Young Winston

Young Winston traces the early life of Winston Churchill, from a childhood overshadowed by distant parents to his years as a cavalry officer and war correspondent in India, Sudan and South Africa. The son of the ambitious politician Lord Randolph Churchill and the American-born Lady Jennie, he grows up starved of affection and driven to prove himself. His pursuit of military adventure and his reporting during the Boer War lead him toward a seat in Parliament at a young age.

Richard Attenborough directed the film, his second feature after Oh! What a Lovely War, with Carl Foreman writing the screenplay and producing. Simon Ward plays Churchill, alongside Robert Shaw as Lord Randolph, Anne Bancroft as Lady Jennie and Ian Holm as George E. Buckle. The production, a British and Moroccan co-production released by Columbia Pictures, runs 149 minutes.

Released in July 1972, the film drew a modest audience response. On IMDb it holds a rating of 6.7 from roughly 3,300 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 6.2 from a much smaller base of about 50 ratings.