Film Stars

Legend of the silver screen, Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977) had somewhat humbler beginnings when his family lodged in Arlington Way. His father and mother were music hall stars, with Chaplin Snr regularly appearing at Sadler's Wells. In 1906, Chaplin followed in his father's footsteps and appeared at Casey's Court Circus on Holloway Road, with another film legend, Stan Laurel. Chaplin made one of his final appearances in England at Collins Music Hall (now Waterstone's Bookshop, at Islington Green) in 1913. He was invited to tour the USA and quickly became a firm box office favourite. 'The Gold Rush', 'The Kid', and 'Modern Times' are considered to be amongst his best works.

One of the greatest film directors of all time, Sir Alfred Hitchcock, (1899-1980), began his legendary career at Islington Studios, in Poole Street (just over the borough border). Hitchcock started as a subtitler and collaborated with the owner of the studios and Gainsborough Pictures, Michael Balcon. His early experiences at Islington Studios obviously helped, as he went on to create screen classics such as 'Dial M for Murder', 'North by Northwest', 'Psycho', 'Rear Window' and 'Vertigo'.

Comedy actor extraordinaire Peter Sellers (1925-1980) was a pupil at St Aloysius College, in Hornsey Lane, from the age of 10. He returned to the borough in 1956, when he filmed 'The Ladykillers' with Sir Alec Guiness in Frederick Street.