SOUTH BERWICK – Berwick Academy canceled Tuesday’s world premiere of the John Lennon documentary “Three Days in the Life” after lawyers for Lennon’s widow warned that she had not authorized a showing of the film.

Yoko Ono’s lawyers contend she has a copyright interest in the film and that she has not authorized any public viewing.

Ray Thomas, executive producer, culled raw footage that was shot inside Lennon’s apartment down to a two-hour film covering a pivotal time in Lennon’s career. The film was shot over a three-day period in February 1970, two months before the breakup of the Beatles, as Lennon’s first solo album reached No. 1.

Thomas and his partner, John Fallon, were unable to get an artist release from Ono. That’s why they chose to do free screenings at high schools and colleges, starting with Berwick Academy, a private school in southern Maine.

But Ono’s lawyers said even that was forbidden, so Berwick Academy moved quickly to scrap the showing scheduled for Tuesday night in its auditorium.

Hap Ridgway, Berwick Academy’s headmaster, said he went from worrying about an overflow crowd to wondering if the documentary will ever be shown at all after a flurry of calls and e-mails from Ono’s lawyers Monday evening.

“We certainly hope the two sides will get together,” he said Tuesday. “What we’ve learned since it all broke loose is that it’s a long-running dispute.”

The unfinished documentary by Cox was sold in 2000 for $1 million to Fallon, Thomas and Providence businessman Bob Grenier.

The documentary, filmed by Ono’s former husband, Tony Cox, covered a period after the release of Lennon’s solo album, “Instant Karma.” Among other things, Lennon is seen composing songs, touring his 100-acre estate and rehearsing for a BBC show in which he performed “Instant Karma” for the first time publicly.