Birth of the Beatles is a 1979 biographical film, produced by Dick Clark's company and directed by Richard Marquand. The film was released into cinemas worldwide except in the United States, where it was shown as a TV film on ABC. The film focuses on the early history of the Beatles. It was released nine years after the announced break-up of the Beatles themselves, and is the only Beatles biopic to be made while John Lennon was still alive. Pete Best, the Beatles' original drummer, served as a technical advisor for the production.
Plot
The film starts in 1961, when the Silver Beatles consisted of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Stuart Sutcliffe. They need a drummer and a manager, and although Sutcliffe can sing, he cannot play an instrument. The only reason Stu is in the band because he is John's friend and none of the others want to play the bass guitar. They go and audition for an agent, where they meet Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, and become good friends with the Hurricanes' drummer, Ringo Starr. The agent at the audition says that if they get themselves a permanent drummer they can have a job in Scotland and then afterward a job in Hamburg, Germany. The Scotland gig occurs, but is not seen onscreen. The band finds a long-term drummer in Pete Best, whose mother owns the teenagers' hangout spot the Casbah Coffee Club. They begin to prepare for the trip to Hamburg which lasts several months and they encounter disapproval from John's girlfriend, Cynthia Lennon and John's Aunt Mimi. When they reach Hamburg, they discover they are playing in the Indra Club on the Reeperbahn, Hamburg's notorious sex district. They play long, grueling hours, and have to stay active by taking Preludin, a slimming drug. They are living in the back of the Bambi Kino, a run down old cinema. While in the Indra, they play loudly and wildly, eating, spitting and drinking onstage, inviting women to dance on stage with them, etc. Things get so loud the club is eventually shut down. The Beatles began to perform at the bigger Kaiserkeller club, and became a big hit among the German audience. While there, they meet up with Ringo and Rory Storm, who are also performing there, and Stu falls in love with German photographer Astrid Kirchherr. They begin to have a love affair. But suddenly, in the middle of a gig, German police burst into the club and arrest George for working under-age without a work permit. While searching for the paperwork to release George, Paul and Pete drop a candle that sets fire to the Bambi Kino, and the whole band is deported. The downbeat Beatles struggle at home with their disapproving families, but gradually their reputation grows; they play shows that fill the concert halls. One night after a performance, Stu is attacked by a gang outside and badly beaten in the head. His friends rescue him but Stu refuses to seek medical attention. A month later, in 1962, the Beatles return to Hamburg. Stu reunites with Astrid and she cuts his hair into the famous moptop haircut. The others get their hair cut in the same manner and the Beatle haircut is born. They experience the same level of success as during the first trip, but Stu wants to leave the group and attend art school and marry Astrid. Before he can accomplish his dreams, however, he dies suddenly of a brain hemorrhage. The others find this to be emotionally shattering, and think if he only had seen a doctor things would have been fine. Back in Britain, the owner of the NEMS Records Store, Brian Epstein, is alerted that the Beatles are causing quite a stir in Liverpool with their performances at the Cavern Club. He is impressed with what he sees and asks to be the group's manager. They accept and the Beatles have an audition for the Decca Record Company, but are turned down. They keep searching for a record company to accept them but are turned down time after time. They are beginning to lose all hope. Around this time, they learn that Epstein is a homosexual and that he was attacked by a teddy boy in Liverpool because of it. However, they hold no prejudices and accept. Also, the Beatles finally get accepted by record producer George Martin, but they dump Pete from the group. In his place is Ringo, and the classic foursome is complete. However, before the first show with Ringo, the fans react angrily to Pete's firing but later become overly excited after hearing Ringo's drumming abilities and listen to "I Saw Her Standing There". After their success, Cynthia announces to John that she was pregnant and the two decide to get married. The Beatles release their first single, "Love Me Do" and in 1963 release their first No. 1 Hit Single, "Please Please Me". They become the most famous group in Britain. In 1964, they are heading to America for the first time after already encountering massive success across Europe. The film ends when the group arrives in America and performs on the Ed Sullivan Show to a mass of screaming fans, singing "I Want to Hold Your Hand".
In a loophole which allowed the use of songs actually written by the Beatles themselves, every song in the film was recorded by the Beatles tribute act "". The guitar and vocal parts for John Lennon were performed by Eddie Lineberry, Paul McCartney by Chuck Coffey, George Harrison by Bill Connearney, and Ringo Starr by Steve Wight. The film features many songs known for being performed by the Beatles, some written by the band themselves, some by other artists:
The film tends to reflect Best's personal account of certain events, and shows some evidence of bias. The film implies that Best was terminated from the band because of resentment toward Best's popularity in Liverpool at the time. In one scene the band are referred to by John Lennon as "Peter Best and his Sods" and makes no mention of dissatisfaction with his playing, which has been thoroughly documented, even during the band's early years. George Martin has repeatedly stated that he was not satisfied with the calibre of Best's drumming at the band's EMI audition, and wanted the drum parts played by a studio drummer for future recordings. Ringo Starr, already a longtime friend of the group, proved a better personal and musical match..
Reception
The film received modest ratings when it premiered on American television, and was repeated in January 1981, as a tribute to John Lennon in the weeks after his murder. It later repeated on CBS, on The CBS Late Movie during the 1980s.
