London on Location | The Blue Lamp

Director: Basil Dearden

Release Date: January 1950

On 24 June 1949 the Bayswater Chronicle reported that ‘A movie camera unit attracted a small crowd outside our Porchester Road office on Monday morning [20 August] when a high powered saloon car with a camera resting on a tripod fixed to the radiator, moved slowly past the Porchester Hall.’ The scene, however, appears to have ended up on the cutting room floor. The Sunday Sun (Newcastle) added, 26 June, that ‘An hour before the Greyhound Derby meeting was due to begin at the White City, London, last night, an ever-increasing crowd packed Wood Lane on the way to the stadium, but few of the perspiring racegoers knew, that they were forming the background of the film…Ealing Studios needed a big crowd for this picture and appropriately chose Derby Night.’ The West London Observer, 1 July, noted that ’76-year-old Mr. Will Smith, of St. Philip’s Place, Paddington Green, was a proud man last week. His small, well-stocked back garden became an open-air film studio…Ealing Studios, seeking a well-kept London garden, were told by local people to look at Mr. Smith’s plot of land.’ However, no such location scene is apparent in the film. In a separate piece the paper also mentioned that ‘Of the hundreds of shopper who passed Chiswick Police Station, in Chiswick High Road, yesterday (Thursday) morning, few noticed that anything unusual was happening. Under a canvas screen – similar to that used by road workmen – was a movie camera, and around the entrance to the station was a group of camera men, technicians, and film extras, all set to shoot a scene.’ Again, no such scene is apparent in the film. The same day, 1 July, the South London Observer recorded that ‘In Upper Marsh, Lambeth, on Monday afternoon [27 June] the sun beat down on the bombed site and the blitzed flats at the end of Stangate-blds. It was the hottest day since last summer . Down the street came two policemen, walking sedately till they were hurried by the calls from a group of excited people standing in front of the flats.’ The report contined that ‘on the screen it will be [presented as] a night scene, in Paddington’ featuring Jack Warner and Jimmy Hanley. Once again, no such scene is apparent in the film. The Sunday Mirror, 31 July, noted recent filming in Piccadilly. On 4 August the Kinematograph Weekly mentioned the recent shooting of ‘a kinema holdup and the murder of a constable’ when ‘two nights were spent in the Harrow Road area.’ The 6 August issue of Picturgoer added that ‘Filming is being done by two separate units with two directors, Basil Dearden and Sandy Mackendrick, Basil looking after studio work and Sandy directing on location.’ Surviving production stills clearly show Dearden working on location suggesting that Mackendrick was shooting chase scenes. The Kinematograph Weekly continued, 18 August, that ‘recent locations have been at Scotland Yard – where routine work was shot with officers in the Yard Information Room – in the Paddington area, Shepherds Bush, and the White City greyhound track.’ The Marylebone Mercury, 30 September, added that ‘The old Metropolitan Music Hall in the Edgware Road, was the setting for some of the last scenes….scenes showing the two crooks Dirk Bogarde and Pat Doonan establishing an alibi for themselves.’ On 5 October the Falkirk Herald added that ‘The last shot was filmed in a milk bar in Piccadilly at 5.30 a.m.!’ Perhaps the time is correct but the milk bar was in Cranborne Street.

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The film begins with the view out from Paddington Police Station, on the right, at 62 Harrow Road as a chase begins.

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With the police station to the left, and Paddington Town Hall to the right, the car heads west along Harrow Road.

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Facing west along Harrow Road with Bishop's Bridge Road to the left.

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The chase ends in Hall Place with Adpar Street to the left and Hall Place West to the right by the lamppost. Church Street is in the distance.

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Hall Place with Compton Street in the distance.

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Hall Place facing towards Adpar Street with the back of the Hall Arms, at right, on the corner of Church Street.

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Police activity on Bishop's Bridge Road facing towards Eastbourne Terrace.

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More police activity in Edgware Road facing south from Sussex Gardens.

