MGM was king of the castle

[jamieuk2]

Thanks Cooper, I'll follow up that aerial footage lead. I have the 2001 doco 'Making the Myth' arriving tomorrow on the new Special Edition DVD. You're right it was broadcast on C4 and SC4 a while back.

Here's the list of footage sources so far (ignore the names, they are from another forum):

Empire of Dreams - Numerous internal and external shots (inc helicopter shots)
Making of Star Wars - Interior shots of sets.
['Lost'] Making of The Empire Strikes Back (DarthNeo)
Star Wars to Jedi - Interior shots of sets.
The Risk Business - Interior shots of ESB sets
Jim'll Fix It - ESB Dagobah Set
Making of Raiders of the Lost Ark (VHS) - External and internal (anyone got a decent rip of this???)
Making of The Temple of Doom (Thanks S7ven)
Making of Indy docos on Official DVD - Many internal and some external shots of Elstree including water tank and H.Ford practicing with bull-whip.
Return of the Ewok (anyone got Warwick's contact details??)
Making of the Shining - Many internal and external shots
Making of Dark Crystal & Labyrinth (suggested by SilverWook - thanks!) - shots of Jim Henson cycling around the studio site.
2001 Making of the Myth (James Cameron) - Shots of car arriving and Clock tower(suggested by Jonno - thanks!)
The Making of the Myth (Star Wars)

Anymore help would be greatly appreciated.
J

[jamieuk2]

WOW thanks for replying Derek. Fascinating stuff! Private message sent...

[Anthony McKay]

Go to the Movitone site - there is quite a long feature on the making of "Island in the Sun" which includes a nice shot of a car arriving at the studio.

[jamieuk2]

Originally Posted by Anthony McKay Go to the Movitone site - there is quite a long feature on the making of "Island in the Sun" which includes a nice shot of a car arriving at the studio.

Great stuff Andy! Thanks so much!

Jamie

[Roger Garrod]

Originally Posted by jamieuk2 Thanks for the reply Roger and thanks also for the contact details of Bob Keen. I will definitely be getting in touch with him.

Hi Jamie

There is some excellent backlot footage of MGM on an episode we did of UFO called "A QUESTION OF PRIORITIES" if you can get hold of a copy still.
"UFO" A Question of Priorities (1970)

[Roger Garrod]

Hi Derek

Did you manage to get any pics when they changed the backlot for A Mans Fate?
I took my camera up there one lunchtime hoping to get a few pics but never got the right moment, it was an incredible set with the railway loco and the way they had changed the Dirty Dozen set. Maybe we could do some pic swaps:-)
You can get my email of my webpage Welcome To XtremLaser
Cheers

Roger

Originally Posted by derek stephen Hi Jamie If I can help in any way in your research for the documentry please let me know, would my direct e-mail help, i could then scan pictures to you, Oh yes I have quite a few photos, even some of me on set/ location .scripts, sketches of sets, drawings, drawings of the studio and more stories than you would want to listen to. I used to see Patrick Mcgooen, if thats how you spell his name, every morning and say hello to, some pisoner pictures. Whilst Patrick was staring, directing he was also writing the series as it went along, I dont quite know how he did it, but ideas were sort and odd items suggested and scripts got formulated, Jack Shampan was the Art director on that series and he shared the same floor of offices a me, infact a lot of the sets were drawn in my office by Reg Bream the brilliant draughtsman/ art dirctor who I was taught by. A lot of Reg Breams ideas came to the screen. I spent qiute a bit of time on set learning by watching what was going on. The picture before the last made at MGM before the close down was a film called Mans Fate, it never got filmed, we had sets on stage at Metro we were on loction with a ubit in singapore building location sets when MGM pulled the plug on all productions, we actually had an end of shoot party on stage 2, a chinese house and garden set , without turning over. Fred Zinnerman or should I say the great Fed Zinnerman was the director. I met him on his first visit to the studio when my boss asked me to go down to the gate to met his car, I waited an finalliy it arrived, I introduced myself and said i would guide him to our office past all the traffic lights, red when studios were shooting, he said was we going to be working together I said yes we would he said that you had better call me Fred then and not Mr Zinermmanas I had done. I was a bit funny really as I showed Fred to my bosses office, Elliott Scott, my Boss came out of his office and spotted us arriving and said, Hello Mr Zinermman, Fed turned and bid me thanks for meeting him, I of course said it was my pleasure Fred, my boss gave me a thunderouse look as if to say you are being a might familiar. Fred Zinermman was a small man who commanded respect by the way he went about his job and of course his great experience. I saw many and worked with a goodly number of directors, John Krish, Robert Aldman, Jack Cardif, John Houston, Brian Hutton. and many others, I got hired out to other film companies, I was at Sheperton Studios when Oliver was being filmed working on a small production called Mrs Brown you have a loverly daughter, with Hermans Hermits., i went with an MGM sound crew every day from borehamwood. I also saw an awfull lot of 2001 being shot, and saw Stanley Kubrick in action, as MGM staff I offtern took visitors round the sets as a guide for my boss. I went on all the 2001 sets, and the dawn of man set for 2001 was quite stunning it was on stage 3 our largest stage, in fact the largest sound studio at the time in the uk. I wonder do you know where Kubrick directed the animal scenes from on that set. More if you want please ask away

[Roger Garrod]

Hi Jamie

I will send you an email with Dave Larson addy, he has been writing a book on the making of 2001 and has much info on MGM Studios.

