User Reviews

SPOILERS Many different comedy series nowadays have at one point or another experimented with the idea of obscure independence. In an early episode of cartoon "Family Guy" the Griffin family find their home is an independent nation to the United States of America and the story progresses from there. Way back in 1949 however, the Ealing Studios produced a wonderful little film along the same idea.

After a child's prank, the residents of Pimlico discover a small fortune in treasure. At the inquest it becomes clear that the small area is a small outcrop of the long lost state of Burgundy. Withdrawing from London and the rest of Great Britain, the residents of the small street experience the joys and the problems with being an independent state.

Based at a time when rationing was still in operation, this story is brilliantly told and equally inspiring. Featuring performances by Stanley Holloway, Betty Warren, Philip Stainton and a young Charles Hawtrey, the film is well stocked with some of the finest actors of their generation. These actors are well aided as well by a superb little script with some cracking lines. Feeling remarkably fresh, despite being over 50 years old, the story never feels awkward and always keeps the audience entertained.

Ealing Studios was one of the finest exporters of British film ever in existence. With films like "Passport to Pimlico" it's not difficult to see why. Amusing from start to finish, the story is always fun and always worth watching.

My former Cambridge contemporary Simon Heffer, today a writer and journalist, has put forward the theory that, just as British film-makers in the eighties were often critical of what they called "Thatcher's Britain", the Ealing comedies were intended as satires on "Attlee's Britain", the Britain which had come into being after the Labour victory in the 1945 general election. This theory was presumably not intended to apply to, say, "Kind Hearts and Coronets" (which is, if anything, a satire on the Edwardian upper classes) or to "The Ladykillers" or "The Lavender Hill Mob", both of which may contain some satire but are not political in nature. It can, however, be applied to most of the other films in the series, especially "Passport to Pimlico".

Pimlico is, or at least was in the forties, a predominantly working-class district of London, set on the North Bank of the Thames about a mile from Victoria station. It is not quite correct to say, as has often been said, that the film is about Pimlico "declaring itself independent" of Britain. What happens is that an ancient charter comes to light proving that in the fifteenth century the area was ceded by King Edward IV to the Duchy of Burgundy. This means that, technically, Pimlico is an independent state, and has been for nearly five hundred years, irrespective of the wishes of its inhabitants. The government promise to pass a special Act of Parliament to rectify the anomaly, but until the Act receives the Royal Assent the area remains outside the United Kingdom and British laws do not apply.

Because Pimlico is not subject to British law, the landlord of the local pub is free to open whatever hours he chooses and local shopkeepers can sell whatever they please to whomever they please, unhindered by the rationing laws. When other traders start moving into the area to sell their goods in the streets, the British authorities are horrified by what they regard as legalised black-marketeering and seal off the area to try and force the "Burgundians", as the people of Pimlico have renamed themselves, to surrender.

Many of the Ealing comedies have as their central theme the idea of the little man taking on the system, either as an individual as happens in "The Man in the White Suit" or "The Lavender Hill Mob", or as part of a larger community as happens in "Whisky Galore" or "The Titfield Thunderbolt". The central theme of "Passport" is that of ordinary men and women taking on bureaucracy and government-imposed regulations which seemed to be an increasingly important feature of life in the Britain of the forties. The film's particular target is the rationing system. During the war the system had been accepted by most people as a necessary sacrifice in the fight against Nazism, but it became increasingly politically controversial when the government tried to retain it in peacetime. It was a major factor in the growing unpopularity of the Attlee administration which had been elected with a large majority in 1945, and organisations such as the British Housewives' League were set up to campaign for the abolition of rationing. I cannot agree with the reviewer who stated that the main targets of the film's satire were the "spivs" (black marketeers), who play a relatively minor part in the action, or the Housewives' League, who do not appear at all. The satire is very much targeted at the bureaucrats, who are portrayed either as having a "rules for rules' sake" mentality or a desire to pass the buck and avoid having to take any action at all.

I suspect that if the film were to be made today it would have a different ending with Pimlico remaining independent as a British version of Monaco or San Marino. (Indeed, I suspect that today this concept would probably serve as the basis of a TV sitcom rather than a film). In 1949, however, four years after the end of the war, the film-makers were keen stress patriotism and British identity, so the film ends with Pimlico being reabsorbed into Britain. One of the best-known lines from the film is "We always were English and we always will be English and it's just because we ARE English that we're sticking up for our right to be Burgundians". There is a sharp contrast between the rather heartless attitude of officialdom with the common sense, tolerance and good humour of the Cockneys of Pimlico, all of which are presented as being quintessentially British characteristics.

