Elstree Calling
An unofficial website dedicated to Elstree Studios
Steve Wynn:
I was delighted when Steve Wynn contacted me via this website in 2007 regarding Elstree Studios to share his memories with me:
My mother, Irene Lillian Wynn, and my father, James Frederick Wynn, moved to Borehamwood from Hammersmith in the 50s. There wasn't a lot of work around in those days and the major employer then was the film industry (MGM being the main player). From what I can remember both my parents started working at MGM after my mother had practically begged for work. Having to support a family of five, they really needed the money and I hadn't even arrived yet! Anyway, both started working at MGM.
My father did a bit of everything from special effects (on the dirty dozen he helped create the illusion of fire in the chaeau scene) to helping out behind the scenes with a number of things on different films, later to carry on the same work at EMI Elstree Studios (with Norank Engineering). He even became good friends with the great film director Stanley Kubrick (seen in the vid. cap. on the left). Mr Kubrick having once given him a lift home from his allotment - in his chauffeur driven Rolls Royce! My father had been waiting at a bus stop at the bottom of Allum Lane in Borehamwood, in his wellington boots, when Kubrick's Rolls pulled up tooting its horn. Naturally he ignored it thinking it couldn't be anything to do with him. All of sudden he heard someone shout "Jim!" My father looked towards the car to see none other than Stanley Kubrick hanging out of the rear window beckoning him over! But my father never made anything of it; even meeting Prince Charles at MGM didn't faze him, I would have gone to pieces.
Of all of the big stars my father came across it never really bothered him, to him it was just a job. I only wish he or I had documented all of his experiences before he sadly passed away. It would have made for some very interesting reading.
He once received a crystal tankard from Paul and Linda McCartney as a thank you for his contribution to the film Give My Regards to Broad Street, as did many of his work colleagues from Norank Engineering. How's that for name-dropping!
My mother also moved on to EMI to work in the restaurant where in the process she met many more famous people.
I personally remember being taken onto a sound stage as a young boy by my father to see the Flash Gordon space ship at Elstree. It was so realistic, walking up the entrance ramp I was acually quite scared! I can recall seeing this huge great laser mock-up, which in fact was just a load of old circuit boards glued to the side of a metal or wooden cylinder by the Norank Engineering crew.
It was so funny going to the studios to see my dad when I was a young boy. If I was bored in the school holidays I would go down there. The security guard would recognise me and wave me through. Then I would cautiously peek in through the big Norank workshop doors to try and catch my dad's attention without the boss seeing, Sometimes his other work colleagues would see me first and shout "Jim, your boy's here!" He would come to the doors and say: "You shouldn't be here, quick come in sit over there and keep out of the way".
It was absolute magic some days if they had really interesting jobs in! One particular day my father and a work colleague were making adjustments to the fingers and forearm of the Star Wars robot CP30 to make it more comfortable for the actor inside. My father actually brought home one of the fingers for me - but I lost it!
I can recall walking home from school through Maxwell Park during the 70s and noticing this white powder blowing over from the studios' back lot (the vid. cap. on the right shows this process taking place). I only discovered later after curious enquiries to my father that it was actually artificial snow from the film The Shining, that was being made a the time. To think, I had actually walked in the same snow as Jack Nicholson (albeit artificial) something to boast about... I think!
Unfortunately both my parents have now passed away, but if they were still here I think their memories of the studios (MGM and EMI) would fill an entire book!
Steve Wynn
My special thanks go to Steve Wynn for his time and help.
© Paul Burton 2008
Please click the following link to buy: The Shining (which includes an excellent behind the scenes documentary made by Vivian Kubrick entitled Making The Shining).
Please do not use any part of this feature without first contacting Paul Burton to request permission.