The Finest Hours (1964 film)
| The Finest Hours | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Peter Baylis |
| Written by | Victor Wolfson |
| Based on | Churchill's Memoirs of the Second World War |
| Produced by | Jack Levin |
| Narrated by | Orson Welles |
| Cinematography | Hone Glendinning |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 116 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The Finest Hours is a 1964 British documentary film about Winston Churchill, directed by Peter Baylis.[1] It was written by Victor Wolfson based on Churchill's book series Memoirs of the Second World War.
Cast
- George Baker as Lord Randolph (voice)
- Faith Brook as Lady Randolph (voice)
- David Healy as newsreel Commentator
- Orson Welles as narrator (voice)
- George Westbury as Churchill as a boy (voice)
- Patrick Wymark as Churchill (voice)
Reception
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "This is a straightforward hero-worshipping, but not entirely reverential, biography of Churchill, based largely on the newsreels and still photographs through which the producer Jack Le Vien has already combed to make his television series The Valiant Years. Apart from a slightly embarrassing opening scene in which a Churchill-like child is building sand castles in the face of an incoming tide, there is little imaginativeness, for good or ill, in the treatment. ... All in all, the result is an uncontroversial interim report on an eminent life, lacking the perspective of history and glossing over many political errors, but full of interest for those who were too young to remember Churchill's war leadership."[2]
Variety wrote: "With infinite patience and enthusiasm Jack Le Vien has produced a fascinating tribute to Sir Winston Churchill which, while not kowtowing to the man, amply reveals Le Vien's admiration and respect for Britain's great war leader. ... Without the interest and co-operation of Churchill Le Vien's task would have been impossible. As it is, he and his team of researchers and technicians have done a sound job in compressing such a large canvas into the workmanlike span of 116 minutes."[3]
Accolades
The film was nominated for a 1965 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.[4][5]
See also
References
- ^ "The Finest Hours". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
- ^ "The Finest Hours". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 31 (360): 95. 1 January 1964. ProQuest 1305819390.
- ^ "The Finest Hours". Variety. 234 (11): 6. 6 May 1964. ProQuest 962669472.
- ^ Crowther, Bosley (2011). "NY Times: The Finest Hours". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 21 May 2011. Retrieved 9 November 2008.
- ^ "The 37th Academy Awards (1965) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. 5 October 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2019.