SEALIGHT AND SUNNY SOUTH FILM COMPANIES

The first studio to be created at Shoreham was 'The Sunny South Film Company.' Francis Leonard Lyndhurst pushed the company off it's starting blocks in 1914, with the assistance of three local comedians, much of the studios output being of a comic nature. Most productions were shot during the more clement summer months, since all the filming took place on open-air studios, consisting of little more than a stage and backdrops. The majority of 'The Sunny South Film Company's' output was, as I have mentioned, of a humorous nature and of fairly short duration. Sadly, none of the output has survived today.

In 1915, 'The Sunny South Film Company' metamorphosised itself into 'The Sealight Film Company', the company once again spearheaded by Leonard Lyndhurst. Lyndhurst was responsible, during his time with Sealight, for the erection of a huge glass green-house, which acted as a studio. As a result of constraints caused by having to always film in natural light and thus outside, a glass studio was ideal since it obviously allowed light in. The glass-house was an ingenious method of having means to film inside and measured a staggering 75 x 45 feet, with head room in the region of 30 feet. Due to difficulties during wartime production, the output was far from prolific and the studio was eventually sold off to The Olympic Kine Trading Company. It was unlikely that the studio was utilised again until around 1918 when 'The Progress Film Company' entered the scene at Shoreham.

  • FILMS MADE BY SEALIGHT & SUNNY SOUTH FILM COMPANIES
    1. Building a Chicken House (1914)
    2. The Jockey (1914)
    3. Harnessing a Horse (1914)
    4. The Showman's Dream (1914)

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    © Sarah Baker 1998