History of Studio
In the mid 1920s a young British film producer Herbert Wilcox and a Hollywood producer named J.D Williams were looking for a site to build a new motion picture studio.
They were aware of such a facility already operating in a small village named Boreham Wood called Neptune Studio, which had opened in 1914. The attraction was cheap land, easy access by rail and road to London and away from the famous 'pea souper' smogs of the capital city.
Building commenced in 1925 and Wilcox decided to call the dream factory Elstree Studios. He based his decision not because that sounded more 'up market' than Boreham Wood but as Elstree was a more established geographical name.
The first feature film to be completed was Madame Pompadour starring silent screen actress Dorothy Gish. However, Williams fell out with his South African investors resulting in the departure of both he and Wilcox and the facility passed into the hands of Scottish cinema owner John Maxwell. He named the facility British International Pictures and signed up new talent including the up and coming director Alfred Hitchcock. John Maxwell greatly expanded the facilities and today his contribution is recognised with one of the admin buildings named after him. The Studio itself tended to take 1927 as it's official opening date as Maxwell's first production The White Shiek was actually produced that year and released before Pompadour.
Hitchcock went into the record books by directing Blackmail at Elstree, which is generally credited as being the first British talking film. During the late 1920s and early 1930s the Studio was involved in many motion picture breakthroughs including colour production and multi lingual films. The film Atlantic was shot three times with English, French and German casts in order to widen it's worldwide appeal. The story was based on the ill-fated Titanic and the Board of Trade protested that the Studio was opening up recent wounds by choosing such a subject.
Elstree in the 1930s was discovering talent in front of the camera and launching the screen careers of such stars as Charles Laughton, Laurence Olivier, Anna Neagle, Googie Withers, Ray Milland and Stewart Granger. Its output was enormous especially with quota quickie films and by 1939 had produced over 200 features.
During its early years the Studio Manager was a lively cockney character named Joe Grossman. He somehow forged links with the Royal Family involving private visits by the future Edward VIII and the future George VI. King George V and Queen Mary paid an official visit in 1934 and the street outside was lined by members of the public, extras in costume from the Richard Tauber production of Blossom Time and one policeman to control the traffic! On another occasion the King Of Greece was being shown around by Joe who seeing his mystified look while examining sound recording equipment innocently remarked " I suppose this is all Greek to you sir!" Other famous visitors included Stan Laurel and Charlie Chaplin who described the Studio as the 'home of the British film industry'.
However, the good times did not last and a fire in 1936 destroyed several stages and a general slump in production threatened the Studio's survival. In 1939 the Second World War intervened and the facility went dark for several years whilst it was used as an ordnance depot and a garrison theatre.
Maxwell died during the War years and his widow sold a large number of his shares to Warner Bros who agreed to substantially rebuild the facility during 1946 and 1947.
Elstree got off to a good start in the late 1940s with The Hasty Heart that gained newcomer Richard Todd a contract and an Oscar nomination while also being responsible for bringing over future U.S President Ronald Reagan to appear in his only British movie. Hitchcock returned to direct legendary Marlene Dietrich in Stage Fright and within a few short years the Studio was discovering new talent such as Audrey Hepburn, Richard Harris and Laurence Harvey.
The 1950s saw a raft of Hollywood stars appearing at Elstree including David Niven, Sophia Loren, Gregory Peck, William Holden and Errol Flynn in such movies as Moby Dick and The Key along with home grown talent such as Jack Hawkins, Dennis Price and Terry Thomas.
In the early 1960s, Elstree, which since it's reopening had been known as Associated British Picture Corporation, decided to move away from gritty dramas such as Yield To The Night with Diana Dors and Look Back in Anger with Richard Burton in favour of musicals and comedies. The result was signing up television talent such as Tony Hancock and Charlie Drake to star in The Rebel and The Cracksman along with Cliff Richard in Summer Holiday and The Young Ones.
As cinema attendances rapidly declined in the 1960s the Studio became home to more television production including such international hits as The Saint and The Avengers. Losses continued to mount and by the early 1970s severe staffing cuts were made to reduce overheads and the facility went 'four wall', hiring out it's sound stages for others to use and manned with freelance staff. Just prior to this move Bryan Forbes had been appointed Head of Production by new owners EMI but adequate funds failed to be forthcoming and he subsequently resigned having green lit several movies the most successful of which was probably The Railway Children.
Murder On The Orient Express brought a galaxy of stars to Elstree including Albert Finney, Sean Connery, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman and Tony Perkins but still the red ink flowed. Then in 1976 from a Galaxy far far away a young American decided to base his new science fiction movie at Elstree. His name was George Lucas, the movie Star Wars and the rest is history. During the next few years he produced two sequels and also invited Steven Spielberg to Borehamwood to direct the Indiana Jones trilogy. A new large silent stage was built and the studio entered its most profitable period in its history up to that time.
On the post production front the late Bill Rowe was scoring triumph after triumph culminating in an Oscar for his work on The Last Emperor.
Then in 1986 Thorn EMI decided to sell the Studio and it was purchased by Cannon who sold off the film library and produced Superman IV. Soon in financial trouble they put the Studio up for sale and George Walker of Brent Walker purchased it after a successful campaign by local volunteers called Save Our Studio (SOS).
Walker bought the site as a development opportunity and gained permission from Hertsmere Council to demolish much of the facility and sell 12 acres to Tesco provided they retained and rebuilt the remaining 15 acres as a viable, modern studio.
With a general recession kicking in and Brent Walker owing £1,500 million pounds to 48 banks it was obvious things would not going to plan so the SOS Chairman Paul Welsh re-launched the campaign and for 5 years Elstree limped on until actor Tom Conti remarked " the facility is worse than you would expect to find in a third world country."
In 1993 Brent Walker closed the Studio for production with just one or two tenants hanging on. Equipment was sold off, generators removed, flat roofs allowed to leak and heating switched off. For 3 years the Studio remained moribund until Hertsmere Council took Brent Walker to court and won an amazing victory, which resulted in the historic facility coming under the ownership of the Council.
Over the past decade millions of pounds have been spent reequipping the studio and building two massive new sound stages, which were opened by H.R.H The Prince Charles in 1999.
Nowadays the Studio is once again a profitable and high profile aspect of the film and television production scene keeping alive the British Hollywood.