No Hamburg No Beatles
Own It November 18, 2025
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 56 Minutes
UPC: MAV-6367,
Storyline
Journey to the wild, vice-filled streets of 1960s Hamburg, West Germany, where five young lads from Liverpool - John, Paul, George, Stuart and Pete - evolved into the Fab Four: John, Paul, George and Ringo. Witness their gritty apprenticeship—from all-night sets in seedy clubs fueled by drink and drugs to brushes with the law, personal tragedies, and the relentless honing of their sound. This is the untold story of their defining years. No Hamburg? No Beatles!
Produced By
Scott Millaney
Directed By
Roger Appleton
Cast
Pete Best, Rosi McGinnity
About the Crew
- Roger Appleton is a filmmaker and media professional with over 25 years of experience as a director, producer, camera operator, and editor. He began his career in Art and Media Education, later managing major projects like Mediastation—a training facility partnered with Granada TV—and Toxteth TV, an award-winning production house. Through his companies Broadside Films and Brightmoon Media (founded in 2007), Roger has produced more than 40 broadcast programs, including music videos, documentaries, and arts films. His feature documentary Looking for Lennon was nominated for Best Documentary at the 2019 National Film and Television Awards and sold in over 25 countries. He has worked with international sales agents and rights experts on complex music documentaries and co-created a YouTube channel on the early Beatles era, earning 2M+ views and 7.5K subscribers. Other films that Roger has worked on include City That Rocked the World, Passport to Liverpool, Party Fever 2 and more.