Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-18
BY JOAN LITTLEFIELD.

~
etse CORRESPONDENT of The Star and the
North American Newspaper Alliance
LONDON, July 1s-With all the
beauty spots in Great Britain TO choose
from, it seems strange at first sight that
Virtually all the big English MIN COM
NAMES have established their studios IN
or near London. Within 20 miles OF
the capital you will find every company
of note which is producing films IN TINS
country.
And the most important place, ex1
pected in a few years 70 pc as wen
known as Hollywood, is sleepy little
country town, "A miles north Of Lonoon,
set in a quiet, unSpectacular, utterly
English landscape of field ana trees.
with here and there gentle mound
which is almost a hill-with keen coun-
trv air and with an atmosphere: so the
experts say, peculiarly suitable for MIN
purposes.
bricked, gray-slated houses ana HS
winding main street. more DEAD IMAM
alive at the best of times and boastlng
not more than a dozen shops and one
nntiouated cinema, has not yet aWak-
ened to the fact that 1t is becoming
famous.
The huge, iron-roofed sheds be-
longing to the three Aim companies al
ready operating at Elstree and reSem-
bling airplane hangers or modern fac-
tories, which have grown up on the OUT
skirts of the town, leave its Stolld IN
11abitants uninterested and unmoved.
Homes Spring Up.
True. trade has improved, though one
would not think 1t to look at the town,
and artistic" bungalows are sprlnglng
up on all sides as more and more direc-
tors and camera men and others OF Inc
film world decide it is pleaSanter to live
IN the country and be near their WORK
than to motor out from London every
day.
Here and there. too. amid the SNUG
general" shops of the toWnSpeople one
sees an exotic hairdreSser's salon or a
dainty beauty parlor, which seem SIN
gularly out of place in such surround
lngs But, on the whole, there are sur
prisingly few signs of luxury or means
of amusement, and only the long lines
of cars outside the studios evidence the
fat that money and fame have come
to Elstree.
Nevertheless, plans are afoot in the
Aim colony for garden city in the VI
cinity. A project has been started for
a townlet Of labor-saving houses on the
bungalow plan. A central garage. a
community golf course and tennis courts
and a hotel for the many actors and
others who will go to Elstree for one
picture only are forecast. The train and
bus services, too, have improved, and 1t
is expected that the tube will be ex-
tended to the town in the not too dis
tant future.
The most important of the three film
companies at Elstree Is British Interna-
tional Pictures. Ltd, which says it has
the best equipped and most up-to- date
studios in Europe. These are On a site
of a hundred acres. There are two stu
Giios each 800 feet long, 100 feet wide
and 40 feet high, and workshop 200
feet long and 100 feet wide, which is
divided into the departments necessary
for complete film producing organiza-
ton. There is a Sub-station of a ca
pacity Of 1000 kilowatts rs by 40 feet,
known device and equipment to facili-
tate development and printing of the
higest quality.
Use Fog DiSpelleY.
Sunk in the floor of each studio is a
large concrete pit, 9 feet deep holding
10000 gallons of water for water scenes,
and there Is also fog-dispelling in
stallation very necessary in England)
which permits continuous production of
films during the foggiest weather.
The lighting Of the studios is said to
be the best in the world. The 1000
kilowattS are distributed to four porta-
bic swtichboards having fiat amperage
of 5000 amperes each. Five full-sized
wind machines are used extensively
both for interior and exterior purposes,
and for the exterior two mobile general
ing trucks with a capacity of 100 kilo-
watts are available. There is a perma-
nent staff Of more than 800 engineers,
electricians, craftsmen, carpenters, stage
hands, casting clerks and so forth.
The company has now begun work on
both talking and sound pictures, and
two new buildings, each $40 feet by $40