Elstree Studios

[DaveLlandudno]

Originally Posted by orpheum I dont know if you were around in those times,but i have to say that what you are saying is not borne out by the sorry state of the British film industry in the 1970s and 80s.MGM closed down.Rank stopped production and Pinewood went 4 wall,Shepperton nearly went the way of Elstree when a property developer bought British Lion to get control of the studio for development purposes.Cinema audiences were down to 65 million per annum.Multiplexs had not come over so cinemas were still closing down and being demolished at a great rate.It was a bad time and i doubt if anyone looked at Elstree for anything other than its development value.

Hi,

It's when you hit bad times, that you need the vision, courage and foresight to invest for the future.

Having said that, EMI didn't sell TESE until 1985 and Brent Walker didn't buy the studios until 1988. By that time, the majority of U.S Studios (with the notable exception of MGM/UA) were raking in big profits again. Also, by that time, multiplexes had been in existence in the U.S. for many years and the first British one had opened in Milton Keynes in 1985.

Again, I would ask - why did no-one have the foresight to predict the boom that would come - they only had to look across the water to the U.S?! If only someone like Michael Kuhn at PFE had bought TESE - it could have been a very different story - we might now have a British vertically integrated film company the equal of a Hollywood major. A massive opportunity missed, in my view.

Dave

[denis]

The book, The Avengers on Location, presents brief and very interesting facts on Eltree Studios.

[harryfielder]

Originally Posted by denis The book, The Avengers on Location, presents brief and very interesting facts on Eltree Studios.

You've got the history of Elstree studios here...

Click here: Borehamwood Times: Features: Elstree Film Studios

Aitch,

[denis]

Thanks a lot.

[orpheum]

Originally Posted by DaveLlandudno Hi, It's when you hit bad times, that you need the vision, courage and foresight to invest for the future. Having said that, EMI didn't sell TESE until 1985 and Brent Walker didn't buy the studios until 1988. By that time, the majority of U.S Studios (with the notable exception of MGM/UA) were raking in big profits again. Also, by that time, multiplexes had been in existence in the U.S. for many years and the first British one had opened in Milton Keynes in 1985. Again, I would ask - why did no-one have the foresight to predict the boom that would come - they only had to look across the water to the U.S?! If only someone like Michael Kuhn at PFE had bought TESE - it could have been a very different story - we might now have a British vertically integrated film company the equal of a Hollywood major. A massive opportunity missed, in my view. Dave

Investing in a studio then would be about the same as someone asking you to invest in banking shares today.

[harryfielder]

I'm back to Elstree on the 28th to meet up with some One The Buses folk.
Anyone going.??...

Aitch,

[smudge]

Originally Posted by harryfielder I'm back to Elstree on the 28th to meet up with some One The Buses folk. Anyone going.??... Aitch,

I'll be down on the 30th Aitch, and staying for the Film Festival week. I was booked for the 28th, but completely forgot that a big family birthday party had been booked in by Mrs. Smudge for that night some 6 months before, so I am staying here...

Smudge

[harryfielder]

I'll tell them to save you some tea and buns...

Aitch,

[smudge]

Originally Posted by harryfielder I'll tell them to save you some tea and buns... Aitch,

Cheers Aitch!

Smudge

[DaveLlandudno]

Originally Posted by orpheum Investing in a studio then would be about the same as someone asking you to invest in banking shares today.

Contrarian investing has a lot going for it - it's certainly made me a few quid over the years on the stock market.

D

[orpheum]

The problem is that the people who bought the studio were not looking at it from the point of view of running it as a studio more a property deal.Incidentally i bought shares in British Lion in the 1970s which ended up being virtually wothless.A big property dealer i think called John Bentley managed to get control of the company.He was what was politely called an asset stripper.His idea was to flog off Shepperton Studios for housing,Thankfully this was avoided because the ownership of the company was complicated by the governments involvement.