The Blue Lamp Reviews & Ratings - IMDb IMDb 35 out of 38 people found the following review useful: Very realistic Author: loza-1 9 June 2005 This was made just five years after the end of the second world war. Some old folk I spoke to as a kid told me that when they were kids there were no gangs of youths on the streets: there were gangs of men. After the second world war, we began to see the emergence of youth crime. It has grown since then, practically spiralling out of control. When we look at this film from the frame of reference of the early twenty-first century, this film where the London underworld joins with the police to track down the killer of a policeman looks unreal. If you have read any of the reminiscences of police officers of the period (such as Robert Fabian's "Fabian of the Yard") you will see that this sort of relationship between the police and the underworld is right on the button. This is the sort of thing that would have happened. The type of policing that this film portrays belongs to a bygone era, when criminals often didn't have cars to make their getaways.

It also shows the advantage of the beat copper, who knows his beat so well that if there is anything unusual he notes it down, and if there is any trouble, he has a fair idea of who is causing it. And the pair played by Jimmy Hanley and Jack Warner showed perfectly the inexperienced learning from the experienced. The situations, such as the costermonger being continually told to "move along there" are real for then but not for now, when police work, once done using discretion, is now, like everything else, done by bureaucracy. The film is shot in north London, in the Paddington, Maida Vale and Westbourne Park areas. P C Dixon's beat is round by the Grand Union Canal in an area known as Little Venice. The police station is the old Paddington Green station, which has since been knocked down and replaced by a new one on the Edgware Road. What you must not do is watch this film and judge it by today's standards. I am old enough to know that the social conditions portrayed in this film are as realistic as it gets; and so is the way the police operate. An excellent film.

from london 20 September 2005 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 Was the above review useful to you?

17 out of 17 people found the following review useful: Post-war classic of British cinema 15 October 2005 *** This review may contain spoilers *** THE BLUE LAMP, voted Best Film of the Year in 1950 by the British Film Academy, is a semi-documentary homage to the post-war Bobby on the beat. PC Dixon shows a young rookie, Andy Mitchell, the ropes and offers him lodgings under his own roof. Two young hoodlums rob a cinema, and one of them, Tom Riley, shoots Dixon, who later dies in hospital. After his accomplice Spud is killed in a car crash, Riley is finally apprehended in the White City Stadium; the police are helped by the criminal underworld, and the bookies using their tic-tac code. THE BLUE LAMP is famous for two reasons, it made a star of Dirk Bogarde, and introduced Jack Warner to the character of PC George Dixon, who later appeared in 430 episodes, (1955-1976) in the BBC favourite "Dixon of Dock Green". The location shots are a breath of fresh air, real policemen were drafted in to control the crowds during the shooting of these scenes.

The cast are excellent, particularly Bogarde and Warner, with three exceptions. Peggy Evans goes way over the top as Diana Lewis, the hysterical moll of Bogarde. She screams, and screams and screams her lines. The young couple who witness Dixon's shooting at the cinema, and disagree with each other on every subject, are just plain ridiculous. If only Bogarde had shot them instead of good old Jack Warner. Also, the little girl, Queenie, who finds the discarded revolver, and answers 'no' to every single question of Jimmy Hanley, is quite obviously not a child prodigy. It was great to see Sam Kydd pop up at the exciting White City climax as the bookies assistant. Basil Radford appeared in the movie by accident. Scenes were being filmed in a billiard hall near Piccadilly Circus when Basil went in looking for a game, and ended up in a scene with a background group of extras. THE BLUE LAMP is always a pure joy to watch, and is justifiably regarded as a post-war classic of British cinema. Was the above review useful to you?

13 out of 15 people found the following review useful: Excellent police drama from Derby, England 27 June 2005 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. Was the above review useful to you? 10 out of 10 people found the following review useful: The Bobbys of Paddington Station from Buffalo, New York 13 November 2012 For those of us on this side of the pond The Blue Lamp is like the striped pole for barbershops only in the United Kingdom it hangs above the entrance to police stations. The Blue Lamp is a story of a pair of helmeted beat cops working out of Paddington Station in London, one a fairly new recruit, the other an old timer thinking of retirement. The roles are played by Jimmy Hanley and Jack Warner respectively. Hanley was a favored callow juvenile player, doing those roles way past the age he should have is an earnest young officer trying to do his best to make good on the job.

