September 3, 2019

The British film industry to a large degree was founded by a Jewish immigrant from Hungary named Alexander Korda. His close friends included Winston Churchill. This remarkable relationship is the subject of a new documentary produced by John Fleet, which will be screened at this year’s Churchill conference in Washington.

“Churchill and the Movie Mogul” tells the story of how Korda came to Britain, founded his studio, and soon sought to employ Churchill as a screenwriter. Documentarian John Fleet first summarized this relationship for the International Churchill Society in an article published in Finest Hour 179.

Now in a 65-minute film that includes both fresh interviews and many culled from the archives, Fleet tells the story of how these two remarkable figures worked together to create a cinematic image for Britain that helped generate American support for the country during the Second World War.

After the war, it was Korda who presented Churchill with what was then a rare gift: a home cinema set up in what had once been the dining room at Chartwell. For the rest of his life, the cinema provided many hours of entertainment for Churchill, his family, and his staff.

2024 International Churchill Conference

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John Fleet will introduce and discuss his film on the final day of the conference. Additionally, Fleet will also be introducing famed film critic and historian Leonard Maltin, who will speak on the second day of the conference about Churchill and the movies. To register for the conference, please CLICK HERE.

 

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