Details
The Beatles
A series of 16mm black and white silent films shot by a follower of The Maharishi in 1967 and 1968, various subjects include:
-- The Maharishi Mahesh Yogi arriving in Bangor in North Wales, August, 1967 in a cavalcade of cars which also contained The Beatles and Mick Jagger, the film includes shots of large crowds surrounding The Maharishi and The Beatles and The Maharishi receiving gifts of flowers; -- approx. 4 min. long, in negative and positive format;
-- The Maharishi's public meeting in Wales, shots of the inside of the auditorium, the Maharishi on stage surrounded by flowers and receiving flowers from the audience -- approx. 4 mins. long in negative and positive format;
-- A film of the Beatles on stage with the Maharishi including shots of the Maharishi talking, close-ups of The Beatles and shots of the front row of the audience where Mick Jagger, Marianne Faithfull, Pattie Harrison and other friends of The Beatles can be seen -- approx. 5 mins. long in negative and positive format;
-- Rishikesh '68 - (Part 1 and 2), two negative films in sealed boxes, the boxes labelled .. shots of people at Rishikesh, Edna Linnell in opening shot, establishing shots of tents at Rishikesh where Indian course was held. Shots inside Maharishi's Pavillion addressing Indians;..
-- Nature and People, two negative films in sealed boxes, both with descriptive labels stating that the contents were to be used for intercutting in film about Maharishi;
To be sold with copyright

Whilst the seller confirms that this property is sold with copyright, Christie's can accept no liability to any matters arising as a result of any imperfection in copyright given
(8)
Literature
COLEMAN, Ray John Ono Lennon, Volume 2 1967-1980, London: Sidgwick & Jackson, 1984, pp.15-16 & 272-273

Lot Essay

On August 25th, 1967 The Beatles and their wives and girlfriends travelled to Bangor in North Wales for a weekend seminar on meditation held by the Maharishi. On August 27th, 1967 while the Beatles were away, Brian Epstein was found dead in his flat in Belgravia, London.

John and Cynthia Lennon, George and Pattie Harrison, Paul and his fiancée Jane Asher and Ringo and his wife Maureen Starr attended an extensive course of meditation with the Maharishi at his academy at Rishikesh in India, between February and April, 1968. Lennon apparently took meditation very seriously ...He and George believed in its calming powers far more than the others in the party. For eight hours a day John would meditate and for the rest of the time during the eight weeks spent at the academy he wrote fifteen songs... The Beatles however became increasingly disenchanted with the Maharishi's behaviour and personality and left the academy two weeks ahead of schedule. Lennon also publically denounced the Maharishi when he appeared with Paul on the Tonight show on American Television on May 15th, 1968 to announce the formation of Apple Corps.

Kieran Kilroy the cameraman of these films was a disciple of the Maharishi who worked for Irish television in the 1960s. He had intended to make a 20 minute documentary on The Beatles and their relationship with The Maharishi. Sadly his early death at the age of thirty-one prevented him from achieving this ambition and the film was never made.

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