Page "Pinewood Studios" Paragraph 4

In 1935, millionaire Methodist and flour magnate J. Arthur Rank created a partnership with Boot and together transformed the estate into a film studio.

Charles Boot based his designs upon what were at the time the latest ideas being employed by other film studios in the production of movies at Hollywood, California, USA and Boot officially named their new studio Pinewood, because "... of the number of trees which grow there still contains huge pine trees and because it seemed to suggest something of the American film centre in its second syllable.

" In December of that year construction began, with a new stage completed every three weeks.

The studios were finished nine months later having cost £ 1 million ( approx.

£ 37 million at 2012 prices ).

Five stages were initially completed and a provision for an enclosed water tank capable of holding 65, 000 gallons, which is still used.

In the years that followed he also undertook further work on both the Pinewood Film Studios and the Denham Film Studios, both of which had by then become a part of their newly-formed Rank Organisation.