Filming of “Magical Mystery Tour”
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Production of The Beatles’ “Magical Mystery Tour” TV special took place throughout September 1967, with some additional scenes filmed in late October / early November. The first leg of filming occurred from September 11 to 15 in and around Newquay. On September 18, filming resumed with the crew choosing the Raymond Revuebar strip club in London’s Soho district as the location for the day’s shoot. From September 19 to 24, the Beatles relocated to West Malling Air Station in Maidstone, Kent, where they filmed interior and exterior shots for the project.
On the second day of filming at West Malling Air Station, the Beatles continued their creative exploration by filming two vastly different sequences. Firstly, they filmed the outdoor sequence for the song, “I Am The Walrus,” which featured the band in colourful and psychedelic costumes, surrounded by a cast of characters, including a walrus and an Eggman.
In addition to this, the band members also shot the magicians’ laboratory sequences, where they donned wizard outfits. The laboratory scenes provided an opportunity for the band to showcase their acting skills, as they performed various spells and incantations in a tongue-in-cheek manner.
Filming at West Malling Air Station continued the following day.
I filmed ‘Walrus’ there and I had all these policemen there on top. We couldn’t find a studio so a guy got us this aeroplane hangar to film in. I was doing this (Frederico) Fellini thing where we were dressed as walruses, but I ended up confusing myself, you know, with all these Eggmen. I didn’t know about real filming, and the cameraman apparently didn’t know either, and nobody else did!
John Lennon – From “The Beatles: Off the Record” by Keith Badman, 2008
[At West Malling Air Station, there] were big tall concrete structures that we could get people up on the top of, waving their arms. We gave people rubber egg-head skull caps, and we had a walrus. It was all directly from Alice in Wonderland, the walrus, the carpenter and all that surrealist stuff. John had just written ‘I Am the Walrus’ and it was decided therefore it should go in the film. It is one of John’s great songs and it is very Lennon.
Paul McCartney – From “Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now” by Barry Miles, 1997
| Date | Scenes filmed |
|---|---|
| September 19 | Aunt Jessie’s dreadful dream, including the scene where John Lennon serves spaghetti using a shovel. |
| September 20 | “I Am The Walrus” sequence and the scenes with the Beatles wearing wizard outfits |
| September 21 | “Blue Jay Way” sequence |
| September 22 | “Barking Seargent” sequence with Victor Spinetti. The sequence where Jolly Jimmy welcomes people who have crawled inside the magic tent to watch “Blue Jay Way“ The sequence where Ringo Starr buys his ticket for the Magical Mystery Tour. |
| September 23 | “Magical Mystery Tour Marathon” scenes, with the cheating vicars, the mini-coopers… |
| September 24 | Scene with Mr. Bloodvessel performing “I’m Going In A Field” at the organ (unused) Scene for “Your Mother Should Know“ |
Last updated on May 13, 2023
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The Beatles Diary Volume 1: The Beatles Years
"With greatly expanded text, this is the most revealing and frank personal 30-year chronicle of the group ever written. Insider Barry Miles covers the Beatles story from childhood to the break-up of the group."
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