Calgary Herald (22/Jul/1993) - Historic studio closes

Details

• article: Historic studio closes
• newspaper: Calgary Herald (22/Jul/1993)
• keywords: Academy Awards, Alfred Hitchcock, Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire

Article

Historic studio closes

The glittering movie years of Elstree Studios, once favored by Alfred Hitchcock, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, ended Wednesday when the Brent Walker Group Plc, Elstree's owner, said it could no longer afford to subsidize the site.

In the 1970s and 80s, Elstree could brag it was the British Hollywood, chosen for the blockbusting Star Wars and Indiana Jones trilogies and with credits going back to the pioneering days of film when it made Britain's first "talkie" and color movies.

But despite international accolades for British movie-makers, who continue to charm Hollywood and scoop up Oscar awards, the ailing British film industry has failed to attract enough investment to keep the cameras rolling at Elstree.

Its studios north of London have been heavily under-utilized for the past three years and the company's efforts to find a buyer who would continue making movies there proved fruitless.

Cinema historian Paul Welsh of the Save Our Studios campaign said the news was "another nail in the coffin of the British film industry."