"Story of Qiu Ju" attracted a huge audience to the opening night of the society's second season at the EMD

The Society celebrated the "Carry On" series at a special event in August 2001

The screening of It Was An Accident featured a guest appearance by the author Jeremy Cameron (July 2002)

Malcolm X was shown at the EMD in February 2002

Night On Earth was screened as part of the hugely popular Jim Jarmusch Night
(April 2002)

Film fans queue for tickets at the "Blood Simple" screening
(Oct 2001 - Season Two)

"Les Diaboliques" - Les Diaboliques was screened at the EMD during November 2002

Respected film historian Michael Burrows delivered his acclaimed John Ford Lecture at the EMD in December 2002

More than 500 people attended the Gala Last Night Show to mark the closing night of the EMD

The McGuffins raised more than £2000 for charity on the closing night

A very popular George Formby impersonator entertained the crowds at the Gala Last Night Show

McGuffin members lead the closing speeches as midnight approaches
(3rd January 2003)

The McGuffin presentation of 'Think No Evil Of Us - My Life With Kenneth Williams' ran for 12 sell out nights at The Plough Inn Theatre

Halloween 2005 was celebrated with a screening of "Shadow Of The Vampire"

The newly released "Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy" movie was
screened in Walthamstow Town Square
(3 September 2005)

Neil Innes performed live on 29 April 2006

The Daleks invaded Walthamstow Town Square for the McGuffins Open Air Cinema
(2006)

Dave Morris and Helen Steel – the “McLibel Two” – attended the screening of ‘McLibel’ in May 2007.

This page includes a history of the McGuffin organisation, along with several photographs taken at various times. If you were ever in attendance at one of our events or film screenings, look carefully - you might well be on here!

Also included is a short history of the EMD cinema itself. This section may be accessed by clicking here.

All images are © The McGuffin Group - except for such images depicting film advertising or persons participating in such films, whereupon copyright remains with the original holders - and may not be reproduced without permission

The McGuffin Film & Television Society is a non profit-making organisation run by volunteers with a membership of around 1000 local people. The Society is concerned with the promotion of quality film and TV and the preservation of Waltham Forest's EMD Cinema as an important historical, architectural and cultural landmark. The Society is committed to screening material that is not normally shown by commercial cinemas and which reflects the cultural diversity of the local population.

The McGuffin Film & Television Society was formed at the beginning of 2001 following Odeon Cinema's decision to dispose of their historic Waltham Forest venue and advance plans for yet another characterless multiplex development. The former Walthamstow Granada was sold to EMD Cinemas with a restrictive covenant preventing the new owners from screening English language films, effectively signalling the end of local cinemagoing for many of the borough's residents over the next few years. The Society was initially set up to circumvent these decisions and maintain some form of active cinema community in Waltham Forest. The name 'McGuffin' was chosen as a sly reference to a plot device commonly used in the films of local born director Alfred Hitchcock (although usually spelt 'macguffin' in this context). The name was employed to highlight the irony that despite being the birthplace of the internationally acclaimed director, Waltham Forest was now the only London borough where his films could not be shown on the big screen!

The founding members of McGuffin quickly reached an agreement with EMD to run an 'arthouse' foreign language film club at the venue in order to present the broadest range of movies to the widest audience possible under the restrictive sales clause. Unfortunately, Odeon thwarted this agreement by insisting that the venue should only screen films in the native languages of the Indian sub-continent. At this stage, the fledgling McGuffin Society decided to abandon plans for a straightforward foreign language film club and instead campaign to have the EMD Cinema reopened as a community wide resource and fully free of Odeon's influence.

Within weeks of being established over 100 local people signed up to join the Society and the McGuffins debut film at the EMD - Satyajit Ray's The Adversary (Pratidwandi) - was shown on Friday 30th March 2001 to a near capacity audience. An inaugural meeting was held the following week at Prospero's Bookshop in Leytonstone where the founding members and active volunteers of the Society were formally validated by the membership and an Executive Committee was duly formed. A rigorous Constitution was then drawn up, specifically aimed at protecting the Society from interference or infiltration from external commercial or non-cultural interests.

With the help of the local press, the borough's MP's and various film industry professionals, a vigorous campaign was launched to persuade Odeon management to drop their claims on the Waltham Forest cinema. Walthamstow MP Neil Gerrard agreed to table an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons in support of the campaign (text may be viewed here) and former National Film Theatre supremo Leslie Hardcastle offered to petition Odeon management on the Society's behalf. The McGuffin campaign immediately generated a great deal of local and national media coverage which helped ignite a nationwide debate on the appropriate use and preservation of historic cinema buildings.

