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:

Laugh your way to happiness

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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

Shirley's comment, "We'll fight them on the tramlines, we'll fight them in the local ..." is a take on Sir Winston Churchill's famous wartime speech, "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills..."

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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

Edie Randall: Here's to the Burgundy Lido!

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Crazy Credits

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

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Connections

Referenced in A Run for Your Money (1949)

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Soundtracks

The Sun Is Shining
(uncredited)
Music by Charles Hawtrey
Played on the pub piano by Charles Hawtrey

User Reviews

A Passport to pure enjoyment

They say that the Ealing era was the British film industry's finest hour. Today, they are certainly dated but in an inventive, often very funny way. Not quaint, nor sloppy, nor nostalgic. As such they are all very watchable (& enjoyable)

"Passport to..." to my mind, is the best that depicts the street level London directly after the War, with the close-knit community rallying round, but with that 'spirit' that saw them through the Blitz. So, there's wheeling and dealing, pushing their luck, practical jokes and a broad humour that's infectious.

The story is absolute mumbo-jumbo nonsense with the subliminal message mocking the bureaucratic minefield that was necessary in shaping a devastated Britain - and London. Job's worth petty rules fly in the face of common sense.

To my mind, this is the best Ealing that snapshots a time and a place - many of the scenes are shot out in the bombed-cleared areas rather than the studio. The cast are a ragbag of the well-knowns of the time and many, many extras from young ruffians to bowler-hatted officials. It's fun and can be watched many times over. This must be at least my sixth.

It must have seemed like a breath of fresh air at the time - years of the Ministries commanding everyone in that 'proper', clipped voice, about every little detail - which they all knew they had to dutifully do. And now, we can all have a 'right larf'! at their expense.