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Passport to Pimlico
An ancient document reveals that London's Pimlico district really belongs to France. And the Pimlico community, eager to abandon post-War constraints, quickly establish their independence as a ration-free state, with hilarious results. Read more
| Starring | Stanley Holloway, Hermione Baddeley, Sydney Tafler, Betty Warren |
|---|---|
| Director | Henry Cornelius |
| Genres | Comedy |
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Passport to Pimlico
An ancient document reveals that London's Pimlico district really belongs to France. And the Pimlico community, eager to abandon post-War constraints, quickly establish their independence as a ration-free state, with hilarious results.
| Starring | Stanley Holloway, Hermione Baddeley, Sydney Tafler, Betty Warren, Barbara Murray |
|---|---|
| Director | Henry Cornelius |
| Studio | WARNER HOME VIDEO |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Comedy |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 02 Sep 2002 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (2)
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The cosiest of the Ealing comedies, this is essentially a one-joke affair that is spun out with masterly skill by that most gifted teller of shaggy-dog stories, TEB Clarke, who received an Oscar nomination for his story and screenplay. Once local historian Margaret Rutherford discovers that the Pimlico area of London belongs to the Duchy of Burgundy, the scene could have been set for a sniping satire on the state of postwar England. Clarke and director Henry Cornelius's decision to cock only the gentlest of snooks at such bugbears as rationing and the breakdown of wartime camaraderie is slightly disappointing, but the majority of the situations are ingenious, and the cast is top quality.
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A cleverly detailed little comedy which inaugurated the best period of Ealing, its preoccupation with suburban man and his foibles. Not exactly satire, but great fun, and kindly with it.
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Most helpful member's review
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10 out of 10 people found this review helpful
Intelligent, historical, and very, very funny
In the heatwave of the summer of 1948, the inhabitants of the London borough of Pimlico are still labouring under wartime rationing on food and clothing, and surrounded by bombed-out buildings and all the austerity of post-war London. They argue over how to develop their local area for the good of their community. Should they sell their bombed-out land for development or develop it themselves into a local leisure centre? Then the local children set off an unexploded bomb, uncovering old documents that reveal that Pimlico is actually legally Burgundy and not part of England at all. No more rationing, licensing laws or trading restrictions! All-night drinking, music and dancing, Sunday trading and the ready availability of bank loans draw in the crowds to the new free state of Pimlico/Burgundy. The British government is first baffled, then reacts by closing the frontier and cutting off vital supplies. Just like Britain a few years before, little Pimlico is under siege. As the adult inhabitants bicker, the children are evacuated to safety and Whitehall refuses to negotiate, can plucky little Pimlico survive? This is an insightful satire, exploring human motivation, relationships, conflicts and attitudes to authority with clear-sighted affection. It is also very, very funny. Watch out for the keep-fit crank, whom director Henry Cornelius introduced as an image of 'the widely-vaunted madness of the English'.
This film is especially recommended for those studying GSCE History (Second World War) as an enjoyable introduction to the effect of the war on ordinary people in London. -
Most recent members' review
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5 out of 5 people found this review helpful
Comic caper in old London town
Great short story set in Pimlico in the 1940's, full of chirpy cockneys and other London folk. Great fun for a Sunday afternoon.
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