Official Synopsis:
On April 25, 1975, John Lennon gave what was to be his last televised interview. As he spoke with Tom Snyder on The Tomorrow Show, no one suspected he was about to take an extended hiatus from public life. And no one could have predicted that Tom would rebroadcast that interview five years later - in memoriam - the day after John's tragic death.

This interview with John Lennon that re-aired on December 9, 1980, is one of three conversations Tom had with former members of The Beatles. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr were enjoying solo careers at the times of their interviews, and their comments provide further insight into the effects of "Beatlemania" on their lives.

Disc One:
John Lennon Tribute

Original Air Date: 12/9/80

Additional Guests: Lennon Immigration Attorney Leon Wildes, Journalist Lisa Robinson and Music Producer Jack Douglas

It was December 9, 1980, and just one day earlier John Lennon had been shot and killed outside his New York apartment. Not since April 25, 1975, on The Tomorrow Show With Tom Snyder had Lennon set with anyone for a television interview. Snyder re-aired his conversation with the former Beatle while new guests Lisa Robinson and Jack Douglas provided additional commentary in light of the previous day's tragic event.

Disc Two:
Paul McCartney Interview

Original Air Date: 12/20/79

Features Wings Music Video "Spin It On"
Additional Guests: Fellow Wings Members Linda McCartney, Denny Laine and Laurence Juber

Live via satellite from London, it's Paul McCartney! By 1979 Wings was already a great rock band with a solid following, but that didn't stop Tom Snyder from asking Paul about a Beatles reunion! This conversation took place just prior to Wings going onstage for a holiday concert.

Ringo Starr Interview

Original Air Date: 11/25/81

Features Ringo Starr Music Video "Whack My Brain"
Additional Guests: Actress (and Ringo's Wife) Barbara Bach and Actress Angie Dickinson

Interviewed in Los Angeles, Ringo talks about his then-current album Stop And Smell The Roses - a title that reflects what Ringo was in effect doing at that time after years of "turmoil, ecstasy, frenzy and confusion", as Tom notes. Ringo also speaks out about his dear friend John Lennon.    

Our Take:
Like most Beatles fans, even though I’ve sat through countless movies by, about, and related to The Beatles, I can never truly get enough. Some programs are a waste of time; documentaries that offer nothing new or are just recycled footage we’ve all seen a million times before. Still, often times I’ll watch a new film even if I suspect it won’t be all that great, because, well, it’s The Beatles.

The Tomorrow Show With Tom Snyder: John, Paul, Tom & Ringo is the type of program that’s what I look forward to the most: a really exciting collection of rare Beatles material. While George Harrison is noticeably absent (but only because he never appeared on the show), Tom Snyder sits down for extended interviews with John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr, and it’s these types of uninterrupted, candid footage that us Beatlemaniacs crave.

Of course, the most important of the interviews is the Lennon one. Originally taped in 1975, it was Lennon’s last public interview before he retreated from public view for the last five years of his life. The version we get here is the tribute show that Snyder aired the day after Lennon’s death in 1980. So we not only get the entire interview, but also we get commentary from people at the time of Lennon’s death. It’s sad to watch, of course, but it’s also an important part of history. McCartney and Star’s interviews (from 1979 and 1981, respectively) may not have the historical weight of Lennon’s, but it’s nice to see both musicians in a one-on-one interview (well, mostly; wives and band members are present as well.) McCartney and Starr’s segments also include what were then current music videos from each artist.

There are no extra features on the two-disc set, but with almost three hours of material included, it’s hard to complain.

I’ve always enjoyed the bits and pieces I’ve seen of Tom Snyder in action (he was a little bit before my time), but The Tomorrow Show With Tom Snyder: John, Paul, Tom & Ringo is a great way to see him in a more complete setting. Beatles fans won’t want to miss this terrific  collection.

RECOMMENDED!

Overall Picture:
Show: A-
DVD: B

- Mike Spring

Editor