"Young Winston" was an ambitious effort from Producer Carl Foreman and Director Richard Attenborough to chronicle the early life of famed politician Winston Churchill. One always thinks of Churchill as the rotund cherubic cigar smoking politician who ultimately saved the world from Nazi domination. What we get is an unexpected adventuresome war correspondent who makes a name for himself on the battlefield.
Churchill's life is chronicled from the age of seven to his first election to parliament at age 27. The young Churchill is distanced from his beloved father Lord Randolph Churchill (Robert Shaw) who is a member of parliament at odds with his Prime Minister Lord Salisbury (Laurence Naismith). We follow his schooling at an expensive prep school where he is brutally caned by his professor. His American mother Lady Churchill (Anne Bancroft) also has little time for the young boy at this juncture.
When he is grown, Winston manages to get assigned to the India frontier as a war correspondent. There he is cited for an act of bravery. He begins to receive the recognition that will help him in his ultimate goal of being elected to parliament. His first try ends in defeat.
His father is taken ill and dies a lonely painful death at the age of 46. This has a profound effect on both Winston and his mother. Later, Winston is posted to South Africa during the Boer War where he distinguishes himself in battle but is captured. His daring escape wins him accolades in his homeland. His second try at parliament is successful and the rest as they say, is history.
The cast is supplemented by a number of notables from the British Hall of Fame. Included in small cameos are Jack Hawkins, Anthony Hopkins, Edward Woodward, John Mills, Ian Holm, Colin Blakely, Jane Seymour and others.
Churchill's legendary sense of humor is absent here but we do see him light up his famous cigar at the end though.
Churchill's life is chronicled from the age of seven to his first election to parliament at age 27. The young Churchill is distanced from his beloved father Lord Randolph Churchill (Robert Shaw) who is a member of parliament at odds with his Prime Minister Lord Salisbury (Laurence Naismith). We follow his schooling at an expensive prep school where he is brutally caned by his professor. His American mother Lady Churchill (Anne Bancroft) also has little time for the young boy at this juncture.
When he is grown, Winston manages to get assigned to the India frontier as a war correspondent. There he is cited for an act of bravery. He begins to receive the recognition that will help him in his ultimate goal of being elected to parliament. His first try ends in defeat.
His father is taken ill and dies a lonely painful death at the age of 46. This has a profound effect on both Winston and his mother. Later, Winston is posted to South Africa during the Boer War where he distinguishes himself in battle but is captured. His daring escape wins him accolades in his homeland. His second try at parliament is successful and the rest as they say, is history.
The cast is supplemented by a number of notables from the British Hall of Fame. Included in small cameos are Jack Hawkins, Anthony Hopkins, Edward Woodward, John Mills, Ian Holm, Colin Blakely, Jane Seymour and others.
Churchill's legendary sense of humor is absent here but we do see him light up his famous cigar at the end though.