Prime Minister

Produced by Britain's Teddington Studios on behalf of Hollywood's Warner Bros., the morale-boosting The Prime Minister details the career of 19th century political wizard Benjamin Disraeli, here played by John Gielgud. Filmed in the early months of WW2, the screenplay parallels the diplomatic cunning of Disraeli with the more recent maneuvers of Sir Winston Churchill. This is especially obvious when Disraeli takes on the Prussian Empire during the 1878 Berlin conference, emerging triumphant over a flock of stock-company crypto-fascists. In the role of Queen Victoria, Fay Compton proves a worthy sparring partner for "Dizzy," while Stephen Murray is equally effective as the Prime Minister's principal parliamentary antagonist Gladstone. Other minor roles are vividly realized by actors ranging from venerable Will Fyffe to teenager Glynis Johns.