British and Dominions Imperial Studios
| Company type | Public company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film production |
| Predecessor | British National Pictures |
| Founded | June 1927 |
| Founder | Herbert Wilcox |
| Defunct | 1938 |
| Fate | Ceased film production |
| Headquarters | Borehamwood, Hertfordshire , United Kingdom |
Area served | United Kingdom |
Key people | Herbert Wilcox, Anthony Havelock-Allan |
| Products | Films |
| Parent | D & P Holdings (from 1944) |
Imperial Studios served as the production facilities for the British and Dominions Film Corporation, a UK-based film company situated at Imperial Place, Elstree Way, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire. These studios, among several historically referred to as Elstree Studios, were operational from 1929 until a fire destroyed them in 1936.
Following the blaze, the company moved its operations to Pinewood Studios but halted film production altogether by 1938.
History
The British and Dominions Film Corporation emerged as the successor to British National Pictures, which had been established in 1925 and subsequently acquired by British International Pictures in 1927. Founded in June 1927 by Herbert Wilcox, British and Dominions was officially registered as a public company on 13 February 1928. Without their own studios initially, their early silent films were produced at Cricklewood Studios. In 1930, they purchased three sound stages from British International at Borehamwood while these were still under construction. Imperial Studio was notable for being Europe's first studio purpose-built for sound films. The pioneering British talkie Blackmail, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, was filmed there prior to British and Dominions’ acquisition.
Prominent filmmakers associated with the studios included producer Anthony Havelock-Allan, who worked on Lancashire Luck (1937). Meanwhile, Alexander Korda's London Films created The Private Life of Henry VIII at Imperial Studios, featuring Charles Laughton in an Oscar-winning role. The film’s success drew investment from both United Artists and The Prudential into Korda’s planned Denham Film Studios.
On 9 February 1936, a devastating fire destroyed the studio and also inflicted damage on three stages at the neighboring British International Studios. In response, British and Dominions made substantial investments in Pinewood Studios, located in Buckinghamshire, transferring their production activities there—including continuing work on Herbert Wilcox’s London Melody (1937). The corporation’s final film premiered in January 1938.
Remaining facilities at Borehamwood were sold off to various enterprises; for example, Frank Landsdown Ltd established a film vault storage service. Additionally, The Rank Organisation acquired the music stage for documentary filmmaking and later repurposed it as headquarters for the Cinesound Effects Library Ltd.
In 1944, ownership of British and Dominions Film Corporation passed to D & P Holdings, a subsidiary of General Cinema Finance Corporation.
A commemorative plaque marking the former studio location was installed in 1996.
Produced by other companies
Several other production companies also utilized the British and Dominions studios for their films:
See also
- Associated British Picture Corporation
- List of British and Dominions films
- Category:Films shot at Imperial Studios, Elstree
- Category:British and Dominions Studios films
- Lists of productions filmed at other Elstree studios:
References
- British film studios
- Film production companies in the United Kingdom
- Former companies of England
- Mass media firms founded in 1929
- Mass media firms closed in 1936
- Borehamwood
- Fires in the United Kingdom during the 1930s
- Disasters in the United Kingdom in 1936
- Fires of 1936
- Hertfordshire history
- 1929 establishments in the UK
- 1936 closures in the UK
- Demolished Hertfordshire buildings and structures
- Mass media companies disestablished in 1936