Wednesday, May 20, 1970
UK premiere of the “Let It Be” film
Last updated on April 17, 2024
Wednesday, May 20, 1970
Last updated on April 17, 2024
Location: Liverpool Gaumont Cinema and the London Pavilion
Single May 11, 1970 • "The Long and Winding Road / For You Blue" by The Beatles released in the US
Article May 18, 1970 • First public screening of the "Let It Be" Film
Article May 20, 1970 • UK premiere of the “Let It Be” film
Interview May 23, 1970 • Paul McCartney interview for BBC Radio One
1970 • For The Beatles • Directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg
The film Let It Be was premiered in Liverpool and London, but none of the Beatles turned up to see it.
The film had its première on Wednesday 20 May 1970 and although The Beatles didn’t attend, some figures of their world were present: Cynthia Lennon and Jane Asher, Richard Lester, Mary Hopkin, several members of The Rolling Stones and Fleetwood Mac.
Wednesday May 20 The Let It Be film opens today in Britain with special simultaneous Gala North–South premiere events. In the South, crowds surge upon the London Pavilion where guests include Spike Milligan, Mary Hopkin, Julie Felix, Sir Joseph Lockwood, Richard Lester, Simon Dee, Julie Edge and Lulu. Not to mention fifty dancing members of the Hare Krishna group and various members of The Rolling Stones and Fleetwood Mac pop groups. Most noticeable in the crowd are women no longer involved with The Beatles, John’s ex-wife Cynthia Lennon and, two years after her split from Paul, the actress Jane Asher. Before entering the cinema, Spike is playfully pictured by the press, alongside the police, trying to hold back the large excited crowds. At the conclusion of its first week at the 1,004-seat cinema, where Let It Be was screened a total of 41 times, the film nets approximately £6,229. Brian Millwood, on behalf of UA, announces: “We’re happy with the start made by the film. It’s by no means the biggest take for the house, but it’s nevertheless good.” Let It Be will run at the London Pavilion for five weeks until Tuesday June 23, when it is replaced by the Mick Jagger film Ned Kelly. Meanwhile in Liverpool, the northern premiere takes place with a comparatively quiet, invitation only, event at the Gaumont in Camden Street, London Road. (The screenings at both cinemas commence at 8:45pm.) Let It Be will eventually go on to be released in 100 major cities around the world.
Badman, Keith. The Beatles Diary Volume 2: After The Break-Up 1970-2001 . Music Sales. Kindle Edition.
The Beatles’ Let It Be film is premiered in London at the London Pavilion and in Liverpool at the Gaumont in Camden Street…
Badman, Keith. The Beatles: Off The Record 2 – The Dream is Over: Dream Is Over Vol 2 (p. 14). Music Sales. Kindle Edition.
The four Beatles skipped the 1970 premiere of “Let It Be.” Was that in protest?
As we now know, the Beatles were in the process of breaking up when the film was getting ready to go. People were feeling perhaps rancorous toward each other; they weren’t getting on. They announced their breakup in April 1970, and “Let It Be” was released in May. “Let It Be” was collateral damage. People didn’t see it for what it was, and went looking for what it wasn’t.
Michael Lindsay-Hogg – Interview with New York Times, April 16, 2024
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."
We owe a lot to Barry Miles for the creation of those pages, but you really have to buy this book to get all the details - a day to day chronology of what happened to the four Beatles during the Beatles years!
The Beatles Diary Volume 2: After The Break-Up 1970-2001
"An updated edition of the best-seller. The story of what happened to the band members, their families and friends after the 1970 break-up is brought right up to date. A fascinating and meticulous piece of Beatles scholarship."
We owe a lot to Keith Badman for the creation of those pages, but you really have to buy this book to get all the details - a day to day chronology of what happened to the four Beatles after the break-up and how their stories intertwined together!
The Beatles - The Dream is Over: Off The Record 2
This edition of the book compiles more outrageous opinions and unrehearsed interviews from the former Beatles and the people who surrounded them. Keith Badman unearths a treasury of Beatles sound bites and points-of-view, taken from the post break up years. Includes insights from Yoko Ono, Linda McCartney, Barbara Bach and many more.
Maccazine - Volume 40, Issue 3 - RAM Part 1 - Timeline
This very special RAM special is the first in a series. This is a Timeline for 1970 – 1971 when McCartney started writing and planning RAM in the summer of 1970 and ending with the release of the first Wings album WILD LIFE in December 1971. [...] One thing I noted when exploring the material inside the deluxe RAM remaster is that the book contains many mistakes. A couple of dates are completely inaccurate and the story is far from complete. For this reason, I started to compile a Timeline for the 1970/1971 period filling the gaps and correcting the mistakes. The result is this Maccazine special. As the Timeline was way too long for one special, we decided to do a double issue (issue 3, 2012 and issue 1, 2013).
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