After several months of campaigning, Odeon management finally relented and agreed to revise its original sales clause to enable the EMD to operate as a fully independent cinema. The McGuffins immediately booked Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much for a symbolic 'victory' screening at the EMD on 11th May 2001.

The McGuffin Film & Television Society then continued to schedule its own regular programme of arthouse, classic and cult films at the venue. McGuffin screenings attracted a large and diverse audience throughout 2001 with such films as The Coen Brothers' Blood Simple, Jean Luc Godard's Bande a Part, Carry On Up The Jungle, Theatre Of Blood, Delicatessen, Story Of Qui Ju, Fellini's Roma, Raise The Red Lantern, Bus Stop and the Russian science fiction classic Solaris. In November 2001 the Society held a very successful 1960s TV Night with classic episodes of Dr Who, Secret Service, Danger Man, Captain Scarlet etc. on the big screen alongside original trailers and adverts from the period. The Society was also delighted to be joined by former Dr Who star Katy Manning for a live onstage interview. At the end of 2001 the Society began work on an important longer term project to restore many of the EMD's original features including the 1930s projection box along with the stage and lighting facilities in Cinema 1.

The McGuffins began 2002 with a series of events to commemorate the life and work of Alfred Hitchcock including screenings of Strangers On A Train and Sabotage. The Society was also actively involved in discussions to build an Alfred Hitchcock Museum in Leytonstone. 2002 saw a large upsurge in membership and consistently high attendances for films including Spike Lee's Malcolm X, Pedro Almodovar's The Flower Of My Secret, Luis Bunuel's Exterminating Angel, Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo, the French spinechiller Les Diaboliques and the Jim Jarmusch classic Night On Earth. In May 2002 The Society staged a 35th anniversary celebration of Patrick McGoohan's cult TV series The Prisoner which attracted a capacity audience to the EMD and featured guest appearances by leading British character actor Kenneth Griffith, stuntman Frank Maher, film editor Tony Sloman and writer Robert Fairclough. This was followed by a World Cinema Day at the Epicentre in Leytonstone and a guest appearance by the author Jeremy Cameron at a special EMD screening of It Was An Accident.

In September 2002 the McGuffins staged London On Film, a three day festival showcasing the most original and unusual films shot in the capital. The festival was held at the EMD Cinema and various other venues around the borough including the Ross Wyld Hall, the Sir Alfred Hitchcock Hotel, the Epicentre and the Grove Tavern. The festival featured a wide range of films by new directors screened alongside established classics including Wonderland and Passport To Pimlico. The McGuffins also secured the UK premiere of Patrick Keillor's Dilapidated Dwelling as the finale to the weekend.

In October 2002 the Society teamed up with MTV Europe to film It's Only A Movie at the EMD, a tongue-in-cheek documentary tracing the history of horror films which was broadcast on Halloween night. The year ended with a visit by respected film historian Michael Burrows who delivered his acclaimed John Ford Lecture in Cinema 3. This event was held as a Christmas charity show in aid of the Cinema Television Benevolent Fund.

Sadly, in the Autumn of 2002 it was announced that the EMD Cinema was again to be sold. The prospective buyer this time was the Universal Church of The Kingdom of God (UCKG), an international religious group with plans to convert the venue into a conference centre and place of worship. In response, the Society immediately organised a campaign of letter writing and petitioning to preserve the EMD as a working cinema. With the help of various residents groups and sympathetic local councillors, a significant challenge was mounted to prevent UCKG obtaining planning permission to pursue their scheme. A public demonstration was also staged at Waltham Forest Town Hall which received a great deal of newspaper coverage and featured prominently on the national BBC News. On Tuesday 12 November 2002 Waltham Forest Council's Planning Committee voted unanimously to reject the Church plan.

Ownership of the cinema formally transferred to UCKG in early January 2003 and the building immediately closed to the public. The church group then lodged an appeal with Central Government's Planning Inspectorate in the hope of overturning the local authority decision to refuse permission for changes to the building. It was announced that the government would hold a Public Inquiry to determine the fate of the cinema at some point in the months ahead. The McGuffins immediately pledged to contest this Planning Appeal and began preparing detailed evidence to be presented at the forthcoming Public Inquiry while mobilising further public support for the campaign to save the troubled cinema.

