Passport to Pimlico
by Henry Cornelius
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DVD Cover Information
Director: Henry CorneliusPrimary Contributor: Margaret Rutherford
Primary Contributor: Stanley Holloway
Primary Contributor: Hermione Baddeley
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown)
Format: Black & White, Full Screen, NTSC
Running Time: 84 unknown-units
Studio: Movies Unlimited
Movie Reviews of Passport to Pimlico
Movie Review: Imagine there's no countries...
Summary: 5 Stars
I was reminded of this little comedy through something I had read and recently obtained it for family viewing. Although very dated it is an amusing work in the great British tradition of fighting bureaucracy and government in general and poking fun at ourselves too.
There are a few barriers to overcome first, for instance, living in the land of the plenty and instant gratification, as I currently do, it is hard to explain the concept of wartime rationing to children, or why it was that everyone flocked to Pimlico once there was the realisation that the normal rules no longer applied, to sell things. Similarly my children were horrified by the fishmonger wrapping up a fish in newspaper. They were even more so when I told them it was the only way to eat fish and chips (by which I mean fries).
But anyway, on with the tale. This is an engaging tale of ordinary folks fighting for their rights and treasure against the Whitehall bureaucracy (the man in Whitehall knows best). By accidentally exploding a leftover bomb from the blitz, some children enable a treasure trove to be found which includes a lost document declaring Pimlico to be a fiefdom of the Duke of Burgundy. This in itself brought a wry smile. Parts of London, really a part of France. Funnily enough I had read earlier of the news that the 2007 Tour de France is to start in London! The plot proceeds in a series of moves and counter moves, each yielding some small victory to one side or another until at last one skirmish seems to have settled the game for the Freedom Fighters when the same victory appears to bring utter defeat. Just as they are about to concede, the great British public steps in to help the underdogs which even stretches to airlifts of milk, a comment no doubt on the Berlin airlift. Finally, in another great British tradition, a compromise is reached and they all live happily ever after.
There is a great deal of social commentary in this movie about the very slow end to rationing after the Second World War had ended and how resilient the British people were. The enemy were no longer the French or the Germans but our own civil servants. Many would consider things to be no different today. There is a relatively brief appearance by Margaret Rutherford, better know for her Miss Marple role, who enlivens the proceedings. All in all an interesting and amusing movie where things were much more simple and relatively quick action could achieve so much as opposed to endless chattering in committees and boards which has become the hallmark of modern industrial societies.
On to more Ealing comedies...the Carry On series beckons...
Summary of Passport to Pimlico
This, the first of England's Ealing Studios comedies, has become a minor classic. A London neighborhood declares itself independent from England after an unearthed ancient document indicates they actually belong to Burgundy. Margaret Rutherford, Stanley Holloway and Hermione Baddeley star. 84 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English mono; scene access.Similar DVD Movies
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