The Fifth Beatle ~ Overview by Classic Rock Central
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

Who is the so called "Fifth Beatle"?  The honor of that informal title has been associated with several individuals throughout the years, including famed New York disc jockey Murray the K, musician Billy Preston who performed on later Beatles albums, Australian disc jockey Bob Rogers.  Some fans might say the fifth Beatle is former drummer Pete Best. At the Beatles' 1988 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, George Harrison stated that there were two "fifth Beatles": Derek Taylor and Neil Aspinall.. And Paul McCartney is quoted as having said
"If anyone was the fifth Beatle it was Brian" (Epstein).
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(Eppylover Note: George Martin has shrugged off the title more than a few times, and has also confirmed that Brian Epstein, to him, was indeed the Fifth Beatle. Just sayin'...)
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The Fifth Beatle is the title of a film in pre-production.  Brian Epstein was the flamboyant, brilliant, but troubled entertainment industry visionary best-known for discovering and managing The Beatles. The Fifth Beatle is a non-documentary feature film that will cover the last 6 years of his life. His story will unfold via a mixture of history, fantasy, allegory, dream sequences, and hallucinations.

Film Update: The Fifth Beatle
Recent Production Updates
 
Casting - The search for the actor to play the lead role as Brian Epstein continues.  The Casting Director is Kerry Barden, a partner at Hopkins, Smith & Barden. Kerry Barden has cast "Seven," "Good Will Hunting," "Shakespeare In Love," "Sex And The City," "World Trade Center," "Alexander," "Monster's Ball," "Chocolat," "Any Given Sunday," among other films.

Music Supervisor – Wayne Issak is the music director. He has been a producer of VH1's "Storytellers' series, as well as programs such as Eric Clapton & Friends in Concert: A Benefit for the Crossroads Centre at Antigua, Elvis Lives and VH-1 Where Are They Now: Former Childstars.

Production - Production Designer Gavin Bocquet ("Star Wars: Episodes I, II, III"),and Costume Designer Jany Temime (the "Harry Potter" films, "Bridget Jones," "Children of Men") are on board.

Classic Rock Central.com

2006 article in Rolling Stone Magazine about the film.

Eppylover Note on the above link to the Rolling Stone article:
Vivek has since denied that he told them "Beatles music would not be an element" in the movie. Of course he may use Beatles music! However, he does not wish to overshadow Brian's story with too much focus on the Beatles. There are many other fascinating untold or little-known stories in Brian's life other than his Boys ~ believe it or not!

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Wow! ..well, I’M impressed!
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

THE FORUM IS OFFICIALLY OPEN NOW
...so give us a click and join in!

BTW, some people have been under the impression that The Fifth Beatle is a "low-budget" flick. Please let us set straight this misconception RIGHT NOW!

This is a well-budgeted Hollywood movie, and the people behind the scenes have had experience with a lot of other well-known successful film and entertainment endeavors.

Just so you know! :)

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Fifth Beatle Movie Blog Update
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

September 4, 2007 entry by writer/producer Vivek Tiwary on The Fifth Beatle movie website

IT WAS 40 YEARS AGO TODAY (well, last week actually)…        
 …that Brian Epstein passed away.

I take the day off work every August 27th, and use the time to do some "visioning" about what I want from my future — both personally and professionally.

As you can imagine, Brian was a great inspiration to me — all his accomplishments, all those hurdles crossed. The fact that there are Jews and homosexuals in the entertainment business doesn't raise any eyebrows today, but in the UK in the 1960's, Brian was a true outsider and a trailblazer.

I don't face nearly the same hurdles, but as a first-generation American of West-Indian origin making his way through the shark-infested entertainment waters... well, Brian's story has many emotional touchstones for me, and he has become a kind of "historical mentor" to me. But as with all my mentors, I've learned from them both what to do and what NOT to do.

For example, Brian never made enough time for love in his life… I try to be conscious of that trap and make sure to spend as much time with my loved ones as I can…

And I've devoted half of my professional life to StarPolish, a company dedicated to educating musical artists about the pitfalls of the business, and empowering them in their careers.

Brian did the opposite, sheltering The Beatles when it came to the business of music... Although it could be argued that he freed their minds (and time) to be all that they could be as artists, to take their music to new, uncharted territories, to break boundaries... and we know how well that turned out :)

COPY OF AUG 28, 1967
LIVERPOOL DAILY POST
OWNED BY ME, CHRISTINE
Nevertheless, The Beatles were truly at sea in the wake of Brian's passing — at which time he had also accomplished, by the age of 32, what I can only hope to accomplish before I close my eyes for good... with any luck, well past the age of 32... So many emotions crowd so many thoughts during this time of year... Rest In Well-Deserved Peace, Brian.

If anyone else has a strong feeling or reaction to the anniversary of Brian's passing, please, let's discuss it on our Message Boards here.

And now, you're probably also wondering what's doing with the development of "The Fifth Beatle" film.

Well, Brian was a complicated man with many facets both public and private — a man steeped in seeming contradictions. So, we need an actor who really wants the difficult challenge of doing the work, and digging deep into these facets… and we're accordingly being very careful and patient with our casting, doing our research and making sure we'll have no regrets.

I can say that I've been flying to both Los Angeles and London regularly, and that there is a LOT of love for the film from all the right "players" in this process.

And I'll also add that we are still prepared to shoot in the first quarter of 2008, with a goal to premiering the film in Liverpool by the end of 2008, while the city is still Europe's Capital Of Culture.

But please be patient as we keep more exact details behind-the-scenes for now... and since timeframes can alter and Tomorrow Never Knows, please stay tuned for more specific breaking news...