Most of the action takes place during a summer drought and sweltering heatwave, but in the last scene, after Pimlico has rejoined the UK the temperature drops and it starts to pour with rain. Global warming may have altered things slightly, but for many years part of being British was the ability to hold the belief, whatever statistics might say to the contrary, that Britain had an abnormally wet climate. The ability to make jokes about that climate was equally important.

There is a good performance from Stanley Holloway as Arthur Pemberton, the grocer and small-time local politician who becomes the Prime Minister of free Pimlico, and an amusing cameo from Margaret Rutherford as a batty history professor. In the main, however, this is, appropriately enough for a film about a small community pulling together, an example of ensemble acting with no real star performances but with everyone making a contribution to an excellent film. It lacks the ill-will and rancour of many more recent satirical films, but its wit and satire are no less effective for all that. It remains one of the funniest satires on bureaucracy ever made and, with the possible exception of "Kind Hearts and Coronets" is my personal favourite among the Ealing comedies. 10/10

Passport to Pimlico is a real treat for all fans of British cinema. Not only is it an enjoyable and thoroughly entertaining comedy, but it is a cinematic flashback to a bygone age, with attitudes and scenarios sadly now only a memory in British life.

Stanley Holloway plays Pimlico resident Arthur Pemberton, who after the accidental detonation of an unexploded bomb, discovers a wealth of medieval treasure belonging to the 14th Century Duke of Burgundy that has been buried deep underneath their little suburban street these last 600 years.

Accompanying the treasure is an ancient legal decree signed by King Edward IV of England (which has never been officially rescinded) to state that that particular London street had been declared Burgandian soil, which means that in the eyes of international law, Pemberton and the other local residents are no longer British subjects but natives of Burgundy and their tiny street an independent country in it's own right and a law unto itself.

This sets the war-battered and impoverished residents up in good stead as they believe themselves to be outside of English law and jurisdiction, so in an act of drunken defiance they burn their ration books, destroy and ignore their clothing coupons, flagrantly disregard British licencing laws etc, declaring themselves fully independent from Britain.

However, what then happens is ever spiv, black marketeer and dishonest crook follows suit and crosses the 'border' into Burgundy as a refuge from the law and post-war restrictions to sell their dodgy goods, and half of London's consumers follow them in order to dodge the ration, making their quiet happy little haven, a den of thieves and a rather crowded one at that.

Appealing to Whitehall for assistance, they are told that due to developments this is "now a matter of foreign policy, which His Majesty's Government is reluctant to become involved" which leaves the residents high and dry. They do however declare the area a legal frontier and as such set up a fully equipped customs office at the end of the road, mainly to monitor smuggling than to ensure any safety for the residents of Pimlico.

Eventually the border is closed altogether starting a major siege, with the Bugundian residents slowly running out of water and food, but never the less fighting on in true British style. As one Bugundian resident quotes, "we're English and we always were English, and it's just because we are English, we are fighting so hard to be Bugundians"

A sentiment that is soon echoed throughout the capital as when the rest of London learn of the poor Bugundians plight they all feel compelled to chip in and help them, by throwing food and supplies over the barbed wire blockades.

Will Whitehall, who has fought off so may invaders throughout the centuries finally be brought to it's knees by this new batch of foreigners, especially as these ones are English!!!!

Great tale, and great fun throughout. Not to be missed.

Pleasant story of the community of Pimlico in London who, after an unexploded WW2 bomb explodes, find a Royal Charter stating that the area they live in forms part of Burgundy.

This movie works because it appeals to the fantasy a lot of us have about making up our own rules and not having to listen to THEM. A solid cast of British stalwarts, especially Stanley Holloway, makes this more believable.

There are some very nice moments in the film, such as when the people have ran out of supplies and other Londoners on the other side of the barricade start throwing food and other things over to them.

Even though you always knew Pimlico would become part of the UK again, the people of PImlico and as a consequence the viewer doesn't mind when this happens, leaving a nice happy feeling.

It's amazing to think that these low budget movies from a small studio in London still remain so popular over fifty years later. The producers must have got something right.

My cable TV has what's called the Arts channel, which is a "catch-as-catch-can" situation sometimes, sometimes films, sometimes short clips of films or ballets, and I came into this just as the bar scene came on, where they tear up their coupons. Excellent, exquisite, Ealing wins again, my wartime-Glasgow-raised mother would love this, should I ever find a copy of it. Some of Britain's best artists, from Mr Holloway to Wayne and Radford and the delicious Miss Rutherford, having a wonderful time gently sticking it to the Home Office. Loved the last scene, where as soon as they are "back in England!" the temperature plummets and it rains...

