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THIS IS THE PAMPHLET THAT JACK HAWKINS HELD

HELP US

SAVE

EALING

STUDIOS

and keep them British!
AN UNTHINKABLE
END TO 100
Fears of supermarket deal and YEARS OF
reminder of MGM sell-off as PRODUCTION
film school puts site up for sale
Britain can be proud of Ealing Studios, which is one of the great
Film Stars & l'rrJducers create RJREVBI EAJJNG names in cinefll.a history. The site has been in continoous pro-
(laking its name from George Perry's Book) in duction since 1902, making films that are famous all fNer the
response Ill alannilg reports that IJdt;JiYs best mrfd. Many people are under the impression that Ealing closed
known stJxlio codd be sold off :nl tlemtJiislled. dONn years ago but this is not the case.
ThatEaling'sfamousstages also happen here. TheheydayofEalingStudioswasdur- iooal Film and Televisiro Sd1ool is
could be replaced by a su- An alarming fact remains. No ing the 1940s and first half of the selling the s~e off with the possible
1950s when Sir Michael Balcon ccnsequeoces of development
permarl<et or fall into the buildings on the studio site
headed production. For nearly 40 Focever Ealing believes that there
hands of a property devef- are listed as places of signifi-
yearsaftef\Aiafds, the BBCmaimained should be invesiment rather than
oper for a tONilhouse estate cant historical interest by the
Ealing as a production centre. Since further decline in the British Film
with street names such such British G<Mmlment's Depart- the BBC vacated the studios earlier Industry and will do everything pos-
as "Pimlico Close," "Laven- ment of Culture, despite the this decade there have been difficul- stble to save Ealing Studios.
der Hill Terrace" etc will be studios having produced ties. NCJN its present owners, the Nat-
·distasteful to many of us. some of the most famous
The reality is that what hap- films in the IMlrtd. Even the
pened in .America to MGM, familiar gatehouse which
where the Studios and contain's Sir Michael
Backlot were sold off tor a Balcon'§.Qffice starx1s unpro-
posh housing could .teet@ ·
·---... ~no'

Scme of the finest British films, including Sed! d
the Antan:tic. The Blue /.Jimp, The Cruel Sea,
The udykll/ers, The lavender Hill MaiJ, Passparl to
PimHco, Whisky Galore!, and Kind Hearts and CarJnets were made in
Gad eo Age, establishing stars such as Geage Formby, Gracie Fields, Jack warner,
Alastair Sim, Jack Hawkins, Ricllard A.ttenb«ough, Alec Guinness, John Mills and
Donald Sind eo to name but a few.
This year's blookbuster comedy Nolting Hill starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts
Balcon's White House: Site of Proposed Museum used Ealing's stages.

SUPPORT THE BRITISH FILM INDUSTRY

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