krishkmenon Now here's an unpretentious film with no glamour or glitz but keeps you hooked. Move over Hollywood, and give the "Bulldog" his due. The film moves at a pace that would seem a little slow focussing on trivial duties and lifestyles of the London bobby but don't go away the action and human drama starts halfway through and my word does it start moving! Dirk Bogarde is excellent and his portrayal of a petty hoodlum with a psychopathic streak which masks his fear is unforgettable. The bombed out East End of London and the Cockney accent takes one to post-War England. The coppers of yesteryear England did not wear guns and so do most present coppers in the sub-continent today but the director narrates by his tale that this is no walkover for criminals. Watch it.

kidboots After the War and during the 50s British cinema attempted to bring a realism to the screen. I think the aim of "The Blue Lamp" was to show the police force as a cohesive group that would look after you and take care of things after the chaos of the war. Starting with a thrilling car chase and just a police siren over the credits, it heralded a new era in British drama.After playing Joe Huggett in a series of working class comedies, Jack Warner was probably pleased to play P.C. Dixon in "The Blue Lamp". He didn't realize that the character would haunt him to his death. "Dixon of Dock Green" TV series ran from 1955 to 1976. Even though Dixon's death was the pivotal part in "The Blue Lamp" the character was bought back for his own TV show. Dirk Bogarde hit the jackpot with his role as the punk Tommy and really captured the public's fancy.Tommy (Bogarde) and Spud rob a jewelry store. They are young punks, fuelled by the gangster films they see at the cinemas. They are helped by Diana Lewis (Peggy Evans) a young girl who has run away from home to escape the drudgery of poverty. The boys rob the local cinema, where she works and when Dixon (Jack Warner) confronts them he is shot and later dies of his wounds. The whole of New Scotland Yard are out in force to get the "cop killer".The last half of the film is about the mental disintegration of Tommy. The chase which starts in a car, follows on foot across wasteground and railway tracks, and finishes at a grey hound meet is exciting. The way they catch Tommy using police tactics and bookie sign language is very interesting.Highly recommended.

Jackson Booth-Millard 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!

Chris Gaskin 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.