Paul Soskin, who had been an art director
for British European Film and editor for British
and Dominions, formed Soskin Productions in 1935 with his uncle Simon
Soskin. They planned to build the most modern studio in the UK at Elstree.
Soskin purchased 120 acres and started construction
for the studio to be finished in January 1937. Soskin had counted on an
8 film contract with Columbia
Pictures. When he went to the US to finalize, problems arose and the
contract fell through. The studio construction cost ran over the 500,000
that was allocated and Soskin couldn't finish acquiring all of the necessary
equipment. The construction company foreclosed in 1939.
John
Maxwell immediately started negiotiations to take over Amalgamated,
BUT while Maxwell was negotiating, J.
Arthur Rank came in and bought in to keep Maxwell from getting it. Rank
couldn't foresee the war starting and the shutdown of the studios anyway.
When the war started, the Ministry of Works
requisitioned Amalgamated to be used for storage of war supplies. After
the war, Rank decided to sell the studio in 1947 to Prudential.
In 1948, MGM
purchased the studio and land to set up MGM-British.
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