Movies - Magical Mystery Tour

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	Movies - Magical Mystery Tour

Magical Mystery Tour, starring The Beatles, was a special that aired on BBC TV on Boxing Day in 1967. It was poorly received by critics and audiences, but is now considered a cult classic.

Plot

There was no script for the film, only a (mostly handwritten) collection of ideas, sketches, and situations, which McCartney called the "Scrupt". The basic plot involves a group of people on a British bus tour, focusing mostly on Mr. Richard Starkey (Ringo Starr) and his aunt, Mrs. Jessie Starkey (Jessie Robbins). Other group members on the bus include the "tour director" Jolly Jimmy Johnson (Derek Royle), the tour hostess Miss Wendy Winters (Mandy Weet), Buster Bloodvessel (Ivor Cutler), and cameos by the other members of the Beatles.

During the tour, Richard and his aunt fight constantly. Meanwhile, Mrs. Starkey begins to fall in love with Buster Bloodvessel, who portrays very eccentric and disturbing behavior. The tour involves several strange activities, such as an impromptu race where each tour group member grabs a different type of transportation (Some start running, a few jump into cars, a group of people have a long bike they can pedal). The tour also goes through a long crawl tunnel which leads to a set-up projector theatre, and involves a strange scene where the group walks through what appears to be a U.K. Army recruiter's office. The film culminates with the group splitting up to see strip shows.

Musical interludes include the band performing "I Am the Walrus" wearing animal masks.

Distribution

The film was first shown in the UK as a made-for-television film on the BBC. It wasn't released in the United States until 1976, when New Line Cinema acquired the rights for limited theatrical distribution, and it was shown on U.S. television in the 1980s in syndication. By the end of the 1980s, MPI (via rights holder Apple Corps) had released the movie on video. A DVD release followed later.

Motivation

In The Beatles Anthology, George Harrison claims the idea for the movie came from Blackpool Lights tours, where a group of people would take a bus, an accordion player, and get drunk on the way to see the Blackpool Lights.

Although it is never fully stated, several scenes in the movie were based on strange ideas the group members had. John Lennon said he came up with one such scene in a dream. He dreamed he was a waiter at a fancy restaurant, and his duty was to continually shovel spaghetti onto a customer's plate. So, in the movie, he played the waiter, shovelling spaghetti onto the plate of Mrs. Starkey, who becomes flustered and upset at all the spaghetti she must eat.

The movie was the first project the Beatles attempted without manager Brian Epstein, who died just before shooting began. As a result, the Beatles had no outside opinion to critique their work, and all business decisions were being undertaken by Paul McCartney.

Criticism

The British public's reaction to the film was scathing. Hunter Davies, the band's biographer, said: "It was the first time in memory that an artist felt obliged to make a public apology for his work". Paul spoke to the press: "We don't say it was a good film. It was our first attempt. If we goofed, then we goofed. It was a challenge and it didn't come off. We'll know better next time."

Songs

Magical Mystery Tour
The Fool on the Hill
Flying
I Am the Walrus
Blue Jay Way
Death Cab for Cutie
(Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band
)
Your Mother Should Know
Hello Goodbye (finale played over end credits)

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