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The Anniversary and the Elstree Back Lot

100 Years of Elstree Studios - Part Seven

The great thing about 100 years of film-making history is that you can jump in and out at any point. Today we are in 1967, 40 plus years since Elstree was founded. Thanks to an ABC Press Release from the Paul Welsh Archive, we have the story of the making of The Anniversary in Elstree Studios.  Starring the great Bette Davis, ably accompanied by Sheila Hancock and Jack Hedley, the film was adapted from a stage play and was directed by Roy Ward Baker for Hammer films.

The story involved the building of a housing estate by Bette's deceased husband with some dubious cheapjack housing. Because local firms didn't want the filmmakers to use real houses in the area, a new estate was built from scratch on the Studio's back lot. The 2 bedroomed semis were laid out and cramped together. According to the press release they were 'much overpriced at £4, 950'! (About £120,000 today) - see our still from the film. The estate was so realistic that neighbours of the studios started worrying about their house prices.  Maybe you worked on the site? Let us know!

The film is a good starring role for Bette Davis' typical hard-faced matriach of three wayward sons, with plenty of over-acting from all concerned, and rates 6.9 out of 10 on IMDB. And the Back Lot was the real star of the film.

Thanks to ReelStreets for the photos : find all the locations for the film here - including Shenley Road and The Chantry in Barnet Lane

The Making Of A Thirties Film

100 Years of Elstree Studios - Part Six

It's easy to concentrate on recent happenings at Elstree Studios. Memories of film-making seem to begin at Star Wars and Indiana Jones these days. But when the Studios have been going for 100 years, there are many stories hidden away and ripe for exploration. Take this film from 1935 called I Give My Heart. One of the many 'quota quickies' filmed at Elstree, it did have some interesting features. Its stars such as Gitta Alpar, Patrick Waddington and Owen Nares are not known today, while its cinematographer, Claude Friese-Greene, was the son of film pioneer William Friese-Greene.  The director was Marcel Varnel who later made many comedy films for Gainsborough Pictures with Will Hay, Arthur Askey and George Formby.

Thanks to the Paul Welsh Archive we have a copy of Weekly Illustrated from July 1935 which features BTS shots of the making of the film in Elstree. This scene was recreating one of the first animal balloon flights in 1783 by the Montgolfier Brothers, while Louis XV and Madame du Barry looked on. The scriptwriters happily ignored the fact that Louis had died in 1774. Never mind, the shots below look like it was a fun outing for all. There is clip from the film on YouTube.

Dennis Wheatley Visits Elstree Studios

100 Years of Elstree Studios - Part Five

We've mentioned before special visits to Elstree Studios by royalty and literary giants. This time we have a visit from a master storyteller of the black magic arts, who just happened to have two films in production from his books.  On Friday 15 September 1967 Dennis Wheatley visited the studios when The Devil Rides Out and The Lost Continent were being filmed.

The Devil Rides Out was published in 1934 and helped Wheatley become one of the most successful British authors through the 40s and into the 60s. A tale of the occult and dastardly satanic deeds introduced his character the Duke of Richleau, who was to appear in many more books. The Duke was played by Christopher Lee, and the baddie, Mocata, by Charles Gray. Lee said on a few occasions that this was his favourite film out of the many he made. Wheatley was so impressed by the adaptation that he gave Lee a first edition of the book. It is also reckoned to be director Terence Fisher's best film.

After meeting Lee, Fisher, and the producer Anthony Nelson Keys on the sets, Wheatley moved on to the other production, The Lost Continent. The book adapted was called Uncharted Seas on publication in 1938. Wheatley visited the workshops where Hollywood effects expert, Robert Mattey, was constructing giant sea creatures (he was later to create 'Jaws' for Steven Spielberg).  He  moved onto the set to meet the stars Eric Porter and Hildegard Knef and then to see the outdoor tanks being prepared - a 175,000 gallon tank was constructed for the sea scenes. The hosts were producer Michael Carreras and director Leslie Norman, and both films were being made for Hammer.

