A nice way to pass a few hours with a cup of tea and sandwiches. Jolly old England - after the Blitz and before Rock and Roll. Boy, times look tough in post war London, many things were still rationed (infact ration books didn't end until 1954!). Hardly a car on the street too!Some solid, dry acting. The police act very cool and business like - wish I could say the same for the constantly screeching Peggy Evans. Dirk Bogarde looks great - That look wouldn't look out of place in a modern day film. Very cool hair! Crisp sound and some really great camera work and nice lighting. Storywise - the ending could have been a bit more imaginative. Time for a beefed up remake - Guy Ritchie?

I can't remember which part of the film has someone saying what "The Blue Lamp" means, but I stuck with this quite good film, and I was thinking of switching off. Basically Jack Warner as PC George Dixon and Jimmy Hanley as PC Andy Mitchell are on the lookout for two criminals who have murdered an officer, and stolen a couple of things. That is pretty much all I can think of to say about the film, because that is all I remember. I think one main reason I wanted to see this film was because of James Bond's Bernard Lee as Insp. Cherry, he wasn't on often though. Also starring Dirk Bogarde as Tom Riley, Robert Flemyng as Sgt. Roberts, Peggy Evans as Diana Lewis, Patric Doonan as Spud, Bruce Seton as PC Campbell and Meredith Edwards as PC Hughes. Considered to many as a classic, for me, only worth seeing once. It won the BAFTA for Best British Film. Okay!

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

I taped The Blue Lamp when Channel 4 screened it one afternoon and found it very good.It is about the normal life of Paddington Green Police station in London and the police have more work on when a murderer strikes. Worse still, one of the murderer's victims is PC George Dixon. These murders turn out to be connected with a series of robberies on shops and the search for the killer is stepped up. He is caught at the end in a greyhound stadium.The Blue Lamp gives you an idea on what life was like at this time (1950) and it is great to see the old buses, trolleybuses, cars and other vehicles in the background. Very atmospheric at times too.The cast is lead by Jack Warner as PC Dixon and is joined by Dirk Bogarde (Doctor In the House), Jimmy Hanley, Robert Flemyng (The Blood Beast Terror), Bernard Lee (long before he appeared as M in the James Bond movies), Gladys Henson and Dora Bryan (who can now be seen in comedy Last of the Summer Wine). Great parts from all.Despite him being killed off in this, Jack Warner went on to star as PC Dixon in the long running and successful TV series Dixon of Dock Green.The Blue Lamp is British drama at its best. Excellent.Rating: 4 stars out of 5.