Elstree Calling

The George Lucas Stage, Elstree Studios. © Elstree Studios Ltd.

Elstree Studios has held a magical quality for me for as long as I can remember. As a child I discovered the rich tapestry of British films, via television screenings, and unconsiously noted that Elstree was the wonderland where Christopher Lee had battled the dark forces in The Devil Rides out, where Alistair Sims went thieving in Laughter in Paradise, where Dennis Price taight fire-fighting in Go to Blazes, where John Mills downed a beer in Ice Cold in Alex and where Richard Todd flew a pioneering mission in The Dam Bsters. Later, having turned my passion in to my 'career' and, in tandem with my old sparring partner Morris Bright, I was lucky enough to spend a lot of time at the studios. There was the famours restaurant, the remnants of Hammer Films, the definable something in the air. I filmed Prince Charles there. Interviewed the legendary and helped reunite the key players in a handful of those classic sitcom feature film spin-offs. I remember looking around and seeing Brian Murphy, John Inman, Anna Karen and Paula Wilcox back at the studios for the first time in many years. What a grand feeling. 

My special thanks go to writer Robert Ross for his recollections of Elstree Studios.

For more information about Robert Ross, please visit his official website: www.robertross.co.uk

Photo: Richard O'Sullivan, Sally Thomsett & Robert Ross at Elstree Studios. © Robert Ross.

© Paul Burton 2008

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