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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