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Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,743
Registered: ‎03-15-2010

I just heard about this documentary and really want to see it:

 

"Freda Kelly, a shy Liverpudlian teen, works for a new local band -- the Beatles -- hoping to make it big. As the band's fame multiplies, Freda bears witness to music and cultural history but never exploits her insider access."

 

I watched a few Youtube videos and read about it...such a delightful woman, and such a fun story to tell!

 

Has anyone seen it?  It's not new, so I might be the last person on earth hearing about it Cat LOL

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,000
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Yea, I have seen it.  I am a huge Beatles fan and I enjoyed it.  It has been on cable a few times - don't remember which channel but I know I recorded it.  You should try to watch it.  Think any Beatle fan would like it.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,743
Registered: ‎03-15-2010

@naturalfan 

 

I'm definetly going to see it...was struck how sweet she was and how unaware of the enormity of their fame until thousands began showing up.

 

Can you imagine having that front row to their lives?

 

She confessed to having crushes on them now and again, but never said anything more. 

 

Cannot believe I hadn't heard about it before.

 

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 37,847
Registered: ‎06-11-2011

@Witchy Woman   I saw this in the movie theater when it was first released and loved it so much I own the DVD.  It's fantastic.  Freda is just great!   My favorite parts were the scenes of the Beatles playing in the cavern club - oh so young and so great.  

 

Freda, a secretary, used to go hear them on her lunch breaks and was always late getting back to work!  Which I would have been too.

 

This is a charming doc.  I've mentioned it here on the board before (you can search the board search bar for my other comments about it).  One amazing thing - she was in charge of the fan club for the whole time the Beatles were together. She had tons and tons of Beatles stuff --- that she gave away!  If she'd sold it later on Ebay (she still has some boxes of stuff) she would have been a millionaire - but she wanted to share it with the fans.  

 

She has so many interesting stories.   I just love this doc.  I will say that the first 3/4 of it are better than the last 1/4 but it's still excellent. 

 

Please come back and let us know what you think.

 

I do have to share one thing --- when she first became head of the fan club, she gave out her home address as the address of the fan club.  OY!!!!!  All that mail from all over the world coming to her house (I think she lived with her parents if I recall correctly).  OMG - can you imagine!   Obviously she had to change that.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,743
Registered: ‎03-15-2010

@Pearlee 

 

I watched a few of the Youtube videos about the story and was immediately in love with her.  So young, sweet, unassuming.

 

She mentioned about giving out her home address and it seemed so logical at the time.  I think back and there simply wasn't anything that compared to the megafame they gained.  She said her father was against her being their secretary. 

 

Oh, there were others who were famous...Elvis, etc., but we were not used to filling stadiums with fans.  I'm so happy she was the way she was and that her story was finally told.

 

I tried to remember back and I'm not sure I ever joined their "fan club."   However, I did manage to have to pen pals from England and, of course, that's all we ever talked about....Only remember one name, Trevor Horn.  Can you imagine all these years later....55 at least, remembering the name of a pen pal?

 

We'd write back and forth on that onion skin paper.  It was very exciting!

 

Did you belong to the fan club?  I'm going to check my old albums and see if they mention anything about it on the liner notes.

 

I didn't do a search before posting, but I know you are a big fan, so thanks fo responding.

 

Those really were the days....so young and in love with the "Fab Four."  Cat LOL

Honored Contributor
Posts: 37,847
Registered: ‎06-11-2011

Re: Good ol' Freda

[ Edited ]

@Witchy Woman   I was not a member of the Beatles fan club, although would have been for sure had I known Good Ol Freda was giving Beatles stuff away!  LOL Smiley Happy

You'll see in the doc that Freda was pretty good friends with "Richey's" (Ringo's) mom and one fan asked for a pillow case that Ringo actually slept on, and Freda did that - asked Richey's mom to have him sleep on it overnight one night, and she did and Freda sent it to the fan.  She always wanted to please them.  (I guess she took the song Please Please Me to heart!) LOL Smiley Happy

 

Much later on in life , I was in the Moody Blues fan club (I also like that group but am not a fanatic as I am with the Beatles) because the club sold great MB merchandise.

 

I did have quite a few pen pals about the same time you did - overseas.  I had one in France whose name, now that you mention it, I remember!  Mireille Salick who sent me wonderful gifts from France, out of the clear blue sky.  That was so fun.  And gosh, I didn't think I'd be able to remember her name, which I haven't thought of since the late 1960s, until you mentioned the name you remember.    And I also had a pen pal in England, I "met" through the Moodies fan club and we corresponded for a long time.

 

Yes, that onion skin paper we used to write back and forth on, and those "fold into envelope size" blue airmail one-page things that, as I recall, were hard to fold correctly.   Back in those days, it was special to send something "air mail."  

Good memories - thanks!