Jack Warner who was a music hall performer as well plays the older officer, a kindly veteran who is married to Gladys Henson who both take a parental interest in young Hanley. Their own son had died, most likely in the recent World War. In fact in the shooting on location in London you can see many unpleasant reminders of the war in bombed out buildings, still not repaired or replaced by 1951. While Hanley is being mentored by Warner, there are a couple of punks played by Dirk Bogarde and Patric Doonan who are busy themselves. They're not taken terribly seriously by really professional criminals. As the film is narrated in talking about wannabes like Bogarde and Doonan it reminded of what John Wayne said in The Shootist that the ones you have to watch out for are the hotheaded amateurs. That's these two in a nutshell. The Blue Lamp was Bogarde's breakout role and he's charismatic to the nines. He's every young girl's idea of a bad boy they'd like to have a romp with before settling into respectable married life. Such a girl is Peggy Evans who is fascinated by Bogarde and his disrespect for conventional behavior.

Look at the home she comes from and you can see why she wants to escape. The Blue Lamp won the BAFTA award which is the UK equivalent of the Oscar for Best Picture for 1951. It made Dirk Bogarde an enduring star in British cinema and it's a nice tribute to the London Metropolitan Police Force. Was the above review useful to you? 20 out of 30 people found the following review useful: Strange Watching It Today from Isle Of Bute, Scotland 21 September 2005 THE BLUE LAMP is a very famous and popular British film , so popular that it paved the way for an equally famous TV show called DIXON OF DOCK GREEN but it's also a film that hasn't stood the test of time , in fact it's so dated it was satarized in an excellent post modernist teleplay called THE BLACK AND BLUE LAMP in 1988 and after recently seeing this movie I realise that it's a very easy target First of all is the portrayal of the police . Policemen in the 1950s spent their time taking home lost children , looking for dogs that had run away from their owners and practicing their baritone in the station choir !

Good job the crime rate was so low back then because - just like today - they'd never be able to catch criminals . At least watching THE BLUE LAMP you realise why the cops would never be able to catch crims because they seem to smoke over 100 cigarettes a day , no seriously they do and it's pointed out that PC Mitchell doesn't smoke and that's probably why he's able to sprint after Riley at the end with all the other cops at the station destined to die from lung cancer due to the amount of ciggies they smoke . If you've just given up the weed it's a bad idea to watch this movie As in so many other movies from this period the " adolescent " characters are played by actors far too old for the roles .

Diana Lewis is quoted as being 17 years old on screen but Peggy Evans who plays her is in fact 25 years old and she looks it , and while the ages of Riley and Spud are never mentioned it's inferred they're not older than 21 , but Patric Doonan and Dirk Bogarde are both in their late 20's while the " twenty five year old Pc Mitchell " is played by Jimmy Hanley who was in his early 30s . It's strange but people in those days all look considerably older than the real ages To give the film its due the climax where Riley finds himself at the stadium being hunted is rather exciting , and " exciting " is not something British films of that era were renowned for . Some people may criticise the idea of dodgy characters going out of their way to help the police but this is logical since the police may return the favour at a later date in not asking too many questions about things falling off the back of lorries . All in all THE BLUE LAMP is a strange film when watched today . It's certainly not a film for cynics and comes across as being very mawkish and sentimental with almost a fairy tale like air .

But it should be remembered that in those days a person being murdered during a crime would make national news headlines while a policeman killed in the line of duty would lead to several days national mourning , and of course in those days the police were - If not popular - certainly far more respected than policeman today could ever hope to be so you have to view this film in the context of when it was made . Ironically enough it's also the first movie to use the word " bastard " Was the above review useful to you? 10 out of 13 people found the following review useful: a good reflection of the times from United Kingdom 18 January 2008 I first saw "The Blue Lamp" when I was a youngster at the Mile End Empire cinema in East London. At that time I thought it was a really good film. However, I saw it again recently on television. It is still a good film. It takes place in post-war London. It was a time of severe austerity, rationing and people just making do. However, it was a time of public order and most crime was petty. Most men has done military service and women had been marshaled into war work and accepted discipline easily .

The youth movements, play centers, and a large network of youth clubs kept teenagers busy and out of trouble and military conscription looked after the older male teens. There was a"teddy boy" problem but it was easily contained and minimal. Unlike today, people could walk the streets and feel safe and there were no no-go areas in London. Furthermore,football teams such as Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea attracted large gates of over50-60,000 and there was never any crowd trouble. The metropolitan police was at the grounds to play music at half time and that's about all they did. The "Blue Lamp" does however,highlight a few policing problems. There was a serious working class resentment against the police. There was a feeling that many police officers had "done well" out of the war through contacts with the black market. Other police officers they thought had had a good war by being exempt from military service. Also it was thought that the police ware harassing people for petty things (the barrow boy for example). This resentment is shown in the film by the little girl who finds the murder weapon and does not want to talk to the police about it.

