Elstree Calling

John Maxwell Building, Elstree Studios. Photo: © Paul Burton

The S.O.S. Campaigns:

For eight years film historian and Borehamwood & Elstree Times columnist Paul Welsh was the driving force behind the successful S.O.S. campaigns to save Elstree Studios. I interviewed him about this turbulent time:

Paul B: How did you first become involved in the S.O.S. campaign to save Elstree back in 1988?

Paul W: I was at an event I had organised to mark the 60th anniversary of the old Gate Studios, Andrew Mitchell, the then managing director of the studios, was with me.

The next morning he called to say Cannon, the organisation which owned the studios, were planning to sell.

I offered to start a campaign to save the studios, but the production manager of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Pat Carr, had already taken the initiative and I was invited to become their chairman.

Paul B: What happened next with the campaign?

Paul W: This was the start of a few very hectic months. The campaign attracted a great deal of media attention from around the worked, and I took part in TV interviews for French, German, Italian, American and Australian TV Stations.

Both Steven Spielberg and George Lucas became our supporters and Lord Richard Attenborough our honorary president.

I also organised a public meeting attended by around 800 local residents and the likes of actor George Baker and actress Sylvia Syms and we collected over 25,000 signatures.

Then George Walker purchased the studio with the understanding that he would be allowed to develop part of the site in return for rebuilding and modernising the remaining studios buildings. This included the rebuilding of the post-production facilities and Stage 6.

Paul: So this resulted in the end of the first campaign?

Paul W: Yes, the campaign stood down at the point and melted away, but I kept on the chairman title in order to keep the pressure on all interested parties and to keep the studios in the public eye.

Five years later in 1993, Brent Walker had given up pretending they intended to modernise and declared they were closing the studio and wanted permission to develop the site.

I lobbied Hertsmere Borough Council and they agreed to continue to the fight. Eventually in 1996 they took Brent Walker to court.

Then on a February night in 1996 when Sir Sydney Samuelson, the then British film commissioner, and I were both attending an event in London, we got a call to say Brent Walker had decided to settle out of court and sell the studios to the council.

My special thanks go to Paul Welsh for his time and help.

© Paul Burton 2008

Please do not reproduce any part of this interview without first contacting Paul Burton to request permission.