To mark the closing night of the EMD, the McGuffins organised an enormous charity gala performance at the cinema on Friday 3 January 2003. The main film of the evening was the classic 1957 comedy The Smallest Show On Earth and this was accompanied by a series of shorter films reflecting the venue's 72 year history. The event also featured a performance by internationally acclaimed musician Simon Gledhill who gave a memorable recital on the EMD's historic Christie organ. Additional live entertainment was provided by movie and TV stuntman Terry Cole, a very popular George Formby impersonator and various guest speakers. Cinema 1 was completely restyled and rejuvenated to give the evening an authentic 1930s flavour. The event was attended by more than 500 people with over 100 others having to be turned away due to lack of space. The gala was immediately hailed as the most successful show at the venue for more than quarter of a century and was sufficiently profitable to enable the McGuffins to make a £2000 donation to Haven House, a local children's hospice.

The McGuffins then organised a further campaign of letter writing, petitioning etc. aimed at central government to demonstrate the strength of local feeling in support of the cinema and against the church appeal. More than 2500 people signed petitions and several hundred also wrote individual letters of objection.

Over the weekend of 26-27 January 2003, an illegal rave party was held at the cinema and sound equipment, original furniture and fittings were looted from the building. Many areas of the cinema were covered in graffiti and the unique Christie Organ was also damaged. UCKG claimed to have no prior knowledge of this event - although the McGuffins immediately received eyewitness accounts of alleged church members visiting the premises shortly beforehand. Members of the McGuffin Committee visited the cinema at various points during the weekend and can testify to the chaos and destruction which took place. The local police refused to intervene due to lack of manpower and the threat from firearms in the building. Several arrests were made for drug related offences.

Throughout the spring and summer of 2003 the ongoing McGuffin campaign to save the cinema continued to receive widespread national press, TV and radio coverage while attracting many high profile supporters. London Mayor Ken Livingstone declared his support for the campaign in a personal letter to the Society. He wrote:

"I would like to offer my support to the McGuffin campaign to preserve and upgrade Waltham Forest's EMD Cinema as a venue for film shows and live entertainment. As the only venue in Waltham Forest capable of staging large scale cinema, theatre and music events, the EMD has a vital role to play in the planned regeneration of Walthamstow Town Centre, the sustainability of the area's evening economy and the cultural life of local people. Central London has a wealth of entertainment venues but it is often those based outside the centre that are more accessible to London residents and are best able to meet the needs of London's diverse population. Clearly the EMD has had a fascinating history. Having provided entertainment to local people for more than 70 years, I support the efforts of Waltham Forest residents to preserve and revive the EMD as a venue for cinema, live music and theatre. I would like to place on record my support for the decision by Waltham Forest Council to refuse planning permission for the venue to be used for any purpose other than public entertainment". Mr. Livingstone later visited the EMD Cinema to meet McGuffin members and publicly demonstrate his support for the campaign. Photographs from this visit can be viewed here.

A message of support was also received from Alfred Hitchcock's daughter Patricia Hitchcock, writing from her home in California. Ms. Hitchcock, who appeared in a number of her father's films including 'Psycho', sent her personal letter of support after hearing that Waltham Forest was in danger of losing its only surviving cinema - the last in the area where her father was born.

The national office of the Musicians Union contacted the Society to pledge their backing for the campaign. In a statement to the McGuffins, London official Horace Trubridge said "Should permission be granted to change the use of the building to a church we are concerned that Waltham Forest will be the only London borough without a cinema. We are also concerned that the EMD is one of the few cinemas in Greater London that can be used as a live music venue. During the past 40 years the cinema has been used as a venue for live performances by many of the world's greatest names in jazz and pop from Duke Ellington to The Beatles". The Musicians Union also wrote to John Prescott MP to lodge a formal objection to the UCKG plan while arguing that the venue should be preserved and upgraded for the purposes of cinema and live music shows.

On Monday 9th June, the McGuffins organised a massive demonstration and vigil in support of the cinema at Waltham Forest Town Hall and this received further newspaper and television coverage for the campaign.

On 10th June 2003, government inspectors finally arrived in Waltham Forest to hold the much anticipated Public Inquiry to determine the fate of the cinema. UCKG made their case for converting the building into a church while arguments to preserve the venue as a cinema were presented by the local authority, the McGuffin Film Society, various residents groups and representatives of The Cinema Theatre Association. It was originally anticipated that the Public Inquiry would be concluded within several days but proceedings eventually ran to almost three weeks as detailed arguments were articulated by all sides. At the end of the Public Inquiry, the planning inspectors began preparing a report for the Office of The Deputy Prime Minister based on the evidence they had heard.

