Cultural depictions of Winston Churchill

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Winston Churchill in his honorary air commodore's uniform, c. 1940 TNA INF3-3 Winston Churchill in RAF uniform 1939-1946.jpg
Winston Churchill in his honorary air commodore's uniform, c. 1940

Named the Greatest Briton of all time in a 2002 poll, and widely regarded as being among the most influential people in British history, Winston Churchill has been regularly portrayed in film, television, radio and other media. The depictions range from minor character to the biographical centerpiece, exceeding 30 films, more than two dozen television shows, several stage productions, and countless books.

Contents

Film

Major biographical films

Below are films which serve as major biographical portrayals of Churchill, as opposed to other films which mention Churchill only as one part of a separate or secondary plotline.

Table of films

YearCountryTitleActorNotes
1935Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Cavalcade C.M. Hallard
1941Flag of Germany.svg Ohm Kruger Otto Wernicke
1943Flag of the United States.svg Mission to Moscow Dudley Field Malone
1949Flag of the Soviet Union.svgStalingradskaya bitva I Viktor Stanitsyn
1950 The Lights of Baku
The Fall of Berlin
1951Flag of the United States.svg An American in Paris Dudley Field Malone
1952Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Nezabyvaemyy god 1919 (Unforgettable 1919) Viktor Stanitsyn
1956Flag of the United Kingdom.svg The Man Who Never Was Peter Sellers Voice only
1960 The Siege of Sidney Street Jimmy Sangster
1965 Operation Crossbow Patrick Wymark
1970Flag of the Soviet Union.svgFlag of East Germany.svgFlag of Poland.svgFlag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svgFlag of Italy.svg Liberation Yuri Durov
1972Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Young Winston Simon Ward
1973Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg The Battle of Sutjeska Orson Welles
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Days of Betrayal Jan Vitek
1976Flag of the United Kingdom.svg The Eagle Has Landed Leigh DilleyPlays a stand-in for the real Churchill
1978Flag of Sweden.svg Picassos äventyr Sune Mangs
1979Flag of Poland.svg Sekret Enigmy Józef Zacharewicz
1983Flag of France.svg Le Bourreau des cœurs René Douglas
1984Flag of Poland.svgKatastrofa w GibraltarzeWlodzimierz Wiszniewski
1987Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jane and the Lost City Richard Huggett
1989Flag of Italy.svg Casablanca Express John Evans
1990Flag of the Soviet Union.svgFlag of the Czech Republic.svgFlag of East Germany.svgFlag of the United States.svg Stalingrad Ronald Lacey
1994Flag of France.svgCaro dolce amoreJohn Evans
2000Flag of India.svgShaheed Uddham Singh: Alais Ram Mohammad Singh AzadJoe Lamb
2002Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Two Men Went to War David Ryall
2004 Churchill: The Hollywood Years Christian Slater
2005Allegiance Mel Smith
2009Flag of the United States.svgFlag of Germany.svg Inglourious Basterds Rod Taylor
2010Flag of the United Kingdom.svg The King's Speech Timothy Spall
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Paradox Alan C. Peterson
2012Flag of the United States.svg FDR: American Badass! Paul Willson
The ABCs of Death Torgny Gerhard Aanderaa"H is for Hydro-Electric Diffusion"
Bad Ass Tyler Tuione
2015 Queen of the Desert Christopher Fulford
2017Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Churchill Brian Cox
Flag of the United Kingdom.svgFlag of the United States.svg Darkest Hour Gary Oldman Won Academy Award for Best Actor
Flag of India.svgFlag of the United Kingdom.svg Viceroy's House Gerry George
2018Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Suffragette Ray Burnet
The Battle for Britain's HeroesGerry George
2019Flag of the United States.svgFlag of France.svgFlag of Iceland.svgFlag of Ireland.svg The Professor and the Madman Brendan Patricks
Flag of Turkey.svgOperation CiceroGerry George
2020Flag of Denmark.svg The Good Traitor Nicholas Blane
2021Flag of India.svg Sardar Udham Tom Hudson
Flag of the Czech Republic.svgAudience u královnyVladislav Benes
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Operation Mincemeat Simon Russell Beale
2024Flag of the United Kingdom.svg The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare Rory Kinnear

Television

Major biographical tv shows and tv movies

Below are shows and films on television which serve as major biographical portrayals of Churchill, as opposed to other films which mention Churchill only as one part of a separate plotline.

