I Wanna Hold Your Hand is a 1978 American historical comedy film directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, and starring Nancy Allen, Bobby Di Cicco, Marc McClure, Susan Kendall Newman, Theresa Saldana, Eddie Deezen, and Wendie Jo Sperber. Its storyline follows a disparate group of teenagers over the course of one day in New York City as they attempt to gain entry to the Beatles' first live appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964. The film also examines the mass hysteria surrounding the event, dubbed "Beatlemania" for the fervency of the group's fans. The film's title is derived from the Beatles' 1963 song of the same name.
The film marked Zemeckis's feature film directorial debut, and was also the first film to be executive-produced by Steven Spielberg. Even though it was modestly budgeted, in order to convince Universal to bankroll it, Spielberg had to promise studio executives that, if Zemeckis was seen to be doing a markedly poor job, he would step in and direct the film himself.
Despite positive previews and critical response, the film was not a financial success and was considered a flop, unable to recoup its rather modest $2.8 million budget.
Plot
In February 1964, the Beatles will make their debut performance on Ed Sullivan's show, which broadcasts out of New York City.
In Maplewood, New Jersey, Janis, a folk music devotee, detests the Beatles, unlike her friends Rosie and Pam. Grace wants to rent a limousine, pull up to the Beatles' hotel and get exclusive photos of the band. The girls recruit Larry DuBois, a shy teen whose father has access to limos. While traveling to New York City, they are joined by the brash and streetwise Tony who also hates the Beatles.
On the morning of February 9, the group pulls up at the hotel, which is already surrounded by screaming teenagers. Grace, Rosie, and Pam sneak inside, while Larry, Tony and Janis remain in the limo.
Grace and Rosie sneak into a service elevator, while Pam hides in a basement closet and sees the group leaving to rehearse in the Ed Sullivan Theater. Grace gets off on the 11th floor, while Rosie goes up to the Beatles' rooms. While evading security, she runs into Richard Klaus, a fellow Beatles fan. They are soon caught and tossed from the hotel, after which the two quarrel and go their separate ways. While hiding in a food cart, Pam is taken to the Beatles' room. Seeing their clothes and instruments, she revels in a moment of euphoria. When the Beatles return to the room, Pam hides under John’s bed.
Grace goes to the theater, where a guard tells her that for fifty dollars he can let her in backstage. Larry asks her to the Valentine's Day dance at school, but she ignores him, still fixated on getting the pictures. To get the money, she decides to take the place of a prostitute who has a client in the hotel. Once in his room, she instead hides and takes photos of the man with the sex worker, planning to blackmail him for the money. He gives her $50 and then attacks her, but Larry, who has been getting progressively tipsy in the hotel bar, appears just in time to knock out the man and rescue Grace.
In front of the hotel, Janis befriends Peter, a boy with a Beatles hairstyle who is determined to see the show. His dad has three tickets to get in, but refuses to give them to Peter unless he gets a haircut. Janis recruits Tony to steal from Peter's dad. Her plan works out, with Peter, Janis and Tony getting one ticket each. While Janis wants simply to help Peter see the show and be himself, Tony is planning to find a way to stop the TV broadcast.
Meanwhile, a radio DJ is giving out tickets to listeners who can correctly answer trivia questions about the Beatles. After several failed attempts, Rosie makes it to a phone, calls in with the right answer and wins two tickets. Pam gets caught, but is treated kindly by the Beatles' staff and even gets interviewed by the press. Eddie, her fiancé, arrives to pick her up. Realizing she is not ready to get married, Pam leaves him behind and runs to the theater, using a ticket that the Beatles' road manager Neil Aspinall gave her.
Right before the Beatles go onstage, Tony grabs a fire axe from a doorway and goes to the roof of the theater, climbing the transmitter to sabotage the broadcast. Janis tries to stop Tony, who is dead set in his plan until lightning from a storm knocks him from the transmitter.