
A great concept: The Beatles appeared four times on
CBS'
The Ed Sullivan Show, and while one is tempted to
skip through this collection to watch only the Fab Four's 20 performances, there is historic value in seeing Sullivan's complete
programs. With America reeling from the murder of a popular p
resident, JFK, less than three months prior, the Beatles'
Sullivan debut on February 9, 1964, ushered a renewing joy into the country's living rooms. The band kept it up another two weeks, sharing Sullivan's variety-show bills with the likes of impressionist Frank Gorshin, co
medians Allen & Rossi, future Monkee Davy Jones (in a scene from
Oliver!), and sun
dry unrepentant vaudevillians, magicians, and acrobats. Various problems with micro
phones and bad
direction (one barely sees John Lennon on 2/9) couldn't stop the magic, and by the time the Beatles made a return trip in September 1965, the group's brilliance and wit outsized their
television surroundings.
--Tom KeoghPrice: $29.95
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