Sunday 20 July 1969 | London
On 20 July 1969, all four Beatles attended a screening of a rough cut of the Let It Be film in London. The film was still unfinished at this stage and had a running time of around two and a half hours.
Also present at the screening were Linda McCartney, Yoko Ono, Pattie Harrison, and George Harrison's father Harold Harrison.
Too Much John and Yoko?
Three of The Beatles were reportedly unhappy with the amount of screen time given to John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Director Michael Lindsay-Hogg later recalled the reaction in The McCartney Legacy: Volume 1: 1969–73:
A couple of days after we’d screened the rough cut, Peter Brown called me and said, ‘I think that went pretty well,’ and I said, ‘Yeah, I think it’s pretty good, maybe we’ll make it a bit tighter.’ And he said, ‘Don’t you think maybe there’s a little bit too much John and Yoko in it?’ And I said, ‘Oh, I’m not sure, I thought it was good,’ and he said, ‘Well, let me put it this way. I’ve had three phone calls this morning, saying maybe there was too much John and Yoko.’
Michael Lindsay-Hogg, 24 May 2020 — The McCartney Legacy: Volume 1: 1969–73
Screening Details
| Date | Sunday 20 July 1969 |
| Film | Let It Be (rough cut) |
| Running time | Approximately 2.5 hours |
| Beatles present | John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr |
| Others present | Linda McCartney, Yoko Ono, Pattie Harrison, Harold Harrison |
| Director | Michael Lindsay-Hogg |
| After the screening | Dinner at the White Elephant on the River, 129 Grosvenor Road, SW1 |
After the Screening
Following the screening, The Beatles dined together at the White Elephant on the River restaurant at 129 Grosvenor Road, SW1. It was a rare moment of the group socialising together during what had become an increasingly fractious period — the Abbey Road sessions were already underway, and the band would formally dissolve less than a year later.
The Let It Be film was eventually released in May 1970, by which time The Beatles had officially broken up. A restored version, Get Back, directed by Peter Jackson, was released in 2021.
The Beatles: Let It Be — officially licensed
Celebrate the final chapter of The Beatles with officially licensed Let It Be merchandise.
129 Grosvenor Road, London SW1 — the White Elephant on the River restaurant, where The Beatles dined after the Let It Be screening on 20 July 1969.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did The Beatles watch the Let It Be film?
All four Beatles attended a rough-cut screening of the Let It Be film on 20 July 1969 in London. The cut was approximately two and a half hours long and the film was still unfinished at that stage.
Who directed the Let It Be film?
The Let It Be film was directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg. A restored and expanded version, Get Back, was later directed by Peter Jackson and released in 2021.
Why were The Beatles unhappy with the Let It Be rough cut?
Three of The Beatles were reportedly unhappy with the amount of screen time given to John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Director Michael Lindsay-Hogg recalled receiving feedback via Peter Brown that three separate phone calls had raised the same concern.
When was the Let It Be film released?
The Let It Be film was released in May 1970, by which time The Beatles had officially broken up. Peter Jackson's restored version, Get Back, was released in 2021.
Where did The Beatles go after the Let It Be screening?
After the screening, The Beatles dined at the White Elephant on the River restaurant at 129 Grosvenor Road, SW1, London.
→ 20 July in Beatles History
→ July in Beatles History
→ John Lennon: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
→ Paul McCartney: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
→ George Harrison: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
→ Ringo Starr: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
→ The Beatles Knowledge Hub
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