# Welsh-Pearson

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{{short description|British film production and distribution company}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}

{{Infobox company
| name = Welsh-Pearson Company
| industry = {{ubl|[Film production](/source/Film_production)|[Film distribution](/source/Film_distribution)}}
| founded = {{start date and age|1918}}
| founders = {{ubl|[George Pearson](/source/George_Pearson_(filmmaker))|[Thomas Welsh](/source/Thomas_Welsh_(producer))}}
}}

The '''Welsh-Pearson Company''' was a British [film production](/source/film_production) and [distribution](/source/film_distribution) company active during the [silent](/source/silent_era) and early [sound era](/source/sound_era)s. It was founded in 1918 by two pioneering film figures, [George Pearson](/source/George_Pearson_(filmmaker)) and [Thomas Welsh](/source/Thomas_Welsh_(producer)), with the single-stage [Craven Park Studios](/source/Craven_Park_Studios) as their base.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/506360/index.html|title=BFI Screenonline: Pearson, George (1875-1973) Biography|website=www.screenonline.org.uk}}</ref> Because of the cramped conditions there, Welsh-Pearson had to use other studios such as [Islington](/source/Islington_Studios) for larger scenes.<ref>Warren p. 21</ref>

Pearson recruited [Betty Balfour](/source/Betty_Balfour) for the company's films, and she was transformed into the leading British female star of the 1920s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/571997/index.html|title=BFI Screenonline: Balfour, Betty (1903-1978) Biography|website=www.screenonline.org.uk}}</ref> Amongst her most popular roles were the series of films that began with ''[Squibs](/source/Squibs_(1921_film))'' in 1921.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/squibs-v111525|title=Squibs (1921) - George Pearson - Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related - AllMovie|website=AllMovie}}</ref> In 1929 the company moved into sound production, with a tie-up with [Gainsborough Pictures](/source/Gainsborough_Pictures) to make ''[Journey's End](/source/Journey's_End_(1930_film))'', which was filmed in America. It launched the directing career of [James Whale](/source/James_Whale). who quickly became a leading figure in [Hollywood](/source/Cinema_of_the_United_States).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/artist/james-whale-p116539|title=James Whale - Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos - AllMovie|website=AllMovie}}</ref>

Shortly afterwards the company abandoned film production and Pearson, who had once been a leading force in British direction, drifted into making [quota quickies](/source/quota_quickies).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/apr/03/lost-silent-film-love-life-and-laughter-dutch-archive-bfi|title=Lost British silent film classic Love, Life and Laughter found in Dutch archive|first=Mark|last=Brown|date=2 April 2014|website=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.culhamcollege.co.uk/history-of-the-college/famous-culhamites/george-pearson|title=George Pearson - Culham College|website=www.culhamcollege.co.uk}}</ref>

==Selected filmography==
* ''[The Romance of Old Bill](/source/The_Romance_of_Old_Bill)'' (1918)
* ''[Journey's End](/source/Journey's_End_(1930_film))'' (1930)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* Low, Rachael. ''The History of the British Film, 1918-1929''. George Allen & Unwin, 1971.
* Warren, Patricia. ''British Film Studios: An Illustrated History''. Batsford, 2001.

{{Cinema of the United Kingdom}}

Category:British film studios
Category:Film production companies of the United Kingdom
Category:Film distributors of the United Kingdom

{{UK-film-company-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Welsh-Pearson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welsh-Pearson) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welsh-Pearson?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.