Michael Balcon, head of Ealing Films in the 1940s, described his studio's output as “mildly revolutionary”. Passport to Pimlico falls comfortably into that category (with the emphasis on the “mild”) as the inhabitants of Pimlico discover they are actually part of Burgandian France, and wealthy to boot. Led by shopkeeper Arthur Pemberton (Stanley Holloway) they declare their independence from the United Kingdom, delighting in their role as plucky underdogs as they take on the bowler hatted civil servants sent by the government to bring them into line. Funny, and quintessentially British, Passport to Pimlico’s themes remain resonant today.