Welcome to the beginnings of a site about Elstree Film Studios. The location has been used for movie / TV production since 1925.
Film Studios at Elstree
Elstree was a major centre for film production from the early days of cinema. There’s a great deal of confusion about which studios at Elstree were used for which movies / TV shows.
This section covers Elstree Film Studios (also known as Shenley Road Studios, British International Pictures, Associated British Pictures, EMI Elstree Studios, Goldcrest Elstree Studios, Cannon Elstree Studios, Elstree Film & TV Studios)
Other Elstree Studios;
BBC Elstree Centre (also known as Clarendon Road Studios, Neptune Studios, Rock Studios, National Studios, ATV Studios, Central TV Studios).
Despite reducing the studio size by more than half in the late 1980s, Elstree is still a powerhouse of British film and TV production. A Tesco superstore was built on the former studio property in 1991.
Elstree Studios – History
1925
After having seen the Neptune Studio operation (now the BBC Elstree Centre) which opened in 1914, the young British film producer Herbert Wilcox and a Hollywood producer J.D.Williams began building on a site just over the road from Neptune Studios.
1927
The first feature at the newly christened Elstree Studios (although they were built in Borehamwood) was Madame Pompadour, starring Dorothy Gish, released in 1927.
The facility fell into the hands of Scottish cinema owner John Maxwell after a disagreement with the original investors and Wilcox & Williams. Maxwell named the studio British International Pictures (BIP) and signed up new talent including Alfred Hitchcock, while investing heavily in expanding the facilities. One of the admin buildings is named after Maxwell in recognition of his place in studio history. Maxwell’s first production The White Sheik was produced in 1927 and released just before Madame Pompadour.
1929 Blackmail, being directed by Alfred Hitchcock at Elstree, became the first British film with sound (using the sound on film process). Following the success of The Jazz Singer in the US, silent sequences that had already been shot were discarded and reshot with sound.
1936
February – Several sound stages and admin buildings are destroyed by a fire.
1939
The studio goes dark during the war years, and is used as an ordnance depot and a garrison theatre. John Maxwell died during the war, and his widow sold a large number of his shares to Warner Bros who agreed to rebuild the facility during 1946/47.
After the reopening, the studio is known as Associated British Picture Corporation.
1951
March – The Queen and Princess Margaret pay a visit to the set of The Magic Box and meet Robert Donat and Maria Schell.
1960s
The studio takes on more TV production as cinema audiences decline, including The Saint and The Avengers.
1970s
Thorn EMI takes over the studios, and appoint Bryan Forbes as Head of Production.
Financial problems continue, and the studio moves to a rental-only facility, where productions simply rent the empty stages, and provide all their own staff. EMI fails to inject enough money into the studios, and Bryan Forbes resigns, after greenlighting movies such as The Railway Children.
1976
George Lucas chooses Elstree to be the production base for Star Wars. Both the sequels also shot here, and he invited Steven Spielberg to also use the studios for Raiders of the Lost Ark and it’s Indiana Jones sequels.
As the studio is once again profitable, a new large silent stage is built.
1980
Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining is shot at Elstree, with all interior scenes of The Overlook Hotel filmed on soundstages.
1985 Young Sherlock Holmes is shot on soundstages, and a large Victorian Street set is built on the backlot for the project.
1986
Thorn EMI decides to sell the studio, and it’s purchased by Cannon who sold off the film library and produced Superman IV. After financial problems hit the company, they put the studio up for sale, and George Walker of Brent Walker buys it after a successful campaign by local volunteers called Save Our Studio (SOS).
Walker bought the site as a development opportunity and gained permission from Hertsmere Council to demolish much of the facility and sell 12 acres to Tesco provided they retained and rebuilt the remaining 15 acres as a viable, modern studio.
With a general recession kicking in and Brent Walker owing £1,500 million pounds to 48 banks it was obvious things would not going to plan so the SOS Chairman Paul Welsh re-launched the campaign and for 5 years Elstree limped on until actor Tom Conti remarked ” the facility is worse than you would expect to find in a third world country.”
1988 June
1993
Brent Walker closed the Studio for production with just one or two tenants hanging on. Equipment was sold off, generators removed, flat roofs allowed to leak and heating switched off.
1996
For 3 years the Studio remained moribund until Hertsmere Council took Brent Walker to court and won an amazing victory, which resulted in the historic facility coming under the ownership of the Council.
1999
Stages 1 & 2 were completed in 1999. George Lucas used the stages during the filming of the Star Wars Trilogy, and welcomed the opportunity to name stage 1 the George Lucas Stage. The stages were opened by HRH Prince Charles.
Source: http://www.elstreefilmstudios.co.uk/studiohistory.aspx
With thanks to Paul Welsh
Elstree Studios Historian
Elstree Studios Facilities
Stages 1 & 2
These state of the art sound stages were completed in 1999. George Lucas used Stages 1 and 2 during the filming of the Star Wars Trilogy and welcomed the opportunity of naming Stage 1 the George Lucas Stage. With a height of 15m these stages are ideal for larger set builds, tour rehearsals and productions requiring top quality facilities. Area – 1465sqm. (15,770 sq ft.)
