Ealing Times

Profile: Paul Welsh

Ealing Times: Photograph of the Author

Paul Welsh writes about the heyday of cinema in Borehamwood, the battle to save Elstree studios and its resurgence as a centre for TV and film.

Latest articles from Paul Welsh

Paul Welsh looks back on the life of Clark Gable. Photos: Pixabay/Newsquest

The only man ever to be called the King of Hollywood

Only one man was ever crowned as the King of Hollywood and that was back in the 1930s. The recipient was Clark Gable, who I guess younger readers may not have heard of. He was a big star from the 1930s until the 1950s and made three films in Borehamwood. His most famous role was as Rhett Butler in Gone With The Wind, although he lost out for the Best Actor Oscar to Robert Donat for his film Goodbye Mr Chips in 1939. Ironically Clark had won the Oscar five years earlier for another movie he did n

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Paul Welsh looks back on the Elstree horror classic Night of the Demon. Photos: Pixabay/Newsquest

Spirits on the set of Elstree horror classic

A couple of years ago I met an old friend, actress Peggy Cummins, and Diana Rigg at an event at Elstree Studios that I was co-hosting. It was the first time I had met Diana so that was a great pleasure. Luckily I had known Peggy for many years and sadly it proved to be their final visits to Elstree as we have lost them both since.

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Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd all came to Borehamwood. Photos: Pixabay

The silent movie legends who came to Elstree

I bet nobody reading this article was a cinemagoer during the silent era of movies as that ended more than 90 years ago. I suspect most readers have never watched a silent film as they are not shown on television and most have been lost with the passage of time. Surprisingly, a number of Hollywood silent screen stars visited or filmed in Borehamwood.

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Paul Welsh.

Stars of classic airline drama Zero Hour led colourful lives

Each night I retire to the west wing of my house and before going to sleep watch one of my huge collection of DVDs. I am a great fan of old movies and have just watched a 1950s thriller called Zero Hour about a disaster hitting an airliner. Dana Andrews plays the reluctant passenger who ends up having to land the aircraft with the help of a ground controller played by Stirling Hayden. If the plot seems familiar the film was remade many years later as a very funny comedy called Airplane.
The Trials of Oscar Wilde and an early Kubrick classic were among films at Elstree in 1960

Kubrick, Hancock, Warren Beatty and Oscar Wilde: 1960 at Elstree

Hello again to my fellow travellers down Memory Lane. I hope you are all holding onto the wreckage as the end of lock down is now hopefully in sight and the pub garden beckons.

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Gregory Peck is just one of the stars who shot films at Elstree Studios in 1954. Photo: Pixabay

The year Gregory Peck, Lana Turner, Liz Taylor and Jane Russell, Richard Todd and Errol Flynn came to Elstree

Is it me or are the weeks flowing past at a rate of knots but on the positive side bringing closer the days when I can sit in the garden and read a good film biography?

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Hammer's Blood from the Mummy's Tomb and the comedy On The Buses were among the Elstree Studios hits from 50 years ago in 1971. Photos: Pixabay/Newsquest

Blood from the Mummy's Tomb and On the Buses: Elstree's hits and flops from 50 years ago

This week, fellow travellers, I turn the clock back to 1971. Where have those 50 years gone? There have certainly been some changes. Can you believe it was still legal then for pubs to refuse to serve a woman on her own.

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Paul Welsh MBE has written a book about the history of MGM Studios in Borehamwood

MGM - when Hollywood came to Hertfordshire

Well my fellow ramblers down Memory Lane, we have held onto the wreckage into a new month and roll on spring. I am still amazed that people recognise me on the very rare occasions I venture out even though I am wearing a mask. It is even stranger considering the photo of me that appears in this column was taken 12 years ago.
Paul Welsh says Elstree will soon have more stage space than it did in its post-war heyday. Photo: Newsquest/Sky

Elstree will soon have more stage space than in post-war heyday

This week we travel back to what was filming at Elstree Studios 70 years ago in 1951. The films are nearly all forgotten today but starred some great names of the post war era.

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Paul Welsh says old films offer a glimpse into a different world. Photo: Pixabay

Smoking, hats, cheap drinks and free parking - old films offer a glimpse into a different world

One of the few good things about self-isolating in these winter months is that I have started to watch some of films in my DVD library that runs into several hundred.

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