Hewitts History Files

Over the years West Sussex has been home to generations of poets, artists and musicians but Shoreham can lay claim to being the location of one of the country's earliest film studios.

Shoreham Film Studio will be recalled in a special Sussex Day event on Tuesday June 16 at Marlipins Museum.

Alan Readman, assistant county archivist at West Sussex Record Office, will tell its remarkable story in a lunchtime presentation.

As Alan explains, the studio, sited first near the Old Fort and later near the Church of the Good Shepherd, made a number of feature films between 1914-1923, earning widespread recognition and acclaim.

"Its first leading lady, the teenage Joan Morgan, was described as 'Britain's Mary Pickford' and the studio became known as 'Hollywood-by-the-Sea'.

For full feature and more photographs see West Sussex Gazette June 3