Invincible Mr. Disraeli (1963)

Trevor Howard stars as 19th-century British prime minister Benjamin Disraeli, in this videotaped, 90-minute color special. James Lee's teleplay traces Disraeli's career over a thirty-year period, detailing his devotion to the buildup and maintenance of the British Empire. The story also touches upon the many enemies made by the witty but tenacious PM-some of whom resented the fact that a Jew had a position of power in the government. Above all, the play details the friendship and mutual respect between "Dizzy" and Queen Victoria, played here by Kate Reid. Trevor Howard won an Emmy award for his virtuoso performance as Disraeli, which required a multitude of make-up changes, courtesy of the gifted Bob O'Bradovich. Greer Garson, Denholm Elliott, Hurd Hatfield (as Rothschild) and Geoffrey Keen (as Gladstone) also appear in The Invincible Mr. Disraeli; the play was first telecast April 4, 1963 as a Hallmark Hall of Fame special. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi