"There was nothing of
courage in what I did. It was always just a lark for me...
I was suckled on amyl acetate and reared on celluloid."
[Cecil Hepworth, Penguin Film
Review 8th April 1948]
HEPWORTH CENTRE CAMPAIGN UPDATE
Just prior to the cabinet meeting on 30th March 2011, at
which the decision was to be made officially, Elmbridge Council
decided to turn the Old Walton Library over to be used by the
Citizens Advice Bureau, thus dashing the hopes of the campaign
to set up a new Hepworth Centre there.
Instead, a vague statement of future intent was made to set
up some unspecified tribute to Hepworth in the Playhouse
Theatre, Walton, and rename it in memory of Hepworth. This is a
far inferior proposal, being much smaller, non-dedicated, and
away from the centre of town. The only merit is that it does
concentrate the life and work of Cecil Hepworth in the last
remaining building of the Walton Studios. No timescales, budget,
nor commitment were given to seeing this through.
Helen of Four Gates will be shown at Hebden
Bridge Picture House on the evening of 10 June 2010
AND DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND AGAIN IN
DECEMBER.
Visit the Picture House websitefor the latest details. Tel: 01422 842807
Thanks to Nick Wilding for his splendid
efforts in making this great event happen!
5th Nov 2009: It is with pleasure we announce a
new film, Harishchandrachi Factory
which has been selected as India's official entry in the Best Foreign
Film category at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards. It commemorates the life of Dadasaheb Phalke - the father
of Indian cinema. Phalke was taught by Hepworth in 1912. Harishchandrachi Factory premieres in London's
Cineworld cinema at
Shaftesbury Avenue on 6 November 2009.
more...
14th Oct 2009: It is with regret we
announce the death of
Valerie
Williamson
on Thursday 8th October 2009.
The last of Cecil Hepworth's four
children spent her life as a stalwart
supporter and promoter of her father's work.
Our sympathies go to
family and friends.
A
documentary on Val and Cecil
Hepworth was premiered at world’s
leading international silent-film festival in Pordenone
the week before her death.
The hepworthfilm.org site was born on 11th
April 2005
and is being re-developed in 2009 following a crash.
Acknowledgements: I am grateful for contributors to
this website including Dr. Nick Wiley, Nick Wilding, Fred Lake, Janice
Healey, Tony Fletcher, Bob Geoghegan, Anthony Saffrey, Sunbury and
Shepperton Local History Society, and many others.
Dedicated to the life and work of 
HEPWORTH CENTRE CAMPAIGN UPDATE