Video: 'The Beatles Live At Olympia Theatre, Paris, France (Evening) - Color Home Movie - 16 January 1964'

(Thursday, January 16, 1964, nine-act bill scheduled to begin performing at 9:00 p.m. Central European Time; The Beatles were the closing act) — The Beatles performed tonight in Paris France, the second show of an 18-day season at the Olympia Theatre, on a nine-act bill, playing two and sometimes three sets each day.

The Beatles closed each performance, but shared top billing at various times with French singer Sylvie Vartan or America’s Trini Lopez.

The Olympia was an impressive music hall, with a guaranteed audience in evening dress eager to experience the best entertainment Paris had to offer.

Video: 'The Beatles - Live Chronology / January 1964 (All Concerts)' (evening show at 25:26)

It was, however, somewhat ill-equipped for Beatlemania. Although the group’s second performance was politely received, the venue’s fuses blew three times due to its electricity system not being equipped for modern amplifiers.

Backstage there was a mob of French photographers eager for pictures of The Beatles. At one stage a fight broke out after one of them was disallowed from taking exclusive pictures.

The trouble spilled onto the stage, and Paul McCartney was forced to stop singing to call for order. George Harrison narrowly avoided having his guitar damaged by the mob.

Video: 'The Beatles Day By Day 1964' (clips 8-14 in playlist are from Jan. 16, 1964)

The police were called and the group resolved to allow no-one backstage for the remaining dates. Armed Parisian gendarmes ringed the theatre, and The Beatles left the stage amid an air of chaos.

Following their first night of performances at the Olympia Theatre, Paris, The Beatles arrived back at the Hotel George V where they were told that “I Want To Hold Your Hand” had reached number one in America (on the Cash Box chart for the week ending Jan. 25, 1964; note: the song would top Billboard‘s Hot 100 singles chart for seven weeks starting the following week, Feb. 1, 1964).

The Beatles celebrated until 5 a.m. Central European Time.