LOSE YOURSELF IN 1950

‘EVENING ALL…’

The 1950 Ealing Studios police drama The Blue Lamp introduced us to PC George Dixon, played by Jack Warner.

Directed by Basil Dearden, the film also featured Jimmy Hanley as ‘rookie’ PC Andy Mitchell with Dirk Bogarde as the violent villain, Tom Riley. In the film Dixon is approaching retirement but is shot by Riley and dies of his wounds.

Despite his ‘death’ in the film, George Dixon would rise again as the central figure in a BBC TV series Dixon of Dock Green, that ran from 1955 to 1976. Jack Warner revived the Dixon role and was 80 when the series concluded.

TOP SHEET MUSIC

The UK singles chart did not come along until late 1952, so earlier number ones relied on the sales of sheet music. The top hits of 1950 included: The Ink Spots’ You’re Breaking My Heart; Billy Whitlock’s Hop Scotch Polka, Anton Karas’s The Harry Lime Theme (see right); Billy Cotton and Dinah Shore’s Dear Hearts and Gentle People; and Teresa Brewer’s Music! Music! Music!.

Further hits included three from Eve Young & The Homesteaders ( If I Knew You Were Comin’) I’d Have Baked a Cake, Silver Dollar (Roll, Roll, Roll) and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

FUEL FOR THOUGHT

While private motorists rejoiced at the news in May that petrol rationing would come to an end after 11 years as a wartime economy move, fuel had not been a problem for the first World Championship Formula One race held at Silverstone.

King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret were at Silverstone for the 70-lap European Grand Prix, and witnessed a one-two-three victory from Giuseppe Farina, Luigi Fagioli and Reg Parnell driving Alfa Romeo 158 Alfrettas. Two Talbot Lagos took fourth and fifth places, followed by two ERAs in sixth and seventh. A fourth Alfa, driven by Juan Manuel Fangio, retired after 64 laps with an oil leak.