Classic Quintessentially English Comedy, set in the London Borough of Pimlico in the wake of the second World War. There is all of the camaraderie, that showed itself during the conflict especially around the blitz. After the war Britain still had to undergo rationing, because essential materials were in short supply. Unlike defeated countries Britain wasn't bombarded with aid to help rebuild the country. People had to learn to what became known as make do and mend, meaning to be self sufficient.

Other effects of the war was unexploded bombs and other munitions, that remained buried where they laid. They were still being unearthed well after the war had finished until the present day, whenever roads were being repaired etc they could still be located.

In the film a bomb is discovered and exploded, this brings to light an underground tunnel with its buried treasure. This it transpired is related to the ancient Borough of Burgundy, when it existed as effectively an indipendant country. And when England was itself made up of similar entities, for the purpose of the film one of those is the part of London Pimlico.

In the film its discovered that Pimlico is part of Burgundy, which at that time meant it wasn't governed or affected by rationing. Which is why people enthusiastically embrace the whole notion of being French.

I love this film for so many reasons, it is a slice of time encapsulated in celluloid, a time of my childhood as I was born in 1948. It is a brilliant film with a mottley collection of colourful characters, and its a veritable who's who of comedy actors of the period. Its great to see so many of them at such an early stage in their careers. For instance Charles Hawtrey as nothing more than a kid, years before he saw fame in the Carry On films. Stanley Holloway is one of my absolute favourite actors from this period as is Margaret Rutherford, I really love them in everything that they have done.

1949 was a good year for Ealing Studios. It saw the release of Kind Hearts and Coronets and Whiskey Galore!, both of the widely considered to be classics of their kind, and they were joined by Henry Cornelius' Passport to Pimlico, which is surely one of the most quintessentially English films ever made. Passport to Pimlico's wonderfully absurd plot by screenwriter T. E. B. Clarke sees the London suburb of Pimlico declared an independent enclave of Burgundy when a World War Two bomb explodes and uncovers ancient documentation stating that it is part of that Duchy. What follows is, essentially, a comedy about English bureaucracy, as the newly independent Burgundians realise that they are free of it, resulting in an escalating battle of wits between them and the British Government. And it is quintessentially English rather than British, exploiting stereotypes of the English character and outlook from the era. Thus, an obscure legal quirk is gleefully exploited by all and sundry, as people realise that rationing doesn't apply to Burgundy and British institutions suddenly have no power, with local bank manager Mr Wix and the neighbourhood policeman PC Spiller quick to throw in their lot. This is an England of committees, and of the simultaneous desire of the English to rage against petty rules whilst wanting law and order to be maintained. When black marketers move in, eager to exploit the opportunities that Burgundy offers, the Burgundians are quick to establish their own microcosm of law and order. At one point, a character opines, "It's just because we are English that we're sticking out for out right to be Burgundian!" Paul Dupuis's Sébastien de Charolais, Duke of Burgundy, is used to further poke fun at the English, as he marvels at the government's power to enforce rules not by actual force, but politely asking people not to do things. The Burgundians rationing and tightening their belts when they are effectively placed under siege by Whitehall mirrors World War Two's Blitz "Spirit", whilst the English sense of fair play means that when the Burgundians run out of food, the public of London rally to send more across the barricades. Inevitably, the film ends with the natural order restored, Burgundy negotiating a return of Pimlico to the British government. And as one character notes, "You never know when you're well off 'til you aren't", with everybody's five minutes of rebellion at an end and the status quo cheerfully restored. Symbolically, the drought during which the film is set is broken by rain and the temperature plummets as the film comes to an end. Passport to Pimlico might thus be described as satire and it remains as funny now - and as pointedly accurate - as it was in 1949. The ensemble cast is excellent, and includes fine performances from Stanley Holloway as Arthur Pemberton, shop-keeper turned Prime Minister of Burgundy, and Margaret Rutherford as the magnificently eccentric as Professor Hatton-Jones. They are probably the most recognisable actors in the film (aside from Charles Hawtrey in the minor role of Bert Fitch), but the cast otherwise consists entirely of character actors, none of whom put a foot wrong. Henry Cornelius does a great job as director, making fine use of the London location filming and the typically impressive Ealing studio sets. Cornelius wasn't a flashy director, although he makes good use of the cinematic techniques available at the time and the cinematography from Lionel Banes suits his style. The newsreel footage is accurately shot, whilst the covert mission to turn a hydrant back on is shot like a scene from a war film, both further invoking the "Blitz Spirit" aspects of the script. Cornelius is known to have clashed with producer Michael Balcon throughout filming and left Ealing immediately afterwards, but it certainly doesn't show. Overall, Passport to Pimlico deserves its place amongst the list of classic Ealing comedies and in its gentle mocking of the English relationship with their government it remains as perceptive as ever.