Reginald Baker (film producer) facts for kids

Reginald Poynton Baker (born July 19, 1896 – died January 31, 1985) was a very important British film producer. He helped build the British film industry. Along with his younger brother, Leslie Forsyth, he played a big part in starting Ealing Studios.

He was the father of Peter Baker, who became a Member of Parliament. Reginald Baker passed away in Australia when he was 89 years old.

From 1943 to 1946, Baker was the president of the Kinematograph Renter's Society of Great Britain and Ireland (KRS). Later, from 1950 to 1953, he was president of the British Film Producers Association (BFPA). These were important groups in the film world.

He lived at Loddenden Manor, a large estate in Staplehurst, Kent, until 1954.

Reginald Baker's Early Life & Family

Reginald Baker was the fourth of five children. His father, Samuel Henry Baker, managed chemical factories. His mother was Jane Louisa Baker. In 1917, he married Gwendolyn Emily Christabel Webb. Her father was Arthur Webb, a draper (someone who sells cloth).

Education & Learning

Reginald Baker studied at the University of London. This helped him become a successful accountant.

Serving in World War I

When World War I began, Baker joined the Essex Yeomanry as a private soldier. He served on the Western Front. He was part of the 17th (Poplar and Stepney Rifles) Battalion, London Regiment. He rose through the ranks and became a Captain.

Serving in World War II

Before World War II, in 1939, Captain Baker was promoted to Major. In 1941, he was awarded the Military Cross for bravery. He was also promoted to the acting rank of Lieutenant colonel.

His Time in Politics

Baker tried to become a Member of Parliament in 1923. He ran as an Independent candidate. This means he didn't belong to a major political party.

Creating Ealing Studios

Reginald Baker was a co-founder of Ealing Studios. He was a key figure there for about 30 years. He became one of Britain's most famous film producers.

After World War I, he worked as an accountant. He helped buy the Gainsborough Pictures studio in Islington. He did this for Michael Balcon. This studio was small but had good equipment and staff. A young Alfred Hitchcock worked there too.

Before making films, Baker was a partner in an accounting firm. This firm had connections in the film industry.

When Associated Talking Pictures (ATP) was started in 1929, Baker was one of the first to join the team. Stephen Courtauld also joined. Building the new studios at Ealing cost a lot of money. Baker and Courtauld helped get more money to keep the work going.

About 60 films were made at Ealing from 1931 to 1938. These included Perfect Understanding with Gloria Swanson and Laurence Olivier. Many future stars like Madeline Carroll and Margaret Lockwood started their careers there. Director Carol Reed also worked there.

In 1938, Baker invited Michael Balcon to take over the studio. Balcon later said their 20-year partnership was the most successful of his career. They worked together on films like The Ware Case. This helped Ealing make different kinds of movies.

Ealing Studios was known for its special style of filmmaking. It had its own directors, writers, and actors.

Baker believed that one company, the Rank Organisation, had too much control over British films. In 1944, he worked out a better deal for Ealing. This allowed them to make and share films more fairly.

With Rank's help, Ealing Studios made some of its best films. These included Scott of the Antarctic and Nicholas Nickleby. They also made the spooky film Dead of Night.

Ealing Studios is most famous for its comedies. Some of these are Hue and Cry, Passport to Pimlico, and The Lavender Hill Mob. Other popular comedies include Kind Hearts and Coronets, The Man in the White Suit, and The Ladykillers.

However, in 1952, Stephen Courtauld stopped providing money. Baker and Balcon had to sell the Ealing studio lot to the BBC in 1955. They moved their film production to MGM-British Studios in Boreham Wood. The last Ealing film was released in 1959.

Later Years of Reginald Baker

Later in his life, Reginald Baker sold some of his properties. This included his manor in Kent. He then moved to Australia. He died there in 1985. He was survived by his second wife, Maxine Poynton Baker.