Pinewood Studios - History
Year |
History |
| ?? | Heatherden Hall, near the village of Iver in Buckinghamshire is built. |
| Heatherden Hall is purchased by Lt. Col. Grant Morden, a Canadian financier, who transformed the mansion by adding a huge ballroom and Turkish bath. | |
| 1920s | Heatherden Hall became a retreat and private meeting place for politicians and diplomats. |
| 1921 | In November 1921 the Irish Free State Treaty was signed at the Hall (agreement to form the Irish Free State). |
| 1931 | British Pathe Newsreel about Heatherden Hall |
| 1934 | When Grant Morden died in 1934 the estate was purchased at auction by Charles Boot for £30,000 who had recently inherited a large construction firm from his father Henry Boot, who died in 1931. Within twelve months Charles Boot transformed Heatherden Hall into the office building for a new movie complex which occupied the grounds, a project Boot worked on with J.Arthur Rank. There are two main fronts to the mansion, one very formal 3 story entrance and another that is mostly seen in films. A conservatory has been added to this front where the door was. Along the side is the grand Ballroom. The house has extensive grounds with formal gardens and lakes, plants and features. There are many trees surrounding the manor which is where the name "Pinewood" originated from. The house has been featured in many British films, including The Amazing Mr Blunden, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, From Russia with Love (as the SPECTRE headquarters) and the Carry On films, and in such television series as One Foot in the Grave and Midsomer Murders. |
| 1935 | November - Construction starts on the Studios. |
| 1936 | 30th September - The studios are officially opened.[2] The first production to take place at Pinewood was London Melody in 1936. The first complete production (from start to end) at Pinewood was Carol Reed's Talk of the Devil. [2] There was a celebration to launch the studio on D Stage, where London Melody was starting shooting. |
| 1947 | A landmark year for the studio, with six major productionsat Pinewood, including Oliver Twist, directed by David Lean, and the £500,000 production of The Red Shoes. |
| 1957 | Pinewood celebrates it's 21st birthday. |
| 1962 | The association of Pinewood Studios with James Bond began with the production of Dr. No. |
| 1964 | H Stage constructed specifically for the production of MCA TV shows.[1] |
| 1969 | J and K Stages built (both 110ft x 80ft) and L and M (105ft x 90ft),all four stages designed for the dual use of TV and film production. [1] Architect Michael Brown designed L & M stages. |
| 1984 | The 007 Stage is destroyed by fire during production on Ridley Scott's epic fantasy Legend. |
| 1985 | The rebuilt 007 Stage is opened, and is renamed the "Albert R. Broccoli 007 Stage" |
| 1996 | The sixtieth anniversary of the opening of PInewood Studios passes without much celebration as the studio is too busy. |
| 2006 | 30 July: The 007 Stage is again destroyed by fire just after Casino Royale wrapped. The seventieth anniversary of the studios is marked by Pinewood merging with Shepperton Studios. |
| 2007 | 3rd April - The 007 Stage is rebuilt and enlarged to 59,000 square feet. 2nd November - The Queen and Prince Phillip visit Pinewood to officially open the new entrance area, and are treated to stunt demonstrations and tours. |
| 2010 | 9th May - A commemorative blue plaque for Sir John Mills (1908 - 2005) is unveiled at Pinewood. |
| 2012 | 23 April - The Richard Attenborough Stage is officially opened |
References:
[1]: Book: Movies from the Mansion, by George Perry (1986)
[2]: http://www.iverparishcouncil.gov.uk/NewHistory.htm