Saturday 17 July 1971 | Tittenhurst Park, Ascot, Berkshire
On 17 July 1971, John Lennon and Yoko Ono filmed material for their feature film Imagine at their Tittenhurst Park estate in Ascot, Berkshire. At this point the film had the working title Your Show.
What Was Filmed
The cameras captured Lennon and Ono exploring the grounds of Tittenhurst Park in a golf cart. A small house was delivered for the island in their artificial lake, and the couple instructed the delivery drivers where to position it. Lennon and Ono were then filmed rowing on the lake.
Julian Lennon and children from the neighbourhood were also filmed running around the grounds and reading excerpts from Yoko Ono's book Grapefruit.
About the Imagine Film
The Imagine film was a feature-length documentary and artistic film conceived by John Lennon and Yoko Ono to accompany Lennon's Imagine album, released in September 1971. Filming took place across multiple days at Tittenhurst Park during the summer of 1971, capturing the recording of the album, life at the estate, and a series of artistic sequences conceived by Ono.
The film featured performances of all the songs from the Imagine album, as well as footage of Lennon and Ono's daily life, guests including Fred Astaire and Andy Warhol, and the famous sequence of Lennon playing the title song at a white grand piano in a white room as Ono opens the shutters one by one.
The working title Your Show was used during production before the film was renamed Imagine to match the album. It was first broadcast on US television in December 1972 and has since been recognised as one of the most important music films of the 1970s.
About Tittenhurst Park
Tittenhurst Park is a Georgian mansion in Sunninghill, near Ascot in Berkshire. John Lennon and Yoko Ono purchased the estate in 1969 and lived there until 1971, when they relocated to New York City. The property was subsequently sold to Ringo Starr in 1973. The estate's grounds ā including the lake, the island, and the white room where the Imagine video was filmed ā became some of the most iconic locations in Beatles and rock history.
Key Facts
| Date | Saturday 17 July 1971 |
| Location | Tittenhurst Park, Ascot, Berkshire |
| Working title | Your Show |
| Scenes filmed | Golf cart tour of grounds, house delivery to lake island, rowing on lake, Julian Lennon and children reading Grapefruit |
| Album released | September 1971 |
| Film first broadcast | December 1972 (US television) |
Tittenhurst Park, Ascot, Berkshire ā John Lennon and Yoko Ono's home and the location for the filming of Imagine in July 1971.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where was the Imagine film made?
The Imagine film was primarily made at Tittenhurst Park, John Lennon and Yoko Ono's estate in Ascot, Berkshire, during the summer of 1971. Filming took place across multiple days in July 1971.
What was the working title of the Imagine film?
The Imagine film had the working title Your Show during production before being renamed Imagine to match the album.
Was Julian Lennon in the Imagine film?
Yes. Julian Lennon and children from the neighbourhood were filmed at Tittenhurst Park on 17 July 1971, running around the grounds and reading excerpts from Yoko Ono's book Grapefruit.
Who owned Tittenhurst Park after John Lennon?
After John Lennon and Yoko Ono relocated to New York City in 1971, Tittenhurst Park was sold to Ringo Starr in 1973.
ā 17 July in Beatles History
ā July in Beatles History
ā Filming: Imagine by John Lennon and Yoko Ono ā 16 July 1971
ā John Lennon: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
ā Ringo Starr: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
ā The Beatles Knowledge Hub
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