Gate Studios was one of the many studios known collectively as Elstree Studios in the town of Borehamwood, England. Opened in 1928, the studios were in use until the early 1950s. The studios had previously been known as Whitehall Studios, Consolidated Studios, J.H. Studios and M.P. Studios.Gate Studios
, BFI Film & TV Database website, retrieved 17 Dec 2011

History

A single large stage was built in Station Road, Borehamwood, in 1928 by Whitehall Films Ltd, but the company was dissolved in 1930, and its studio sold to Audible Filmcraft, who, in turn, crashed in August 1932. Consolidated Film Studios took over the lease in November 1933, then Independent Producers Studios acquired the studio in July 1935. In November 1935,

Julius Hagen Julius Hagen (1884–1940) was a German-born British film producer who produced more than a hundred films in Britain. Hagen originally worked as a salesman for Ruffels Pictures. He then worked his way up to become a production manager in the Br ...

, the owner of Twickenham Studios, bought the site and formed a new company, J.H. Studios. Financial problems forced Hagen to sell the studios to M.P. Productions in 1937. The studios were acquired by the Anglo-American Film Corporation in September 1938. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the studio was used by the government for storage. In 1950, the site was bought by

J. Arthur Rank Joseph Arthur Rank, 1st Baron Rank (22 December 1888 – 29 March 1972) was a British industrialist who was head and founder of the Rank Organisation. Family business Rank was born on 22 or 23 December 1888 at Kingston upon Hull in England into ...

, who renamed it Gate Studios and made religious films. The last film produced was ''

John Wesley John Wesley (; 2 March 1791) was an English people, English cleric, Christian theology, theologian, and Evangelism, evangelist who was a leader of a Christian revival, revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The soci ...

'' in 1954, and the site was sold to Andrew Harkness, a manufacturer of cinema screens. Harkness Screens moved out of the site in 2004 having established a global manufacturing base in France and

the US The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

and relocated its UK operation to a new production facility in Stevenage. The building in Borehamwood was demolished in 2006 to make way for 133 new properties, the development being named Gate Studios in homage to the former site.Final curtain falls at the historic Gate Studios
, Watford Observer, Thu 9 Feb 1996

Films shot at the studios

Whitehall Studios

The following films were shot at Whitehall Studios.

J.H. Studios

The following films were shot at J.H. Studios.

M.P. Studios

The following films were shot at M.P. Studios.

Gate Studios

The following films were shot at Gate Studios. }

References

External links

Elstree Screen Heritage
"Creating a record of The Gate Studios"

DVD, at Elstree Screen Heritage *
The Gate Studios
at the Elstree and Boreham Wood Museum website British film studios Film production companies of the United Kingdom Borehamwood Demolished buildings and structures in England Buildings and structures demolished in 2006 Buildings and structures in Hertfordshire History of Hertfordshire {{film-studio-stub