1 October 2011 Last updated at 01:16

Pinewood Studios turn 75

Home to Bond, Batman, Kubrick and Carry On, Pinewood Studios were opened on 30 September, 1936. Among the famous faces to pass through the gates was actress Diana Dors, pictured here in 1955.

The studio was established by Sheffield building tycoon Sir Charles Boot, Lady Henrietta Yule and the Methodist flour magnate J Arthur Rank, who is pictured here in 1946 with Bert Easy, the head of the Pinewood Studios Camera Department.

The opening ceremony was performed by British Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade, Dr Leslie Burgin (right, foreground) and attended by actors Robert Douglas (centre foreground, next to camera) and Sally Eilers (next to Dr Burgin).

The studio was intended to be a rival to Hollywood and soon began to attract US stars like Bob Hope, seen here posing for a portrait by photographer Delia Dudgeon. Pinewood boasted modern facilities including the largest private swimming pool in Europe, squash courts and a Turkish bath.

Elizabeth Taylor celebrated her 31st birthday at Pinewood in 1963, as she filmed VIP with Richard Burton. The couple married a year later.

The studio's location in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, also made it an attractive proposition to London's TV industry. The New Avengers, starring Joanna Lumley, Patrick MacNee and Gareth Hunt, was filmed there in 1976.

A set was built in 1976 to house the interior of the Liparus supertanker for James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me. The building had a maximum floor space of 45,424 sq ft (4,200 sq m) and the opening ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Harold Wilson.

Sean Connery and Honor Blackman in Goldfinger

The studio was long associated with the Bond series. Sean Connery is seen here in a playful mood with his Goldfinger co-star Honor Blackman, in 1964.

Shirley Eaton as Bond Girl Jill Masterson

British actress Shirley Eaton was covered in gold paint for her role in the film. “It didn’t take long to get it on," she recalled. "But getting it off was awful. I had to scrub it off with soap and water, then have several Turkish baths."

Special effects shot for The Medusa Touch

Special effects shots also become important to the studio's business. Here, technicians prepare scale models of a Boeing 747 and a skyscraper for a crash scene in 1978 Richard Burton film The Medusa Touch.

The Carry On series was also a regular caller to Pinewood. Here, US comedian Phil Silvers (left) is on set for a scene in Carry On Follow That Camel.

Alan Parker's rambunctious musical Bugsy Malone was filmed throughout 1975 at the studios. The cast of children, including Scott Baio and Jodie Foster, posed for this photograph after the climactic splurge gun scene.

Charlie Chaplin (second left) turned 77 while directing his last film, A Countess from Hong Kong at Pinewood. He is seen celebrating the birthday with cast members Sophia Loren (centre) and Tippi Hedren (right, back) and her daughter Melanie Griffith (right, front).

Peter Sellers was a regular visitor, filming Dr Strangelove and the Pink Panther series (pictured) in his time at Pinewood.

In 2006, shortly after filming wrapped on Daniel Craig's Bond debut Casino Royale, the 007 stage burned down in mysterious circumstances. It was rebuilt in time for shooting on the follow-up Quantum Of Solace in 2007-08.

Sweeney Todd, Kick-Ass, The Dark Knight and Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows.

Films to have graced Pinewood this century include (clockwise from top left) Sweeney Todd, Kick-Ass, The Dark Knight and Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows. Shooting on the 23rd James Bond movie is expected to commence next year.

Entertainment & Arts

Pinewood Studios turn 75

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