Good Ol' Freda

Good Ol' Freda (2013)

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PG - 86 min - Documentary, Biography, History, Music - 6 September 2013
Big Blue Sky Rating : 6.1/10

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Director : Ryan White
Writers : Jessica Lawson, Ryan White
Stars : Freda Kelly, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison

'Good Ol' Freda' tells the story of Freda Kelly, a shy Liverpudlian teenager asked to work for a young local band hoping to make it big: the Beatles. As the Beatles' fame multiplies, Freda bears witness to music and cultural history but never exploits her insider access. Their loyal secretary from beginning to end, Freda finally tells her tales for the first time in 50 years.

Yesterday

Watching this film brought me right back to the 60's when I was a teenager. I remember so many things from that time, the air raid sirens, the bay of pigs, the JFK assassination and then the Beatles. They were a breath of fresh air for a troubled world. Their songs were simple but beautiful. People went wild over their music, yes there was a future and it was fantastic. They stood for something really important. I looked at the faces in the film, filled with hope. Everyone looked so skinny and healthy! I loved the shots of the cavern club and everyone answering letters in the small office over the record shop. I liked the viewpoint of someone from behind the scenes. But of course I don't think for one minute that hiring Freda was an accident. Brian Epstein obviously had a totally uncanny ability of hiring the right person for the job. The Beatles were advanced beings and obviously so is Freda. Wonderful film, really put tears in my eyes. After the film was over (Bloor HotDocs Toronto) the director Ryan White gave a Q/A over Skype. This was an unexpected bonus and really added dimension to how the film came together.

Watch Good Ol' Freda Trailer :

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Good Ol' Freda

Good Ol' Freda (2013)

---

PG - 86 min - Documentary, Biography, History, Music - 6 September 2013
Big Blue Sky Rating : 6.1/10

---

Director : Ryan White
Writers : Jessica Lawson, Ryan White
Stars : Freda Kelly, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison

'Good Ol' Freda' tells the story of Freda Kelly, a shy Liverpudlian teenager asked to work for a young local band hoping to make it big: the Beatles. As the Beatles' fame multiplies, Freda bears witness to music and cultural history but never exploits her insider access. Their loyal secretary from beginning to end, Freda finally tells her tales for the first time in 50 years.

Good Ol' Freda is a the story of one woman's fierce loyalty the four most famous men in the world.

The moment that I saw Good Ol' Freda listed in the Hot Docs program, without reading the description, I knew exactly who this doc was about. That's good ol' Freda Kelly, once called the luckiest girl in the world by newspapers and teen rags, because she was the secretary to a little band called The Beatles. The title comes from the 1963 Christmas message recorded by the Fab Four for their fan club, which Kelly also ran, in which they specifically mention "good ol' Freda." Early in the film, Kelly looks at the camera and says, "Who wants to hear the secretary's story?"

The answer of course is – We do, we do! All these years later, the world is still hungry for any piece of the story of The Beatles that has been left untold. And Freda Kelly is our last best hope. She has remained mum for years – she's never sold her story; rarely gives interviews; didn't cash in the treasure trove of Beatles memorabilia in her attic, instead passing it directly to fans or donating to charity. Good Ol' Freda is less a tale of The Beatles and more a tale of one woman's – a girl's actually, being only 17 when she was hired – fierce loyalty and protector of a trust given her by the four most famous men in the world.

Freda Kelly was a nice Liverpudlian girl who found herself in extraordinary circumstances. She coped with those circumstances with more grace than one can imagine and has continued to do so for years. Kelly took her job very seriously, but… she was a fan first and foremost, and she still counts herself as one today. Turns out, that "luckiest girl in the world" appellation was exactly how she felt – and still does. Kelly notes that she agreed to do this doc, with some reservation, because she wants her grandson to know that she did some fun and cool stuff in the '60s. Good Ol' Freda will definitely make that possible.

After the Sunday afternoon screening at TIFF Bell Lightbox, director Ryan White and producer Kathy McCabe came out on stage. The crowd applauded. The Freda Kelly came up. The audience – a packed house – leapt to its feet for a lusty round of ovation. That's the kind of affection Freda Kelly inspires and her story as told in Good Ol' Freda inspires. This doc is a must see, now at Hot Docs or anywhere else you can catch it.

Watch Good Ol' Freda Trailer :

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