She is not shy but says that her father says " all coppers are ....." The police interfere in peoples lives. A seventeen year old is picked up for leaving home and given a "talking to" even though she is old enough to get married and is holding down a job. Many of these police officers are not from London and do not know the community or its culture. One is from Wales and another Andy is from Maidstone. It is apparent that the police do not really have the consent of the people they are policing. The George Dixon character has been a police officer too long and is somewhat cynical about the job. His murder by psychotic killer played wonderfully by Dirk Bogarde shows the dangers faced by an unarmed police force. Lastly, I don't really understand why the B.B.C. resurrected George Dixon from the grave when they already had a "beat copper" series on the radio called P.C. 49. This radio series was very popular and there was a cartoon strip spin- off which appeared in "The Eagle" comic. Also there were two successful films made: "The Adventures of P.C. 49 and "A Case for P.C. 49." It could have easily been adapted for television.

Was the above review useful to you? 22 out of 37 people found the following review useful: Benign & grandfatherly - or just complacent? from Solihull, England 20 November 2001 Most crits of The Blue Lamp take the view that it shows the good old British copper as the embodiment of all society's virtues: honest, loyal, and imposing a firm but fair discipline. The major threat to social order comes from undisciplined youth. When order is disrupted, all social elements join forces to enforce discipline and restore order. I believe a closer look at the film reveals something rather more disturbing. I actually find George Dixon a rather unattractive character! He isn't above using strong-arm tactics on a prisoner (Alf Lewis) and tells Andy Mitchell to finish his tea before rushing to investigate a case of wife-beating ("'E don't kill 'is missus off that quick!"). He is also sarcastic to his colleagues: when a member of the police choir complains about having a frog in his throat, Dixon says sourly he should let the frog do the singing. More seriously, Dixon fails to appreciate what the modern police are up against.

When another officer is coshed during a jewel robbery young Andy Mitchell is rightly concerned, seeing it as an escalation in violence towards the police. Dixon waves the incident aside, the officer "has a good hard head" so no harm was done. As a result, when faced with Tom Riley wielding a pistol, Dixon thinks traditional respect for police officers and his personal air of authority will win through. The look on his face after being shot isn't pain, it's stunned disbelief. For me, The Blue Lamp stands as a warning about the turmoil lurking beneath an apparently placid, orderly society and the methods that will be needed to keep things under control. The old ways are no longer enough. Was the above review useful to you? 7 out of 9 people found the following review useful: Highly underrated...and an exceptionally realistic thriller. from Bradenton, Florida 14 August 2009 It's interesting that the robbery and shooting that is the subject of this movie doesn't even occur until almost 45 minutes into the film. This really isn't a complain, really, but more a statement about how the film was constructed.

Instead of a typical linear film with a predictable format, this one is instead a realistic drama that emphasizes the routines and typical police work instead of a single crime. And, once the crime occurs, watching the police work was at times mundane and lacked the pizazz of some films but also made the film excel when it comes to realism. Stylistically, some might call it Noir or Noir Inspired--but the film deliberately avoids the lighting, language and grit of true Noir. As for the acting, it generally was excellent. The policemen were very good--not overly glamorized or macho--but very believable. So, when the widow receives word that her husband died from his injuries, you feel very touched--he was a "real" person and not just a plot device. In fact, this scene was truly exceptional. The killer, Dirk Bogarde, is in one of his first films and is much better than I would have expected--he was menacing and a truly nasty piece of work! The only negative was Peggy Evans, as Bogarde's girlfriend. First, she was supposed to be 17 but was 25--and looked every bit of 25, if not more.

Second, I think the director must have told her to scream incoherently if she didn't know what to do in a particular scene, as she did this a lot--too much, frankly. Overall, it's a darn good police film. Realism seemed to matter over everything else and it was refreshing to see. In many ways, it reminded me of the American film, NAKED CITY, as the everyday police work and procedure was THE star of the film. Highly underrated and well worth seeing. Was the above review useful to you? 8 out of 11 people found the following review useful: British neorealism? from New Delhi, India 30 January 2000 One of the few British efforts to make the kind of 'gritty city' movies that the Americans did so well (Ritt, Cassavates, Kazan). Tibby Clarke wrote this before his (imho) finest work - 'The Lavender Hill Mob' & the climactic chase sequence of TLHM has its more sober counterpart here. This particular chase sequence would definitely rate as one of the best for the '50s.

The social commentary in the beginning about old crime vs new crime (old money/ new money) jars the more politically correct '00 ears, but it definitely adds to the charm. The most interesting performance is definitely the hugely talented Dirk Bogarde's. As the psychotic thief/ killer he sends a shiver down your spine even today. The pathetic slouch with the cold, cruel eyes stands as far apart as possible from the staid & begonia-sprouting policemen of the New Scotland Yard. And the sound of passing trains that overlaps his fits of rage? Brings back (unwelcome) memories of Jean Gabin in 'La Bete Humaine' - hv I spelt that right? Was the above review useful to you? Page 1 of 3: Britmovie | Home of British Films Home of British Films The Blue Lamp – 1950 | 82 mins | Drama | B&W Plot Synopsis Basil Dearden ‘s The Blue Lamp was an extended tribute to the Metropolitan Police, stretched in their fight against the post-war crime wave, the film is notable for its introduction of the character Police Constable Dixon ( Jack Warner , with Gladys Henson as his long-serving wife).

