Ealing's postwar London: from Pimlico to the Blue Lamp

Learn about post-war London through the films of Ealing studios including The Blue Lamp and Passport to Pimlico

London emerged from World War II victorious yet war-ravaged, as the Blitz of 1940-1 and 1944-5 destroyed vast swathes of the London landscape. The subsequent ruins and rubble exposed much the pre-war city and, due to a scarcity of materials, rebuilding was a slow process. London’s distinct post-war landscape and character, marked by victory, devastation then rebuilding, was one that sparked the imagination of filmmakers, novelists and photographers

This talk explores how Ealing Studios depicted and used London’s unique post-war landscape for fictional stories in the immediate aftermath of WWII. Ealing Studios produced several films shot and set in inner-London, with themes and characters that resonated with post-war audiences. The talk focuses on three of Ealing’s post-war London films; Hue and Cry (1947), Passport to Pimlico (1949) and The Blue Lamp (1950). These films were produced during Ealing and British cinema’s ‘golden age’ as cinemagoing was the key leisure activity, with cinema attendance reaching its peak in Britain in 1946 with 1,635 million admissions.

All three films were popular with both critics and audiences. Critics praised the films’ ‘authentic’ depictions of London and use of extensive location shooting. Using archival footage, including production documents, scripts and newspaper reports, this talk provides a production and reception history of the three films, arguing that their use of locations posits them as important historical documents and a fascinating insight into how British filmmakers used and represented the unique post-war London landscape.

About the speaker

Jenny Stewart is a film historian specialising in post-war British cinema. She is a Digital Learning Officer and Principal Examiner for A Level Film Studies at the Welsh Joint Education Committee. Previously, Jenny taught film at the University of Leicester and the University of Nottingham.

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