The Lamp Still Burns

The Lamp Still Burns

Year: 1943

Runtime: 90 mins

Language: English

Director: Maurice Elvey

DramaWarRomance

A tribute to the important work of female nurses during World War II.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen The Lamp Still Burns yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline & Setting – The Lamp Still Burns (1943)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Lamp Still Burns (1943). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1940s

Set in wartime Britain during the 1940s, the story reflects a society pushing for tighter professional standards in medicine and industry. The wartime urgency accelerates reforms in nursing training and hospital administration. A factory explosion brings the protagonists into Queen Eleanor's Hospital, where personal relationships become entwined with professional duty.

Location

Factory, Queen Eleanor's Hospital

The story unfolds in a British industrial town centered on a busy factory and its adjacent Queen Eleanor's Hospital. The factory's first aid room and safety practices drive the plot, while the hospital provides the setting for nurse training, medical care, and romance. The locations reflect wartime Britain’s focus on industry, public health, and professional reform.

🏭 Industrial 🏥 Hospital 🇬🇧 UK town

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:22

Main Characters – The Lamp Still Burns (1943)

Meet the key characters of The Lamp Still Burns (1943), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Laurence Rains (Stewart Granger)

Hard-driven factory manager who resents government-mandated safety upgrades despite his plant's strong safety record. After a factory explosion, he becomes a patient at Queen Eleanor's Hospital and falls for Hilary Clarke. He supports improving conditions for the hospital and its nurses, even as personal feelings pull him between love and duty.

🏷️ 🏭 Leadership ❤️ Romance 🧭 Duty

Hilary Clarke

An architect who becomes a nurse trainee to follow her true calling after seeing an injured young assistant. She clashes with the Matron over rules and questions the rigidity of the nursing establishment. Her relationship with Rains grows as she pursues reform and better training for nurses.

🧭 Ambition 🏥 Medical 💡 Innovation

Pamela Siddell (Margaret Vyner)

A violinist and Laurence Rains's fiancée who notices his attraction to Clarke. She ultimately releases her fiancé from the engagement, choosing to support his need for reform and Clarke's ambitions.

🎻 Music 💖 Romance 🤝 Support

Christine Morris (Sophie Stewart)

A fellow nurse who decides to follow love and give up a promotion to marry. She embodies the choice between personal happiness and professional advancement.

🏥 Nursing 💖 Romance 🌟 Ambition

Sir Marshall Freyne (Godfrey Tearle)

A client and hospital board member who uses his influence to support Clarke's tough nurse training. He helps secure opportunities for reform through his connections.

🎩 Aristocracy 🧭 Influence

The Matron (Cathleen Nesbitt)

A strict, by-the-book supervisor who enforces rules and maintains traditional norms in nurse training and patient care.

👩‍⚕️ Authority 🧭 Regulation

Dr. Barrett (Joyce Grenfell)

A doctor who treats patients and guides the nursing staff during the hospital's upheavals, interacting with Clarke and Morris.

🩺 Medicine 👩‍⚕️ Mentor

Siddons (Leslie Dwyer)

A hospital staff figure who interacts with nurses and doctors, illustrating the day-to-day pressures of the medical environment.

🏥 Daily Life 🧭 Workplace

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:22

Major Themes – The Lamp Still Burns (1943)

Explore the central themes of The Lamp Still Burns (1943), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

❤️ Love

Romance complicates professional life as Clarke's attraction to Rains tests the boundaries of duty and personal happiness. Pamela Siddell's engagement to Rains highlights competing loyalties within the social circle. The hospital's changing culture is shaped by the conflict between personal desire and established norms.

⚖️ Regulation

Rigid adherence to rules is embodied by the Matron and the nursing-training system. Clarke challenges the numerous regulations and questions the ban on direct communication with doctors. The narrative shows how bureaucratic constraints clash with compassionate care and progress.

🌟 Independence

Clarke pursues a demanding nurse training to follow her calling while defying expectations about age and gender. Christine Morris also chooses love over a traditional promotion path. The story frames independence as a path to reform, with Rains advocating for improvements for hospital and staff.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:22

Mobile App Preview

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Sign up to be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private — always.

Unlock the Full Story of The Lamp Still Burns

Don't stop at just watching — explore The Lamp Still Burns in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what The Lamp Still Burns is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

The Lamp Still Burns Summary

Read a complete plot summary of The Lamp Still Burns, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

The Lamp Still Burns Summary

The Lamp Still Burns Timeline

Track the full timeline of The Lamp Still Burns with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

The Lamp Still Burns Timeline

More About The Lamp Still Burns

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about The Lamp Still Burns: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About The Lamp Still Burns

Similar Movies to The Lamp Still Burns

Discover movies like The Lamp Still Burns that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.