Eliminated halfway through by a gunman’s bullet, he was reincarnated and paraded in the BBC television series Dixon of Dock Green which ran on and on into the mid Seventies, and presumably would have gone on running had not Dixon, latterly a station sergeant, become anachronistically aged, since Jack Warner at the close was eighty-two. The screenplay, based on a story by Ted Willis, was by Tibby Clarke who had himself served in the Metropolitan Police as a War Reserve Constable, and thus had some inkling of police routine and jargon. Unfortunately, the police force he presents seems to be a highly idealised one, put across in the best public relations terms, with avuncular, protective, friendly coppers on the beat, helping old ladies, giving directions, holding children’s hands and occasionally, cheerfully moving on an obstructive barrow boy. Against images of police duty on this banal level a voice-over narration spells out the facts of the crime wave, blaming it squarely on the new breed of post-war criminals who ‘lack the code, experience and self-discipline of the professional thief… a class apart, all the more dangerous because of their immaturity’.

This thought perhaps typifies the Ealing view of the world, where even the criminals have their decencies and acceptable standards of conduct. The new outlaws are giving crime a bad name. On the one hand the story follows the first days of a rookie policeman settling in at his new post. Andy (Jimmy Hanley) is fresh-faced, keen, anxious to shine. Pc Dixon shows him the ropes and offers him lodgings under his roof, a tiny terraced house with pigeons in the backyard and socks drying on the line under the mantelpiece. In contrast to this cosy domestic life, which continues in the police station with shots of choir practice and friendly jossing over egg-and-chips in the canteen, is set the story of two young hoodlums, played by Dirk Bogarde and Patric Doonan, and a raid on a dowdy suburban cinema in which Dixon is shot down in cold blood. It seems that shooting a policeman, let alone one as popular with the community as this one, is simply not a right and proper way to further a life of crime, and there is a tacit understanding between the police and the underworld to help catch the guilty.

Bogarde is eventually tracked to the White City Stadium during a greyhound meeting, where the tic-tac signals of the bookies are used to trap him. The film concludes with young Andy, now an established constable on Dixon’s old beat, the embodiment of all the virtues of the old policeman. Dearden used real London locations in a way that was relatively novel in British films of the period, with exciting visual results. Dearden made the pavements of Paddington Green and Ladbroke Grove, Edgware Road and Leicester Square look refreshing and the police car chase through the grey streets of inner West London is dramatic and convincing. It is the flat and stereotyped characterisation which disappoints, with Hanley and Warner performing their familiar affectionate notion of working class behaviour, and Robert Flemyng representing CID and Scotland Yard with a tight-lipped school accent redolent of the First XI and officers mess, while Peggy Evans, a sort of Rank charm school starlet, plays Bogardeï¿½s moll like a girl from Esher pretending to be a cockney. Bogardeï¿½s is the only interesting performance ï¿½ even this early in his career it is clear he is a gifted actor.

Extractï¿½ George Perry: Forever Ealing. Production Team The Blue Lamp (1950) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error The daily routine of two London policemen is interrupted by a killer. Director: Visit IMDb Picks Related News a list of 41 titles created 08 Jun 2012 a list of 39 titles created 23 Feb 2015 a list of 45 titles created 25 Feb 2015 a list of 26 titles created 04 Jan 2016 a list of 35 titles created 8 months ago Title: The Blue Lamp (1950) 7/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Won 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 nomination. See more awards » Photos When their ship docks the crew disembark as usual to pick up their lives in postwar London.

For one of them his petty smuggling turns more serious when he finds himself caught up with a robbery in the City. Director: Basil Dearden The murder of a young woman in London exposes deep racial tensions and prejudices inherent in the area. Director: Basil Dearden A disgruntled veteran recruits a group of disgraced colleagues to perform a bank robbery with military precision. Director: Basil Dearden A slice of life in a British Borstal reform institution for young criminals. Director: Montgomery Tully Police drama. The sleuths of Scotland Yard try to solve a series of burglaries. Director: Charles Frend Scottish islanders try to plunder 50,000 cases of whisky from a stranded ship. Director: Alexander Mackendrick An escaped convict tries to hide out at his former lover's house, but she has since married and is reluctant to help him. Director: Robert Hamer Pinkie Brown is a small-town hoodlum whose gang runs a protection racket based at Brighton race course. When Pinkie orders the murder of a rival, Fred, the police believe it to be suicide. ...

