Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire

Elstree Studios is a generic term which refers to several film studios based in or around the towns of Borehamwood and Elstree in Hertfordshire, England. A number of studios have existed in this area since film production began in 1914. Some of those studios no longer exist, but several studios still survive today. They are all owned by different organisations and produce both motion pictures and television programmes.

British International Pictures

British National Pictures Ltd. purchased 40 acres of land on the south side of Shenley Road and began construction of two large film stages in 1925. After discord among the company's partners, their solicitor John Maxwell invested and was able to gain control of the company. The first film produced there was Madame Pompadour (1927).

By 1927, Maxwell controlled all the stock, and the company was renamed British International Pictures (BIP) and the second stage was ready for production in 1928.

Hitchcock's Films at BIP Elstree Studios

The following films were produced at Elstree Studios for BIP:

• The Ring (1927) — writer & director
• The Farmer's Wife (1928) — director
• Champagne (1928) — director
• The Manxman (1929) — director
• Blackmail (1929) — director
• Juno and the Paycock (1930) — director
• Murder! (1930) and Mary (1931) — director
• Elstree Calling (1930) — co-director
• Rich and Strange (1931) — director
• The Skin Game (1931) — director
• Lord Camber's Ladies (1932) — producer

The following non-BIP films were also filmed using the facilities at Elstree Studios:

• Jamaica Inn (1939)
• Stage Fright (1950)

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

In 1947, MGM purchased studios at Elstree originally built by Amalgamated Studios Ltd in the mid 1930s and renamed them MGM-British Studios. Following Stanley Kubrick's epic 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), which tied up the sound stages for almost 2 years, MGM closed the studios and the area was eventually redeveloped.

Hitchcock's Films at MGM-British Studios

• Hitchcock originally planned to film parts of Under Capricorn (1949) on the backlog at MGM Studios but inclement weather eventually forced the director to film the sequences back in Hollywood.

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