Islington Studios

Islington Studios often known as Gainsborough Studios were a British film studio located on the south bank of the Regent's Canal, in Poole Street, Hoxton in the former Metropolitan Borough of Shoreditch, London between 1919 and 1949. The studios are closely associated with Gainsborough Pictures which was based there for most of the studio's history. During its existence Islington worked closely with its sister Lime Grove Studios in Shepherd's Bush and many films were made partly at one studio and partly at the other. Amongst the films made at the studios were Alfred Hitchcock thrillers, Will Hay comedies and Gainsborough Melodramas.

The studios were originally built as a power station for the Great Northern & City Railway, and were acquired by the major American company Famous Players-Lasky which wanted to set up a British subsidiary. The building was converted into a two-stage studio, and production began in 1920. During this era Alfred Hitchcock made his start in films, when he was employed as an intertitle writer at Islington. In 1924 the Hollywood company sold off the studios which were bought by Michael Balcon's Gainsborough Pictures. The company enjoyed some success turning out silent films during the 1920s, at a time when other British companies were struggling.

In the late 1920s Gainsborough merged with the larger British Gaumont which owned the Lime Grove Studios. The conglomerate had ambitious plans to challenge Hollywood and produce more than twenty films a year. The larger Lime Grove complex was selected to make expensive films while Islington was designated the cheaper films, particularly comedies. However, during these years it served as an overflow studio and many films scheduled for Shepherd's Bush were made partly at Islington.

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