Elstree Calling

Confessions in Borehamwood. On location literally seconds away from Elstree Studios. Back in 1976 when Confessions of a Driving Instructor was made, the red telephone box you can see on the right of the vid.cap. was just outside one of the studio gates. The car can be seen turning off Shenley Road onto Whitehouse Road.

Introduction:

Between 1974 & 1977, Greg Smith made four Confessions... films at Elstree Studios. As a fan of these comedy films which starred, amongst others, Robin Askwith, I decided to create a special feature on this website. 

Filmed at the start of 1974, who could have quite predicted just how hugely-successful this film would be?

Robin Askwith, previously seen in films include Bless this House & Carry On Girls, played the role of Tiimmy Lea in this and the other three films, while his brother-in-law, Sidney Noggett, was played by Anthony Booth. The cast also included Dandy Nicholls, Bill Maynard, Sheila White, John Le Mesurier, Joan Hickson and Linda Hayden.

Certain scenes filmed at Elstree Studios for this film were shot in Stage 8, while Stage 9 (now the home of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?) next door was, incidentally, being used at the time for filming of the Man About the House spin-off film. Despite some parts of the studios' site being redeveloped in the early Nineties, fortunately this stage block, which includes Stages 7, 8 & 9, has survived. 

As well as using stage space at Elstree, Greg Smith's production also used a small garage at the front of the studios' site for Sid (Anthony Booth) and Timmy's (Robin Askwith) lock-up up in the film. This part of the site at Elstree was sadly redeveloped in 1991 and became a Tescos supermarket.

The studio restaurant, which was part of the subsequently renamed the Andrew Mitchell Building, was used for filming scenes set at a wedding reception in the film. Although, as anyone who seen the film will know, the wedding did not take place! The restaurant area is now studio offices and I was lucky enough to be shown around this building while I was on a visit to the studios in September 2007.

In Borehamwood, itself, Shenley Road was used for the filming for certain scenes in the opening title sequence and link footage sequences during the film. A great crane shot of Shenley Road, filmed just oustide Elstree Studios, was used for the end title sequence of the film.

The following year, 1975, saw the second of four films in the Confessions series go into-production. The main cast were all there again, apart from Dandy Nicholls. This time, actress Doris Hare played the role of Timmy Lea's mother and would continue to do so for the remaining two films in the series. 

Entitled, Confessions of a Pop Performer, this second film also included location work in Borehamwood. 

The Red Lion public house, which was situated directly across the road from the studios on Shenley Road, was used for filming certain exterior scenes set at the pub which Sid's wife (played by Sheila White) worked part-time as a bar maid. The Red Lion pub has subseqeuntly been turned into a McDonald's restaurant. And although the interior looks very different to how it did in the Seventies, the exterior looks pretty much the same.

The Red Lion pub was once the haunt of many a film & television star including Tony Hancock. Nowadays, as a McDonald's restaurant, it is the haunt of several members of the crowds who visit there to buy food and drink after attending the Big Brother eviction night broadcasts at Elstree Studios.

The exterirors of the civic hall seen during parts of the film were shot at a small hall/theatre on Studio Way, Borehamwood, just a short walking distance from Elstree Studios, and the site of the since-demolished MGM-Borehamwood Studios. Indeed, you can just make out part of tower which used to adorn part of the front building of the old MGM studios in a couple of shots.

This hall/theatre was used for when the pop band in the film, Kipper, arrive to perform a promotional show to a gang of senior citizen groupies!

The hall theate was subsequently demolished and was replaced by a leisure centre which currently goes by the name of The Venue.

The cinema which Timmy (Askwith) is seen busking oustide at towards the end of the film was situated next to the Red Lion Pub. Sadly, this cinema was demolished in around 1983. A building belonging to the NatWest bank now stands in its place.

At the very end of the film, the character of Timmy is seen busking along Shenley Road, passing by locations used in the first two On the Buses films. Again, another great crane shot of Shenley Road. The same Shenley Road-locations would also be used in the following Confessions films, Confessions of a Driving Instructor. 

Filming on Confessions of Driving Instructor at Elstree Studios at the start of 1976 took place just a short period after its producer, Greg Smith, had married one of the lead actresses in the film, Lynda Bellingham. The couple had held their reception in Stage 7 at Elstree and many of the cast of the then forthcoming film had attended as guests. The cast for this film also boasted comedy stalwarts, Windsor Davies and George Layton.

The building used for the location of the two driving schools featured in the film was, and still is, situated on the corner of Shenley Road and Eldon Road in Borehamwood. At the time, it was situated just opposite Elstree Studios. But subsequntly that part of the studios was to become the site of a Tescos supermarket in the early Nineties.

The building looks pretty much unchanged today and both an estate agents and a restaurant now occupy the building.

Towards the end of the film there is a car chase. At one point two cars are seen to speed around a corner past a large brick building which features a pair of large black entrance doors. This is Stage 9 at Elstree Studios which is now, as previously-mentioned, the permanent home of the ITV1 quiz show, Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

The final film im the Confessions series, Confessions from a Holiday Camp, was based at Elstree Studios and did includ filming there. However, this time no location work took place in Borehamwood. Instead the location work mostly took place at an unused holiday camp on Hayling Island. 

Recommended website: Greg Smith/Elstree (Production) Company

Please click the following link to buy the Confessions Films on DVD

© Paul Burton 2008

Please do not use any part of this article with first contacting Paul Burton to request permission.