No Hamburg, No Beatles (2024)
“We were born in Liverpool but grew up in Hamburg”, John Lennon once said. This feature documentary seeks to find the truth in those words. The long and winding road that the Beatles took to worldwide fame passed through Hamburg, Germany in the early 1960s. Only a couple of years before they became household names, the former Quarrymen were cutting their musical teeth on nightclub stages in the city. Hamburg had become the vice capital of Europe after World War Two, its neon-lit streets home to sailors, sex workers, drug dealers, gangs and low life. Meanwhile, the English band was still developing, still young and virtually unknown. By the time of their last German visit in 1966, the Beatles were an international phenomenon. 'No Hamburg, No Beatles' explains how learning their trade in this fascinating city helped propel them to global stardom.
Director: Roger Appleton
![]() |
Frank McDonough as Self |
![]() |
John Lennon as Self (voice) (archive footage) |
![]() |
Paul McCartney as Self (voice) (archive footage) |
![]() |
Pete Best as Self |
![]() |
Rosie McGinnity as Self |
![]() |
Carol Phillips as Self |
![]() |
Allan Williams as Self |
![]() |
Ulf Krüger as Self |
![]() |
Howie Casey as Self |
![]() |
Ian Hines as Self (archive footage) |
![]() |
Barry Chang as Self |
![]() |
Stef Hempel as Self |
![]() |
Horst Fascher as Self |
![]() |
George Harrison as Self (voice) (archive footage) |
![]() |
Bruno Koschmider as Self (archive footage) |
![]() |
Gibson Kemp as Self |
![]() |
Jürgen Vollmer as Self |
![]() |
Peter Eckhorn as Self (archive footage) |
![]() |
The Shadows as Themselves |
![]() |
Chas Newby as Self |
![]() |
Dave Forshaw as Self |
![]() |
Tony Sheridan as Self (archive footage) |
![]() |
Astrid Kirchherr as Self |
![]() |
Brian Epstein as Self (voice) (archive footage) |
![]() |
Debbie Greenberg as Self |
![]() |
Manfred Weissleder as Self (archive footage) |
![]() |
Little Richard as Self (archive footage) |
![]() |
George Martin as Self (voice) (archive footage) |
![]() |
Winston Churchill as Self (archive footage) |
![]() |
Klaus Voormann as Self |
| Directing | Roger Appleton | Director |
| Writing | Roger Appleton | Writer |
| Production | Chris Fay | Executive Producer |
| Production | Matthew Frank | Executive Producer |
| Production | Brian Grant | Executive Producer |
| Production | Charles Ledigo | Executive Producer |
| Production | Scott Millaney | Executive Producer |
| Crew | Darren Brady | Cinematography |
| Crew | Felix Lübbert | Cinematography |
| Editing | Peter Goodwin | Editor |
| Visual Effects | Paul Skellet | Animation |