That'll Be the Day (1973)

Brilliant drama set in England in the late 1950s. A young David Essex stars as Jim MacLaine, a boy who leaves school and goes off in search of women and adventure. Along the way, he works as a deckchair attendant and in a holiday camp. But when he has to return home to his mother (Rosemary Leach) and gets married to Jeanette (Rosalind Ayres), he has to decide whether to accept his responsibilities or continue to live a life of selfish freedom. 

David Essex is a revelation. I’d never seen him act before, and there’s no denying the charm and charisma he exudes with his cheeky smile and curious speaking voice. 

Ringo Starr features as another employee at the holiday camp. He's so recognisable as a Beatle that it’s difficult to see him in any other context. There are also roles for Billy Fury and Keith Moon. 

Impressively, there’s no concealing the grey, gritty quality of the shabby England so perfectly evoked.