The Story Of Aldenham Reservoir

Now in stock, and a mere £3, is our new booklet The Story Of Aldenham Reservoir by John Cartledge. Including the complete history of our local man-made lake from its inception - why was it built? how was it built? who built it? - right through its many problems up to today's uncertain future. The booklet contains original drawings and maps, colour photos, press cuttings, artists impressions, and more. If you ever had questions about the Reservoir you will find the answers here.

Joe Grossman And The 1936 Fire - 90 Years Ago Today

100 Years of Elstree Studios - Part Four

As mentioned last week when we were talking about the legendary Joe Grossman, Elstree studio manager during the 30s and 40s, we mentioned his involvement with the fire that decimated the studios on the 9th February 1936, 90 years today. The fire is now part of local legend and it's effect on the British film industry is well known. See our Newsletter 31 from last January for how devastating it was for British & Dominion and Herbert Wilcox here. It's common knowledge that he and Anna Neagle watched the fire from his house atop Deacons Hill Road.  Less well known is Joe Grossman's part. He was Chief of the Elstree Fire Brigade and so was responsible for the attempts to contain the blaze.

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He later wrote:

"...the disastrous studio fire in February 1936 which destroyed the second block of studios, comprising three of our own and three which were occupied by British & Dominion Films Ltd., Herbert Wilcox's production company.

"The fire, which destroyed property and equipment to the value of over £500,000, was the biggest that had ever occurred in British filmland, and it put a considerable number of the industry's personnel out of work, some unfortunately for a long while.

"Associated British were able to carry on because by the combined efforts of fourteen fire brigades, a marvellous piece of fire-fighting was done. After a strenuous fight of over eight hours, the brigades succeeded in saving one of the big sections of the studios, the selection belonging to us."

One estimate puts £500,000 value in 1936 as over £40 million today. So it certainly was a serious situation at the time, even if the insurance money helped Herbert Wilcox recover by using other studios.

Joe Grossman : Studio Manager and More from 1927 to 1949

Joe Grossman : Studio Manager and More from 1927 to 1949

100 Years of Elstree Studios - Part Three

In Part One I mentioned the Studio Manager in the early days of Elstree Studios, Joe Grossman. His story is a fascinating one. Born in 1888, he was on stage at the age of 4 with his twin brother as magicians and illusionists, and after the First World War began as a studio manager for the Stoll Studios in Surbiton and Cricklewood. In 1927 he was poached by John Maxwell to run Elstree Studios just after it opened, and he remained until his death in 1949.

In that time his charisma and energy created one of the most conducive atmospheres for collaborative film making, and he became a well-loved figure in the area. One of the first problems he encountered was discussed in our blog last week by Alfred Hitchcock - here is Joe's take on the problem:

"Gradually the sun began to shine for British films, and things seemed to be going well, when we all received one of the biggest shocks that the film industry had yet experienced.  It was the arrival in this country of the first and one of the most famous talkies, The Singing Fool, with Al Jolson. 

"Everyone knows how London stormed the Regal Cinema, Marble Arch, to see the picture, and many will remember the derision thrown upon the arrival of sound by many people who prophesised it was only a nine days' wonder and that it would never oust the silent film.

"John Maxwell was of a different opinion. He immediately issued an instruction to convert our studios for sound.  He sent John Thorpe post-haste to America with orders to come back with sound equipment, sound cameras and sound experts, and in the closing months of 1928 he gave the American sound invasion its answer by the production at Elstree of the first British talkie, Blackmail, followed by Atlantic.

"He had won through from silent to sound films, risking his personal fortune in the process, but emerging with flying colours and a reputation that built up the then frail edifice of Associated British Picture productions into one of the most substantial and firmly established production, renting and exhibiting corporations that Great Britain has, or ever will see."

More from Joe next week, including that disastrous fire in 1936.