With Love,

Vivek J. Tiwary
Writer/Director

Click to read this blog on The Fifth Beatle Movie website

Whether you choose to register or not, you will enjoy reading everything and anything regarding Brian, his Boys, and the movie ~ Here

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Aussie online news report on the Eppy movie
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

Click this link, and then type epstein into the
Video Search box in their upper right-hand corner.

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New FBM Crew Members & Forum Posts
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

Jan 16 2006 Update - Fifth Beatle Movie News

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Vivek Chooses Casting Director for our Brian Movie!
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

by Vivek Tiwary
KERRY BARDEN CASTING THE FILM
September 31, 2006 - 5:08pm
You might have seen the announcement on our News page about Kerry Barden joining our team as Casting Director. I couldn't be more excited about this addition!

Check out all the impressive credits in his bio

... All I can add is that he's also a really nice guy :)


KERRY BARDEN TO CAST "THE FIFTH BEATLE"
September 18, 2006
Kerry Barden has joined our production team as Casting Director.

Kerry is a founding member and partner at Hopkins, Smith & Barden, one of the best-respected and most successful casting agencies in the film and television industries.

Among countless major motion pictures and high-profile independent films, Kerry cast "Seven," "Good Will Hunting," "Shakespeare In Love," "Sex And The City," "World Trade Center," "Alexander," "Monster's Ball," "Chocolat," "Any Given Sunday," "Peter Pan," etc.

We're proud and excited to have Kerry on our team!

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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

..> ..> ..>..>

If you haven't done so already, please click and sign for Brian at - www.brianepstein.com. With the exception of some rare original items on display, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame itself annoys me highly -- for an honest explanation of this statement, and a reminder of why this petition is so very important anyway, please CLICK HERE.

with everlasting eppylover thanks to all of you who have already signed!!!

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Paul McCartney and Mr. Anonymous ~ ?

I had seen the below photo before, but never had the occasion or inclination to ask about it. This was taken during the making of Magical Mystery Tour, which was made ever-so-shortly after the expiration of our sweet Eppy.



Now that I happened across it again in this comment, I shall ask anyone who happens to read this if you have any idea at all ~ who the hell IS that anonymous bloke with Paulie?

This man's slight resemblance to Brian has driven me bonkers.

Brian Epstein had many, many cousins close to his own age.

CLICK SMALL PHOTOS TO SEE LARGER IMAGES ..> ..>

Here is my original press photo of Brian's cousin Basil Hyman, and even HE doesn't resemble Brian as much as this fella does.  Basil's picture was an impulse eBay purchase. The photo was initially a mistaken identity shot by reporters, as you can see by the markings on the back. Basil Hyman had just made a visit to Brian's 24 Chapel Street home the day after his death. I love everything to do with the Epstein/Hyman families. BTW, during a re-watching of BBC Arena's The Brian Epstein Story, I noticed Basil was listed in the credits. This means one of my questions was answered: he is still alive, at least as of 1999 when Debbie Geller was writing the book to the movie!

..> ..>

Just to show you that the person with Paul during MMT was not Clive, Brian's brother. Clive Epstein was blond, and this photo of him (far right) is from his wedding in the 60's ~ and even Clive looks less like Brian than Mr Anonymous does.

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The Hiding-In-The-Background Type of Guy
Category: Music

That's kind of the way he wanted it in the first years, he was so shy. He didn't want to be noticed. When reporters started interviewing him, he admits to refusing information on where he was from, his upbringing, etc. - because it had nothing to do with his Boys, and he felt it was irrelevant and distracting.

However, as time went by he craved his own attention, and was getting noticed quite a bit in England - but not in the States. If he had lived, the plans he had would have placed him quite a bit in America's spotlight. But it was not to be.

So that's why, when I search eBay, most of the good Brian stuff comes from England. There are a lot of people in the US who don't even know who he is. In the UK, he's fairly well-known, but not remembered in the same way as John and George are - mainly because the Boys themselves never made much of a fuss about his passing, never gave him proper tribute. No "Concert for Eppy" or anything.

Unfortunately, most Beatle people tend to follow the boys' example regarding Brian. I don't know if the boys just never think of him anymore, or if they merely want to put on that impression for the sake of the public eye.

You see, in many ways, theirs was an uneasy alliance. They loved each other but didn't quite know how to express it because of what I call "the fairy factor." It's almost impossible for people who didn't live back then to realize how BAD it was to be a gay person or even to associate with one in the 60's-70's. Child molesting/abuse and homosexuality were thought of in the same light.

Consequently, it was very much a "we don't know how to love him" situation. So the public still ignores him - and it's mostly because his boys set that example.

Of course, I still love The Beatles because I still think of them like family ~ besides being the most awesome, sweet, phenomenal, talented, funny, world-changing people who ever existed.

And because, despite everything, Brian Epstein loved them more than life itself. He was so very, very proud of them.

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The New Brian Epstein Movie

Just thinking again about Vivek Tiwary's planned motion picture The Fifth Beatle.

In Vivek's own words:

"...at a press conference in 1997, when specifically asked who was "The Fifth Beatle," Paul McCartney replied without hesitation:

"If anyone was the Fifth Beatle, it was Brian."

That's the first time a Beatle has addressed the issue. And the only other time is when McCartney repeated his words on national television during the BBC's Arena documentary on Epstein.

And it's where my money lies. Brian was an integral part of the band's life-- both peronsally and professionally-- as my film will dramatize.

But I also think Sir Paul picked his words carefully when he said, "if anyone." The truth is, the Beatles were a four-piece band. End of story.

I think there's a certain sadness that Brian could never really be "one of the boys" no matter what he did for them, no matter how close he was to them. But -- if ANYONE -- then Brian!"

Pictures of Brian hanging out with his friends the other Beatles

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The New Brian Epstein Movie
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

Go to The Fifth Beatle Movie Discussion Board

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