Table of television films


YearCountryTitleActorNotes
1960–1963Flag of the United Kingdom.svgFlag of the United States.svg The Valiant Years Richard Burton Documentary
1974Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill Warren Clarke Episode "Lady Randolph"
Flag of the United Kingdom.svgFlag of the United States.svg The Gathering Storm Richard Burton
1975Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Days of Hope Leo Brittthis is a relatively negative portrayal of Churchill that highlights his attitude towards the coal miners during the strikes of 1921 and 1926
Edward the Seventh Christopher Strauli
1977Flag of the United States.svg Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years Arthur Gould-Porter
1978Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Edward & Mrs. Simpson Wensley Pithey
1979 Churchill and the Generals Timothy West
1981 The Life and Times of David Lloyd George William Hootkins
1983 Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years Robert Hardy
Flag of the United States.svg The Winds of War Howard Lang
1983Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Number 10 Terence Harvey
1984Flag of Australia (converted).svg The Last Bastion Timothy West
1986Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Lord Mountbatten: The Last Viceroy Malcolm Terris
1988 The Woman He Loved Robert Hardy
Flag of the United States.svg War and Remembrance
1989Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Bomber Harris
1991 'Allo 'Allo! John James EvansonEpisode "Up the Crick Without a Piddle"
Flag of Ireland.svg The Treaty Julian Fellowes
1992Flag of the United Kingdom.svg A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia Michael Cochrane
Flag of the United States.svg The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles Julian Fellowes
1994 World War II: When Lions Roared Bob Hoskins
1995Flag of Japan.svgFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg Hiroshima Timothy West
Flag of the United States.svg Annie: A Royal Adventure! David King
1998Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mosley Hugh Simon
2002 Bertie and Elizabeth David Ryall
Flag of the United Kingdom.svgFlag of the United States.svg The Gathering Storm Albert Finney Won Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
2004Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Dunkirk Simon Russell Beale
Flag of the United States.svg Ike: Countdown to D-Day Ian Mune
2005Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Wallis and Edward David Calder
2006 Agatha Christie's MarpleThe Sittaford Mystery Robert Hardy
2006Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Above and Beyond Joss Ackland
2008Flag of the United States.svg Family Guy Seth MacFarlane Episode "Road to Germany"
2009Flag of the United Kingdom.svgFlag of the United States.svg Into the Storm Brendan Gleeson Won Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
2009–present Horrible Histories Jim Howick, Jalaal Hartley
2010–2011Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Doctor Who Ian McNeice Episodes "The Beast Below", "Victory of the Daleks", "The Pandorica Opens", "The Wedding of River Song"
2012Flag of Hungary.svgFlag of the United Kingdom.svgFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg Titanic Colm Gormley
Flag of France.svgFlag of Italy.svgFlag of Canada (Pantone).svgFlag of Ireland.svg Titanic: Blood and Steel Robert Whitelock
2013Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Murdoch Mysteries Thomas Howes Episode "Winston's Lost Night"
2013–2014Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Peaky Blinders Andy Nyman, Richard McCabe, Neil Maskell
2014 37 Days Nicholas Asbury
Flag of the United States.svg The World Wars Ian Beyts, Tom Vickers
2015Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Up the Women Harry Peacock Episode "Train"
2016Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Churchill's Secret Michael Gambon
Flag of the United Kingdom.svgFlag of the United States.svg The Crown John Lithgow Won Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series [2]
Flag of the United States.svg Super Science Friends Adam Shaheen
Drunk History Louie Anderson Episode "The Roosevelts"

Theatre

Music

Radio

Literature

There are various alternative history works depicting a Nazi German victory or an otherwise widely different course of WWII posit various ultimate fates for Churchill:

Miscellaneous

References

  1. "World War II: When Lions Roared". Fandango.com. 20 March 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  2. Barsanti, Sam (18 June 2015). "John Lithgow will play Winston Churchill on Netflix's The Crown". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  3. Gilbey, Ryan (2016-07-04). "Robin Hardy obituary". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-10-17.
  4. "Donmar Warehouse reveals complete cast for "When Winston Went to War with the Wireless"". WhatsOnStage.com . 24 April 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  5. Theodore Roosevelt vs Winston Churchill. Epic Rap Battles of History, 2016-12-26, retrieved 2023-01-02
  6. The Shape of Things to Come references Archived 29 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine , telelib.com; accessed 3 July 2014.
  7. Fleiner, Carey; October, Dene (2017). Doctor Who and History: Critical Essays on Imagining the Past. McFarland. p. 119. ISBN   978-1-4766-2981-0.
  8. Dunlop, Paul H. (2013) Baccarat Paperweights : two centuries of beauty ISBN   978-0-9619547-2-7
  9. Arena, Broadmoor World. "Churchill starring David Payne | Broadmoor World Arena". www.broadmoorworldarena.com. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
  10. Grubb, Jeffrey (June 23, 2014). "Civilization Revolution 2 hits iOS on July 2 — it's no longer a console series". GamesBeat. Retrieved August 27, 2024.