Young Winston (1972)

This historical drama is an account of the early life of British politician Winston Churchill (Simon Ward), including his childhood years, his time as a war correspondent in Africa, and ... See full summary »

Director:

Richard Attenborough

Writers:

Winston Churchill (based upon "My Early Life: A Roving Commission"), Carl Foreman (written for the screen by)

Stars:

Robert Shaw, Anne Bancroft, Simon Ward

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Shaw	...	Lord Randolph Churchill
Anne Bancroft	...	Lady Jennie Churchill
Simon Ward	...	Winston Churchill
Jack Hawkins	...	Mr. Welldon
Ian Holm	...	George E. Buckle
Anthony Hopkins	...	David Lloyd George
Patrick Magee	...	General Bindon Blood
Edward Woodward	...	Captain Aylmer Haldane
John Mills	...	General Kitchener
Peter Cellier	...	Captain 35th Sikhs
Ronald Hines	...	Adjutant 35 Sikhs
Raymond Huntley	...	Old Officer (scenes deleted)
Russell Lewis	...	Winston Churchill (Age 7)
Pat Heywood	...	Mrs. Everest
Laurence Naismith	...	Lord Salisbury

Storyline

This historical drama is an account of the early life of British politician Winston Churchill (Simon Ward), including his childhood years, his time as a war correspondent in Africa, and culminating with his first election to Parliament.

---

Plot Keywords:

election | winston churchill | parliament | colonialism | 19th century | 

---

Taglines:

Rebel Soldier Hustler Prisoner Fugitive Firebrand [Australia Theatrical]

---

Genres:

Biography | Drama | War

---

Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 October 1972 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

El joven Winston

Filming Locations:

Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Open Road

Technical Specs

Runtime:

157 min

Sound Mix:

Mono 6-Track Stereo (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Simon Ward was 2nd choice for Winston Churchill after Malcolm McDowell repeatedly declined the role.

---

Goofs

Just as 'the last ever cavalry charge' is starting, there's a 'cavalry-mans view' towards the enemy lines. The wheel marks of the vehicle carrying the camera are visible, presumably from previous takes.

---

Quotes

Winston Churchill: I'm free! I'm Winston Bloody Churchill, and I'm free!

---

Soundtracks

"Wiener Blut"
(uncredited)
Music by Johann Strauß
Arranged by Alfred Ralston

User Reviews

an excellent snippet of the life of Churchill

This was an excellent and engaging film about the early years of Winston Churchill. The acting and writing were superb. The directing was generally good as was the writing, though there were a few moments when the movie was a bit slow or skipped over a little too much of his life--though certainly not in the last half of the movie when he is involved in the Boer War. About my only serious gripe about the movie was that once it was finished, I was left wanting to know more. This would have been a much better mini-series than a movie. That's because I think the movie attempted to do too much in too little time. However, what it did do, it did very well and the movie offers excellent insight into the man's formative years.