Tucked away in a quiet corner of the Middlesex countryside is a former estate now known as Shepperton Film Studios. Unlike other major studios, Shepperton was not initially controlled by a company with production, distribution and/or exhibition interests. It could be said that Shepperton was a truly independent studio, with an independent spirit.
The magic of the grand, stately home has been enjoyed by many famous stars and film makers over eight decades, such as Stanley Kubrick, Humphrey Bogart, John Wayne, Charlie Chaplin, Deborah Kerr, Peter Cushing, Sir Alec Guinness, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Hanks, Robert Downey Jr, Sir Michael Caine – to name but a few.
They brought films such as ‘The Third Man’, ‘Richard III’, ‘Dr Strangelove’, ‘I’m All Right Jack’, ‘Flash Gordon’, Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’;, ‘Alien’, ‘Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves’, ‘The Crying Game’, ‘Gladiator’, ‘Troy’ and ‘The Da Vinci Code’ to life.
The Shepperton Story is the definitive history of the studios, including the stories of the financial worries that plagued productions and the inter-personal rivalries, but also features contributions from the stars that graced the stages and the fond memories that they have of Britain’s world-famous studios.
Further details of The Shepperton story are available on the main catalogue, available in ‘Catalogues’ on the Library’s website.