I Wanna Hold Your Hand

Beatlemania has swept the US, most specifically New York City, on the eve of The Beatles' first ever performance in the country on The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) on Sunday, February 9, 1964. Teenaged friends Pam Mitchell, Grace Corrigan and Rosie Petrofsky of nearby Maplewood, New Jersey are as big Beatles fans as anyone. Grace, who wants to take exclusive photographs of the Beatles to launch her photojournalism career, comes up with a plan for the three of them to get into the hotel where the Beatles are staying. Pam goes along despite her own previous plans to elope with her boyfriend Eddie Lupus the next night, the night of the show. Also along for the ride are their friend Janis Goldman, whose primary activity in life is to protest for a cause (in this case how the Beatles have unfairly taken over all aspect of life), tough guy Tony Smerko who hates the "Limey fairies" but loves Janis, and Larry Dubois whose father has the necessary vehicle to pull off the plan. As they arrive at the hotel on the morning of the show, as the Beatles themselves move between the hotel and the studio for their rehearsal and performance, and as the friends try to track the Beatles movements during the day, the friends get separated. But their day is spent with other people who have their own Beatles related objectives.