See full summary » Director: John Boulting Directors: Sidney Cole, Charles Crichton, and 1 more credit » Stars: Jack Warner, Gladys Henson, Susan Shaw A drunken, abusive tavern-keeper's adulterous wife uses the backward son of a rigid, puritanical pharmacist who makes his entire family miserable. Director: Robert Hamer Violent fugitive and mistreated small boy team up to flee from authority. Director: Charles Crichton A young woman visits Paris with her brother only to discover the following morning he has gone missing and the hotel staff have no recollection of his presence. Directors: Antony Darnborough, Terence Fisher Stars: Jean Simmons, Dirk Bogarde, David Tomlinson Edit Storyline We follow the daily activities of two London bobbies, veteran George Dixon and rookie Andy Mitchell. Meanwhile, young hoods Tom and Spud plan a series of robberies with Tom's girl Diana, a discontented beauty, as inside worker. But in their second crime, one of our heroes is shot, setting off a citywide manhunt. The killer is clever, but will he outsmart himself?

Written by Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu> Sheds just enough light for MURDER See more » Genres: 1 June 1950 (USA) See more » Also Known As: A Lâmpada Azul See more » Filming Locations: Mono (Gaumont Kalee) (RCA Sound System) Color: The was the first film to use the word "bastard" in its dialogue. See more » Goofs George Dixon may have put the cape into the local police call box before starting his beat. See more » Quotes (United States) – See all my reviews "The Blue Lamp" is a British film told in semidocumentary style about the rise of youth crime in Britain after World War II. It follows a seasoned policeman, Dixon (Jack Warner) and a rookie (Jimmy Hanley) and two young thieves, played by Dirk Bogarde and Patric Doonan. When Dixon is shot while trying to stop a robbery, the police search for the perpetrators.

The film shows their painstaking grunt work and questioning, and also how the case dovetails another one, the disappearance of a young woman, Diana Lewis (Peggy Evans, quite possibly one of the worst actresses ever to hit movies). This was the film that made 28-year-old Dirk Bogarde a star - he plays the cold, desperate and volatile Tom Riley with the great intensity that was to set him apart from other actors. There was no one quite like him in film - movie star handsome and emotionally complex, with what can best be described as a glint of madness in his eyes. He could play just about anything and did. Not satisfied with matinée idol status, he took the lead in the controversial film Victim in 1961 and wrote after its release: "Overnight, the 4000 maniacs who were writing to me stopped." That was fine with him! Very good movie, with excellent performances all around, with the exception of the hysterical, annoying performance by Evans. Jack Warner does a wonderful job as kindly, experienced P.C. Dixon - so wonderful, in fact, that he continued to play the role after the film in a television series.

This is sort of the "Naked City" of London. Very good. 2 of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes Buckinghamshire Constabulary - Dixon of Dock Green Dixon of Dock Green Click on the image to view Farewell to famous 'ordinary copper' Jack Warner DIXON OF DOCK GREEN You may think what has Dixon of Dock Green and Jack Warner got to do with the Buckinghamshire Constabulary - well nothing actually! but all hopefully will become clear as you read on. The Metropolitan Police helmet you see below is on display at Milton Keynes Police Station and was actually used, by Jack Warner in the Television Series of ‘Dixon of Dock Green‘. Only one other helmet worn by him in the series is known to exist and that is in the Metropolitan Police Museum in London. The Television Series, which started in 1955, numbered 430 episodes ended in 1976. Jack Warner’s first appearance as Dixon of Dock Green started with the Film The Blue Lamp in 1949. The City of London Police Helmet contains George Dixon’s shoulder number and the (fictitious) Divisional Number ‘O’ of Dock Green.

This helmet was presented to Jack Warner by Bishopsgate Police. These helmets were given to Ron Spendloff who served in the Metropolitan Police by Jack Warner’s Wife, Mollie. Ron patrolled the Beat where Jack and Mollie lived, for a number of years, and they became firm friends. After retirement Ron became the curator of the Newport Pagnell Police Museum. The casket, pictured below, and a Scroll was given to Ron by Jack Warner and it was displayed in the Newport Pagnell Police Museum for a number of years until the museum closed in 2004 after Ron’s death. In the Autobiography of Jack Warner ‘Jack of all Trades’ 1975 and ‘Evening All’ 1979 Jack wrote: “While I was immensely thrilled to be voted top British male star by the Motion Picture Herald, after The Blue Lamp, I received another award I treasured above everything ! It was a casket and scroll presented to me by officers of the Metropolitan Police ‘F’ Division and gave me ‘the freedom of police stations, the freedom of their tea, the freedom to criticise its quality and if he does, the freedom of the cells’.

