Video: 'June 12, 1965 | Beatles Interviewed by George Yateman'
(Saturday, June 12, 1965, 2:40 p.m. British Summer Time) — What was slated to be a quiet screening of their forthcoming film turned into a global press spectacle today, as the Beatles faced an unrelenting wave of cameras and questions over their upcoming royal honors.
The famed quartet gathered at Twickenham Film Studios, where a rough cut of their next picture, Help!, was to be privately shown. Instead, the afternoon devolved into a flurry of interviews with reporters from newspapers, television, radio, and newsreel agencies, all eager to hear The Beatles’ reaction to news that they would soon be named Members of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE).
Video: 'June 11, 1965 | Beatles Interviewed by ITN’s Richard Lindley' (actually June 12, 1965)
The press gathering was scheduled to begin promptly at 1:30 p.m. BST, but fans and journalists alike were left waiting as John Lennon remained in bed, apparently unsure about accepting the prestigious award. Beatles manager Brian Epstein eventually coaxed Lennon into attending, and the group appeared together just over an hour late.
Dressed in casual suits and flashing their trademark wit, the Beatles offered a mix of modesty and bemusement as they fielded questions on the honor, which has stirred both celebration and controversy across Britain.
Video: 'On This Day: 12 June 1965'
“It’s a bit of a laugh, isn’t it?” Lennon quipped, while Paul McCartney added, “It’s nice to be recognized—even if we’re not quite sure what for.”
The MBE appointments, traditionally reserved for civil servants and military personnel, have drawn criticism from some quarters. Yet the Beatles, credited with revitalizing British pop culture and spreading goodwill abroad, were seen by many as fitting representatives of a new kind of British achievement.
Video: 'The Beatles M.B.E.'
No final word was given on when the Beatles will visit Buckingham Palace to receive the honor from Queen Elizabeth II.
Meanwhile, the film Help! is expected to be released later this summer.
