Hello again playmates. By the time you read this I will have ended my fourth week in self-isolation, which I urge everyone to do as much as you can. It is not only your life you may save but that of somebody frailer. I only go out for 15-minute walk to my local shop. On my outing last Sunday a young chap who I assume was in his twenties said to me from a safe distance how much he enjoyed this column. That was really nice and he also said he was a fan of the old Hammer movies and I agree with him. I should have asked him his name but if you are reading this I am always contactable via the Elstree Screen Heritage facebook page.

I will continue to write my column but the local press is under a lot of strain so if it does not appear each week that is not our fault.

The only film studio actually in Elstree - most were in Borehamwood - was the short-lived Danziger Brothers New Elstree Studios which was a cheeky title to give themselves but typical of these two brash Americans. They bought an old jet engine testing plant and converted it into a film studios in the mid 1950s to cash in on the need for cheap second features and television series.

To make any money their motto was to shoot fast and kept costs to a minimum. Scriptwriter Brian Clemens told me he started his career there. "They would say to me 'we want a script that must include some sets that are still standing to save money so in the plot include a submarine, a nightclub and a hospital room'. Actually it was a great way to learn." Brian went on to help create The Avengers and also worked in Hollywood.

Ernie Morris was a regular director at the Studio and told me: "I needed regular work so I was not expensive. Indeed they used me so much they asked me to use false names on some of my credits so it would look like they had a bigger staff. They hated wasting money on retakes, so you encouraged actors if they were fluffing their lines to continue and ad lib through the scene. If we started to run behind and over budget they would simply come on set tear out pages of unshot script and told to fix it so you were back on schedule."

To appear in a Danziger production often indicated you were a newcomer and eager or an old timer on the way out. Actor and DJ Pete Murray told me: "They phoned me up on a Friday and asked if I would like to star in a film. I was very flattered, so they said 'great, the script is on its way and we start filming Monday!' I think it took about 14 days and I was paid £200."

The studio facilities were hired out to other companies that brought such diverse stars as George Sanders and Sidney Poitier to Hammer productions such as the great Quatermass II. I really enjoy this film and think Brian Donlevy is great as Quatermass. In real life Brian was an alcoholic and each lunchtime went off to the Plough Inn in Elstree Village for a liquid lunch. One of his co stars Bryan Forbes told me that the cups of coffee he had on set never fooled anyone. However, the director Val Guest praised him to me. "I had story boards on set explaining to cast and crew the set ups for each scene. Brian always knew his lines and would concentrate on that scene and give a good performance. Whether he recalled the plot did not matter."

More tales for another time. Until we meet again take care.

  • Paul Welsh is a Borehamwood writer and historian of Elstree Studios