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Having just stepped out of Church Street Jack Warner enters Paddington Green.

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Warner giving directions in Paddington Green.

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Jimmy Hanley on the Westbourne Terrace Road Bridge, crossing the Grand Union Canal, with Blomfield Road behind him.

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Hanley encounters Warner at the Warwick Crescent end of the bridge which affords a view in to Little Venice.

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As the twosome walk on the north side of Kinnaird Street a plainclothes policeman, Bruce Seton, reads a newspaper.

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More of the north side of Kinnaird Street and barrow boy Glyn Huston.

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As the twosome arrive back at Paddington Police Station North Wharf Road is off to the left beyond the parked car.

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Peggy Evans on the north side of Leicester Square with the Ritz Cinema to the right.

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Patric Doonan and Dirk Bogarde in Piccadilly Circus.

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Doonan and Bogarde crossing the street by Daly's, 8 Cranbourn Street.

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The twosome entering the Silver Snack Bar, 44-46 Cranbourne Street.

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Uncertain. Could this show the Maze Hotel, 6 Chichester Place?

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The view from Waverley Walk as Anthony Steele walks his beat on Harrow Road. The building extreme right is on the corner of Cirencester Street.

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Meredith Edwards in Harrow Road with Sutherland Avenue in the distance.

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Warner in Warwick Crescent.

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Hanley in Warwick Crescent.

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As Clive Morton and Warner chat at the corner of Warwick Crescent, and Westbourne Terrace Road Bridge, Delamere Terrace is to the left.

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Hanley reacting to a scream from 48 Blomfield Road at the corner of Warwick Place.

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Doonan running from a robbery at 290 Edgware Road. The filmmakers had attached the 'Jordan' signage to the premises of F. Hinds.

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Edwards reacting to an alarm in the Harrow Road at Sutherland Avenue.

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Doonan and fellow robber Bogarde speeding into Harrow Road at Edgware Road.

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The police arriving at 390 Edgware Road with Dunn & Co. on the corner of Harrow Road.

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Warner in Edgware Road having just stepped away from the police call box on the corner of Chapel Street.

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Facing north in Edgware Road as Warner nears the Bakerloo Line station.

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Harrow Road at Marylands Road.

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Evans exiting the Coliseum, 324 Harrow Road, and heading towards Bogarde.

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The twosome in Kinnaird Street where Evans is overreacting as Hanley watches her.

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However, the reverse shot shows Hanley watching Evans from Harrow Road with Sutherland Avenue behind the Belisha Beacon.

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Evans in Kinnaird Street en route to Paddington Police Station.

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Doonan entering Harris's Cafe, 265 Edgware Road, and the view into Bell Street.

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Doonan's and Bogarde's car, at left, sits near the Metropolitan Theatre, 267-69 Edgware Road.

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Approaching their car in Edgware Road en route to their next robbery.

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As they reach their car the view is south along Edgware Road towards Harrow Road.

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Warner on his beat in Harrow Road, as Morton approaches on his bicycle, with Amberley Road in the distance.

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Arriving outside the Coliseum, 324 Harrow Road, where Bogarde shoots Warner during a robbery.

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The view from Waverley Walk into Harrow Road as Doonan and Bogarde speed away from the shooting. Cirencester Street is to the right.

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They speed into Waverley Walk.

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The Waverley Walk facade of the Ben Jonson pub, 253 Harrow Road.

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Derby Gate, and the Norman Shaw Building, indicates that Scoland Yard are now involved.

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Paddington Green detective Bernard Lee, on left, visits New Scotland Yard.

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Hanley in Edgware Road with the Portman Arms, between the buses, on the corner of Boscobel Street.

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Edgware Road with Boscobel Street just out of frame to the left.

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Hanley checking up on Warner's situation in Edgware Road, facing north towards Cuthbert Street.

