75 years of Passport to Pimlico

28th April 2024

75th anniversary of Passport to Pimlico & the birth of the Ealing Comedies

Happy Birthday to “Passport to Pimlico” which turns 75 today!

Today marks a very special celebration for fans of classic films as it’s 75 years to the day since the birth of the British film institution that became known as the Ealing Comedies.

On the 28th of April in 1949, “Passport to Pimlico” opened at both the Gaumont and Pavilion cinemas in London and proved to be a box office success.

Art & Hue presents Ealing Comedies posters pop art prints

Produced under the stewardship of Michael Balcon at Ealing Studios, “Passport to Pimlico” was one of the most popular films of 1949 and, along with “Whisky Galore!”, “Kind Hearts & Coronets”, & “A Run for Your Money“, all released in the same year within the space of a few months, firmly established the Ealing Comedies.

The studios had released comedies previously, such as “Hue & Cry” in 1947 and “Another Shore” in 1948, but Ealing’s prolific output in 1949 was a boom period for the studios, with critical and commercial success, that conceived the moniker “Ealing Comedies”.

Today marks 75 years of the classic film & the Ealing Comedies enduring in popularity, still being enjoyed and appreciated to this day.

The post-war films tapped into the public mood, presenting tales of the small underdog battling a larger enemy, generally state bureaucracy or established institutions, and whilst the morals of the time couldn’t allow crime or rebellion to go rewarded, for a brief moment, audiences could will on the unlikely heroes.

“Passport to Pimlico” set the pattern of employing a regular cast, similar to repertory theatre, with actors & actresses being used across several films. The film starred Stanley Holloway, Barbara Murray, Charles Hawtrey, Sydney Tafler, Philip Stainton, Frederick Piper, Paul Demel, Basil Radford & Naunton Wayne, who all went on to appear in another Ealing comedy.

In “Passport to Pimlico”, Basil Radford & Naunton Wayne continued their on-screen partnership that began in Alfred Hitchcock‘s “The Lady Vanishes” when they first appeared together as Charters & Caldicott.

The film also featured the formidable Margaret Rutherford as Professor Hatton-Jones, who demonstrates that Pimlico is actually part of Burgundy in France, following the discovery of a long-buried decree.

Nominated for a BAFTA, along with the Ealing Comedies “Whisky Galore!“, “Kind Hearts & Coronets” & “A Run for your Money“, it missed out to Carol Reed’s film noir “The Third Man“, which is also celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2024.

In various ways, the Ealing comedies set the groundwork for another successful comedy film franchise: the Carry On films. Both series of films shared an ensemble cast who were employed across different productions, tales of the underdog overcoming authority, and a very home-grown British humour with no concessions made to international audiences.

Many Carry On actors cut their teeth in the Ealing comedies, for example, Sid James was in “The Titfield Thunderbolt” and “The Lavender Hill Mob“, Charles Hawtrey was in “Passport to Pimlico” and “Who Done It?“, Hattie Jacques was in “The Love Lottery“, Joan Sims and Irene Handl appeared in “Meet Mr. Lucifer”, and Liz Fraser‘s first ever film role was in an Ealing comedy, “Touch & Go” with Jack Hawkins & John Fraser.

To mark 75 years of Ealing Comedies, Art & Hue has created 12 stylish pop art prints inspired by Ealing’s classic comedy films. These reimagined & remixed poster designs pay homage to the wit & charm of the era, celebrating the iconic productions that have left an indelible mark on film history & British comedy.

On official collaboration with Studiocanal, Art & Hue had the pleasure to delve into the archives of the Ealing Comedies to create this new collection of stylish pop art prints reimagining the film posters, all available in three sizes & many colour options. Exclusively by Art & Hue, all pop art is printed on museum-quality archival card of 310gsm, made from ethically-sourced 100% cotton, with fine-art pigment inks for longevity.

Discover the full Ealing Comedies collection here and, should you be in the mood to re-watch the film, or discover it afresh, you can order the film on DVD or Bluray via Amazon here, or watch it on iTunes now.

Even though the Pimlico residents in the film prefer pints of beer in their local pub, whilst Charles Hawtrey bashes out a tune on the piano, it seems more appropriate to raise a glass of wine from the Burgundy region of France to toast the film’s 75th birthday.

So charge your glasses with a crisp Chablis and raise a toast to “Passport to Pimlico”!