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The 'Most Missed' Buildings in Elstree & Borehamwood, Part 2

We are continuing our list of some of the 'Most Missed' buildings in our area, in no particular order, and we are adding them one by one, week by week, and would love to have your feedback on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages. What are your memories? Which is your 'Most Missed'?  What iconic building have we forgotten? Let us know on

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We had some great comments about the Village Hall last week, and expect even more with this week's :

THE MGM CLOCK TOWER

In 1935 Amalgamated Studios started building a large studio complex on the north side of Elstree Way, including the much loved art deco tower which became a symbol of Borehamwood and its studios. Amalgamated was unable to find work to fill its new studios and in 1939 they sold out to J Arthur Rank who leased it to the Ministry of Works during the Second World War for storage. In 1944 the UK subsidiary of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, MGM-London, who had been using Denham Studios pre-war, purchased the site and renamed itself as MGM British Studios Ltd.

After the War MGM increased the site to 7 sound stages and went into full production and many 'classic' films and TV series were made in Borehamwood.  Films included Ivanhoe (1952), The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958) and The Dirty Dozen (1967). The castle built as a set for Ivanhoe could be seen when driving into Borehamwood and was often mistaken for a genuine historical monument.  The mound where the castle was built, is now part of the Film and Heritage Trail which runs through the Studio Way estate. The TV series The Prisoner was made here in the Sixties, and still attracts a loyal following. One of the final films to be made was 2001 : A Space Odyssey (1968) which may well have led to the closure of the studios, but has had a lasting effect in popular culture.

So in 1970, the Studios closed and in the early hours of May 1973, a fire swept through the site, damaging a number of buildings being demolished in preparation for use as a cold store by Christian Salvesen. During 1973, a film crew for the production Holiday On The Buses filmed some of the demolition work as part of the climax of the film.

In 1987, despite local campaigns and protests, the iconic Clock Tower was demolished when Christian Salvesen finished operations at the former studio. Unfortunately none of the buildings were listed and the site was cleared for industrial purposes.  The former library and leisure centre were built on an adjacent site and the backlot became the Studio Way estate.  According to former Museum Curator, Alan Lawrence, only a few bricks remain from the original wall alongside the road, marking where the Studios once stood.

The first photo is an unusual shot of the Tower and the offices in its early days before MGM bought the studios, but surrounded by executive cars of the day. We have no date for this shot, so if you can help us and identify the cars, then please let us know.  
The second is a snowy day in the 1960s, the third is a frontal shot, and the fourth an aerial photo showing the Tower's location in the MGM complex itself. As an added bonus, here's a still from Ivanhoe as the 'castle' is besieged.

A book about the history of MGM has been written by local historian Paul Welsh and can be purchased from the Museum and this website.