This tribute was made to me after the film’s premiere by Chief Superintendent F. H. Archer, of Hammersmith, who had taught me how to walk talk and salute like a policeman” Although the casket is intact the scroll went missing sometime in 2003/4 from the Newport Pagnell Police Museum ! The inscription reads: “ Presented to Jack Warner of London by members of ‘F’ Division Metropolitan Police as a token of their esteem. 4th December 1949.” These items have been kindly given by Ron's daughter on permanent loan to Milton Keynes Police and are on display in the canteen at Central Milton Keynes Police Station. The photographs of George Dixon are all signed by Jack Warner. The photograph of George Dixon and Jimmy Handley is from the 1949 film ‘The Blue lamp’ Presented to Jack Warner of London by members of ‘F’ Division Metropolitan Police as a token of their esteem. 4th December 1949 One of the helmets owned and used by Jack Warner in the television Series 'Dixon of Dock Green' a role he played for over 21 years City of London Helmet Badge with 'Dixons Special Number' presented by Bishopsgate Police.

Taken from the Daily Mirror, Wednesday, April 14th 1976. Goodbye All TV’s Dixon bows out after 430 episodes. Whatever else people say about George Dixon, one thing is sure. He was a long, long time going. For he was supposed to have been gunned down by Dirk Bogarde in his first film - twenty-six years ago. Dixon made his debut in the film “The Blue Lamp,” providing Jack Warner with an incredibly durable and affectionate role. Lord (Ted) Willis, who created the part thought of Dixon when the BBC asked him to write a police series. It started with a six week trial run and was such a success that it went on for twenty-one years. Effective There have been 430 “Dixon of Dock Green” episodes attracting audiences of up to 15 million. And Jack said last night: “It has been a very good meal ticket for twenty-one years - although the taxman has never been far behind.” Jack provided the Police Force with its most effective public image. He was the old time copper: friendly, not particularly well educated but dependable, cool in a crisis - and all heart.

The knockers began at the end of the sixties, but Jacks loyal fans continued their support with each new series. When he was shot in one episode, the BBC received 4,000 letters of anxious inquiry and had announced on television that Jack was all right. Lord Willis said. “I knew it had to come to an end sometime and I thought something was in the wind. “They usually renew my Dock Green Contract in February and it hasn’t been renewed this time”. Farewell to famous 'ordinary copper' Dixon of Dock Green Picture from 'The Blue Lamp' 1949 Jack Warner and Jimmy Handley A signed picture from the T.V. series Dixon of Dock Green which is on display at Milton Keynes Police Station. Isle of Thanet Gazette 5th June 1981 Farewell to famous 'ordinary copper' Hundreds of fans gathered to pay their last respects to the country's best-loved "policeman," actor Jack Warner, at Margate Crematorium on Monday. They were joined by delegations of policemen who had met and known Mr.

Warner during the 21 years he had portrayed "Dixon of Dock Green." Officers lined the route with admirers from as far away as Wales and Newcastle during the 25-minute service, conducted by the Rev. John Went, Vicar of Holy Trinity, Margate. Margate's Chief Ins. Ray Bing and Sgt. Bob Bugden who met Mr. Warner many times while they were stationed at Broadstairs, were joined by Supt. Mike Whitfield and Deputy Divisional Commander Desmond Ladd. Six Margate Constables stood as guards-of-honour outside the chapel. They were P.C.s Brian Atkinson, Chris Boots, Michael Stratton, Liam Coyle, Michael Humphries and Mel Batterbee. A sixteen man representation from the Metropolitan Police was led by Deputy Assistant Commissioner George Rushbrook and Commander John Atkins. Among the mourners were officers from the Kensington District, where Mr. Warner lived while in London, and Paddington Green, where the "Dixon" series was based. One of them, P.C. Ron Spendloff, said: "We were very friendly with Mr. Warner and attended his 85th birthday party last year.

He was just like a policeman to us." Scores of floral tributes were displayed in the chapel courtyard from friends, relatives and admirers. They included wreathes from the Thanet Male Voice Choir, the Sussex and Kent Police Forces and the ranks of the 5 th Royal Inniskillin Dragoon Guards. One, from the public information department at New Scotland Yard, bore the inscription: "With fond memories for a charming character who served the Metropolitan Police and the public so well through the media and television." "His warmth and understanding of the problems of London Police Constables will long be remembered with affection." Mr. Warner died in the Royal Masonic Hospital, London, last week at the age of 85. He was taken into hospital two weeks ago suffering from pneumonia, and a week ago had an operation to amputate his right leg. He and his wife Mollie lived at Porsea Cottage, Kingsgate, for 35 years and he was an active and well respected member of local organisations. He rose to fame as the fatherly, old-style policeman George Dixon. He first played the part in the film "The Blue Lamp," in which he was killed.

