I sat cross-legged on the floor of my parents’ Center Valley farmhouse. I was one of an estimated 73 million who saw The Beatles in their American television debut on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” Sunday night, Feb. 9, 1964. They sang and played “All My Loving,” “Till There Was You,” “She Loves You,” “I Saw Her Standing There” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand.”

I was 13. I went out and bought not a Beatles’ record, but rather the sheet music at Titlow’s Music Store, Allentown, with a photograph of The Beatles on the cover, for “Till There Was You,” written by Meredith Willson for his 1957 Broadway musical, “The Music Man,” and heard in the 1962 movie version. Paul McCartney’s version was on the album, “With The Beatles” (1963).

I also soon combed my hair over my forehead, trying to replicate The Beatles’ mop-top style.

That wasn’t the only reason. I was eager to hide an embarrassing forehead scar, sustained in 1957 when, at age 7, watching the TV show, “Leave It to Beaver” and bouncing up and down on my parents’ bed in their Fullerton home, I flew off the bed, hitting my head against a bedroom set bureau and the floor.

We, my parents Ruth and Paul, and my sister Alice, were supposed to take a passenger train ride the next day to New York City to stay at the Plaza Hotel. Instead, I spent the night in Allentown Hospital. We later took one of the last passenger train rides from Allentown to New York City and back. And we stayed at The Plaza.

I was always self-conscious about my forehead scar. The Beatles’ haircut hid my insecurity through high school, college and into my Jimmy Olsen journalism career. At age 75, you can’t tell the scar from the rows of wrinkles on my forehead.

The movie theater release of the music documentary film, “Paul McCartney: Man On The Run,” brought these and more memories and emotions to the fore, pun intended, in my head, especially watching a post-movie interview shown in theaters of Sir Paul McCartney with Morgan Neville, who directed the documentary film about how Paul McCartney took flight from The Beatles with his rock band, Wings.

I felt embarrassed for McCartney as Neville had him operate a remote-control robot from a Wings’ concert and try on a custom jacket from a Wings’ tour (the sleeves were uncomfortably short). McCartney, ever the courteous gentleman, with a scruffy beard, deep circles under his eyes and reedy voice, looked every bit of his 83 years, in stark contrast to the energetic, bouncy and enthusiastic McCartney seen in the concert, home movie and newsreel footage that constitutes the bulk of the documentary film.

When Neville egged him on to sit at a piano and bang out a few bars, it was a different story. McCartney sat down at the keyboard, his hands instantly found the chords and “Maybe I’m Amazed” rolled from the movie theater speakers.

That song, from McCartney’s debut solo album, “McCartney” (1970), sums up what’s so amazing about “Paul McCartney: Man On The Run.” It’s a story you think you know. It’s a song that you’ve hard before. It’s a teen idol who as a twentysomething (he was 27 when The Beatles disbanded) wanted to write the next chapter in his music career. Not all teen idols are successful in doing that. Paul McCartney did so.

Documentary director Morgan Neville peels back the layers of the onion and, “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Dah,” as The Beatles’ “White Album” (1968) song goes, “life does go on” as we are whisked away into the world of Paul McCartney less the Beatles, no less.

And that’s the thing: as the documentary soundtrack spills over you, the Wings’ songs hold up, many as imaginative, inventive and mischievous as much of The Beatles’ oeuvre.

McCartney solo and with Wings wrote, sang, played and recorded “Band On The Run,” “Live And Let Die,” “Listen To What The Man Said,” “Jet,” “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey,” “Let ‘Em In,” “Silly Love Songs,” “My Love,” “Coming Up,” “Mull Of Kintyre” and “Maybe I’m Amazed,” to name a few you or your mother or father or grandparents should know.

“Maybe I’m Amazed” is emblematic of Paul McCartney’s songwriting, singing and producer prowess. McCartney’s vocals range from Little Richard rasp to falsetto cooing to that trademark earnest McCartney tenor verse reading. The steady tempo juxtaposes metered piano chords, tasty drums and rhythm guitar, organ fills and rock guitar riffs.

In between the songs in the documentary, the visuals are narrated by McCartney from some six interviews Neville recorded with McCartney.

We do not see the present-day Paul McCartney in the documentary. We hear his present-day voice. He recaptures the moments, mood and motivation: from the breakup of The Beatles (who quit first?); his meeting and marrying Linda Eastman, a highly-regarded rock musician photographer; their retreat to the Scottish cottage at High Park Farm (the Mull of Kintyre farm), Skeroblingarry, Scotland; his fractured fairy tale dispute in lawsuits and songs with John Lennon, and in assembling the band Wings (1971-1981) and the band’s touring, recording and breakup.

