How four teenage girls broke into The Beatles’ Los Angeles home…by helicopter
In the August of 1965, The Beatles were in Los Angeles to perform two shows at Hollywood Bowl. Beatlemania was at its peak and the group’s US tour had already proved incredibly hectic. So far, they’d barely had a moment to themselves, having been pursued by hoards of fans for the last few weeks. Whether they were going to a restaurant, making their way backstage or leaving a hotel, the fans were always there, waiting. Indeed, many of them were willing to stop at nothing to catch a glimpse of the Fab Four, even if it meant forking out hundreds of dollars to rent a helicopter.
The day before their first show at The Hollywood Bowl, The Beatles were given a full day off to rest and recuperate. They were staying at the luxurious Beverly Hills home of actress Zsa Zsa Gabor at the time, which offered them more privacy than any hotel. The year before, they’d tried a similar tactic and rented the home of British actor Reginald Owen, although the hidden location quickly became a camping ground for dedicated Beatles fans. Sue Candiotti, Paula Glosser, Kay Zar and Michele Tummino were among them.
One night, they decided to follow the group’s car, ignoring countless red lights in an attempt to keep up with their idols. They were met with a speeding ticket and a hefty fine but vowed that they would meet The Beatles the following year. Speaking to ABC in Los Angeles, Zar said: “My dad taught me a lesson: If you’re going to do something, do it big. We were smart kids who knew what we wanted and didn’t take no for an answer.” Their next opportunity came after a local radio station revealed the location of The Beatles’ 1965 residence. However, there were a few problems. Not only was the property located on the side of a hill, but it was also surrounded by a moat and drawbridge. Clearly, a car wasn’t going to cut the mustard.
Inspired by a recent episode of I Love Lucy, the girls pulled out all the stops and hired a helicopter pilot to fly them over the house for an hourly charge of $50. Frustratingly the vehicle was only a two-seater, so they had to take it in turns, forcing the pilot to take off and land numerous times. Beatles publicist Tony Barrow, who was sitting by the pool at the time, was the first to spot them. “Above us in a clear deep-blue Californian sky, we heard the whirling of another low-flying helicopter,” he recalled.
Initially, he assumed it was another batch of TV reporters hoping to capture some footage ahead of the concert. “Suddenly, a shrill voice called out through the air, ‘Paul, I love you! Paul, you’re wonderful!’” Barrow continued. “Ringo, striking one of his daft poses in a borrowed bathrobe that was a couple of sizes too big for him, turned to Paul and remarked with a straight face, ‘Your lips didn’t move when you said that. How did you do that?’ Paul’s mouth opened wide in mock astonishment as the others laughed. Then we looked up and the truth dawned on us. A chorus of Beatles cried out simultaneously: ‘Fans! Fantastic!’”
According to Barrow, The Beatles were “full of admiration for the girl’s ingenuity”, and they waved back gladly, posing for the cameras peaking from the helicopter’s shell. One girl even attempted to jump into the pool but was held back by the pilot. A couple of days later, the whole gang were invited to meet the band at their label’s HQ, where they took part in a press conference, with George Harrison reportedly posing Zay the question: “Is your father rich or something?”
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