Archive of material relating to Denham Film Studios, circa 1980

Buckinghamshire: London Film Productions, 1980. Small archive of material relating to Denham Film Studios (also known as London Films), circa 1980.

A number of notable films were shot at Denham Studios through the 1940s and 1950s, including "Great Expectations" (1946), "Hamlet" (1948), and "The Thief of Bagdad" (1940), before closing in 1952. The studios would be rented to the US Air Force between 1955 and 1961, and were later used for sound recording for film. They are today best remembered for their work on film scores, including "Star Wars" (1977), "Alien" (1979), and "Vertigo" (1958). In 1980 the studios were purchased by a developer and demolished.

Collection includes:

Two photographs of Denham Film Studios during construction in 1935 and 1936.

A five-page description of the history of the studios and of the London Films production company.

Two xerographically duplicated copies of articles regarding Denham Studios from Kinematograph Weekly, dated April 30th, 1936.

A xerographically duplicated copy of a map of the studio from Kinematograph Weekly, dated April 30, 1956, with annotations in manuscript ink identifying parts of the studio that were demolished.

A letter to director Francis Ford Coppola from a Frank Allen, dated April 14, 1980. In the letter Allen pleads with Coppola as "[their] last hope" to purchase the studios due to time constraints. Mentioned in the letter is the inclusion of the photographs, typed history, article clippings and map of the studios. 2 leaves, bound with two staples at the top left corner.

All items housed in a manila envelope.