Size – 41.275m x 35.500m (135ft. 6ins x 116ft. 6ins)
Height – 15m (49ft.)
Stage 5
Silent Stage 5 provides an excellent non sound sync stage with good entry and access plus associated offices
Area – 503sqm (5,500 sq ft.)
Size – 28.956m x 17.373m (95ft x 57ft)
Height – 7.625m (25 ft)
Stage 6
Area – 357.096sqm (3,844 sq ft)
Size – 18.897m x 18.897m (62ft x 62ft)
Height – 7.625m (25ft)
Sound stage 6 is a television studio with a laser levelled resin floor, production gallery and associated green rooms, wardrobe area and workshop.
Stage 7
Area – 462sqm (4980 sq ft)
Size – 23.6m x 19.6m (77ft. 6ins x 64ft. 3ins)
Height – 9.8m (32ft)
Sound stage 7 is a television studio with a laser levelled resin television floor.
Stage 8
Area – 700sqm (7,550 sq ft)
Size – 29.7m x 23.6m (97ft. 6ins x 77ft. 6ins)
Height – 9.8m (32ft)
Sound stage 8 is an all purpose studio for both film and television work incorporating a 9 ft. deep water tank.
Stage 9
Area – 700sqm (7,550 sq ft)
Size – 29.7m x 23.6m (97ft. 6ins x 77ft. 6ins)
Height – 9.8m (32ft)
Sound stage 9 is an all purpose studio for both film and television work incorporating a 9 ft. deep water tank. Production offices are located between the stages at first floor level overlooking the stage with an external walkway leading down to the studio.
Backlot
In common with most UK studios, there were never ‘permanent’ backlot sets at Elstree, however, the empty ground was used for a number of huge projects over the years. There was a standing street set during the 1960s which appeared in The Saint and The Avengers.
Standing Street set used for various TV projects (1960s) – research continues [ref]
Hanover Street (1979): Exterior street set
The Shining (1980): The Overlook Hotel exterior (using forced perspective) as well as the exterior of the famous box hedge maze was built on the backlot.
Young Sherlock Holmes (1986): A large Victorian Street set was built, the year before the backlot was sold off. The set was also used for a Michael Caine film (tbc) [ref]
Willow (1988): Castle set on a reduced-size backlot
Present Day
The backlot is now much smaller than previously, since the Tesco store and car park was built following sale of the site in 1986.
The Crown has built exterior sets of 10 Downing Street and Buckingham Palace on the backlot throughout production.
The axe the fireman uses to break down the hotel door at the end of 1408 is the same axe that Jack Nicholson used in The Shining (1980). Both movies were shot at Elstree Studios.
Principal photography took place between April 2, 1987 and October 1987. Interiors were shot at Elstree, with exteriors shot on a variety of locations in the USA and elsewhere.
Principal photography began April 15, 1985 at Elstree and wrapped September 8 1985. Pre-production lasted around 18 months before this, at Jim Hensons Creature Shop.
The huge Goblin City set was built on Stage 6 at Elstree, along with the largest panoramic background ever painted (at the time).
Sequence featuring Paul McCartney arriving at the Thorn EMI Elstree Studios, with shots of the exterior of soundstages, gatehouse etc, along with an internal corridor and soundstage.
The Colorado Lounge hotel foyer was built on Stage 03. The snowy maze interior was built on Stage 01 at Elstree Studios. The apartment was built on Stage 08 and Stage 09. The playroom and then toilet sets were built in the Elstree Workshops as all of the soundstages were used. Corridors were constructed to link the soundstages up so that continuous shots were possible between stages.
The water tank on the Elstree backlot was constructed for this movie, and featured extensively. The current Big Brother house is built on top of the old tank.
140 feet of the Zambezi River was built under an iron roof at Elstree Studios, bordered on one side by "jungle". The water was heated to 70 degrees, and was kept moving by two 10 foot electric paddles at the end of the 150 tank.
The first two series of Big Brother were produced at 3 Mills Studio in Bow, East London. From Series Three onwards, the show was based at Elstree Studios. The main Big Brother house was built on top of the exterior water tank on the backlot. The show also used Stage 1 of the George Lucas Stage complex.
The top rated quiz show moved to Elstree Studios in 1998. Before this it was filmed at Wembley Park Studios. The show has been based exclusively in Stage 9 at Elstree since 2002.
The Queen Vic interior fire scenes were shot on Stage 1 of the George Lucas Stage (September 2010). The show is mostly filmed at the BBC Elstree Centre (a short walk away from the Elstree Film Studios), but for these key scenes, the higher roof and increased space were necessary.
Recorded on 10 November 1975 at Elstree where the band were rehearsing for a tour, by a company called Trilion who supplied sports coverage for ITV. The cameraman was Barry Dodd and assistant director/floor manager Jim McCutcheon.
