Bushey Film Studios

[DB7]

Does anyone have any information and this studio? My only recollections were that a number of Tod Slaughter productions were filmed there, and that it was one of the oldest studios until it's closure in 1985.

Small Bushey film studios to feature in exhibition (From Watford Observer)

[smudge]

I seem to recall some TIGON productions were shot there and latterly in the 70s some of those 'cheap and cheerful' (?) sex comedies of the period emerged from Bushey too - damned if I can think of any titles though.



Smudge

[batman]

name='smudge']I seem to recall some TIGON productions were shot there and latterly in the 70s some of those 'cheap and cheerful' (?) sex comedies of the period emerged from Bushey too - damned if I can think of any titles though.



Smudge

Bushey sex comedies .... you couldn't make this stuff up!

[Chevyman]

name='DB7']Does anyone have any information and this studio? My only recollections were that a number of Tod Slaughter productions were filmed there, and that it was one of the oldest studios until it's closure in 1985.

Small Bushey film studios to feature in exhibition (From Watford Observer)

There is a chap who posts on here, from time to time, who works as a historian(among other duties) at Elstree. I wonder if he might help?

[smudge]

name='batman']Bushey sex comedies .... you couldn't make this stuff up!

Yes - I DID try to avoid that one, given the period....



A quick flick at IMDb tells me that Mary Millington's two big movies were made there; PLAYBIRDS and COME PLAY WITH ME.



I have in mind that something like THE BLACK TORMENT was done there as well, but not 100% on that...



Smudge

[batman]

There is a photo of the studios as they are today on this site.



LINK: http://www.hertsmere.gov.uk/planning...df?action=open

[batman]

There's also a book!



LINK: [ame=http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hubert-Herkomer-Film-making-Bushey-1912-14/dp/0950678473/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1230291483&sr=1-3]Sir Hubert Von Herkomer and His Film-making in Bushey , 1912-14: Michael Pritchard: Amazon.co.uk: Books[/ame]

[DB7]

name='batman']

There is a photo of the studios as they are today on this site.



LINK: http://www.hertsmere.gov.uk/planning...df?action=open

What purpose was the building in the top left originally build for? That's quite an impressive entrance.

[batman]

name='DB7']What purpose was the building in the top left originally build for? That's quite an impressive entrance.

It was Herkomer's house ....



LINK: ViewFinder - Image Details



LINK: Lululaund - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[doojeen]

Thanks for the fascinating details and links, guys. I must hop on a train up to Bushey early in the new year for a look at those historic sites.

[Rob Compton]

The bible for this sort of question is the authoritative "British Film Studios" by Patricia Warren - thoroughly recommended. There are a few pages about Bushey with some fascinating detail, for example: Sir Hubert von Herkomer (mentioned above) seems to have been extremely naive in his business dealings. Apparently two American con-men approached him and were given dinner and a private showing of his new film "The Old Wood Carver", expressed their admiration for it and said they were going to take it straight back to the US and sell it - they were given the negatives and a suit on the Lusitania back across the Atlantic. Naturally, they were never heard of again....



rgds

Rob

[alan french]

Hi,

In my capacity as a member of Hemel Hempstead Movie Makers, I recall visiting the Bushey Film Studios in Melbourne Road, Bushey. Possibly in the 1970's or 1980's. It was run at the time by a company called Cygnet Films. This company specialised in documentaries. Particularly ones commisioned from the medical profession. After going around the studio and hearing of its fascinating history, we were treated to some films. One in particular, we were given a warning, prior to its projection. It featured some real operations, with voice overs giving fictitious dialogue. The reason being, it was telling medical students to check they were doing things correctly. But the operation which inspired the warning, was a leg amputation. I shall not go in to detail about that. We did see some other films, including one where a pre Howard's Way, Jan Harvey, as a doctor, told a patient off, in a firm but polite way, because he had thrown his tablets down the toilet.



We also learned that Bing Crosby had been a regular visitor there. I believe he did some voice overs for films about golf.



At the time of the visit, we were rightly or wrongly informed that the studios were the oldest film studios still used in the world.



Today, as far as I am aware, they are no more



But much beyond my write up I think it best check the reference works conveyed. But Bushey (Near Watford) also has an excellent museum which if you are in the area, might be worth a visit.



Alan French.

[Rob Compton]

name='Rob Compton']The bible for this sort of question is the authoritative "British Film Studios" by Patricia Warren - thoroughly recommended. There are a few pages about Bushey with some fascinating detail, for example: Sir Hubert von Herkomer (mentioned above) seems to have been extremely naive in his business dealings. Apparently two American con-men approached him and were given dinner and a private showing of his new film "The Old Wood Carver", expressed their admiration for it and said they were going to take it straight back to the US and sell it - they were given the negatives and a suit on the Lusitania back across the Atlantic. Naturally, they were never heard of again....



rgds

Rob

er... I meant to type "suite"....

[earlb]

name='Cooper S']One very little known studio that I'm curious about is Rayant Studios at Bushey.

I seem to remember that Martin Benson had an office there.

[Harbottle]

Very interesting thread I was only watching Johnny on the Spot the other day and noticed it was made at Bushey Studios. It lead me to wondering how prolific the output was from that, to me at least little heard of studio.

[smudge]

IIRC Bushey ended it's cinematic era as the home of a handful of low-grade comedy sex films (or just sex films). I think Tigon did a couple of such films there.



Smudge

[belphegor]

As mentioned in the opening post of this thread, a number of Tod Slaughter movies were shot at Bushey: "The Curse of the Wraydons" (Victor M. Gover, 1946), and "The Greed of William Hart" (Oswald Mitchell, 1948). Both were produced by Gilbert Church for Ambassador.
In 1952 Ambassador / Bushey also made the featurette "A Ghost for Sale", and the 13-episodes series "Inspector Morley, Late of Scotland Yard, Investigates", starring Slaughter, Patrick Barr and Tucker McGuire, again directed by Gover. I recently discovered that the entire series was broadcast in America in 1953 on the recently founded WGN-TV channel and some others. It's curious as (apparently) the series was never seen on British TV, but six episodes were theatrically released as two "features", "King of the Underworld" in 1952 and "Murder at Scotland Yard" in 1954, plus one featurette, "Murder at the Grange" (this one was miraculously shown on BBC some years ago).
I have seen five of these episodes, and they are highly enjoyable, with many exteriors of long-disappeared London suburb areas. Tod is arch-criminal Terence Reilly (NOT "Riley") and also plays his brother Patrick in at least two episodes.
Where could I find the exact list of the episodes in chronological order? I know that Ambassador Productions doesn't exist anymore, but where are their archives? the BFI was unable to answer this question...

[orpheum2]

i seem to recall that a centenary film on the FA Cup made in 1972-3 was produced at Bushey studios.It was released in ABC cinemas

[Dadwasinflame]

i work in Bushey, if anybody can give me an address , or something would be happy to check it out

[paul welsh]

i seem to recall the building was greatly altered and turned into offices. i suspect the bushey museum will have some info