The inspector calls (From This Is Local London)

The inspector calls

12:29pm Saturday 29th May 2004 in

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Hands up if anyone remembers an attractive young actress named Patricia Dainton who shot to stardom in The Dancing Years opposite Dennis Price at Elstree in 1949, a film which landed her a contract with ABPC.

The future seemed bright especially when a couple of years later MGM offered her a role in Ivanhoe but Elstree refused to lend Patricia out.

Then a few months later ABPC dropped her contract and her career nosedived. I understand Patricia eventually went to work for WH Smith starting as a cleaner before rising to the head of one of their shop's book department where she spent 21 years until her retirement. Such is the topsy turvy world of showbiz.

That same year the famous studio manager Joe Grossman died suddenly. He had been at Elstree since the early days and apparently was quite a character. They say the funeral cortege was still leaving the studio as the front end reached Elstree village. I am expecting a similar turnout when I go to that great movie studio in the sky or I will be returning to haunt a few people!

I was talking to actor George Baker the other day about his days under contract to ABPC in the 1950s. I guess George is best remembered today for his long running television role of Inspector Wexford. He could not believe it is 16 years ago since we last met when he came along to address a public meeting about our campaign to save the then threatened Elstree Studios.

I guess my younger readers will never have heard of George. Then again 22-year-old Michael Readings asked me the other day who was Peter Sellers, so it is amazing how quickly fame disappears. No doubt in 40 years time another generation will say: "I think I have heard about David Beckham wasn't he a football player married to a pop singer or was that Billy Wright!"

In our irregular series on the origins of the street names on the Studio Estate we turn to Rutherford Close. We named this after the distinguished comedy actress Dame Margaret Rutherford who died aged 82 in 1972.

Margaret started acting late in life in the 1930s after being a piano teacher. Sadly her father ended up in Broadmoor having murdered his own father and her mother committed suicide so it is no wonder Margaret herself suffered several nervous breakdowns.

Perhaps that all helped develop her scatty comedic talent which she used to full advantage in films such as Blithe Spirit. I selected her name as Margaret made several successful Miss Marple movies at MGM and won an Oscar for her role in The VIPS at the same studio.

Well it is time for me to ride off into the sunset for another week in search of the last chance saloon. I once actually stood on a western set on a studio ranch in California but one of those balls of sagebrush hit me in the face which never seemed to happen to Alan Ladd, Gary Cooper or John Wayne. I know Michael, who are they?!