THE BEATLES HAMMING IT IN A BEL-AIR MANSION IN 1964 - PHOTOS

• The rare snapshots of John,Paul, Ringo and George while taken on summer vacation in Los Angeles, California were taken by Bob Bonis, their tour manager from 1964-1966
• The band was in town for their August 23 historic show at Hollywood Bowl
• The Ambassador Hotel cancelled their room reservation for fear they would be swarmed with crazy fans so they stayed at the Bel Air mansion of British Actor Reginald Owen 

They were renowned for their playfulness.

And these photographs, revealed for the first time, show The Beatles at their cheeky best, giggling and playing with a beach ball by the pool in Los Angeles, California.

It is 1964, and John, Paul, Ringo and George are in town for their historic show at the Hollywood Bowl, which was recorded and later released as a hit live album.

Paul, George, John and Ringo are all smiles as they lounge by the pool at the home of British actor Reginald Owen who let them stay there after a hotel cancelled their reservation for fear they'd be swarmed by crazed fans

Had everything gone to plan, they would be confined to their suite in The Ambassador Hotel preparing for the gig.

But at the last minute their reservation was cancelled because management could not cope with the scale of swarming fans. 

Luckily for The Beatles, Reginald Owen offered up his Bel Air mansion for just $1,000.

It meant for a rare break from the fast lane to throw around beach balls and giggle for the camera by the pool, as pictured here.  

While in Los Angeles the Beatles hit up the famous Whisky A Go Go club with Jane Mansfield, where George Harrison is said to have thrown a drink at the paparazzi, but hit screen siren Mamie Van Doren instead.

When Ringo Starr met American actor Burt Lancaster in Hollywood, Ringo wore a cowboy's outfit and carried toy guns which were reportedly a gift from Elvis Presley. 'What have you got there? Kids’ stuff!,' Burt is said to have quipped. 

The actor later is said to have sent Ringo two real guns and a holster to which Ringo said, 'I just wanted to be a cowboy.'

Copies of images of the wildly talented and kooky four can be viewed and purchased on Ebay.

The band, pictured in 1964 just four years after they formed, was in town for their August 23 historic show at Hollywood Bowl, a show that would push them further into the radar of screaming American girls