Nobby Lard

Hi
I have just moved house & now live next door to a building with a plaque saying it was once Merton Park film studios, does anyone have any more info on this place please
thanks

ddock54

Guess that must be Kingston rd...Merton pk Studios opened in the 30,s,after the war the studios made advertising and promotional films but moved into feature film production inc circus boy and the secret tunnel, i also seem to remember some b movie sci fi films being made at merton,the projected man i think,anyway it closed in 1967...projected man may have been a Beaconsfield job,come to think of it,i would have to look at my notes..

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Steve Crook

I live over the other side of Merton, on the Morden side.
Merton Park Studios were the home of the Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre TV series and the Scales of Justice series, both in the 1960s. They often seemed to involve car chases which were often filmed racing down George Hill from Morden towards Sutton (by Merton College in Morden Park)

Merton Park Studios also made a series of films in the 1950s. The most famous one probably being Horrors of the Black Museum (1959)

Nothing too momentous was ever made there, it was quite a small studio. But it had two sound stages and was quite busy through the 1950s & 60s

Steve

DB7

Does anything remain or has the whole site been redeveloped?

Nobby Lard

Just the main building at the front its now an insurance co. Out back where the studios & sound stages were I imagine are now flats & a car park

alan gowdy

I hope they had at least enough sensitivity not to call it something like "Studio Mews". I find it distasteful when an historic British studio gets demolished by some greedy developer only to have the replacement buildings appear to mock the fact by being named after some luminary of the industry. It happened at Lime Grove and MGM Borehamwood. Ugh!

If it were down to me all studios would be listed buildings.

orpheum

The problem about listing is that there are no financial inducements to owners to maintain the building.Hence so many listed buildings on the at risk register including anumber of former cinemas eg Granada Walthamstow

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alan gowdy

I know - it's just a wild, romantic notion. Oh well.

ddock54

The Borehamwood MGM clocktower missed the listing process by days..

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Moor Larkin

There is also a prissiness about the degree to which they can be 'changed' to find a modern use. The authorities in charge (or the way the law is interpreted) appear to be quite happy for a building to literally fall down (as has happened to Brighton Pier despite many unapproved ideas for it's saving over the decades).

I worked in a listed theatre where some back windows were replaced. These in no way impinged on any public view but the 'inspector' had a field day over them, leaving the lease-holders so disgruntled that they 'skimped' big-time on replacing the replacements, leading to significant longer term damage to the fabric of the building as water penetrated over the next several years....... over which issue the inspector was entirely disinterested.....

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DocRobertPepper

Can anyone tell me the exact location of Merton Park Studios as i live nearby and would like to visit this location

alan gowdy

Frontage was a house called Long Lodge on north side of A238 Kingston Road, a few metres east of the junction with Merton Hall Road. The studios backed onto Henfield Road.

Nobby Lard

Its number 269 kingston rd between the Leather bottle pub & Warwick Court appartment block opposite Master John dry cleaners
hope this helps

DocRobertPepper

Cheers guys very helpful

Pygar

The Goons short CASE OF THE MUKKINESE BATTLEHORN was shot there, as a send up of the Edgar Wallace shorts that were also being shot there.

Some classic British horror 'b' movies were also spawned at Merton Park Studios - KONGA, THE PROJECTED MAN, INVASION, THE DEVIL DOLL, THE FROZEN DEAD and IT!

I also live locally, but have yet to spot a local location in any of the films!