Cheers

Roger

Originally Posted by jamieuk2 Thanks Cooper, I'll follow up that aerial footage lead. I have the 2001 doco 'Making the Myth' arriving tomorrow on the new Special Edition DVD. You're right it was broadcast on C4 and SC4 a while back. Here's the list of footage sources so far (ignore the names, they are from another forum): Empire of Dreams - Numerous internal and external shots (inc helicopter shots) Making of Star Wars - Interior shots of sets. ['Lost'] Making of The Empire Strikes Back (DarthNeo) Star Wars to Jedi - Interior shots of sets. The Risk Business - Interior shots of ESB sets Jim'll Fix It - ESB Dagobah Set Making of Raiders of the Lost Ark (VHS) - External and internal (anyone got a decent rip of this???) Making of The Temple of Doom (Thanks S7ven) Making of Indy docos on Official DVD - Many internal and some external shots of Elstree including water tank and H.Ford practicing with bull-whip. Return of the Ewok (anyone got Warwick's contact details??) Making of the Shining - Many internal and external shots Making of Dark Crystal & Labyrinth (suggested by SilverWook - thanks!) - shots of Jim Henson cycling around the studio site. 2001 Making of the Myth (James Cameron) - Shots of car arriving and Clock tower(suggested by Jonno - thanks!) The Making of the Myth (Star Wars) Anymore help would be greatly appreciated. J

[Anthony McKay]

Did I mention there are a couple of MGM backlot reports on the British Pathe site from "Inn of the Sixth Happiness" (June 1958) and "Up Jumped a Swagman" (October 1965).

[jamieuk2]

Thanks Roger. Thanks Anthony. This is proving to be a most lucrative posting!

Oh and after a quick search that UFO Episode can be found on the boxset Play.com (UK) : UFO - Box Set 1 (Vols. 1-4) (4 Discs) : DVD - Free Delivery

[Cooper S]

Quite a few episodes of UFO featured studio footage as this was the cover for the secret Shado HQ. The first seventeen episodes were filmed at Borehamwood, the last nine at Pinewood. The episodes Identified and Court Martial probably feature most footage of Borehamwood.

[Cooper S]

Originally Posted by Cooper S The episodes Identified and Court Martial probably feature most footage of Borehamwood.

Sorry, that should have been Exposed !

[jamieuk2]

Footage Sources

UPDATED LIST

1. Star Wars Boxset (LFL DVD) - Empire of Dreams - Numerous internal and external shots (inc helicopter shots)
2. The Making of Star Wars (LFL VHS) - Interior shots of sets.
3. Making of The Empire Strikes Back (Sygma Television (France) (not commercially available) (DarthNeo) – Numerous shots including Mark Hamill practicing lightsaber technique and Norman Reynolds talking about building of ‘Star Wars Stage’. Includes many shots of it’s construction.
4. From Star Wars to Jedi, The Making of a Saga (LFL VHS) - Interior shots of sets.
5. The Risk Business (BBC 1980) - Interior shots of ESB sets
6. Jim'll Fix It (ITV) - ESB Dagobah Set
7. Making of Raiders of the Lost Ark (Paramount VHS) - External and internal.
8. Making of The Temple of Doom, (Paramount VHS) (Thanks S7ven)
9. Making of Indiana Jones (Paramount DVD Boxset) - Many internal and some external shots of Elstree including water tank and H.Ford practicing with bull-whip.
10. Return of the Ewok (not commercially available/some snippets on Starwars.com) (anyone got Warwick's contact details??)
11. The Making of the Shining (Warner DVD) - Many internal and external shots.
12. Making of Dark Crystal & Labyrinth (Sony Pictures Special Edition DVD) (suggested by SilverWook - thanks!) – Several internal and some external shots.
13. 2001 Making of the Myth (Warner Special Edition DVD) - (suggested by Jonno - thanks!) Includes shots of car arriving at studios as well as numerous set shots.
14. The Making of the Myth, Star Wars) (Sky broadcast?) – Includes workshop footage, interviews with cast and crew)
15. ATV The Elstree Story (DVD copy of VHS)
16. UFO, First 17 Episodes (DVD) - Ep names: A Question of Priorities, Exposed and Court Martial.
17. Movietone.com – Fire footage and numerous clips of studios behind the scenes. Inc Royal visit.
18. Pathe News – Some early colour footage and numerous clips of studios behind the scenes. Inc Italian film stars visit. Also "Inn of the Sixth Happiness" (June 1958) and "Up Jumped a Swagman" (October 1965).

[Anthony McKay]

If you want 'film studio' action list 'THE AVENGERS" episodes "Epic" and "Killer" as they both feature ABC Elstree film studios as a film studio.

[jamieuk2]

Originally Posted by Anthony McKay If you want 'film studio' action list 'THE AVENGERS" episodes "Epic" and "Killer" as they both feature ABC Elstree film studios as a film studio.

Thanks Anthony, much appreciated.

J

[Boom Man]

Originally Posted by Cooper S Sounds like an interesting project jamie - can you tell us any more ? What sort of help are you looking for ? Would also be interested to lnnow if Derek and Roger have any memories of the TV film series shot at MGM Borehamwood - e,g. Dangerman, the Prisoner and UFO, the latter being the last production to go before the cameras at the studio.

I was the boom operator on the UFO series at MGM elstree. It was quite strange at times because this was the only production shooting there at the time and was to be the last. Films shot for TV didnt take up a lot of studio space. Usually studios were always buzzing with all kinds of activity with many different productions shooting at the same time. With no other produtions using the facilities available it was a bit like working on the Marie Celest ! The place was almost deserted . No other technicians to chat to in the canteen at lunch break . Empty dressing rooms and an almost deserted car park . All very strange and sad. The end of an era really.