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The Studio And The War

100 Years of Elstree Studios - Part Nine

Between 1941 and 1948 only one film was shot in the studios.  Although 8 films had been produced in 1940, including the patriotic Old Mother Riley Joins Up which was shot in August 1939 and released in February 1940, Elstree closed down for the duration and after.  It wasn't until 1949 that production returned to pre-war levels.

The studios were occupied by the Royal Army Ordnance Corp and Pioneer Corps and so became targets for German bombers.  Good job that the activities at The Thatched Barn were secret, or a few bombs may well have gone that way. Thanks to an article from the Borehamwood Times from February 1995 that we found in The Paul Welsh Archive, we have an insight into the fire teams guarding Shenley Road and the studios.  Borehamwood resident Lillian Penny was the warden for Post 8 which covered Shenley Road. With her team of fellow volunteer wardens they were responsible for the safekeeping of the buildings along the road. Working by day making shells at Smiths Industries in Elstree Way, her shift as a warden was at night.

BIP received an unexploded device that landed in front of the building. "It didn't do any damage to the studios but the windows of the shops opposite were broken costing about £2,000" she remembered.

Interestingly, the article mentions that her father, Freddie Winter, was a stagehand at BIP from 1928, and was part of the studio fire brigade. He attended the major 1936 fire which gutted several studios - see Part Four of this series. We've had this photo of the brigade with leader Joe Grossman in our archive for many years so it's good to be able to name one of the fighters - see the caption to the photo below.