The Beatles's Magical Mystery Tour - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Steve M. · 12-27-2003, 11:37 PM

On December 26, 1967, the Beatles's psychedelic television movie Magical Mystery Tour was broadcast on BBC1. In terms of drawing an audience, it was a success; fifteen million of our British cousins tuned in to watch. Artistically, well. . . .

The British televison critics, who did not get an advance screening and had to watch with everyone else, hated it - verdicts included "blatant rubbish," "chaotic," "appalling," and " a colossal conceit." The rest of the Brits who tuned in didn't like it much either. Plans to air it in America - I think CBS was planning to show it - were cancelled on the basis of the British reaction. Magical Mystery Tour was regarded as a failure for its lack of plot and its crude camera effects. There was just one problem; it was made as a color film. BBC1 was in black and white at the time. (It was aired in color in Britain on January 5, 1968.)

In the seventies and eighties, Magical Mystery Tour appeared in the U.S. at late-night movie theaters and on basic cable and local UHF televison, becoming a cult item here; because Americans had low expectations for it, it actually held up better here than in the U.K., and some folks like Steven Spielberg even liked it. Most Americans agree it was lackluster but by no means bad enough to warrant the abuse it got back in 1967 when everyone in the mother country was expecting a cross between A Hard Day's Night and The Sound of Music or whatever.

I thought it was ridiculous, but nowhere nearly as bad as, say, the 1978 Sgt. Pepper movie. Anyone else have any thoughts?

TheLurkerKing · 02-25-2004, 09:47 PM

My thoughts. I actually liked it better then the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night" and "Help."

musicradio77 · 02-29-2004, 03:14 PM

I have the "Magical Mystery Tour" movie on tape. It was 60 minutes long. That might be the shortest Beatles movie ever.

Dude111 · 11-21-2024, 10:34 AM

I havent seen the movie but I have the record IN MONO!!

Hawkee · 11-26-2024, 04:51 AM

I have never seen any of The Beatles movies but I have heard about Magical Mystery Tour and many people say it flopped but the Magical Mystery Tour album/soundtrack is a classic. With songs like Hello, Goodbye Penny Lane and Fool On The Hill it's easy to see why this movie became the most underrated of The Beatles movies just like The Monkees did with their movie Head. What's Magical Mystery Tour about? Do The Beatles go back in time and try to find their way back or is it one of their tour videos?

Torgo · 11-26-2024, 05:34 PM

I don't like it as much, nor watch it as often as their theatrical movies. Too much filler not enough Beatles. The scenes with Ringo and his aunt are pretty funny though.

12-27-2003, 11:37 PM	#1
Steve M. Back on the road to reality Forum Superstar Join Date: Nov 07, 2003 Location: New Jersey Posts: 33,307	The Beatles's Magical Mystery Tour On December 26, 1967, the Beatles's psychedelic television movie Magical Mystery Tour was broadcast on BBC1. In terms of drawing an audience, it was a success; fifteen million of our British cousins tuned in to watch. Artistically, well. . . . The British televison critics, who did not get an advance screening and had to watch with everyone else, hated it - verdicts included "blatant rubbish," "chaotic," "appalling," and " a colossal conceit." The rest of the Brits who tuned in didn't like it much either. Plans to air it in America - I think CBS was planning to show it - were cancelled on the basis of the British reaction. Magical Mystery Tour was regarded as a failure for its lack of plot and its crude camera effects. There was just one problem; it was made as a color film. BBC1 was in black and white at the time. (It was aired in color in Britain on January 5, 1968.) In the seventies and eighties, Magical Mystery Tour appeared in the U.S. at late-night movie theaters and on basic cable and local UHF televison, becoming a cult item here; because Americans had low expectations for it, it actually held up better here than in the U.K., and some folks like Steven Spielberg even liked it. Most Americans agree it was lackluster but by no means bad enough to warrant the abuse it got back in 1967 when everyone in the mother country was expecting a cross between A Hard Day's Night and The Sound of Music or whatever. I thought it was ridiculous, but nowhere nearly as bad as, say, the 1978 Sgt. Pepper movie. Anyone else have any thoughts?
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02-25-2004, 09:47 PM	#2
TheLurkerKing Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jul 29, 2001 Location: Fort Worth, Texas, United States Posts: 114	Re: The Beatle's Magical Mystery My thoughts. I actually liked it better then the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night" and "Help."

02-29-2004, 03:14 PM	#3
musicradio77 Disney Expert Forum Veteran Join Date: Jul 14, 2003 Location: Brooklyn, NY USA Posts: 6,475	I have the "Magical Mystery Tour" movie on tape. It was 60 minutes long. That might be the shortest Beatles movie ever.
	__________________ Musicradio77 Productions

11-26-2024, 04:51 AM	#5
Hawkee Michael Fassbender Fanatic Moderator Forum Star Join Date: Jan 17, 2016 Location: California Posts: 10,831	I have never seen any of The Beatles movies but I have heard about Magical Mystery Tour and many people say it flopped but the Magical Mystery Tour album/soundtrack is a classic. With songs like Hello, Goodbye Penny Lane and Fool On The Hill it's easy to see why this movie became the most underrated of The Beatles movies just like The Monkees did with their movie Head. What's Magical Mystery Tour about? Do The Beatles go back in time and try to find their way back or is it one of their tour videos?
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11-26-2024, 05:34 PM	#6
Torgo Omaha & Fritz Forum Star Join Date: Mar 06, 2004 Location: Oregon Posts: 19,037	I don't like it as much, nor watch it as often as their theatrical movies. Too much filler not enough Beatles. The scenes with Ringo and his aunt are pretty funny though.
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11-21-2024, 10:34 AM	#4
Dude111 Forum Legend Join Date: Nov 05, 2013 Posts: 36,486	I havent seen the movie but I have the record IN MONO!!