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Hanley's view from Adpar Street includes the back of the Hall Arms, 164 Church Street, while the word 'ICE' refers to Alfred's Ices Ltd, 3a-5 Hall Place.

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As Hanley questions a girl he is framed by the view into Adpar Street.

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Finding that the girl has a gun Hanley leads her along Kinnaird Street en route to the police station.

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Hanley arriving in St. Philip's Place to announce Warner's death to his wife.

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The girl leads detectives to the spot, on the Grand Union Canal, where she found the gun. The backs appear to be Brindley Street.

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The police search the Grand Union Canal next to what appears to be the backs of Clarendon Crescent.

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As the police search bomb sites Holy Trinity Church, between Westbourne Terrace and Gloucester Terrace on the north side of Bishop's Bridge Road, comes into frame.

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The filmmakers popped back to Ealing for this token shot in Bond Street.

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The view from Chippenham Road as a pedestian has a close call in Harrow Road. The large building is the local births, deaths and marriages registrar while the building at right, on the corner of Woodfield Road, is a police station.

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Seton and Hanley observer the incident from outside R.E. Roberts, 430 Harrow Road.

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Hanley cautions the driver in Harrow Road where the Windsor Castle is on the corner of Windsor Gardens.

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However, in the reverse shot as Hanley speaks with the woman he is standing in Chichester Place which affords a shot into Kinnaird Street as he steps away.

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The view from Amberley Road as Seton follows Bogarde into Amberley Mews.

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Seton and Bogarde in Amberley Mews facing towards Abourne Street.

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As Bogarde steps out of Amberley Mews Seton approaches a barrow in Amberley Road.

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Bogarde in Formosa Street, approaching the Grand Union Canal, as a lorry exits Blomfield Road.

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As Bogarde crosses the canal Blomfield Road is to the left.

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The canal bridge and 146a Clarendon Crescent.

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Bogarde approaching 35 Delamere Terrace at Lord Hills Road.

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Hanley exiting Delamere Terrace into Lord Hills Road.

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As he stands in Lord Hills Road Hanley looks up to a window on 35 Delamere Terrace.

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From Lord Hills Road Hanley runs into Clarendon Crescent, looking for a telephone, with Cirencester Street to the left of the church.

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Hanley is probably arriving at about 116 Clarendon Crescent.

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Doonan and Bogarde running in Lord Hills Road approaching Senior Street.

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The twosome approaching their car in Lord Hills Road with Bourne Terrace in the distance and Senior Street to the right.

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Hanley in Lord Hills Road.

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Lord Hills Road from Clarendon Crescent.

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A chase begins in Latimer Road, facing south, with the Underground viaduct in the distance.

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The chase heads south in Ladbroke Grove.

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The police lose contact at the junction of Wornington Road, Portobello Road and, at right, Ladbroke Grove.

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Exiting St. Ann's Villas into Royal Crescent as the chase continues.

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Ladbroke Grove with Lansdowne Crescent to the left and Ladbroke Gardens to the right.

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Exiting Ladbroke Grove into Lansdowne Crescent by St. John's Church.

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St. John's Gardens approaching Lansdowne Road.

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Portland Road with Clarendon Cross to the right.

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Penzance Place where the cafe, at left, is on the corner of Pottery Lane.

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Penzance Place, facing Princedale Road, where the St. James' Norlands School is sporting the 'Public Baths' sign.

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Unidentified.

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The view south from Evesham Street where the taller building houses the Ernest Tedder Coffee Rooms, 102-04 Latimer Road.

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Bramley Road facing into Latimer Road.

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Latimer Road facing north from Bramley Road.

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Latimer Road, presumably facing south.

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Heading south passing the Hotels Executive (British Transport Laundry), 24 Scrubs Lane.

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Entering Hythe Road from Scrubs Lane.

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Thanks to Roger Rogowski for pointing out that this is the view east along Kensal Road. The open doorway is at No. 290 and at the far end of the terrace is the Portobello Arms on the corner of Alderson Street.