The Blue Lamp

1950
Approved
1h 24m

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Dirk Bogarde and Peggy Evans in The Blue Lamp (1950)

The daily routine of two London policemen is interrupted by a killer.The daily routine of two London policemen is interrupted by a killer.The daily routine of two London policemen is interrupted by a killer.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.8/10

2.7K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Won 1 BAFTA Award
- 1 win & 1 nomination total

Photos135

+ 128

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Police Constable George Dixon's (Jack Warner's) comment about the missing dog, "You ought to have called him Strachey", is a reference to the then Minister for Food, John Strachey. He was in charge of rationing and, like the dog, was accused of stealing food from the people.

Goofs
As PC Dixon leaves the police station to go on his beat, he picks up his cape and puts it over his shoulder. A short while later he's seen on his beat, but his cape has disappeared. He may, however, have put the cape into the local police call box before starting his beat.

Quotes
Diana Lewis: What d'ye think I am? Soft or something?
Spud: Yeah.

Crazy credits
We acknowledge with gratitude the help given by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, Sir Harold Scott, K.C.B., K.B.E., and men and women of the Metropolitan Police. To them, and their colleagues in the Police Service of Britain, we dedicate this film.

Alternate versions
Although this film is famous for the first spoken use of the word "bastard" as a profanity, the Talking Pictures TV channel in the UK show a slightly modified version where the word has been removed by a clever piece of editing.

Connections
Featured in Tuesday's Documentary: The Ealing Comedies or Kind Hearts and Overdrafts (1970)

Soundtracks
Bless 'em All
(uncredited)
Written by Fred Godfrey (1917)
Revised lyrics by Jimmy Hughes and Frank Lake (1940)
Sung by Cameron Hall at the police station

User reviews54

Review

Featured review

6/10

A London i remember

When the Blue Lamp was released i was around 3 years old.I therefore do remember the London that it shows.To me the film is more interesting in what it reveals about the London of 1950 than the actual story.It shows the Metropolitan Music hall in the Edgware Road.It was in the last few years of its life before the A4 cutting a swathe into London meant that it was demolished for "progress".Music Hall by this time was in its last throes and what was left would be rendered extinct by the arrival of ITV.We see the Colloseium in Harlesden.Every High Street had cinemas like this.If you look carefully you will see that they were showing "Granny Get Your Gun" a 1940 "B" feature with May Robson.So it was probably a second run house.There are the bomb sites.I remember that in certain parts of London,particularly the East End there mere were more such sites than actual buildings.The streets do not have a great deal of traffic as there was little traffic at that time.So a film of some sociological interest