McGuffin film screenings continued intermittently throughout the campaign. Various films including 'Hue & Cry' and 'Bend It Like Beckham' were screened at The Epicentre in Leytonstone and the Society also became involved in organising the first ever Walthamstow Arts Festival for the weekend of 6-7 September. The McGuffins were delighted to present the first major big screen film show in Waltham Forest since the closure of the EMD when the Society's Open Air Cinema in Walthamstow Town Square was staged as the opening event of the Festival weekend. The evening was formally opened by Mayor Bob Bellam and several hundred people crowded into the Square to watch 'Monsoon Wedding' and a short film about the EMD which the Society had produced especially for the event.

On 21st October 2003, the concluding report by the Planning Inspectorate was finally published and this strongly urged that the UCKG proposals should be dismissed and the EMD retained as a cinema. It was announced that this view was endorsed by the government and UCKG were duly informed they had lost their appeal. A tense few weeks followed as campaigners waited to hear if UCKG would contest the government's decision in the High Court. However, by the close of 2003 it became apparent that UCKG had declined to do so as all deadlines for possible appeals had now been reached.Early in 2004 the McGuffin Film Society was honoured at a prestigious awards ceremony held at London's National Film Theatre. The Society received the award for 'Community Contribution - Distinction' in recognition of the campaign to save the EMD Cinema. The award was presented by renowned Danish film director Henrik Ruben Genz. The awards were organised by the British Federation of Film Societies and the British Film Institute to highlight exceptional achievements by groups working in the film community.

A temporary cinema venue was then opened at Walthamstow's Plough Inn Theatre to maintain local film screenings while the EMD Cinema remained idle. Various films including Stephen Frears 'Dirty Pretty Things' and the British horror classic 'The Haunting' were screened at the venue and the McGuffins were delighted to welcome actor David Benson for 12 sell out performances of his award winning West End hit 'Think No Evil Of Us - My Life with Kenneth Williams'. In the summer of 2004 the Society organised a popular screening of the German comedy 'Goodbye Lenin!' for the closing night of the Leytonstone Festival which was again held at The Epicentre.

The McGuffin Film Society also staged a hugely successful Open Air Cinema event as part of the second Walthamstow Arts Festival on Saturday 4 September 2004. The main feature of the evening was the Coen Brothers hilarious comedy fantasy 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' which starred George Clooney and Holly Hunter. The screening was accompanied by live music from urban bluegrass band Hillbilly Express. The event was attended by around 500 people.

Throughout 2004 the Society continued to receive expressions of interest from potential buyers of the EMD Cinema and in the Autumn a petition was delivered to UCKG containing more than 1000 signatures urging the church to sell the building.

2005 saw the continuation of film shows at the temporary Plough Inn venue with screenings including the acclaimed Iraqi drama 'Turtles Can Fly', the classic musical 'All That Jazz' and the satirical horror 'Shadow of The Vampire' as well the UK premiere of the Estonian travelogue 'Adventure High'. Special events included a guest appearance by 'Doctor Who' script editor Andrew Cartmel and the welcome return of actor David Benson who presented his evening of 'Kenneth Williams TV Gems and Rarities' direct from a sell out performance at the National Film Theatre. A third Open Air Cinema event was also held in Walthamstow Town Square, attracting a record audience for a screening of the newly released blockbuster 'The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy'. Regular quiz nights continued to be staged successfully at Walthamstow's Rose and Crown pub, raising much needed funds to finance the ongoing campaign to save the EMD.

In the summer of 2005 the McGuffin Film Society assisted the local council with a public consultation in order to obtain a clear picture of the demands of cinemagoers in Waltham Forest and examine the options for cinema provision in the borough. The McGuffins organised a large public meeting as the centrepiece of the consultation process which was held at Waltham Forest Theatre on July 10 and attended by more than 400 people, amply demonstrating the continuing overwhelming support for reopening the EMD. Representatives from UCKG also attended the meeting although they did not participate in the debate.

In September 2005 it was announced that UCKG intended to sell the cinema.

A frenzy of press speculation then ensued with the cinema sale again pushing the EMD story to the forefront of local news and UCKG soon revealed there had been a high level of interest from potential investors.

Several bidders held discussions with the McGuffin Film Society and confirmed that site visits to the cinema had revealed the interior remained in relatively good condition. By early 2006 UCKG announced a ‘preferred bidder’ had been identified and estate agents Humberts Leisure confirmed a deal was now imminent.

Film screenings became less frequent during this period as attention focussed on the cinema sale. McGuffin events at the temporary Plough Inn venue came to an end in April 2006 with a memorable sell out performance by Neil Innes, star of the classic comedy ‘The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash’ and famous for his association with Monty Python and the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band. A fourth Open Air Cinema event was staged in August 2006 with the 1966 film ‘Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.’ shown on the big screen and live music provided by 10-piece 60s soul band Motherfunk with a gold Dalek on patrol throughout the proceedings! Sadly the event was also accompanied by torrential downpours throughout the evening which ensured audience numbers did not reach the levels of previous years. The summer months also saw the completion of work on the McGuffin film ‘The Last Days of the EMD Cinema’ which examined both the history of the venue and the campaign to save it from closure. A DVD of the film was then planned for a Christmas release.

