Hitchcock Chronology: British International Pictures
Entries in the Hitchcock Chronology relating to British International Pictures...
1926
May
- 29th - The Western Morning News reports that Hitchcock, "the world's youngest producer", will "in spite of many tempting offers from California [...] dedicate his gifts to the revival of the British film industry, and when the great new studios are opened at Elstree — the English Hollywood — Mr. Hitchcock will become the principal creator of British national pictures".[1]
1927
June
- Hitchcock leaves Gainsborough Pictures and signs a new contract with British International Pictures.[2]
- 2nd - Speculation as to who will direct the screen adaptation of Eden Phillpotts' highly successful comic play The Farmer's Wife is ended when British International Pictures announces that Hitchcock will direct after completing The Ring.[3]
July
- Filming starts on The Ring, Hitchcock's first film for British International Pictures, starring Carl Brisson and Lillian Hall-Davis.[4]
October
- 14th - British International Pictures holds a press luncheon in London where chairman John Maxwell announces that actress Betty Balfour has signed a two-year contract to the company and her first role will be in Hitchcock's Champagne.[5]
November
- Several British and Australian newspapers report on Hitchcock's new contact with British National Pictures (which soon becomes British International Pictures) on a salary that is set to rise to £17,000 a year. Presumably based information contained in a studio press handout, they claim Hitchcock entered the film industry as a teenager — in reality he began working for Famous Players-Lasky in 1921, aged 21.[6]
December
- Mrs Lucy Baldwin, wife of the British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, visits British International Pictures' Elstree Studios and watches Hitchcock at work filming The Farmer's Wife.[7]
1928
January
- British International Pictures announces that Alfred Hitchcock will direct Champagne, starring Betty Balfour.[8]
February
- Filming begins on Hitchcock's third film for British International Pictures, Champagne, which stars Betty Balfour.[9]
April
- 13th - British International Pictures begin running newspaper competition adverts, hoping to discover new British female film stars.[10]
July
- British International Pictures announces the cast for The Manxman, starring Anny Ondra, Carl Brisson and Malcolm Keen.[11]
November
- British International Pictures announces that Alfred Hitchcock's next production will be an adaptation of Charles Bennett's play Blackmail.[12]
1929
February
- Principal photography starts on Hitchcock's fifth film for British International Pictures, Blackmail, staring Anny Ondra, John Longden and Donald Calthrop.[13]
March
- British International Pictures announces that Alfred Hitchcock will direct an adaptation of Sean O'Casey's play Juno and the Paycock.[14]
April
- British International Pictures completes building temporary sound stages. The company announces in the trade papers that Blackmail will become its first "talking picture".[15]
May
- 13th - The Duke and Duchess of York visit the British International Pictures studios, where they meet with Alfred Hitchcock and watch a scene from Blackmail being rehearsed.[16]
August
- British International Pictures annouces massive layoffs, firing around 20% of the staff. Although the company is profitable, John Maxwell is concerned that too few British cinemas have equiped themselves for sound movies, which risks the company's future profits.[17]
October
- British International Pictures announces that Hitchcock will direct a screen adaptation of Sean O'Casey's Juno and the Paycock, followed by an adaptation of the Clemence Dane/Helen Simpson book Enter Sir John.[18]
1930
October
- A British International Pictures press release of upcoming productions names Hitchcock as the director of The Man at Six.[19]
1931
January
- 21st - The Times reports that Rich and Strange will be Hitchcock's next film for British International Pictures.[20]
May
- British International Pictures announces that Rich and Strange will star Joan Barry and Henry Kendall.[21]
June
- 17th - The Times reports that The Skin Game will be the first film to be shown at a three week long film festival organised by John Maxwell and British International Pictures in Malvern.[22][23]
November
- 4th - The Times reports that Hitchcock will be directing a screen adaptation of Jefferson Farjeon's play Number Seventeen for British International Pictures.[24]
1932
April
- 4th - The Times reports that Hitchcock will be spending the next 12 months producing, rather than directing, films for British International Pictures. Ultimately, Lord Camber's Ladies is the only film Hitchcock will produce for the company.[25]
August
- 11th - The Times reports that Hitchcock has hired Benn Levy to direct Lord Camber's Ladies for British International Pictures.[26]
November
- 15th - Variety reports that when Hitchcock's contract at British International Pictures expires in March 1933, the studio will not be renewing it.[27]
1933
January
- 4th - The Times reports that Hitchcock is planning to adapt Bulldog Drummond for British International Pictures.[28]
February
- 1st - The Times reports that Hitchcock is currently working on an adaptation of Bulldog Drummond for British International Pictures and that he had recently signed a contract to make films for the new London Film Productions company.[29]
1944
January
- 20th - Hitchcock begins filming Bon Voyage and Aventure Malgache at British International Pictures' Welwyn Studios in Hertfordshire, UK.[30][31]
References
- ↑ Western Morning News (29/May/1926) - A Great British Producer
- ↑ Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light (2003) by Patrick McGilligan, page 93
- ↑ Daily Mail (02/Jun/1927) - The Farmer's Wife
- ↑ Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light (2003) by Patrick McGilligan, page 96
- ↑ Daily Mail (15/Oct/1927) - Miss Betty Balfour.
- ↑ Some newspapers report Hitchcock was only 16 when he started working in films! See Nottingham Evening Post (15/Nov/1927) - £300 a Week for Young Man, The News (Adelaide) (15/Nov/1927) - Clerk to director, The West Australian (17/Dec/1927) - The Kinema and Western Mail (Perth) (29/Dec/1927) - Film Flickers
- ↑ The Times (07/Dec/1927) - The Film World
- ↑ The Times (18/Jan/1928) - The Film World
- ↑ Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light (2003) by Patrick McGilligan, page 103
- ↑ Hull Daily Mail (13/Apr/1928) - Here Is Your Chance To Be A Film Star!
- ↑ Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light (2003) by Patrick McGilligan, page 106
- ↑ The Times (07/Nov/1928) - The Film World
- ↑ Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light (2003) by Patrick McGilligan, page 117
- ↑ The Times (13/Mar/1929) - The Film World: Through unknown Australia
- ↑ Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light (2003) by Patrick McGilligan, page 120
- ↑ The Times (14/May/1929) - The Duke and Duchess of York: Visit to film studios
- ↑ Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light (2003) by Patrick McGilligan, page 126
- ↑ Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light (2003) by Patrick McGilligan, pages 125/7
- ↑ As reported in the Perth Western Mail
- ↑ The Times (21/Jan/1931) - The film world
- ↑ Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light (2003) by Patrick McGilligan, page 143
- ↑ The Times (17/Jun/1931) - The Film World: A British Picture Festival
- ↑ The Times (29/Jul/1931) - The film world: a British festival
- ↑ The Times (04/Nov/1931) - The film world
- ↑ The Times (04/Apr/1932) - New films in London
- ↑ The Times (11/Aug/1932) - New British films
- ↑ Variety (1932) - Times Square: Chatter - London (Nov 15th)
- ↑ The Times (04/Jan/1933) - New British films
- ↑ The Times (01/Feb/1933) - British Film Production: Bulldog Drummond
- ↑ Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light (2003) by Patrick McGilligan, page 348
- ↑ The Dark Side of Genius: The Life of Alfred Hitchcock (1983) by Donald Spoto, page 272
