Passport to Pimlico (1949)

Residents of a part of London declare independence, when they discover an old treaty. This leads to the need for a 'Passport to Pimlico'.

Director:

Henry Cornelius

Writer:

T.E.B. Clarke (original screenplay)

Stars:

Stanley Holloway, Betty Warren, Barbara Murray

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Stanley Holloway	...	Arthur Pemberton
Betty Warren	...	Connie Pemberton
Barbara Murray	...	Shirley Pemberton
Paul Dupuis	...	Duke of Burgundy
John Slater	...	Frank Huggins
Jane Hylton	...	Molly
Raymond Huntley	...	Mr. Wix
Philip Stainton	...	P.C.Spiller
Roy Carr	...	Benny Spiller
Sydney Tafler	...	Fred Cowan
Nancy Gabrielle	...	Mrs. Cowan
Malcolm Knight	...	Monty Cowan
Hermione Baddeley	...	Edie Randall
Roy Gladdish	...	Charlie Randall
Frederick Piper	...	Garland

Storyline

When an un-exploded WWII bomb is accidentally detonated in Pimlico, London, it reveals a treasure trove. They find documents proving that the region is, in fact, part of Burgundy, France and thus foreign territory. The British government attempts to regain control by setting up border controls and cutting off services to the area. The 'Burgundians' fight back.

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Plot Keywords:

london england | pimlico london | burgundy | bomb | microstate | 

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Taglines:

It's the wittiest comedy in years!

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 October 1949 (USA)

Also Known As:

Pasaporte para Pimlico

Filming Locations:

Ealing Studios, Ealing, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ealing Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min 70 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The outdoor scenes were shot in Lambeth, a mile away from Pimlico. A set was built on a large World War II bombsite just south of Lambeth at the junction of Hercules Road. This site is now the location for municipal flats build in the 1960s. However, the buildings on the junction of Hercules Road and Lambeth Road can still be recognized from the film, as can the railway bridge going over Lambeth Road, particularly from the scenes where food is thrown over the blockade.

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Goofs

The skywriting plane describes a loop to the left in close-up but when we see the whole message "Stick it out" there are no such loops.

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Quotes

Frederick Albert 'Fred' Cowan: You can't push English people around like sacks of potatoes.
Jim Garland: English?
Connie Pemberton: Don't you come that stuff, Jim Garland! We always were English, and we'll always be Englsh, and it's just because we are English that we're sticking up for our rights to be Burgundians!

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Crazy Credits

THE END comes up on the closing shot of a barometer going down.

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Connections

Spoofed in Sir Norbert Smith, a Life (1989)

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Soundtracks

Explosion
(uncredited)
Music by Charles Williams
Chappell Recorded Music Library
"Siege of Burgundy" newsreel in cinema

User Reviews

Next Stop, Burgundy!

This very funny British comedy shows what might happen if a section of London, in this case Pimlico, were to declare itself independent from the rest of the UK and its laws, taxes & post-war restrictions. Merry mayhem is what would happen.

The explosion of a wartime bomb leads to the discovery of ancient documents which show that Pimlico was ceded to the Duchy of Burgundy centuries ago, a small historical footnote long since forgotten. To the new Burgundians, however, this is an unexpected opportunity to live as they please, free from any interference from Whitehall.

Stanley Holloway is excellent as the minor city politician who suddenly finds himself leading one of the world's tiniest nations. Dame Margaret Rutherford is a delight as the history professor who sides with Pimlico. Others in the stand-out cast include Hermione Baddeley, Paul Duplis, Naughton Wayne, Basil Radford & Sir Michael Hordern.

Welcome to Burgundy!