonder who is sitting on the 4hr version. Would love to see that!
     
  9. heatherly

    heatherly Well-Known Member

    Location:
    USA
    Anyone know where I can get a good copy on "DVD"?
     
  10. dewey02

    dewey02 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    The mid-South.
    Thanks for the additional info. Finding information about Compleat Beatles is hard to do.
    I did read in the Castleman/Podrazik book End of the Beatles that Compleat Beatles was released in 1982 after coming to a last minute agreement with Apple, but that was all it said.
     
  11. audiomixer

    audiomixer As Bald As The Beatles

    I have the laserdisc!
     
  12. dewey02

    dewey02 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    The mid-South.
    It is not officially available on DVD. And forum rules do not allow that type of discussion, but a simple google search will provide answers.

    It would be nice, if some enterprising person or Youtuber could re-assemble Compleat Beatles with good quality video and audio, now that so much of what was used in Compleat Beatles (film clips, videos, Star Club tracks, remastered songs, etc.) is available in much better quality.
     
  13. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    and that would make a nice a dvd-r for your convenience.
     
    Shak Cohen likes this.
  14. HGN2001

    HGN2001 Mystery picture member

    I have the LaserDisc too, and yes, it made a nice DVD-R.

    [​IMG]

    Harry
     
    Last edited: Oct 5, 2015
  15. Commander Lucius Emery

    Commander Lucius Emery Forum Resident

    I finally got around to watching "Beatles Anthology" a couple months ago. While it's very good, I disagree with Paul's assertion on how they wanted it to be just them. I really enjoyed "Compleat Beatles" segments with Bill Harry and Allan Williams. I don't know if an improved "Compleat Beatles" would sell, based on the low ebay prices. But on a few things it hit the spot. In putting out music documentaries it's like a child's first steps: wobbly and will be improved but a big advancement.
     
  16. Peter_R

    Peter_R Maple Syrple Gort Staff

    Location:
    Montreal, Canada
    I'll always have a soft-spot for this documentary. it was my first introduction to learning the Beatles story.

    Clearly, this was a labour of love for the people who put it together. I thought they handled Lennon's murder very tastefully, too.
     
    Jamey K, somnar, Big Pasi and 4 others like this.
  17. HGN2001

    HGN2001 Mystery picture member

  18. m5comp

    m5comp Classic Rock Lover

    Location:
    Hamilton, AL
    Watching the LaserDisc now. :)
     
  19. Trashman

    Trashman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    This documentary was also my first introduction to the Beatles story, so I am also fond of it. I still have the VHS tape with the oversized cardboard packaging it came in.

    While I love the Anthology for what it is, The Compleat Beatles filled an important niche, telling the Beatles' story in a 2-hour time span..suitable for viewing in one sitting, making it the ideal introduction for new fans. With that film now off the market, there is nothing that fills that void. And I don't see there being an official documentary coming along to replace Anthology anytime soon (and perhaps not within Paul or Ringo's lifetime).
     
    Shak Cohen likes this.
  20. Jose Jones

    Jose Jones Outstanding Forum Member

    Location:
    Detroit, Michigan
    I sold mine and bought a Cadillac. :)
     
  21. John B Good

    John B Good Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    NS, Canada
    Maybe mine'll get me a payment on a VW Diesel :(
     
    somnar likes this.
  22. I have the remastered laserdisc!
     
    Larry Geller, Paul J and paulisdead like this.
  23. misterdecibel

    misterdecibel Bulbous Also Tapered

    I always thought this one made a good double feature along with The Rutles All You Need Is Cash.
     
  24. CoryS

    CoryS Forum Resident

    I had both volumes of the sheet music books which prompted this doc as a teenager.

    It also included a couple of lennon and mccartney solo tunes such as maybe im amazed and imagine.
     
  25. paulisdead

    paulisdead fast and bulbous

    Me to!!

    [​IMG]
     
    Spadeygrove and midniteinsanjuan like this.
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