The day after John Lennon was killed outside his New York home, The Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder aired his last televised interview, which had been aired five years previously, along with appearances by journalist Lisa Robinson and Lennon’s producer, Jack Douglas. Interviews with Paul and Linda McCartney and two other members of Wings, and Ringo Starr and his wife, Barbara Bach, briefly touch on John and The Beatles. Plus, Angie Dickinson…
Even before his death on December 8, 1980, Tom Snyder’s interview with John Lennon [originally airing on May 25, 1975] was one of the most-requested for re-airing. Following his murder, NBC aired the entire interview and Snyder was joined in the studio by Lisa Robinson, who had been working on an interview with Lennon in regard to his and Yoko’s latest album, and music producer Jack Douglas, who had been in the studio with Lennon hours before his death.
Snyder, who was long considered the best talk show host around – at least in terms of actually having conversions with his interviewees –, was almost always relaxed and easy-going. Even when he had to ask the controversial questions, his guests always knew he was soliciting information, not trying to trap them in some kind of publicity thing.
Here, the conversation between Snyder and Lennon touches on all the big issues surrounding Lennon and Ono: did Ono break up The Beatles? Why a “bed-in?” “Why the nude cover for the Two Virgins album? What was going on with Lennon’s immigration issues? [The latter was discussed in the company of Lennon’s immigration lawyer, Leon Wildes, to prevent any misunderstandings about the legalities].
The entire time, neither Snyder nor Lennon ever seems to get upset and Lennon’s answers to Snyder’s questions are as thoughtful and witty as one might expect. It is a revealing interview that feels like a couple of friends chatting – and that’s the best kind of interview.
On December 20, 1979, Snyder had Paul & Linda McCartney, plus two members of Wings [Denny Laine and Lawrence Juber] as guests – via satellite from London. Although most of the conversation was about the formation of Wings and how the McCartneys managed to keep a happy family situation [their kids toured with them, for one thing], Snyder does broach the subject of the dissolution of The Beatles.
To his credit, McCartney takes the question without any sign of temper. Throughout, McCartney comes across as a blue collar guy who just happened to get rich. He’s as forthright as Lennon – if not quite as witty – and as personable. The interview includes a clip from a music video for Spin It On.
The interview with Ringo Starr originally aired on November 11, 1981, just before the release of his film Caveman]. As with Lennon and McCartney, Starr comes across as a decent guy. He, too, is forthright – though he is frequently blunter than either Lennon or McCartney. When he is joined by his wife, Barbara Bach, they talk about how they met while working on the film, but didn’t click until a party at his hotel some time later [but before the film wrapped].
In some ways, Starr’s interview is more fun than the others. He is so comfortable that he seems to out-relax Snyder [not an easy thing to do]. The interview includes a clip from the music video for Rack My Brain.
Because Shout! Factory doesn’t tend to make these DVD sets out of partial shows, the episode that featured Starr is shown in its entirety, which is how Angie Dickinson comes to be on this Beatles-themed set.
Dickinson, who had just had success in Brian DePalma’s Dressed To Kill, was about to return to series television in a show called Cassie & Co. The conversation dealt in part with her relationship with JFK and his family; her nervousness at doing the controversial scene in the back seat of the cab in Dressed To Kill, and her blunt assessment of why a sitcom that had been developed for failed.
John, Paul, Tom & Ringo – The Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder is a look back at some important moments in the culture of the seventies and the impact that was still being made by The Beatles, together and separately.
Final Grade: A