BLAZE AT FILM STUDIO

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 March 1930, Page 9

BLAZE AT FILM STUDIO

THREE PEOPLE HURT LONDON, January 19. A fire broke out yesterday afternoon about 1.30, at the film studios in Poole Street, New North Road, Islington, of Gainsborough Pictures (1928), Ltd., and within a very short time flames were leaping to a height of sixty feet from the top of the building. Three people were injured. These were: George Gunn, studio manager, who lost a finger and was severely burned; William Shann, recording room staff, severe!} 7 burned; and Thomas Gobbett, of the projection staff also severely burned. They were taken to the Metropolitan Hospital. Mr. Shann and Mr. Gunn had a narrow escape. They were trapped by the flames on the first floor of the building, and escaped by jumping down the lift shaft. Mr. Gunn lost a finger in opening the iron lattice doors of the lift, but he was not detained at the hospital. Mr. Gobbett and Mr. Shann were badly burned, but their condition, it was stated at the hospital last night, was not serious. At the time of the outbreak the rehearsal of a new film entitled, “Balaclava” was in progress, and the artists including several women, had great difficulty in making their way out of the building, because of the dense fumes and smoke. Clad in their costumes—some. in Highland kilts, and the women in Russian peasant dresses —they were afterwards among the spectators of the blaze. An urgent call was sent out, and a large number of fire engines were soon on the scene. Motor ambulances were also present, and the police linked their arms in order to keep back people from the building. , It was only after two and a-half hours’ strenuous work that the firemen got the fire under control. Mr. W. J. O’Brien, costing manager, stated that the loss was considerable. There had been lavish expenditure in the construction of the sound-proof studio. As far as he knew, the film on which the company were working, which dealt with the battle of Balaclava, was safe in the studio vaults, as were also other completed films at the time of the lire.