Editing Ealing Studios (section)

=== Film studios (1902–1955) ===
The site was first occupied by [[Will Barker (director)|Will Barker]] Studios from 1902.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://knowledgeoflondon.com/movies/ealing.html |title=Ealing Studios |website=knowledgeoflondon.com |access-date=17 June 2011 |archive-date=29 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929001143/http://knowledgeoflondon.com/movies/ealing.html |url-status=live }}</ref> From 1929, it was acquired by theatre producer [[Basil Dean]], who founded Associated Talking Pictures Ltd. He was joined on the management level by [[Stephen Courtauld]] and [[Reginald Baker (film producer)|Reginald Baker]]. In 1931, they built Ealing Studios, transferring all production there in December of that year. When Dean left in 1938 to be replaced by [[Michael Balcon]] from MGM, about 60 films had been made at the studios. Balcon discontinued the ATP name and began to issue films under the Ealing Studios name. In 1944, the company was taken over by the [[Rank Organisation]].

In the 1930s and 1940s, the facility as ATP and then Ealing Studios produced many comedies with stars such as [[Gracie Fields]], [[George Formby Jr.|George Formby]], [[Stanley Holloway]] and [[Will Hay]], who had established their reputations in other spheres of entertainment. The company was also instrumental in the use of documentary film-makers to make more realistic war films. These included ''[[Went the Day Well?]]'' (1942), ''The Foreman Went to France'' (1942), ''[[Undercover (1943 film)|Undercover]]'' (1943), and ''[[San Demetrio London]]'' (1943). In 1945, the studio made its chiller compendium ''[[Dead of Night]]''.

In the post-war period, the company embarked on a series of [[Ealing Comedies|comedies]] which became the studio's hallmark. These were often lightly satirical and were seen to reflect aspects of British character and society. The first was ''[[Hue and Cry (film)|Hue and Cry]]'' (1947) and the last ''[[Barnacle Bill (1957 film)|Barnacle Bill]]'' (1956).

The best remembered Ealing films were produced between 1948 and 1955: ''[[Whisky Galore! (1949 film)|Whisky Galore!]]'' (1949), ''[[Passport to Pimlico]]'' (1949), ''[[Kind Hearts and Coronets]]'' (1949), ''[[The Lavender Hill Mob]]'' (1951), ''[[The Man in the White Suit]]'' (1951), ''[[The Titfield Thunderbolt]]'' (1953), ''[[The Cruel Sea (1953 film)|The Cruel Sea]]'' (1953) and ''[[The Ladykillers (1955 film)|The Ladykillers]]'' (1955) are all regarded as classics of British cinema.