The two surviving members of the Beatles re-united in London Thursday night at the premiere of a new movie about the iconic 1960s pop band from Liverpool.

Bass guitarist Sir Paul McCartney and drummer Ringo Starr, strode together along the blue carpet in London's Leicester Square as watching fans cheered.

Also at the premiere was Yoko Ono, wife of slain Beatle John Lennon who died in New York in 1980.

Ron Howard, actor turned filmmaker who directed the film, Eight Days a Week: the Touring Years, was also in London for the premiere.

Oscar-winning Howard is best known as one of the stars of the 1970s American sitcom Happy Days, as well as a number of Hollywood hits as a director.

His latest film was screened in Liverpool 30 minutes before the Leicester Square curtain was raised to enable the home city of the Beatles to host the world premiere first showing.

Three members of John Lennon's first group, the Quarrymen, Len Garry, Colin Hanton and Rod Davis, now all pensioners, were at the screening at Liverpool's FACT picturehouse.

The skiffle band was formed by Lennon and some of his schoolfriends from their school, Quarry Bank, hence the name. Several years later Lennon formed the Beatles.

Lennon's sister Julia Baird, was also at the Liverpool premiere.

Eight Days a Week: The Beatles -- The Touring Years is the first feature-length documentary authorised by The Beatles since the band's break up in 1970, and features rare and never-before-seen archival footage of shows and interviews, plus new interviews with McCartney, Starr and others.

In London, Howard said of the film: "It was a such great story. As a storyteller I fell in love with the story of this group and their journey."

In Liverpool city mayor Joe Anderson said the name given to the Beatles "4 lads who shook the World" is an understatement.

"We're so proud," said Anderson.

The film charts the story of the Beatles from Ringo Starr's arrival in 1962 to their final paid live concert in 1966.

More than half a century after the group formed, the Beatles continue to attract thousands of fans to their home city, generating millions of dollars a year in tourism income. Endit

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