Alfred Hitchcock, Blackmail and Murder

100 Years of Elstree Studios - Part Two

This week's exploration of 100 Years of Elstree Studios features Alfred Hitchcock's thoughts about his time at the studios in the late 1920s and 30s before moving to Hollywood at the end of the decade. Writing in the late 40s :

"Elstree was a vital factor in all that pioneering. I recall it vividly because I came associated with the studio at its organisation in 1927. My first picture there was the first British International Picture film publicly shown.  It was The Ring, a boxing story.  It marked the first screen appearance of its star Carl Brisson **... 

"I have fond recollections of Blackmail.  That was the first all-talking picture made at the studio.  It began as a silent picture, but I had made preparations so that dialogue could be added.  The completed product proved a great surprise to the late John Maxwell, who was then the head of the company. He had expected the dialogue to be confined to the last reel, as a "special added attraction". We used only incidental sound and music in the first reel , so that audiencies would have that much more of a pleasant surprise when the characters on the screen began talking as the plot unfolded.

"In directing Blackmail, I ran into one of the particular problems which were to beset us during all the early days of the 'talkies' - that of voices.  The heroine of Blackmail was a German-Czech actress named Anny Ondra, and her accent made the use of her voice impossible. We had no process for dubbing then, but we were quick to improvise.  We had an English actress at the edge of the set with an extra microphone. She read the lines as Anny mouthed them before the camera. The young lady who loaned Anny Ondra her first screen voice was Joan Barry.

"Murder, with Herbert Marshall, was another pleasant recollection from those early days."

Sounds like the plot of a certain 1952 musical starring Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds!

** Carl Brisson lived in 'Ten Trees' in Theobald Street in the 1930s and could be found in The Crown after hours entertaining regulars!

Susie Merrill : A Way Through The Woods

This book has been on our shelves for a few weeks, and we've just received a video from Susie herself. Have a look and see what you think. Her book is a look at her time growing up in Boreham Wood and her later life as a policewoman in London. As the blurb says : "An inspiring and candid biography that charts the extraordinary life of a young woman growing up in a post-war Boreham Wood. Susie's journey is filled with unexpected twists, from surviving domestic abuse as a farmer's wife and young mother to reinventing herself as a police officer in London."

Available in the Museum or online in our shop.

100 Years of Elstree - Part One

With the 100th anniversary of Elstree Studios approaching towards the end of the year, there are plenty of local events to celebrate. And we will be adding photos and other items from our archives and from Paul Welsh's collection to get the party started!

We start with two important visitors to the Studios - one royal and the other literary. The first is George VI and Queen Elizabeth when they were the Duke and Duchess of York visiting in 1929 when the first British talkie Blackmail was being filmed by Alfred Hitchcock.  That's Joe Grossman on the left - the Studio Manager at the time. More about him later. Interestingly, in 2010 Elstree Studios was the home of the production of The King's Speech about George VI's speech problems.

The second is George Bernard Shaw on the set of Arms and the Man in 1932. Of course he lived up the road at Shaw's Corner in Ayot St Lawrence, so it wasn't that far for him to come in to the studios. With him are leading actors Barry Jones and Anne Grey on the left and the director and writer Cecil Lewis on the right. Barry Jones said that GBS was happy for the play to be filmed exactly as written, with one small tweak.

Two New Occasional Papers

We have just published two new Occasional Papers in our range of local history research projects. These Papers illuminate topics of our history that are worthy of further explanation and study. Both are by Anthony Frewin and reveal aspects of our area that you may never have considered.

Occasional Paper No. 5 is The Earliest Roads of Elstree. This explores the roads we drive on every day in Elstree and Borehamwood, explores their origins and naming, and shows how they have influenced our landscape.

Occasional Paper No. 6 is An Enquiry Into The Tower By Scratch Woods. Follow Anthony's efforts to track down this mystery tower deep in the woods after he read a small mention of it on Facebook. Now demolished and nearly forgotten, he tracked down its location and purpose.

On sale in the Museum for a mere £2 with colour covers, they are also available from our website shop for £3.59, postage included.

Well worth your attention!