Take three stages (From Borehamwood Times)

Take three stages

3:40pm Sunday 28th June 2009

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Easy to spot from the Tescos's car park in Borehamwood, Stages 7, 8 & 9 at Elstree Studios were originally built purely for television production. However, the three stages soon became used for film production as well.

My fellow fans of Hammer Films will be interested to know that during that late Sixties and early Seventies, Hammer used Stage 8 & 9 on several occasions to film several of their horror films including: The Devil Rides Out and The Vampire Lovers.

I am personally very please that despite the many changes that have taken place at the historic Shenley Road-based Elstree studios over the years (especially during Brent Walker's ownership of the complex), the stages have fortunately survived. Indeed, they now continue to be busier than ever under Hertsmere's ownership.

Here's a list of just some of the countless film & TV productions that have used the interior and/or exterior of one or more of the three stages:

Stage 7:

Film:

Indiana Jones
The Man Who Knew Too Little
The Railway Children
Star Wars
The Vampire Lovers

Television:

The Champions
Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)
The Saint
Space Pirates

Stage 8:

Film:

Confessions of a Window Cleaner
The Devil Rides Out
Frankenstein Must be Destroyed
Harry Brown
Horror of Frankenstein
Lust for a Vampire
The Man Who Knew Too Little
Taste the Blood of Dracula
Scars of Dracula
The Vampire Lovers

Television:

The Champions
Jim, Jam and Sunny
Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)
The Saint

Stage 9:

Film:

The Devil Rides Out
Frankenstein Must be Destroyed
Horror of Frankenstein
Labyrinth
Lust for a Vampire
Man About the House
The Man Who Knew Too Little
Taste the Blood of Dracula
Scars of Dracula
Superman IV
The Vampire Lovers

Television:

The Champions
Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)
The Saint
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

Incidentally, Stage 9 has been the permanent home of the ITV1 quiz show: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? since 2002.

If you have any more confirmed credits for any of the three stages mentioned above (or have any corrections for the above list), then please do not hesitate to contact me via Elstree Calling, which is my unofficial website dedicated to Elstree Studios. Please see link above right.

Feature: © Paul Burton 2009

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