By the Autumn of 2006 serious disquiet was voiced by some cinema bidders and complaints about the slow pace of sale negotiations were made public. UCKG issued a statement claiming the continued uncertainty over the council’s redevelopment of the adjacent Arcade site had proven to be an obstacle in their negotiations with some bidders. The site had originally been earmarked for a new public library but this scheme had collapsed and the future of the development was now the subject of some speculation. Rumours began to emerge of a secret council plan to develop a rival multiplex-style cinema on the site. UCKG took the EMD off the market and issued a statement claiming the sale would be re-examined when the council’s plans for the surrounding land had been finalised.

With the EMD again seemingly in limbo the McGuffins opened another temporary cinema venue at Walthamstow’s Forest Recycling Building in the Spring of 2007 to stage a themed season of films titled ‘Radical Screen’. Films included ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’, ‘Oi For England’ and ‘How Arnold Won The West’ along with a special screening of ‘McLibel’ attended by its stars Helen Steel and Dave Morris.

The Open Air Cinema 2007 saw a return to more favourable weather conditions with around 800 people flocking into Walthamstow for a screening of the Hollywood blockbuster ‘The Illusionist’. The event also featured an outdoor performance by the London Philharmonic Skiffle Orchestra who entertained the crowds prior to the main film.

2007 came to a close with the shock revelation of a proposed council subsidy to help a private developer build a new cinema on the EMD’s doorstep. The news led to around 400 protestors demonstrating against the scheme outside the EMD in January 2008 on the fifth anniversary of the venue’s closure.

The McGuffin Film & Television Society is financed solely by membership fees, individual donations and its own fundraising activities. The Society is always interested to hear from potential volunteers who would like to assist with its organisation. If you have any special knowledge, abilities or talents - or just a few hours to spare - please get in touch. Click here to email.

THE TOP 10 McGUFFIN SCREENINGS AT THE EMD 2001 - 2003
(Ranked in order of popularity - as determined by attendance & ticket sales)

1. The Smallest Show On Earth (Gala Night)
2. The Prisoner
3. Night On Earth (Jim Jarmusch Night)
4. Pratidwandi
5. 60s TV Night
6. It Was An Accident
7. Flower Of My Secret
8. Blood Simple
9. Wonderland (London On Film weekend)
10. Story Of Qui Ju

 

 

 

The Society paid tribute to Leytonstone born director Alfred Hitchcock with screenings of "The Man Who Knew Too Much", "Sabotage" and "Strangers On A Train".

"Delicatessen" was screened on June 1st 2001

Satyajit Ray's "The Adversary" was the McGuffin premiere screening

Fellini's autobiographical "Roma" proved very successful at the EMD

East Is East was shown as part of the World Cinema Day in July 2002

"Story of Qiu Ju" screening
(Sep 2001 - Season Two)

Patrick McGoohan's
"The Prisoner" attracted a capacity audience to the EMD in May 2002

The McGuffins organised a huge public demonstration at Waltham Forest Town Hall to oppose the closure of the EMD
(12th November 2002)

Crowds flock to the Gala Last Night Show
(3rd January 2003)

The main stage restored to its former glory by McGuffin members

Internationally acclaimed musician Simon Gledhill gave a memorable performance on the Christie Organ
(3rd January 2003)

Movie stuntman Terry Cole attempts to break another world record at the Gala Last Night Show

The McGuffins organised a large demonstration and vigil to mark the opening of the Public Inquiry to determine the fate of the cinema
(June 2003)

"Walthamstow Festival" - Mayor Bob Bellam joins McGuffin members on stage for the opening event of the first ever Walthamstow Arts Festival
(September 2003)

McGuffin members with their award at the National Film Theatre on London’s South Bank

‘Goodbye Lenin’ was screened as part of the Leytonstone Festival 2004

500 people crowded into central Walthamstow for an open air screening of the Coen Brothers
‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’
(September 2004)

400 people attended a meeting at Waltham Forest Theatre to debate
the future of the EMD
(10 July 2005)

Hollywood blockbuster ‘The Illusionist’ was screened at the Open Air Cinema
(2007)

A capacity crowd filled the Victoria bar for the one day film festival ‘Waltham Forest On Film’
(5 January 2008)