I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978)

If they missed Beatles' first appearance in the U.S.A. they would hate themselves for the rest of their lives! So they (six young girls from New Jersey) set off even though they don't have ... See full summary »

Director:

Robert Zemeckis

Writers:

Bob Gale, Robert Zemeckis

Stars:

Nancy Allen, Bobby Di Cicco, Marc McClure

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nancy Allen	...	Pam Mitchell
Bobby Di Cicco	...	Tony Smerko
Marc McClure	...	Larry Dubois
Susan Kendall Newman	...	Janis Goldman
Theresa Saldana	...	Grace Corrigan
Wendie Jo Sperber	...	Rosie Petrofsky
Eddie Deezen	...	Richard 'Ringo' Klaus
Christian Juttner	...	Peter Plimpton
Will Jordan	...	Ed Sullivan
Read Morgan	...	Peter's Father
Claude Earl Jones	...	Al
James Houghton	...	Eddie
James Hewitson	...	Neil
Dick Miller	...	Sergeant Brenner
Vito Carenzo	...	CBS Security Guard

Storyline

If they missed Beatles' first appearance in the U.S.A. they would hate themselves for the rest of their lives! So they (six young girls from New Jersey) set off even though they don't have tickets for the show! The journey is full of surprises and misfortunes but the young ladies are determined to reach to their idols...

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Plot Keywords:

the beatles | friend | new jersey | hotel | beatlemania | 

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Taglines:

these youngsters are suffering from a highly contagious disease called beatlemania. The symptoms are...screaming hysteria hyperventilation fainting fits seizures and spasmodic convulsions It isn't fatal but it sure is fun.

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Genres:

Comedy | Music | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 March 1979 (Colombia)

Also Known As:

Beatlemania

Box Office

Budget:

$2,700,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

First film executive produced by Steven Spielberg.

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Goofs

At the end of the Ed Sullivan broadcast in I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAND, Will Jordan as Sullivan announces that The Beatles will return the following week for a broadcast co-starring the Budapest Ballerinas and Will Jordan himself. The actual announced co-star of that broadcast was, in fact, Mitzi Gaynor, and Jordan never appeared on an "Ed Sullivan Show" on which The Beatles also performed in person. However, one notable impressionist did appear on a Sullivan broadcast alongside The Beatles - Frank Gorshin, on the real-life broadcast of February 9, 1964, that was depicted in the film.

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Quotes

Rosie Petrofsky: [the Beatles limo is taking off] Look, There they go!
Richard 'Ringo' Klaus: Hey, wait a minute! That limo got Jersey plates!
Tony Smerko: [Hesitates] Nah, it couldn't be.

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Connections

Referenced in What Lies Beneath: Constructing the Perfect Thriller (2001)

User Reviews

With Eddie Deezen as a Beatlemaniac, what could go wrong?

As someone who never experienced Beatlmania when it first started, "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" helps me experience it as best as possible. The plot centers on some teenage girls who want to see the Fab Four on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in 1964. But the movie's highlight is geeky Eddie Deezen as Richard "Ringo" Klaus. His performance alone pretty much carries the movie. Of course, the movie's real star is the music. With all of the Beatles' songs, there's never a dull moment in the movie. Also really funny is Bobby DiCicco as Beatle-hating Tony Smerko; he has some great scenes. It's hard to believe that Robert Zemeckis started here.

As an extra note, many of the cast members appeared in "1941" the next year. Needless to say, Eddie Deezen played the same sort of character.