But the character was revived by the author, Lord (Ted) Willis, who was present at the funeral, and become one of the most popular series on television. The crematorium chapel proved too small to hold all the mourners, and many stood outside in rows three deep throughout the service. Among them were Mr. James Robinson, his friend Mr. Tom Hopkirk and their families, who travelled from Newcastle and Mrs. Megan Davies from Porthcawl, South Wales. Police Officers lined the route to pay their last respects. The famous "Dixon of Dock Green" theme tune was played as Mr. Warner's coffin entered the chapel. It had been requested by his widow, Mollie. Mr. Warner's widow Mollie (front) and his sister Elsie visit the chapel courtyard, where scores of floral tributes to Mr. Warner were displayed. As a resident of Thanet for 35 years, Mr. Warner attended many police functions. The last occasion was when he opened the new police club at Ramsgate three years ago (1978). He was made honorary member of the Margate and Ramsgate Forces in the 1950s.

These past events were recalled by his widow Mollie on Monday when he spoke to Margate's Chief Inspector Ray Bing (right) Superintendent Mike Whitfield, Deputy Divisional Commanded Desmond Ladd and other officers. Hundreds of fans were at Margate Crematorium on Monday to give the nations favourite policeman, Mr. Jack Warner, a film stars farewell. "Evening all." Hundreds of fans were at Margate Crematorium on Monday to give the nations favourite policeman, Mr. Jack Warner, a film stars farewell.

Hyena, film review: Gerard Johnson takes corruption and sleaziness to a truly epic level | The Independent Hyena, film review: Gerard Johnson takes corruption and sleaziness to a truly epic level (18) Gerard Johnson, 112 mins Starring: Peter Ferdinando, Stephen Graham, Neil Maskell Thursday 5 March 2015 21:15 BST Click to follow The Independent Culture The beat is on: Alfred Doda, Gjevat Kelmendi and Orli Shuka in ‘Hyena’ Long ago, in the glory days of Ealing Studios, when a young spiv played by Dirk Bogarde shot dead policeman PC Dixon (Jack Warner) in The Blue Lamp (1950), all the ordinary, decent criminals were horrified. They helped flush out the killer. Back in the 1950s, or at least in British films of that era, the police were regarded with veneration. They were bobbies on the beat – friendly, hard-working types who appeared to be incorruptible. If nothing else, Gerard Johnson's new feature shows how completely the old Dixon of Dock Green archetype of the British policeman has been shattered.

The police, as shown here, are a thoroughly rotten bunch. They're not just prone to brutality in a John Thaw "you're nicked" kind of a way. They take corruption and sleaziness to a truly epic level. Toward the end of Hyena, Johnson includes a scene in which the characters, in a desperate predicament, have the television on in the background. What is showing is The Early Bird, a Norman Wisdom comedy in which a PC Dixon-like policeman is spotted outside Grimsdale's Dairy, looking at his watch. It's a double-edged reference. Johnson isn't just evoking a lost age of (relative) innocence. The "villains" here are psychopathic Albanian gangsters. Wisdom's films, with their blend of comedy and pathos, were hugely popular in Albania – just the kind of movies that these gangsters, like the British cops themselves, probably watched as kids. The first time we see the cops in action, it's on a raid of a nightclub. They are in Droog-like formation as they march into the club. Shown in slow motion, they set about beating up suspects as trance music plays on the soundtrack.

Then they retreat to the pub to get drunk, sniff coke and tell racist jokes. They're pot-bellied, pasty-faced white men on the cusp of middle age. Gerard Johnson's new feature shows how completely the old Dixon of Dock Green archetype of the British policeman has been shattered Michael Logan (Peter Ferdinando) is the leader of this special force, assigned to tackle drug trafficking among the Balkan gangs. He is a British equivalent to the similarly dishevelled policemen portrayed in Abel Ferrara movies. He is unshaven, permanently suffering from at least a mild hangover, and often sleeps in his car. It goes without saying that he is also an efficient cop. "You would think that policemen like Michael Logan wouldn't exist," a colleague observes of him. "They exist because they are good at their job.They do good work and they become untouchable." In its lesser moments, Hyena falls prey to the posturing machismo of the many low-budget British gangster movies based around the Essex Boys murders or all those sweaty dramas about football hooligans. It is luridly violent. The film has barely started when we see one Turk hacked to pieces by the rival Albanians.

There is an espeically grim scene a little later when the gangsters have to dispose of a body and do so by turning their bathroom into a makeshift abattoir. A little absurdly, these Albanian gangsters are portrayed as devoted family men, kind to their kids and respectful to their wives, even as they're torturing and killing anyone who crosses them. The screenplay sags under the weight of its multiple clichés and self-conscious nods to other movies. In amid the bloodletting, there is a surprising strain of sentimentality. This is most evident in the treatment of Ariana (Elisa Lasowski), a beautiful, trafficked woman held as a hostage by the Albanians. If she complains or tries to escape, she knows her family back in eastern Europe will be killed. Michael, remarkably unperturbed by other examples of violence and exploitatiion he encounters, embarks on a quest to save her. The police procedural elements are handled in clunky fashion, as if we are watching an art-house version of The Bill.

