Filming of “Magical Mystery Tour”
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About
On September 11, The Beatles embarked on their Magical Mystery Tour, boarding a festively adorned coach accompanied by family, friends, fan club staff, actors, and select travellers, totalling 43 individuals. They departed from London around noon, stopping for lunch in Basingstoke, Hampshire. By evening, the group reached Teignmouth, Devon, where they spent the night. On September 12, they travelled to Newquay, initially planning a one-night stay, but ultimately deciding to use the Atlantic Hotel as their base for three nights, residing in four holiday flats. On September 13 and 14, they filmed nearby Newquay.
On their final day in the Newquay region, the group enjoyed breakfast before capturing a brief moment on film, in which they all cheerfully waved at the cameras from the coach and hotel’s entrance.
The coach then set off for London, making several stops along the way to shoot scenes. Although the first scene did not make it into the final edit, it featured people squeezing into a quaint chip shop called Smedley’s, located at 108 Roman Road in Taunton, Somerset. The Beatles were filmed ordering food from behind the counter before moving to the main area of the shop to eat their lunch.
The shop was owned by James and Amy Smedley. Mrs Smedley had been cast as an extra for the Newquay scenes, and while conversing with the Beatles, she mentioned that she and her husband owned a fish and chip shop in Taunton. Unexpectedly, on that particular Friday, Mrs Smedley received a call announcing the Beatles’ impending arrival.
Additional filming took place at a rural pub, a hall, a hostel, and inside the coach itself. During the on-board scenes, accordionist Shirley Evans led the coach passengers in a lively singalong, featuring songs like “Toot Toot Tootsie,” “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling,” “When The Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin’ Along,” and “The Can Can.”
Upon reaching Virginia Water in Surrey, the coach dropped off John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. However, Paul McCartney stayed on board until the coach arrived at its final destination, Allsop Place in London.
The following week, on September 18, 1967, a second week of filming for the Magical Mystery Tour commenced.
FRIDAY: The last day and a lot of sad ‘Goodbyes’ to be said. We stopped the coach once or twice to film everybody GETTING BACK ON! One stop was at a country pub. George and I stood with John, shared his cheese and dipped it into tomato sauce which may sound a bit off but, believe me, is very tasty. Travelling back towards London this evening we sang songs and carols while Shirley Evans played an accordion. Soon, too soon, it was all over. George, Ringo and John got off first. Paul stayed with us until the bus reached Baker-street. I hope you enjoy watching the film as much as we enjoyed helping to make it. It was a fabulous week !
Jeni Crowley – From The Beatles Monthly Book, November 1967
Suddenly it was Friday. All us of girls felt a sinking feeling because it would soon be over and we’d be back to reality. No more magic, no more mystery, no more dreamy Beatles. We all sang and drank beer from bottles as the bus rolled along towards London. Some of us tried to get the boys to sing THEIR songs but they stuck to the old-timers.
Barbara King – From The Beatles Monthly Book, November 1967
FRIDAY: I must have shown my misery this morning because John said “Don’t we look ‘appy then!” and grinned. We had lunch at a fish and chip shop and the funniest thing was the way people rushed off to tell their neighbours that The Beatles were there. There was a steady flow of sightseers while our chip-eating was being filmed! Later we stopped at a transport cafe for tea. To my surprise there wasn’t even ONE record by The Beatles on the juke box!
Sylvia Nightingale – From The Beatles Monthly Book, November 1967
From The Guardian, February 15, 2014:
The Beatles hadn’t been in Taunton for four years – they played their last gig in the Somerset town in September 1963 – but on this Friday afternoon it provided a charmingly odd interlude in a chaotic time for the group. […] At their hotel [in Newquay] they met Amy and James Smedley, who invited them to drop by their Taunton chippie. With the group’s fondness for acting on “random” events (partly a result of eastern mysticism, partly drug-induced, partly for the hell of it) they phoned up three days later to say that they would indeed be passing by, and could they shoot some film while they were?
Beatles pop in for fish and chips…
Mr. and Mrs. James and Amy Smedley, who run a fish and chip shop in Roman Road, Taunton, had a visit from the Beatles over the week-end.
Mrs. Smedley had been taking as an extra in a film which the Beatles were making near Newquay recently. In the course of chatting with the Beatles she told them she and her husband had a fish and chip shop in Taunton. Then, out of the blue, on Friday last, Mrs. Smedley had a call to say the Beatles were arriving later.
ALL FOUR
“They all arrived roundabout lunch time and did some more filming outside the shop,” she said. “All of them came in to see us — John, Ringo, Paul and George and they each asked for fish and chips which they ate in the shop,” Mrs. Smedley said at her home in Kingston St. Mary, near Taunton, yesterday.
‘SO NICE’
“It was wonderful having them,” Mrs. Smedley said. “They were ever so nice, and we hope that their film, in which I was an extra in an excursion coach, will be a success.
“I understand it is to be a colour film for television,” Mrs. Smedley said.
From Evening Post – September 18, 1967
Last updated on April 17, 2024
Going further
The Beatles Diary Volume 1: The Beatles Years
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