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The Ealing Studios classic now digitally restored!
"Loveably dotty, while still smartly caustic... the Ealing ethos at its very best" **** Empire
Ealing Studios' output from the 1940s and 1950s helped define what was arguably the golden age for British cinema. Written by Ealing regular T.E.B. Clarke, Passport to Pimlico was nominated
by BAFTA in the Best British Film category and stars Stanley Holloway, Hermione Baddeley, Margaret Rutherford and Paul Dupuis.
When an unexploded WWII bomb is unexpectedly detonated in Pimlico, it reveals a buried cellar full of treasures, including an ancient document proving that the area is in fact part of Burgundy, France and thus foreign territory. In an attempt to regain control, the British Government set up borders and cut off all services to the area, but the ‘Burgundians' are determined to fight back!
Special Features:
• Interview with BFI Curator Mark Duguid
• Locations Featurette with Film Historian Richard Dacre
• Behind the Scenes Stills Gallery • Restoration Comparison
• Restored Trailer
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 31 people found the following review helpful
By L O'connor
Format: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.
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful
By L. Davidson
VINE™ VOICE
Format:DVD
"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.
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:DVD
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?
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape|Amazon Verified Purchase
I remember as a lad watching this film & wishing it could happen to my hometown. I'm only 40 by the way.
This film is all about an area of London that through an UXB accident becomes a country on it's own. The comedy is set around Whitehalls need to negotiate terms with the "Bergundians" of Pimlico. It's classic 50's comedy, slightly dated, but highly charming.
Stanley Holloway plays the Prime Minister of Bergundia. And plays a great comic lead.
Put the kettle on, make a cuppa. Then put your feet up & pop on this video. You'll switch off from all the troubles of the 21st Century, & be transported back to a gentler age of comedy.
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
By David Lusher
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Format:DVD
Post-war London - a place of bomb sites, ration books, licensing laws and to cap it all, it's a sweltering summer. Kids playing on a bomb site accidentally set off an unexploded bomb, uncovering an ancient treasure that indicates that the area is part of Burgundy. The locals are quick to take advantage of the situation and create a ration-free state, but things start to get very complicated! A rather surreal, but inventive film which, in post-war Britain (still under rationing) would have been welcomed like a breath of fresh air. A great cast, including Stanley Holloway, Margaret Rutherford, and a young Charles Hawtrey. One of Ealing's most popular films, it drags a bit in parts. However, the story is irresistible.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
A slightly early celebration of the end of rationing, it reminds one of just how great a pounding London received with great empty areas to be seen in this and the Lavender Hill Mob. Stanley Holloway is a grocer and general goods dealer with a dream of a swimming pool and recreation centre occupying the central bombed out court of the square in which all the characters live. Complexity arrives when the local kids push a spool of telephone wire down a small incline and it sets off the bomb that is being excavated. This explosion gives access to a small treasure in gold table ware, and Margaret Rutherford does her usual star turn as Professor Hatton Jones who is able to prove that Pimilco actually belongs to the long dead Kingdom of Burgundy. Not only does this give the inhabitants access to the export departments of British goods not being sold in Britain at the time, but it also allows Pimlico to become a spiv's paradise, a source for ill-gotten and shoddy goods. Complexities ensue (including a flood that wipes out all food supplies) which eventually are resolved by a Burgundian loan to Britain. Everyone in the movie is wonderful, and I think it's utterly hilarious.
Rob Boyter
Rob Boyter
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Family Favorite
Post war London during rationing, not something to laugh about, but Passport to Pimlico provides a fantastic comedy story with characters and situations that almost wish you'd been... Read more
Published 1 day ago by Sharan Charlton
2.0 out of 5 stars
Charles Hawtrey at the piano
It's a nice idea. The residents of Pimlico separate from England courtesy of a discovered charter that aligns them with Burgundy. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Alex da Silva
3.0 out of 5 stars
Lightweight Burgundy
P. to P. is a modest Ealing Comedy if we're honest. There are some amusing scenes and the characters are, as always, a bit more then 'types'. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mario
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not viewed yet.
Bought to show our children and ~Grandchildren what it was like for us growing up, playing on Bomb sites as kids. iIs a great film.
Published 6 months ago by Violet Sugar
3.0 out of 5 stars
A glimpse of the past.
'Passport to Pimlico' is a lively glimpse into a post war world that has now gone. It very well portrays a society that was closer and much more friendly. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Paschal
4.0 out of 5 stars
Intelligent Comedy
Henry Cornelius' 1949 Ealing Comedy Passport To Pimlico was another production from the studio featuring a typically idiosyncratic screenplay by T E B Clark, and inspired by a... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Keith M
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great gentle classic for the other austerity years
Ealing at their best. Lots of well known faces, funny plot and some good shooting. I've always loved the passport scene on the tube train. Belin wall stuff.
Published 7 months ago by Barry Wom
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classic Passport
One of the great Ealing Studios comedies.
If you like films from this era the Blu-Ray is great to watch.
If you like films from this era the Blu-Ray is great to watch.
Published 8 months ago by John Graham
4.0 out of 5 stars
On a par with the other Ealing Blu-rays
Like the other Ealing releases on Blu-ray, Passport to Pimlico has undergone a digital makeover and for the most part is a big improvement on the DVD edition. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Chris White
4.0 out of 5 stars
When British comedies were at their zenith!
The story of "Passport to Pimlico" is one of those inventive comedies of classic British cinema. Pimlico is a small area of central London, and in it is a leftover WWII German... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Modrnknght
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