The Compleat Beatles

source: The Compleat Beatles

Some time in the 80s this aired on TV and I happened upon it. I have always been a fan of the Beatles, but after seeing this documentary I had a whole new appreciation for their remarkable history. What struck me the most was the extent that George Martin influenced the band. He truly was "the fifth Beatle". McDowell's narration is superbly executed, and the writing/directing is such that it flows smoothly, keeping the viewed interested--like reading chapters from a good book. I was able to find a used VHS copy of this documentary on EBay but am really hoping they come out with a DVD since I find myself watching it over and over again. I love sharing this video with friends who have even a passing interest in the Beatles.

If you haven't got enough dough to afford the gigantic Anthology box set ,this is the DVD to buy .This documentary is so absorbing it can even grab people who are not particularly interested in the group.It covers the whole story till the split and includes much footage of the time ,live performances or studio work .Particularly of great appeal are George Martin's numerous interventions which shed light on the recordings more than Lewisohn's or McDonald's books will ever do ,in spite of their brilliancy."The compleat Beatles " really lives up to its name .It was the first documentary about my favorite group I had seen and I still rank it among the best in a topflight competition.

Terrific rare footage (film and sound recordings from The Cavern; studio recording sessions), lots of George Martin, all-remastered music that sounds better than you've ever heard the Beatles, and a big emphasis on the early pre-1964 years make this a must-have for any Beatles fan. The 1982 release date is just distant enough from 1970 to give a smart perspective on the Beatles in history, and close enough so that the interviews with George Martin and many much earlier Beatles affectors sound fresh and intelligent. As of 2006, this film is not on DVD, and difficult to find on VHS.

I first saw "The Compleat Beatles" when it aired on one of the cable TV outlets in 1984. I was born in the '60's and knew who The Beatles were, but really only to the extent of the many hit singles they had produced in their time that are rightfully so heard so often on the radio. "Compleat" opened my eyes as to how great their music is (the lesser-known "B" sides and album cuts along with those legendary single tracks) and is quite informative. More than once while viewing this anyone save for the best of Beatles experts will find themselves saying "WOW" and "I did not know that". I am not sure if this qualifies as a spoiler, but it is my opinion that the film footage that accompanies "Let It Be" is really all you need to know about the phenomenon that was and still is The Beatles. There's plenty of not-seen-anywhere-else footage and photos, as well as interviews with several of their contemporaries, which helps add to the relevance and reverence of the video. An outstanding addition to any Beatles fan's multi-media collection, and a good place to begin for any fans new to The Beatles.

Until the Beatles Anthology was released, this was probably the best Beatles documentary that was out on the market. The materials were good with interview with their first booking agent, their interviews on TV (which is more lengthy and complete than shown on Anthology) and their music which is in stereo like the original Captitol recordings. It goes more into details about their Hamburg days, and how they started out as professional musicians which doesn't disagree with what was said in the Anthology, but is put in a different light because third party sources who knew the Beatles back then are commenting on it. This is a valuable piece of Beatles history, and should not be abandoned just because newer Anthology is available on DVD. I don't see this video sold any more for some reason, but I wished they'd release it on DVD.

This documentary, along with "The Beatles Anthology," both offer a history of the band. Both come to their subjects in different ways, and where "Anthology" is somewhat insular, being concerned only with the Beatles and their inner circle's thoughts and experiences, "Compleat" is told from a more detached and disinterested point of view. There are little details here and there that add a bit of a different perspective, such as Allan Williams, the Beatles' first manager, recalling them being described as "that bum group The Beatles" before their first trip to Hamburg, Bill Harry's recollection of John, far from rebelling against Brian Epstein's makeover of the Beatles from leather jackets to suits, going around asking for all the old pictures of them back, "because Brian wouldn't allow that sort of image with his boys," George Martin mentioning that Pete Best was the best-looking of the Beatles, footage of police trying to calm down a frenzied concert crowd that goes a long way toward showing the dark side of all the fan adoration, a detractor from Minneapolis deploring their conduct in that town, notably the "parties" in their hotel rooms (a subject passed over without mention in Anthology), and so on. There are a few sequences that aren't in the Anthology, notably a performance of "If I Needed Someone" in Japan, as well as interviews of George Martin (different from the ones in Anthology) and Billy Preston discussing their work with them. It's a good supplement to Anthology, but it stands up quite well on its own, despite a few factual inaccuracies. And the ending credits sequence, cut to "Blackbird," is bittersweet.

I give this film a 10 because it was (and is) the Beatles story in a 2 hour nutshell. The rights to the film were brought by McCartney prior to the release of the Anthology documentary, presumably to cancel out the obvious rivalry that would occur on the high street! So i'm afraid, unless you have got a copyalready the chances of getting a new DVD of it are extremely remote! The fact that the Beatles didn't have any input into this documentary is a good thing, mainly because 'Anthology' is the Beatles story, according to the Beatles, so heavily censored, this constraint is not present on 'Compleat'. Love the music and when I first watched the film i was knocked out by it!

....to know. Having watched the 3 volumes of "Anthology," I have to say that The Compleat Beatles really tells you everything you need to know. As I am not a musician by trade, the "making of" their great songs, that is explored in Anthology (the CD set and the videos), does not do much for me. I'd rather hear the final, glorious product. This is one of the best documentaries I've seen, with classy narration by Alex from A Clockwork Orange. I've worn the video down and last week the tape snapped on me......I hope they release this on DVD soon!

This was the film that introduced me to the Beatles. I was 14 at the time, and my girlfriend showed it to me, and at the time I thought the Beatles were just some mop top 60's cheese act. I had never heard Abbey Road, Rubber Soul, Sgt. Pepper, or the White Album. I never knew they had strayed from the no collar suits and love songs. So when I first saw this film it really changed my perspective of the band. Within a year I went from not owning a single album to owning all of them. This film is a rushed short version of the Beatles History. It captures all of their history in 2 hours. The hardcore Beatles fan would be more interested in the Anthology films, as well as the brilliant Anthology albums. This film takes on the difficult task of cramming the Beatles into 2 hours, and doesn't do too bad. It is wonderfully edited, in fact I think one of the greatest visuals of the Beatles I have is the end credits of this film. It is a montage of various Beatles performances and footage set to the beautiful Paul McCartney song Blackbird. In closing, just as you are shown "The Young Persons Guide To The Symphony" in your first college music appreciation course, so should every prospective Beatles fan be shown "The Compleat Beatles". It is a brilliant band with a brilliant career shoved into a quick survey.