A never-before-seen film featuring all four members of The Beatles getting ready for a television performance, shot by Australian dancer and make-up artist Dawn Swane in 1965, has been published by the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA).
In the 49-second silent clip, Paul, John, Ringo and George are getting their make-up done for the special The Music of Lennon & McCartney on 1 November 1965.
At the time, Ms Swane was working at Granada TV in Manchester.
The home movie is now available on the NFSA’s YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/unreleasedbeatles).
Dawn’s collection of home movies and video recordings has been donated to the NFSA by her daughter, production designer Melinda Doring.
Other highlights from this collection include footage of a very young Michael Caine on the set of the TV dramaThe Other Man. At the time Dawn claimed that ‘mascara gave [Caine] his sex appeal’, and that Ringo ‘always insists on a hair wash before the show starts’. She shared these and other celebrity stories in The Australian Women’s Weekly dated 22 February 1967 (available on Trove).
ABOUT DAWN SWANE
Courtesy of Melinda DoringAt a very young age, Dawn Swane won the Frances Scully Overseas Scholarship in 1952 – the award took her to London and carried her into the world of ballet, opera, theatre, film, television and choreography. Arriving in England she soon was accepted into the Salders Wells School (now known as the Royal Ballet School). She was later invited to join the London Festival Ballet, touring Europe extensively.
After suffering from a back injury Dawn returned to Sydney in 1958. She worked for ABC TV and the Nine Network in a variety of roles, including head of the make-up department for Bandstand. In 1961 she also directed and choreographed her own ballet, Black Opal, based on a story set in the dreamtime.
Dawn returned London in the mid-sixties and secured a job as a make-up artist at Granada TV, Manchester. Whilst working at Granada, she came across famous musicians, actors and directors and she occasionally managed to capture footage of these celebrities.
Back in Sydney in 1966 Dawn established her own make-up school, 3 Arts Make-up Centre (now known as The Art and Technology of Make-up College). Starting out in the Imperial Strand Arcade and ending in Chippendale, the school championed creativity and imagination and produced many internationally recognised make-up artists, special effects artists, fashion artists, designers and sculptors over 40 years.
Dawn documented many aspects of the make-up school on video tape. She recorded numerous exercises, lessons, guest speakers and student exams during the late 80s and early 90s.
Never-before-seen footage of The Beatles published by NFSA added by Indian newspaper Sydney on
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