EARLY FILM (1929 - 1954)
The British Empire Exhibition of 1924 saw much investment in Wembley Park. Many buildings, structures and pavilions were built for the millions of visiting public that arrived to explore the many different aspects of the British Empire. The original Wembley Stadium dated back to this period, and when the exhibition closed many of the buildings fell into disrepair.
Photographs courtesy of Wembley History Society, thanks to Philip Grant.
Ralph J. Pugh and Rupert Mason, two businessmen of the time, purchased a lease for the site that had been home to the Exhibition's fine dining restaurant. After some financial upsets, and with the lease changing hands several times, eventually a company called British Talking Pictures opened the UK's first purpose-built sound stage for film production on this very site. Officially opened in September 1929 the first films produced at the studios were The Crimson Circle and Dark Red Roses.
Unfortunately, the delicate nature of film got the better of the studios and in late 1929 they were destroyed by a fire. Not deterred, the studios were rebuilt and in 1932 Fox Films, later to become 20th Century Fox, started using the studios to produce 'quota quickies'. The first film produced from the newly built studios was Wedding Rehearsal (1932) which starred actress Merle Oberon who later went on to become extremely well known in Hollywood.
In 1936 Fox purchased the studios outright and used Wembley to produce over 60 films throughout the 1930s, including Late Extra (1935) starring James Mason and Alistair Sim as well as Murder in the Family (1938) starring Jessica Tandy. Tandy later went on to win an Oscar for her role in Driving Miss Daisy (1989). Come the late 1930s and Fox were unhappy with their returns from Wembley and subsequently started to lease the studios out to independent film productions instead.
Unfortunately, the delicate nature of film got the better of the studios and in late 1929 they were destroyed by a fire. Not deterred, the studios were rebuilt and in 1932 Fox Films, later to become 20th Century Fox, started using the studios to produce 'quota quickies'. The first film produced from the newly built studios was Wedding Rehearsal (1932) which starred actress Merle Oberon who later went on to become extremely well known in Hollywood.
In 1936 Fox purchased the studios outright and used Wembley to produce over 60 films throughout the 1930s, including Late Extra (1935) starring James Mason and Alistair Sim as well as Murder in the Family (1938) starring Jessica Tandy. Tandy later went on to win an Oscar for her role in Driving Miss Daisy (1989). Come the late 1930s and Fox were unhappy with their returns from Wembley and subsequently started to lease the studios out to independent film productions instead.
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Malcolm Barres-Baker talks about the early history of Wembley at a film studio.
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Martin Kempton explores the entire history of the Wembley Studios.
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When World War Two broke out in September 1939 Wembley's studios became home to the Army's Kinematograph Service and the RAF's Film Unit, both of whom used the site to produce propaganda and training films. Fox also remained in part of the site after evacuating their central London offices to reduce their exposure to the bombing raids over the city.
The studios association with film ended with the production of The Ship That Died of Shame (1955) by Ealing Studios. The film starred the late Richard Attenborough and saw a accurate replica of a motor torpedo boat built in one of the stages. During filming Attenborough suffered an injury from a jet of water that was being used to recreate a storm scene. By the mid-1950s, the studios were only running one stage and had only 2 clerical staff. They were closed in 1954.
The studios association with film ended with the production of The Ship That Died of Shame (1955) by Ealing Studios. The film starred the late Richard Attenborough and saw a accurate replica of a motor torpedo boat built in one of the stages. During filming Attenborough suffered an injury from a jet of water that was being used to recreate a storm scene. By the mid-1950s, the studios were only running one stage and had only 2 clerical staff. They were closed in 1954.
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