A classic war film was said to have been a favourite of Winston Churchill and is described by fans as “immeasurably beautiful”. That Hamilton Woman (1941) is set during the Napoleonic Wars and dramatises the real-life story of an affair between Lady Hamilton (played by Vivien Leigh), who rose from poverty to become a prominent actor and artist’s muse, and naval war hero Lord Horatio Nelson (Laurence Olivier).
Directed by Hungarian–born British film director Alexander Korda, the film is both a war film and a romance, but also a piece of pro-British propaganda. It was made while Korda was living and working in the US, and invites parallels between Napoleon’s expansionist ambitions with the looming menace of Adolf Hitler’s regime, at a time when the United States was reluctant to join the fight.
Only a few months after its release, the US was pulled into the conflict following Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbour.
Churchill was an old friend of Korda, and was even briefly employed by the filmmaker as a consultant and screenwriter in the 1930s, though the films he penned were never made.
He’s rumoured to have strongly influenced or perhaps even written one of the scenes in That Hamilton Woman that appears to be a dire warning of the Nazi threat, as per The Guardian.
Either way, the former Prime Minister he is said to have remained a massive fan of the film.
One of Hamilton’s biographers claims Churchill had seen more than 100 times.
A fan of the film on Rotten Tomatoes called it: “A gem that you really should see”
Another said: “One of my all time favorites with Laurence and Vivien together! Even though they are both superb (as always) Olivier seems to let this be Vivien’s movie. Beautiful love story!”
That Hamilton Woman has a 100% score from 11 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer (which reflects the percentage of Approved Tomatometer Critics given it a positive review).
It’s also highly rated among the general viewers, with a 83% Popcornmeter score.