One of the real pleasures of researching the films made in Borehamwood and Elstree is rediscovering just how ambitious some of these productions were, and Goodbye, Mr Chips (1969) is a perfect example. In our collection we have a beautiful original press book for the film, illustrated with colour production photographs and biographies of the cast and key creative crew. Continue Reading
We’re delighted to have just acquired a very rare and beautiful early-1960s publicity brochure produced by Associated British Studios — a wonderful piece of studio-era marketing design and a real time-capsule of Elstree in its ABPC heyday. The album is especially unusual: it contains 16 removable publicity photographs of British film stars, along with 5 removable film poster reproductions, each Continue Reading
We are delighted to have been able to acquire a paper archive from the life and work of film editor Richard Best, who worked at Elstree Studios in the 1950s and 60s. The papers include studio contracts, correspondence, pay slips, rate cards, and more. Richard worked as an editor on a number of productions including The Elstree Story, The Dam Continue Reading
Yesterday, the project team recorded our latest interview for The Elstree Project with Academy Award-winning filmmaker John Stephenson, whose career began at Elstree Studios on three truly extraordinary films: The Dark Crystal, Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, and Return to Oz. John reflected on the groundbreaking puppetry and character work that defined The Dark Crystal, and the brilliance of Jim Continue Reading
The Elstree Project recorded it’s 76th interview, and on this occasion our guest at Elstree Studios, was the prolific record producer, musician and songwriter Trevor Horn CBE — formerly of The Buggles. Most famously known for their song Video Killed the Radio Star, which also had this distinction of being the first played video on MTV when it launched, another Continue Reading
On Sunday 7th, Bob and I travelled into London to record our 55th interview as a project! We are so lucky to have had the opportunity to film with Louise Gold. We spent just over two hours with her, and asked her about her time working at ATV Studios in Borehamwood when she worked on The Muppet Show. Louise told Continue Reading
Yesterday we visited Elstree Studios to record an interview with actor Simon Pegg – star of the Star Trek and Mission: Impossible franchises. We had a great time talking about the filming of The World’s End – the final film in the unofficial “Cornetto trilogy” – which was made locally in Letchworth and Welwyn Garden City, and used Elstree Studios for the studio based Continue Reading
This week the trailer for Howard Berry’s documentary for the centenary of filmmaking in Borehamwood and Elstree went online. From Borehamwood to Hollywood: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Elstree tells the story of the studios in the two towns from the opening of Neptune Studios in 1914 right through to the present day success stories of the BBC Continue Reading
we’ve just received a whole bunch of lovely badges!