The Black and Blue Lamp
Synopsis
Satirical and surreal play by Arthur Ellis, dealing with the manner in which the British police force has been represented on TV for four decades. In 1949 Tom Riley is arrested for the murder of PC George Dixon. As he awaits interrogation at the station he is mysteriously transported into an episode of The Filth - a 1988 police series where the hard men rule, where he is told by the local CID that he'll be confessing to the murder or else his genitals are getting cut off ! This black comedy questions whether the police have changed or is it the way film and television present them.
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Kenneth Cranham
Supt. Cherry
Karl Johnson
PC "Taffy" Hughes
Sean Chapman
Tom Riley
John Woodvine
Supt. Hammond
Ralph Brown
Insp. Drury
Nick Stringer
Sgt. Brooks
Ian Brimble
PC Totley
Peter Lovstrom
PC Sneed
Barry Woolgar
Insp. Rogers
Garrick Hagon
Police Surgeon
Anthony Smee
Mr Bromley Junior
Paddy Ryan
Mr Bromley Senior
Jonathan Chater
Fat Boy
Kathy Burke
Voiceover
Christopher Driscoll
Voiceover
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Guy Slater
- Screenplay & Story
- Arthur Ellis
- Original Score
- Ken Howard
- Original Title
- The Black and Blue Lamp
- Country of Origin
- United Kingdom
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 59m
- Production Studios
- BBC
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Guy Slater
Arthur Ellis
Ken Howard
Brenda Reid
Department Leadership Roster
Brenda Reid
Producer
Guy Slater
Director
Arthur Ellis
Writer
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Black and Blue Lamp.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Black and Blue Lamp.
list7
hollywood
hollywood
Similar Titles to The Black and Blue Lamp
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
5.1
6.3
6.7
7.0
5.4
4.0
6.3
6.2
6.3
5.5
6.4
7.3
6.0
5.7
6.6
5.0
More Like The Black and Blue Lamp
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Black and Blue Lamp
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Black and Blue Lamp about?
Satirical and surreal play by Arthur Ellis, dealing with the manner in which the British police force has been represented on TV for four decades. In 1949 Tom Riley is arrested for the murder of PC George Dixon. As he awaits interrogation at the station he is mysteriously transported into an episode of The Filth - a 1988 police series where the hard men rule, where he is told by the local CID that he'll be confessing to the murder or else his genitals are getting cut off ! This black comedy questions whether the police have changed or is it the way film and television present them.
Who directed The Black and Blue Lamp?
The Black and Blue Lamp was directed by Guy Slater.
Who stars in The Black and Blue Lamp?
The principal cast of The Black and Blue Lamp includes Kenneth Cranham, Karl Johnson, Sean Chapman, John Woodvine, Ralph Brown.
When was The Black and Blue Lamp released and how long is it?
The Black and Blue Lamp was released in 1988 with a total runtime of 59m.
Who composed the musical score for The Black and Blue Lamp?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Black and Blue Lamp was composed by Ken Howard.