What The Doors Are Open is Really About
The Doors Are Open is a 48-minute documentary that captures one of rock and roll's most magnetic groups at a crucial moment in their career. Produced by Granada TV and directed by John Sheppard, the film premiered on British television on 4 October 1968, offering viewers an intimate look at Jim Morrison, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek, and John Densmore during their ascent to superstardom. Rather than a traditional biography or retrospective, it's a document of a specific moment—the Doors performing live at London's Roundhouse venue—but one that refuses to exist in a vacuum. The film weaves together concert footage with sit-down interviews, creating a portrait that's both intimate and contextual.
What makes The Doors Are Open distinctive isn't just what it shows of the band, but what it refuses to isolate them from. The documentary includes snippets of the wider world: protests from the 1968 Democratic Convention, the French riots, statements from politicians, footage of the Vietnam War. It's a reminder that rock and roll didn't exist in some sealed bubble, separated from the chaos and upheaval of the late 1960s. Instead, the film suggests—without being heavy-handed about it—that the Doors' music and the era's turbulence were inextricably linked.
Behind the Making of The Doors Are Open
Produced for Granada TV by Jo Durden-Smith, The Doors Are Open was a significant undertaking for British television at the time. Shooting a documentary about an American rock band for a UK audience required both cultural ambassadorship and journalistic credibility, and Granada—then one of Britain's most respected production companies—brought both. Director John Sheppard's approach was distinctly television-focused; this wasn't a concert film in the style of later rock documentaries, but rather a hybrid that treated the band's music as seriously as current events.
The Roundhouse footage itself is fascinating from a historical standpoint. By 1968, the Doors had already released their self-titled debut and Strange Days, and they were in the midst of recording Waiting for the Sun. They were touring Europe, and London represented both a major market and a cultural capital that mattered deeply to the band's artistic aspirations. The decision to film them at the Roundhouse—a venue that had hosted everyone from Jimi Hendrix to Pink Floyd—positioned them within a specific lineage of rock innovation. The black-and-white cinematography gives the footage a documentary authenticity; there's no gloss, no stadium spectacle, just the band and their audience in real time.
The film isn't rated, which reflects its origins as a television documentary rather than a theatrical release. At just under 50 minutes, it's lean and purposeful—no filler, no extended instrumental breaks for their own sake. On IMDb, it holds a 7.6 rating from 227 votes, a respectable score that reflects its status as a cult document rather than a mainstream hit. Movie OTT helps fans track down archival and documentary content like this, which can be scattered across different platforms and sometimes hard to locate.
Why The Doors Are Open Still Holds Power
What's striking about watching The Doors Are Open now is how it captures something that later, more polished documentaries often miss: the sheer strangeness of the Doors' appeal. Morrison wasn't conventionally handsome in the way pop stars were supposed to be. He moved awkwardly, sometimes seeming almost detached from his own performance. And yet—and this is what the film gets right—that detachment was part of the magnetic pull. He was a poet who happened to front a rock band, and you can see the tension between those two identities playing out in real time.
The interviews are particularly revealing because they don't try to mythologize the band or position them as visionaries (even though, retrospectively, they were). Instead, the Doors come across as intelligent, slightly bemused by their own fame, and deeply committed to their craft. Krieger, Manzarek, and Densmore discuss their music with the kind of seriousness you'd expect from classical musicians, not rock and rollers. There's no ego-driven posturing, no "we're changing the world" rhetoric. Just four guys talking about how they write songs and what they're trying to do.
The decision to cut between the Doors and global news footage—the Vietnam War, the convention protests, the French riots—isn't subtle, but it works because it's honest. The Doors' music wasn't created in a vacuum, and neither was this documentary. The film suggests that Morrison's intensity, the band's refusal to play it safe, their willingness to push boundaries, all of it was shaped by living through this specific historical moment. You can't separate the art from the era. Hard to say whether viewers in 1968 found this juxtaposition as powerful as audiences do now, but it's undeniably effective.
Where to Stream The Doors Are Open Online
The Doors Are Open is currently available on Prime Video, making it accessible to anyone with an Amazon subscription. Given that it's a 1968 British television documentary, it's not the kind of title that gets wide theatrical rereleases or appears on every streaming platform—so having it on Prime Video is actually a win for archival rock content. Movie OTT tracks current streaming availability across multiple services, so if you're hunting for where specific titles are available, checking the Where to Watch widget at the top of this page will give you the most up-to-date information on which platforms are carrying it.
Streaming has made it easier than ever to access documentaries and archival footage that would've been nearly impossible to find a decade ago. The Doors Are Open is exactly the kind of specialized content that benefits from that shift. Whether you're a serious Doors fan or just curious about rock history, you can watch it on your own schedule—no need to hunt down a DVD or wait for a cable broadcast.
Frequently asked questions
Q: When was The Doors Are Open first released?
The documentary premiered on British television on 4 October 1968, produced by Granada TV. It was directed by John Sheppard and produced by Jo Durden-Smith.
Q: Where was The Doors Are Open filmed?
The concert footage was shot at London's Roundhouse venue, one of the era's most important rock and roll venues. The documentary also includes interviews with the band members and contemporary news footage from 1968.
Q: Who are the band members featured in The Doors Are Open?
The film features all four members of the Doors: Jim Morrison (vocals), Robby Krieger (guitar), Ray Manzarek (keyboards), and John Densmore (drums).
Q: Is The Doors Are Open available to watch online?
Yes, it's currently streaming on Prime Video. Check the Where to Watch section above for the most current availability.
Q: What's the runtime of The Doors Are Open?
The documentary runs 48 minutes, making it a lean, focused look at the band rather than an extended deep dive.
Final Thoughts on The Doors Are Open
The Doors Are Open deserves a place in any serious rock fan's viewing rotation, but it's also valuable for anyone interested in documentary filmmaking or 1960s history. It's a snapshot of a specific moment—October 1968, London, the Doors at their peak—but it's one that reveals something true about the band, the era, and the relationship between art and history. Watch it. You won't regret it.
