Passport to Pimlico [DVD]

On a stifling hot afternoon in Miramont Place, Pimlico, an unexploded bomb is accidentaly exploded, revealing a hidden treasure trove, a painting and some mysterious documents. When the documents are translated by Professor Hatton-Jones of London University (Margaret Rutherford)the inhabitants of Miramont Place learnt to their astonishment that they live on land that belongs to the Duchy of Burgundy, granted to the Duke by Edward IV, and that they are technically Burgundians. At first they have a wonderful time being Burgundians, tearing up their ration books, burning their identity cards, and ignoring the licensing and betting laws, but trouble starts when black market traders start to flood into the area. Shopkeeper Stanley Holloway forms a governing comittee, which includes another local shopkeeper, delightful Hermione Baddley ,and the present holder of the title of Duke of Burgundy,a charming young Frenchman, turns up to claim his dukedom and court Stanley Holloway's daughter. Frustrated by the lack of cooperation in Whitehall, the Burgundians stop the underground trains that pass beneath Miramont Place, and make the passengers go through customs., "The Burgundians are a fighting people" as Margaret Rutherford triumphantly remarks "Consider what they did against the might of Louis XI!" Then Whitehall decides to close the border, and things get really tough for the Burgundians, with dwindling food and water, but they are determined to fight on and not be crushed by bureaucracy. This is an absolutely wonderful film, a brilliant and hilarious plot, wonderful comic performances, with Margaret Rutherford outstanding, and, unlike many of the later Ealing comedies, a cheerful and upbeat ending. By far and away my favourite British comedy.

"Passport to Pimlico" is a quaint, almost absurd , Ealing comedy set in post-WW2 London, still enduring rationing and still living amidst the ruined homes and factories of the Blitz. Against a background of a heatwave and UXB's , a treasure trove is uncovered in a cellar in Pimlico alongside a document which is a 15th Century Royal Charter proclaiming that the area in which the treasure was found is actually the property of the erstwhile Duke of Burgundy from France. This technicality leads to a farcical series of events as Pimlico declares itself independent after the British Crown claims their treasure trove. This is a likeable film, original,witty and quintessentially British and it provides an interesting social and cultural snapshot of post-War Britain. It is equally fascinating that 55 years after it was released ,the London (and Britain) of "Passport to Pimlico" is utterly unrecognisable and alien, which is a measure of the rapidity and intensity of social,economic and cultural change that has taken place since then.

A few years back, I bought a VHS copy of Passport to Pimlico at a local bargain store, where it sold for a mere two dollars. The quality wasn't great but the movie was. I had seen it once before as a youngster, and was just as entertained by the ingenuity of the plot and the superb acting on my second viewing. This movie is not available on DVD in the US, which is a shame. It's a shame because a vast audience of Americans can't view this excellent British comedy which ranks up there with The Man in the White Suit, and The Lavender Hill Mob. Let's hope that if it does appear, it won't be re-made into something as tawdry as the recent Ladykillers, with Tom Hanks. This pathetic Hollywood re-make destroyed the charm and wit of the original 1956 movie, IMHO, and I would hate to see that happen to Passport to Pimlico. Why can't they leave the classics alone?