Crusaders campaign saves studios (From Borehamwood Times)

Crusaders campaign saves studios

8:55am Thursday 8th May 2008

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For eight years film historian and Borehamwood and Elstree Times' columnist Paul Welsh was the driving force behind the successful SOS campaign to save Elstree Film Studios.Paul Burton asked him about the turbulent time.

How did you first become involved in the SOS campaign to save Elstree back in 1988?

"I was at an event I had organised to mark the 60th anniversary of the old Gate Studios. Andrew Mitchell, the then managing director of Elstree Studios, was with me.

"The next morning he called me to say Cannon, the organisation which owned the studios, were planning to sell.

"I offered to start a campaign to save the studios, but the production manager of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Pat Carr, had already taken the initiative and I was invited to become chairman."

What happened next with the campaign?

"This was the start of a few very hectic months. The campaign attracted a great deal of media attention from around the world, and I took part in TV interviews for French, German, Italian, American and Australian TV stations.

"Both Steven Spielberg and George Lucas became our supporters and Richard Attenborough our honorary president.

I also organised a public meeting attended by around 800 local residents and the likes of actor George Baker and actress Sylvia Syms and we collected over 25,000 signatures.

"Then George Walker purchased the studio with the understanding that he would be allowed to develop part of the site in return for rebuilding and modernising the remaining studio buildings. This included the rebuilding of the post-production facilities and Stage 6."

So this resulted in the end of the first campaign?

"Yes, the campaign stood down at this point and melted away, but I kept on the chairman title in order to keepthe pressure on all interested parties and to keep the studios in the public eye.

"Five years later in 1993, Brent Walker had given up pretending they intended to modernise and declared they were closing the studio and wanted permission to redevelop the site.

I lobbied Hertsmere Borough Council and they agreed to continue the fight. Eventually in 1996 they took Brent Walker to court.

"Then on a February night in 1996 when Sir Sydney Samuelson, the then British film commissioner, and I were both attending an event in London, we got a call to say Brent Walker had decided to settle out of court and sell the studios to the council."

For your eight years of campaigning you were awarded the MBE. How did you feel about this?

"I was both very surprised and very flattered."

Visit: Paul Burton's website: www.elstreecalling.co.uk

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