Rating: 
Summary: Perfect Summary Of Their First Visit
Review: From the sound of "I Saw Her Standing There" to their arrival back in England, this DVD is exceptional. Not too long and not too short, it shows the Fab Four's highlights in their first American visit-including several spectacular Ed Sullvian performances. The audio/video quality is not as good in Washington, D.C. but the footage is nevertheless an important part of the visit. The off-stage material is excellent as it portrays them as true gentlemen. Enormously entertaining, revealing and informative...this is a great DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: The Beatles
Review: From the sound of "I Saw Her Standing There" to their arrival back in England, this DVD is exceptional. Not too long and not too short, it shows the Fab Four's highlights in their first American visit-including several spectacular Ed Sullvian performances. The audio/video quality is not as good in Washington, D.C. but the footage is nevertheless an important part of the visit. The off-stage material is excellent as it portrays them as true gentlemen. Enormously entertaining, revealing and informative...this is a great DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Perfect Summary Of Their First Visit
Review: From the sound of "I Saw Her Standing There" to their arrival back in England, this DVD is exceptional. Not too long and not too short, it shows the Fab Four's highlights in their first American visit-including several spectacular Ed Sullvian performances. The audio/video quality is not as good in Washington, D.C. but the footage is nevertheless an important part of the visit. The off-stage material is excellent as it portrays them as true gentlemen. Enormously entertaining, revealing and informative...this is a great DVD.
Rating:
Summary: The "Real" Hard Day's Night
Review: Having been born in 1962, I wasn't able to witness the hysteria that surrounded the Beatles' 1st trip to America; until now. This video puts you right in the middle of everything they experienced (well, almost) on their February, 1964 trip. Their arrival, and press conference, at Idlewild Airport, taxi rides, photo shoots, after hours parties and all 3 Ed Sullivan Show appearances in their entirety. Also included are 3 songs from the Washington Coliseum concert. After watching this video, it's easy to understand why Americans were captivated by these guys. It's also very apparent why the Beatles could only tolerate this "mania" for 2 more years. I wish I could have experienced it firsthand.
Rating:
Summary: Hidden Track
Review: I don't know if anybody's commented on this before, but this is eerie: there's an early scene in this video, set in the Beatles New York hotel room, just before they're about to leave to tape the first Ed Sullivan appearance. John is noodling around on what looks like a melodion, tooting apparently random notes while conversation swirls around him. Then the notes resolve into something very much like the opening of "Strawberry Fields Forever." I swear on Brian Epstein's grave - that's what it sounds like. The pitch isn't exactly the same, but if you have ears to hear it you will hear it too. If you own this tape or DVD, check it out.
Rating:
Summary: I never even knew this existed, an excellent documentary!
Review: I highly recommend this DVD about the Beatles! It was great to see these 4 fresh-faced baby-faced guys, happily playing the same songs over and over to the screaming teenagers in 1964. We noticed the technical difficulties that Paul, George, John & Ringo endured in the 1960's as compared to today's spoiled performers.
Rating:
Summary: I LOVE IT, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH! THIS IS JUST PLAIN FUN!
Review: I love this video. I really do. I am SO GLAD that I have it. This is such a treat! This delightful video traces the Beatles' first visit to the U.S. in February, 1964. The video opens with New York disc jockey Murray ("the K") Kaufman, introducing the Beatles via radio. Fans flock to the airport in masse to greet the Beatles' plane, Pan Am flight 101 on February 7, 1964. The Beatles themselves are trailed from the minute they step off the plane to the limo to their hotel to their endorsement of AM-radio station, WINS per Murray the K. From the hotel, we, the viewers are treated to the Beatles' first performance on Ed Sullivan's TV show on February 9, 1964. From that point, we are ushered along with the Beatles via train to Washington, D.C. for a live concert. After we "Twist and Shout" there, we then travel to Miami with the Beatles for a special performance on Ed Sullivan. From Florida, the video tracks the Beatles to New York for their February 16, 1964 performance on Ed Sullivan. One wants to cheer for them -- the music is as fresh, vibrant and fun as it was in 1964. After the famous Ed Sullivan performance, we then rejoin the Beatles for some light banter and impromptu jamming in their hotel rooms. After a light hearted respite, we then board the plane bound for England. I love this video. It is pure fun, yeah, yeah, yeah!
Rating: 
Summary: The Beatles: The First U.S. Visit
Review: I remember waiting patiently years ago for somebody to release the February, 1964 appearances of the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show. This video represents that, plus much of the hotel/limousine/Peppermint Lounge footage shot by the Maysles brothers during their historic first tour of the United States. While this represents a nice overview and entertaining video of that period, it could have been much more. Unfortunately, several of the songs from the Sullivan shows are NOT in the video; only "extracts" (the video's term!) are depicted. The entirety of the Beatles' 1964 Ed Sullivan performances are priceless. It's truly a shame that we may never get to see a commercially available release of all of this footage. The Maysles' film footage, however, is wonderful. In hindsight, it's amazing that these brothers had that much access to the Beatles. Much of this film was shot in the front seat of limousines and hotel rooms. I have to give the video a "C+." It could very easily have been an "A+"
(Update:6/27/03) This is to add to my initial review: A 2-disc DVD set was released late last year of all four Ed Sullivan 1964/1965 televised performances. This set, which was advertised for about a month during the Fall 2002, features the entire Ed Sullivan broadcasts (including commercials) and all other acts. This renders the edited Sullivan performances on the Beatles/First U.S.A Visit video moot.)
Rating:
Summary: Like Exploding Fireworks They Made a Splash and Now Are Gone
Review: I Saw Them on The Ed Sullivan Show - not in the theater but on TV - and it is a good DVD. Brings back many memories of what must be the top "band" of all time. They were just an overwhelming success that came suddenly from nowhere then seemingly overnight buried the King - Elvis. But I still prefer some of their later work done in the time window between when they had returned from India and had matured to when they broke up. But this DVD is fine. Some gimmick value. But what other rock band was being played by Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops or various famous symphany orchestras around the world? Not many. It was magic. 4 stars. Jack in Toronto
Rating:
Summary: Indispensable!
Review: I viewed this for the first time recently and was wondering why I had waited so long to get this. As a Beatle fan this film is a must-have and a testament to the marvel, charm, and magic of The Beatles. The live performance scenes from the Ed Sullivan shows are worth the price alone; the picture is clear and the sound is excellent, and I was (I'm not afraid to admit) a bit misty-eyed as I watched these guys perform some of their best songs from the early days. These ain't some lip-sync'd, fake MTV-styled performances. I had never seen these clips before and what a treasure they are. The concert scenes are something else-they are grainy, dark and barely audible, but again, it's great to see the lads perform live anytime. In this day of forgettable boy bands, idiotic dance music, and tuneless, mindless rap it is refreshing to listen and watch the masters perform real music.
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