‘Gary Chapman is right to describe his subject as “a microcosm of the evolution of the British film industry during the silent era” ‘.
‘Chapman’s book is comprehensive… an invaluable resource for students of the period.’
Stephen Donaghue on the front cover of Picturegoer
In late 1925, C.M. Woolf persuaded Michael Balcon to produce a series of six two-reel racing pictures starring Stephen Donoghue, the most celebrated champion jockey of his day. Walter West, who had made his name at Broadwest in the early 1920s creating numerous racing dramas was engaged as director.
Stephen Donoghue, Carlyle Blackwell and Frank Bullock winning the studio stakes – during filming of Riding For a King (1926) at the Islington studio
Despite being an unlikely British silent film star, Donoghue took to the medium of film like a duck to water and was not in the least bit camera conscious or awkward. Asked how he liked making his film debut he said ‘Great… everything’s so new and absorbingly interesting and I’m, enjoying every minute of it. I almost feel I should like to give up everything else and make screen acting my profession – although of course, I don’t know very much about it yet. I just do what Mr West tells me and hope for the best.’ He claimed he wasn’t too nervous before the camera because he had been interviewed and photographed so many times before.
Frank Bullock (Australian jockey champion- seen left) visited the Islington studio one day to see how his colleague Stephen Donoghue (far right) was enjoying his film experience. With Carlyle Blackwell and June.
The first film to be produced was Riding for a King, which featured Donaghue and Carlyle Blackwell, Miles Mander and the pretty actress June Tripp (simply called June). Filmed by Bert Cann, one of America’s foremost cameramen, the story was about a jockey hero whose unhappy fate was to love Lady Betty Raleigh (June). Blackwell and Mander were already well established silent film stars but June was a relative newcomer. June said that she had been engaged for the picture without any sort of test and wanted to feel ‘that I’m justifying the choice.’
Stephen Donoghue and June in a scene from Riding For a King (1926) filmed at the Islington studio
The picture’s chief purpose was ‘providing a full-length study of Donoghue’s personality in private life and on the racecourse’ and he was seen as a slight, youthful looking, charming little man, with an evident sense of humour. No-one would ever suspect that he had a grown-up son, also a jockey.
Needless to say, the race climax was the best part of the film. Another five pictures were filmed in the first few months of 1926 and released thereafter: Dark Horses, A Knight of the Saddle (with Carlyle Blackwell and Madge Stuart), Beating the Book (with Carlyle Blackwell and Violet Hopson), The Stolen Favourite and The Golden Spurs (with Irene Russell).
London’s Hollywood: The Gainsborough Studio in the Silent Years
Published 15th July 2014
A detailed look at the British Silent Film industry with this first ever evaluation of the history, output and achievement of the most iconic film studio in England during the silent era.
Available in the following formats:
Hardback, £27, ISBN 9781909230132
Paperback, £14.99, ISBN 9781909230101
Amazon Kindle ebook, £8.99, ISBN 9781909230125
Apple ebook, £8.99, ISBN 9781909230118 (Through Apple / iTunes – search for title on iTunes bookstore)
The Rat (1925), directed by Graham Cutts and filmed at the Islington studio was the first in, what was to become, a fabulous trilogy following the adventures of a low-life Parisian Apache played brilliantly by Ivor Novello. One of the early Gainsborough Pictures it was hailed as ‘a triumph for British film industry’ and was […]
Dorothy Gish was the star of Herbert Wilcox’s magnificent British silent film Nell Gwyn (1926) wearing incredible costumes designed by Doris Zinkeisen. After filming Decameron Nights (1924) at UFA, Herbert Wilcox left Graham-Wilcox Productions and formed Herbert Wilcox Productions. His first production was The Only Way (1925), adapted from the stage show based on A Tale of Two […]
Considered to be one of the most important ‘lost’ British silent films, Woman to Woman (1923) was directed by Graham Cutts for Balcon-Saville-Freedman. The American actress Betty Compson was the star and here she is in her stunning ostrich-feather dress designed by Dolly Tree composed of over 200 ostrich feather plumes and 1,000 pearls. Filmed […]
A picture that missed getting into London’s Hollywood is this charming portrait of John Stuart and Virginia Valli in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Pleasure Garden (1926) filmed in Munich at the Emelka Studios. Regarded as Hitchcock’s first ‘true’ feature film in a directorial capacity it was filmed in the summer of 1925 and also starred Carmelita […]
Take a look at the digital sampler for London’s Hollywood: The Gainsborough Studio in the Silent Years to be published 15th July 2014 http://bit.ly/1o25Rh8
The screen farewell to one of Britain’s most loveable characters – Betty Balfour in Squibs Honeymoon (1923) Many of the big scenes for Squibs Honeymoon (1923) were taken by George Pearson at the Islington studio in early October 1923. Betty Balfour looked divine in her bridal outfit and the whole of the big floor […]
Betty Balfour in Love, Life and Laughter (1923) mostly filmed at the Islington studio by George Pearson London’s Hollywood: The Gainsborough Studio in the Silent Years will be published 15th July 2014 A detailed look at the British Silent Film industry with this first ever evaluation of the history, output and achievement of the most […]