The Beatles January 1969

Title: Let It Be
Type: Feature Film
Filming Location: Twickenham Film Studios, Twickenham, England
Filming Date: January 2nd-31st 1969
Broadcast Date: May 13th 1970 (New York); May 20th 1970 (London)
Country Of Broadcast: UK/USA
Duration: 80:25 Minutes
Quality: B+
Source: "Let It Be German Print" (Lord Reith)
Other Sources: "Let It Be Deluxe 35MM Widescreen" (Hobs)
Notes: The Beatles decided to make a new album in January 1969 and have all of the recording sessions filmed for a documentary.
Filming began on January 2, 1969 at Twickenham Film Studios in London and continued later in the month at Apple Studios in London, concluding on January 31.
On January 30 The Beatles filmed a live mini concert on the roof of Apple in London which turned out to be the highlight of the film.
The film went through many edits over the following year and was eventually premiered in London and New York in May 1970 with no Beatles in attendance.
The UK television premiere was on December 26, 1975 and was screened again in 1976 and again on December 26, 1979 and finally in May 1982.
This TV version was cropped to fit TV screens. In America it was first shown on the HBO network on July 29, 1978 and again in 1981.
In Australia it was shown on TV in December 1981 and again in July 1985.
The film was officially issued on VHS home video and laser disc in 1981 by "Magnetic Video" in association with United Artists films and Apple.
It was also released in America in 1981 on laserdisc by RCA Selectavision. It was released on VHS in The Netherlands & Germany by Warner Video in 1984.
The UK 1982 TV screening made its way onto bootleg video in the early 80`s and updated over the next 20 years with subsequent re-broadcasts in slightly better quality.
In the early 2000`s a copy taken from a 35mm print made its way onto bootleg DVD and this was the best version so far.
Then a few years ago a copy of a original German 16 mm film print came out on bootleg DVD and this at the moment is by far the best version that is available.
Over the years official promo videos have been made to promote various Beatles releases including the 1970 "Let it Be" album, some of which contained outtake footage not seen elsewhere. These promos are:
A promo video for "Get Back" was aired in the UK on "Top of The Pops" on April 17, 1969 in black and white. It was shown again, in colour, on December 25, 1969
A promo video for "Let it Be" was aired in the UK on "Top of The Pops" on March 5, 1970
A promo video for "Don`t Let Me Down" was aired in America on "The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour" on April 30, 1970
*These three promos feature outtake footage from the "Let it Be" filming
A promo video for "Two of Us" was aired in America on "The Ed Sullivan Show" on March 1, 1970. No outtake footage
A promo video for "The Long & Winding Road" was also aired in America to promote its single release. No outtake footage
One After 909 (restored original rooftop footage): Included in EPK for "Let it Be Naked" album, 2003
Don`t Let Me Down (restored original rooftop footage): Included in EPK for "Let it Be Naked" album, 2003
Two of Us (new restored compiled footage): Included in EPK for "Let it Be Naked" album, 2003
Get Back (new restored compiled footage): Included in EPK for "Let it Be Naked" album, 2003
*All four "Let it Be Naked" promos feature outtake footage
Promo videos for "Get Back" & "Let it Be" were officially issued on the "1+"" DVD & Blu Ray in 2015 with both containing further outtakes.
The "Let it Be" film was remastered by Apple in 1992 with footage being screened in 1995 in "The Beatles Anthology" TV specials.
In 2018 it was decided to restore all of the original film footage (56 hours worth) and to make a new version of the film.
Acclaimed movie director Peter Jackson was given the mammoth task which will be premiered in August 2021 after being delayed from its original September 2020 release date.
The new film will be called "The Beatles Get Back" and will be distributed by Disney. The film was officially announced on January 30, 2019.
A restored copy of the original film along with separate bonus footage will also be made available in a deluxe box set edition
along with a remixed version of the original album and numerous outtakes at a later date possibly in December 2021 or in 2022 at the latest.
On December 21, 2020 Peter Jackson & Apple released an almost 5 minute teaser of the upcoming "Get Back" film and the quality is breathtaking and the actual outtake footage is stunning to say the least (last capture).