Screen Archive South East is a public sector moving image archive serving the South East of England. The archive's collections of magic lantern slides, films, videos and associated materials capture the many varied aspects of life, work and creativity from the early days of screen history to the present day and serve as a rich and invaluable historical resource.
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The Studios at Elstree
One of the UK's oldest film studios braces itself for redevelopment in this film from Alan Stingemore
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Overview
Starting with views of a decrepit looking Gate Studios, Alan Stingemore's film looks at various sites on the Borehamwood studio complex. Amid many demolition warning signs we see more modern studio buildings on the Shenley Road. There follows a view of recently cleared ground where older film stages, adjacent to the nearby Gate Studios, have recently been demolished. The film ends at a summer fete near Canterbury.
Though the studios featured in this film are known collectively as Elstree Studios, the main complex is in Borehamwood. The Gate Studios, which feature prominently in Alan Stingemore's film, were opened in 1928 and continued in production until the early 1950s. One of the more well known films made there was 'Odette' starring Anna Neagle and Trevor Howard. The last film to be produced at the Gate Studios was 'John Wesley' in 1954 after which the studios were taken over by Harkness Screens Ltd, becoming a factory for the production of cinema screens until 2004. In 2006 the studios were demolished to make way for a residential housing estate. Intermittent sound throughout.
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