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Hollywood in Hertfordshire

The 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. 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 1950’s 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 Dambusters’, ‘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 1970’s and 80’s the studio was home to the Star Wars and Indiana Jones trilogies. The international success of ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’, 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 here, 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 Alex 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 1950’s - 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 Christopher Lee, 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, with Sir Roger Moore attending in recognition of his ‘The Saint’ TV series years at Elstree Studios. The other occasion honoured local lad made good, music mogul Simon Cowell who was present when Pete Waterman OBE unveiled the plaque which recognised the international success of ‘Pop Idol’ and ‘X Factor’.