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The history of Worton Hall
Ex-film studio Worton Hall is soon to be converted into eight flats, with five homes built at its rear -but it seems its past is more colourful than its future.
Christine Diwell from the Isleworth Society said : "It was built in 1783, by rich merchants during the industrial revolution, and in fact the listed hall and the people living around it were actually their own hamlet within Isleworth. Then during the 1800s and 1839 the hall was gradually extended and almost totally rebuilt."
In 1913 the house and nine acre estate was bought by film producer, George Berthold Samuelson, who turned it into a film studio.
The house had 40 rooms with George turning its ground floor into offices, property and wardrobe rooms, in addition to creating a projection theatre and canteen. The left wing held the dressing rooms for actresses while the right wing the dressing rooms for actors.
The first and top floors contained eleven bedrooms, which he converted into flats to accommodate those needing to stay overnight, while the ballroom and dining room were left intact to be used for filming.
Known as Isleworth Film Studios it initially only produced silent films, with Samuelson often producing two or three at a time leading to the hall being extended in 1916 to cater for the packed houses they played to.
The studio is best known for producing movie, African Queen, for which Humphrey Bogart won best actor at the Oscars and in which Katharine Hepburn also starred.
Although depicted as one of Britains greatest producers, Samuelson was forced to sell Worton Hall to British Screen Productions in 1928 to help him pay legal expenses.
The building was then sold on to the National Coal Board who used it as a mining research establishment for 20 years. And now after a long period of being rented out as offices and sitting empty, the building has been bought by Bevis Trading Ltd, who are to turn it into homes.
Hounslow historian Andrea Cameron said: "I am pleased to hear the building will be kept intact and be put to good use rather than just falling into disrepair.
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Thank god they're doing something constructive with it. It was being used for driving tests but looked almost derelict, which was a shame because it is a really nice building.
My Mum's wedding dress was hired from Isleworth Studio in 1947 because of post war restrictions on clothing. She lived nearby. She took me to see African Queen when I was about 13 just because of its association with the Studios. Later my Gran worked as a cleaner in the building when it was owned by the National Coal Board. I know she was still there in 1966.
My Nan was an extra in a film that was made at isleworth studios,its lovely to watch when it comes on.Glad to see the buildings being put to use and is staying around,its good to keep history alive.