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Hollywood in HertfordshireThe Parish of Elstree has played host
to six film and television studios, the greatest number of motion
picture production facilities outside Hollywood.
Film making came to Borehamwood in 1914, and in the succeeding decades
embraced everything from the pioneering days of sound films to six
of the top grossing films of all time - the ‘Star Wars’
and ‘Indiana Jones’ trilogies. Only two of the studios
remain today.
BBC ELSTREE CENTRE This facility opened in 1914 as a silent film
studio. In the following 40 years a large number of low budget British
movies were produced, starring, among others, Deborah Kerr, Stewart
Granger, Clive Brook, George Formby, and Old Mother Riley.
In the 1950s the facility gradually turned towards television productions.
By the 1960s, now owned by ATV, hundreds of TV shows were produced,
ranging from ‘Emergency Ward Ten’ to ‘The Muppet
Show’. The Head of ATV, Lew Grade, upon being created a Lord,
took the title Baron of Elstree. The studio was purchased by the
BBC in the early 1980’s and today is best known as the home
of ‘EastEnders’ and ‘Holby City’.
ELSTREE STUDIOS
Productions since the Studios opened in the 1920s have included
‘Blackmail’, Britain’s first  sound
feature film, ‘Look Back In Anger’, ‘Moby Dick’,
‘The Dam Busters’, ‘On The Buses’, ‘Murder
on the Orient Express’ and ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’,
not to mention television series such as ‘the Avengers’,
‘The Saint’ and ‘Department S’.
Elstree Studios saw the screen beginnings of many stars including
Ray Milland, Charles Laughton, Audrey Hepburn, and Richard Todd,
as well as the final screen appearances of Gary Cooper and Ralph
Richardson. During the 1970s and 80s the studio was home to the
‘Star Wars’ and ‘Indiana Jones’ trilogies.
The international success of ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’
and ‘Big Brother’ continues the tradition of television
at the facility. These world famous studios helped to create the
town’s reputation at one time as the ‘Hollywood of England’.
GATE STUDIOS Constructed in 1928, this facility was for a period
used by the Rank Organisation to produce religious films. The most
famous feature made at the Gate was probably ‘Odette’,
with Anna Neagle and Trevor Howard.
From the 1950s until 2003 the buildings were the home of Harkness
Screens, the world renowned manufacturer of cinema screens, including
the largest one - resulting in an entry in the Guinness Book of
World Records. It also housed Aerofilms, Britain’s leading
supplier of aerial photography and the first such commercial operation
in the UK when founded in 1919. They provided the photography for
the BBC ‘EastEnders’ title sequence. The studio was
demolished for a new housing project.
MGM BRITISH STUDIOS
This was one of the largest studios in Europe, consisting of 120
acres. Built before the War, it was purchased and operated by Metro
Goldwyn Mayer  from
1944 to 1970. Many famous productions were made there, including
‘Mogambo’ with Clark Gable and Grace Kelly, ‘Ivanhoe’
with Robert Taylor, ‘Inn of the Sixth Happiness’ with
Ingrid Bergman, and Stanley Kubrick’s ‘2001. A Space
Odyssey’. Television series included ‘Danger Man’
and ‘The Prisoner’ and ‘UFO’.
The main site has now been almost completely redeveloped for housing,
the roads of which have been given film-related names.
BRITISH AND DOMINIONS IMPERIAL STUDIOS Described as the first purpose-built
sound facility in Europe, this studio lasted only six years until
it was destroyed by fire in 1936. Leslie Howard and Anna Neagle
were among the stars whose careers were given a ‘head start’
at B&D by Alexander Korda and Herbert Wilcox. Douglas Fairbanks
Sr made his final screen farewell at this studio.
DANZIGER BROTHERS NEW ELSTREE STUDIOS A real ‘B Movie’
facility which lasted only a few years in the 1950s - but was the
only studio with an Elstree postal address as opposed to Borehamwood.
The area is now occupied by a number of major companies.
In 1996 the Town Council unveiled the first of more than 20 plaques
to honour leading film figures and studios that have featured in
the unique motion picture heritage of the Town. The unveilings involved
stars such as Olivia De Havilland, Sir John Mills, Richard Todd,
Honor Blackman, Sir Nigel Hawthorne, Malcolm McDowell and Ralph
Fiennes.
In 2006, two more plaques were added, to Sir Roger Moore in recognition
of his ‘The Saint’ TV series years, and to ex-local
resident Simon Cowell, now an international success. Since then,
plaques have been unveiled to previous Elstree Studios director
Bryan Forbes CBE, ‘EastEnder’ Barbara Windsor MBE and
icons Sir Cliff Richard and Sir Christopher Lee, with more to come!
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