NekoHomey Purely Joyful Movie!

Tedfoldol everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Supelice Dreadfully Boring

Curapedi I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

wes-connors "Welcome to Pimlico, a suburb of London where an unexploded bomb from World War II accidentally explodes. The aftermath reveals buried treasure and ancient documents that prove the region to be part of the French province of Burgundy, and consequently foreign territory. An un-amused British Government tries to regain control by creating border checkpoints and cutting off essential services. However, they haven't reckoned with the resolve of the 'Burgundians' who are determined to fight for their newly found independence," according to the folks at synopsis central...Betty Warren (as Connie) explains, "We always were English and we'll always be English, and it's just because we are English that we're sticking up for our right to be Burgundians!" This is the kind of humor prevalent in T.E.B. Clarke's witty script. British manners or lack thereof are quite nicely captured, but a closer inspection reveals fun poked at imperialism and classed society in general. The story was supposedly based on an actual Canadian incident; the notion is also evident in United States "Reservations" declared for Native Americans and the partitioning of Berlin.******** Passport to Pimlico (4/26/49) Henry Cornelius ~ Stanley Holloway, Hermione Baddeley, Margaret Rutherford, Paul Dupuis

bkoganbing Although sometimes it takes a bit of knowledge of foreign institutions to get some of the humor being imparted in a comedy like Passport To Pimlico in this case American audiences could have identified with it immediately. We had the same kind of price controls that were kept in place even after peace was declared in the USA and American moviegoers could have truly related to what the residents of Pimlico were going through.It's now peace in Europe as the United Kingdom as well as the rest of the continent start to rebuild after World War II. The residents of the London working class neighborhood of Pimlico one fine day have one of Mr. Hitler's unexploded calling cards go off on them. One of the leading citizens of Pimlico, green grocer Stanley Holloway goes down into the hole and comes up with treasure which the crown immediately claims. But he also uncovers a document which reveals that the last Duke of Burgundy did not die in 1477, but escaped and was granted asylum in England by Edward IV and given a royal charter for what is now the neighborhood of Pimlico. And along comes a Frenchman, Jean Dupuis who claims to be a descendant of the Duke and the current rightful Duke. He makes Holloway his prime minister.Getting a few city blocks declared foreign territory opens up some interesting possibilities, all exploited in Passport To Pimlico. It gets kind of wild there with London trams stopped for customs and immigration, when the black market can operate with impunity in these blocks, the local bank is nationalized by the new Burgundian government. It's all quite merry and done with style.Naturally this does come to an end though I will not say how. I have to also single out Margaret Rutherford as an eccentric history professor who is the one who translates the charter scroll and sets all this merriment in motion.The British public just as the American public was tired of the wartime rationing and price controls. Their movie-going public and our's both responded well to one of Ealing Studios best comedies of the era.

Tim Kidner They say that the Ealing era was the British film industry's finest hour. Today, they are certainly dated but in an inventive, often very funny way. Not quaint, nor sloppy, nor nostalgic. As such they are all very watchable (& enjoyable)"Passport to..." to my mind, is the best that depicts the street level London directly after the War, with the close-knit community rallying round, but with that 'spirit' that saw them through the Blitz. So, there's wheeling and dealing, pushing their luck, practical jokes and a broad humour that's infectious. The story is absolute mumbo-jumbo nonsense with the subliminal message mocking the bureaucratic minefield that was necessary in shaping a devastated Britain - and London. Job's worth petty rules fly in the face of common sense. To my mind, this is the best Ealing that snapshots a time and a place - many of the scenes are shot out in the bombed-cleared areas rather than the studio. The cast are a ragbag of the well-knowns of the time and many, many extras from young ruffians to bowler-hatted officials. It's fun and can be watched many times over. This must be at least my sixth.It must have seemed like a breath of fresh air at the time - years of the Ministries commanding everyone in that 'proper', clipped voice, about every little detail - which they all knew they had to dutifully do. And now, we can all have a 'right larf'! at their expense.

John O'Neill 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.