Young Winston (1972)

Complex family relationships, as well as a combat experience, form the personality of the future world-famous politician.

Director:

Richard Attenborough

Writers:

Winston Churchill (based upon "My Early Life: A Roving Commission") (as The Rt. Hon. Winston Churchill K.G. O.M. C.H. M.P.), Carl Foreman (written for the screen by)

Stars:

Simon Ward, Robert Shaw, Anne Bancroft

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Shaw	...	Lord Randolph Churchill
Anne Bancroft	...	Lady Jennie Churchill / Lady Randolph Churchill
Simon Ward	...	Young Winston / Sir Winston Churchill's Voice (voice)
Jack Hawkins	...	Mr. Welldon
Patrick Magee	...	General Bindon Blood
Edward Woodward	...	Aylmer Haldane
John Mills	...	General Kitchener
Peter Cellier	...	Captain
Ronald Hines	...	Adjutant
Dino Shafeek	...	Sikh Soldier
Russell Lewis	...	Winston (aged 7)
Pat Heywood	...	Mrs. Everest
Laurence Naismith	...	Lord Salisbury
William Dexter	...	Arthur Balfour
Basil Dignam	...	Joseph Chamberlain

Storyline

This historical drama is an account of the early life of the future British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill (Simon Ward), including his childhood, his time as a war correspondent in South Africa during the Second Boer War, and culminating in his first election to Parliament.

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Plot Keywords:

winston churchill character | two word title | character name as title | forename in title | lord randolph churchill character | 

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Taglines:

Rebel Soldier Hustler Prisoner Fugitive Firebrand [Australia Theatrical]

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | War

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 July 1972 (UK)

Also Known As:

The Churchill Story

Filming Locations:

Morlais Colliery, Dyfed, Wales.

Company Credits

Production Co:

Open Road Films (II)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

157 min

Sound Mix:

Mono 6-Track Stereo (Western Electric Sound System) (uncredited)

Color:

Black and White (archive footage) Color (Eastmancolor) (uncredited)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie was nominated for three Academy Awards - Best Costume Design, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, and Best Writing, Story and Screenplay Based on Factual Material or Material Not Previously Published or Produced for Carl Foreman, but the movie failed to win an Oscar in any of these categories.

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Goofs

When the British artillery is laying waste to the Mahdist charge at Omdurman, several of the extras are obviously running in place so as not to accidentally be near where the explosives detonate.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Captain: Who's that bloody fool on the gray?
Adjutant: Someone who wants to be noticed, I should imagine.
Captain: He'll be noticed. He'll get his head blown off.

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Connections

Referenced in American Masters: Woody Allen: A Documentary (2011)

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Soundtracks

For Thy Mercy and Thy Grace
(uncredited)
Music by Arthur Brown
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.