A late close-up of one of the characters, when all his options are running out, can't help but rekindle memories of the famous final shot of Bob Hoskins in the car at the end of The Long Good Friday. Peter Ferdinando stars as the leader of a special force, assigned to tackle drug trafficking among the Balkan gangs What lifts the film is Johnson's visual style and Ferdinando's utterly committed and intense performance as the corrupt cop. The actor (who is the director's cousin and also starred in Johnson's earlier film, the serial-killer drama Tony) engages our curiosity and sympathy. In spite of his misdeeds, he still seems a decent man and we root for him against our better instincts. Johnson makes very evocative use of his west-London locations. The film, perhaps reflecting Michael's own delirious mental state, has a dream-like quality. As Michael and his team roam the cafés and bars of Queensway by night, the camera is always on the prowl. Hyena is shot in traditional gritty, realist style but also has its expressionistic moments, most notably when the cops are on their drug-driven benders. There are degrees of corruption. Michael is being investigated by his superiors.

They, of course, are every bit as venal as he is himself. Stephen Graham (a memorable Al Capone in Boardwalk Empire and a slightly less convincing Billy Bremner in The Damned United) is good value as Michael's boss, DI David Knight, combining fake bonhomie, cunning and viciousness. There is bad blood between the two men over some unspecified incident but Knight appears to want reconciliation. Hyena is a bold, if flawed attempt to make a film that transcends Brit gangster movie conventions. Johnson's interest is far more in character and atmosphere than it is in plot. Everyone is contaminated by the sleaze that surrounds them. Ferdinando's Michael is the tragic hero, caught in a world in which the psychopathic Balkan gangsters turn out to be more trustworthy than his own colleagues in the police. That's not a problem that ever faced Dixon or his colleagues in The Blue Lamp. The Blue Lamp (1950) - Basil Dearden - film review The Blue Lamp (1950) Synopsis & Film Review This article is protected by copyright and must not be copied. With only a few weeks to go before he is due to retire from the Metropolitan Police, P.C.

George Dixon wonders whether he should stay on for a few more years. Whilst he makes up his mind, he takes a young recruit, Andy Mitchell, under his wing, becoming both friend and mentor. One evening, Dixon is called to a theatre where a robbery has just taken place. The robber, a thuggish delinquent named Tom Riley, panics when he sees the police constable and shoots him at point-blank range. When Dixon later dies of his injuries, his colleagues resolve to track down his killer and bring him to justice... Perhaps the most famous crime drama in British cinema, and certainly one of Ealing Studios' best known films, The Blue Lamp introduced a character who would become familiar to the British public for over twenty years. P.C. George Dixon, played by the avuncular Jack Warner, was killed off halfway through this film but reappeared five years later, in remarkably good health, as the main character of the hugely popular BBC television series Dixon of Dock Green, which ran for 430 episodes between 1955 and 1976. It was the second most successful resurrection in history.

The Blue Lamp may look dated today but when it was released in 1950 it was a highly innovative and controversial film, trailblazing the social realist phenomenon that would greatly impact on British cinema and television drama in the 1950s. The film eschews conventional melodrama for a semi-documentary approach, which is achieved by the use of real locations in London - including New Scotland Yard and Paddington Green police station - and the absence of any background music. The big social issue this film addresses is the explosion of youth crime in Britain after the end of WWII. In its introduction, the film attributes this to the breakdown of families during and straight after the war, largely as a result of fathers being killed in the war. The film calls for a new approach to policing to cope with this new social menace. The old approach - epitomised by the genial P.C. Dixon - is manifestly ineffective against a new breed of criminal that does not respect the codes and moral boundaries of the traditional underworld class. Although The Blue Lamp has some shocking moments - notably the sudden killing of Dixon - it is ludicrously tame compared with other contemporary crime films - particularly those being churned out in Hollywood.

The film's realism is undermined somewhat by its weak characterisation. The policemen are portrayed in an idealistic, even stereotypical light - you could be forgiven for thinking that the film was made by the public relations department of the Metropolitan Police. Meanwhile, the villains are little more than two-dimensional mixed-up psychopaths. The performances are acceptable, but only Dirk Bogarde excels, in what was one of his first major screen roles. The film's most famous sequence is the stunningly realised car chase through the streets of West London. This would be replicated ad nauseum in subsequent British crime thrillers and was even parodied in another Ealing film, The Lavender Hill Mob (1951). In 1951, The Blue lamp won the BAFTA for the Best British Film. Despite its obvious faults, the film is highly regarded today and is seen as an important milestone in the history of British cinema.

Question: Which famous actor played the killer of PC Dixon in the film The Blue Lamp?
Answer: DIRK BOGARDE