There are comments by others, also unseen, by daughters Mary McCartney and Stella McCartney, and Sean Lennon, Chrissie Hynde and Mick Jagger.

Morgan Neville directs with a fast-paced flair that is fun. Neville (Oscar, documentary feature, “20 Feet from Stardom”; and director, “Piece By Piece,” 2024; “Steve! (Martin): A Documentary In 2 Pieces,” 2024; “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain,” 2021; “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” (2018) has an eye and ear for music that creates a joyful, informative and memorable look at a decade in the life of Paul McCartney.

The title ”Man On The Run” speaks to McCartney’s attempts to chart his own course after the once-in-a-lifetime success of The Beatles who defined a generation as they defied another generation. The image of The Beatles may have been an act. For McCartney, it was more than a hairstyle, Beatles’ boots and collarless suits. It was all about finding his own voice after being one of four voices. John, Paul, George and Ringo.

McCartney was running away from The Beatles. He experienced the accident of success. “Man On The Run” is McCartney, scars, wrinkles and all.

“Paul McCartney: Man On The Run,” MPA Rated R (Restricted: Persons under 17 require an accompanying parent or adult guardian) for language; Genre; Music Documentary; Run Time: 1 hour; 55 minutes. Distributed by Amazon MGM Studios.

Credit Readers Anonymous: “Paul McCartney: Man On The Run” has 12 songs on the soundtrack and snippets of some 60 more songs written by McCartney and others.

At The Movies: “Paul McCartney: Man On The Run” was seen at Frank Banko Cinemas, ArtsQuest Center, SteelStacks, Bethlehem.

Unreel, March 20:

“Project Hail Mary,” MPA rated PG-13; 2 hours, 36 minutes: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller direct Ryan Gosling, Milana Vayntrub, Sandra Hüller and Ken Leung in the Science Fiction film. Ryan Gosling is an astronaut on a mission to save humanity. On his journey, he encounters Rocky, an alien. The movie is based on the 2021 novel by Andy Weir, who wrote the Oscar-nominated “The Martian,” starring Matt Damon, directed by Ridley Scott with a screenplay by Drew Goddard, who wrote the screenplay for “Project Hail Mary.” Rocky was designed and built by Neal Scanlan and his creature shop. The puppeteer is James Ortiz.

“Ready or Not 2: Here I Come,” MPA rated R: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett direct Samara Weaving, Kathryn Newton and Elijah Wood in the Comedy Horror film. The synopsis states: “After surviving one deadly game, Grace and her sister Faith must now outrun four rival families competing for a powerful throne. The winner takes all.”

“The Pout-Pout Fish,” MPA Rated PG; 1 hour, 32 minutes. Ricard Cussó and Rio Harrington direct the voice talents of Nick Offerman, Miranda Otto, Amy Sedaris and Jordin Sparks and the animation in the Adventure Comedy. The synopsis states: “Living on a rundown shipwreck, Mr. Fish discovers a hyperactive young sea dragon Pip stealing his belongings. They embark on a quest for the mythical Shimmer to grant them a wish.” The movie is based on a best-selling children’s book by Deborah Diesen.

Movie opening information from Internet Movie Database as of March 15 may be subject to change.

Theatrical Movies Domestic Weekend Box Office, March 13-15: “Hoppers” continued at No. 1 for the second straight week with $28.5 million in 4,000 theaters, $86.8 million, two weeks.

2. “Reminders of Him,” based on the Colleen Hoover novel, $18.2 million in 3,402 theaters, opening. 3. “Undertone,” a Horror film from Canada, $9.3 million in 2,570 theaters, opening. 4.“Scream 7” dropped two places, $8.3 million in 3,243 theaters, $106.5 million, three weeks. 5. “GOAT” dropped one place, $4.7 million in 2,946 theaters, $90.5 million, five weeks. 6. “The Bride!” dropped three places, $2.1 million in 3,304 theaters, $11.3 million, two weeks. 7. “Kiki’s Delivery Service,” $1.6 million in 249 theaters, Studio Ghibli anime film re-release in IMAX. 8. “Wuthering Heights” dropped three places, $1.6 million in 1,901 theaters, $81.9 million, five weeks. 9. ”Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze,” $1.4 million in 1,372 theaters, re-release. 10. “Crime 101” dropped four places, $1.1 million in 1,310 theaters, $35.5 million, five weeks.

Movie box office information from Box Office Mojo as of March 15 may be subject to change.

Four Popcorn Boxes out of Five Popcorn Boxes