William Hinds
Encyclopedia
William "Will" Hinds stage name Will Hammer, was one of the founders of Hammer Film Productions
.
who, with his brother Frank, owned and ran Hinds Jewellers. Hinds and his brother had different business priorities, and shortly after the First World War they divided the business in two.
Both businesses were successful. Frank's part grew into the national jeweller F. Hinds
, which has over 100 branches across England
& Wales
and is still owned and managed by the Hinds family.
Hinds continued to expand his business until he owned 25 jeweller's shops. He diversified into other types of retail
, including operating barber
s above some of the jewellery shops.
s and the theatre
. His involvement included owning a number of seaside theatres, for example the West Cliff Theatre
in Clacton, and performing onstage as a comedian
, although it was said that the latter was not his greatest strength.
He also ran summer concert parties in conjunction with Jack Payne
, the famous bandleader, and led a troupe called Will Hammer's Players, taking his stage name of Hammer from Hammersmith
, where he lived.
In November 1934, Hinds registered his own film company, Hammer Productions Ltd.
Work began almost immediately on the first Hammer film, The Public Life of Henry the Ninth at the MGM/ATP studios, with shooting concluding on 2 January 1935. During this period Hinds met Spanish émigré Enrique Carreras, a former cinema owner, and on 10 May 1935 they formed a film distribution
company Exclusive Films.
A slump in the British film industry forced Hammer Productions Ltd. into bankruptcy
and the company went into liquidation in 1937. Exclusive, however, survived and continued to distribute films made by other companies. James Carreras
(son of Enrique) resurrected the company in 1946 as Hammer Film Productions, the film production arm of Exclusive.
. He owned a number of cycle shops.
Hinds met his death while riding his bicycle near his Leatherhead
home in 1957, a year after the centenary of the family jewellery business.
, Sussex
to the other half of the family, reuniting the jewellery business. It is now a branch of F. Hinds.
His second son, Anthony "Tony" Hinds
, rejoined Hammer Film Productions in 1946.
Hammer Film Productions
Hammer Film Productions is a film production company based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1934, the company is best known for a series of Gothic "Hammer Horror" films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. Hammer also produced science fiction, thrillers, film noir and comedies and in later...
.
Jeweller
Hinds was a jeweller from LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
who, with his brother Frank, owned and ran Hinds Jewellers. Hinds and his brother had different business priorities, and shortly after the First World War they divided the business in two.
Both businesses were successful. Frank's part grew into the national jeweller F. Hinds
F. Hinds
F. Hinds is a jewellery retailing chain, operating in England and Wales. There are currently 110 F Hinds stores within the United Kingdom.The chain is an independent retailer which was founded in 1856 by George Henry Hinds, although his father Joseph was also a clockmaker in Stamford,...
, which has over 100 branches across England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
& Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and is still owned and managed by the Hinds family.
Hinds continued to expand his business until he owned 25 jeweller's shops. He diversified into other types of retail
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
, including operating barber
Barber
A barber is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair, and to shave or trim the beards of men. The place of work of a barber is generally called a barbershop....
s above some of the jewellery shops.
Theatrical career
Hinds became involved in music hallMusic hall
Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
s and the theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
. His involvement included owning a number of seaside theatres, for example the West Cliff Theatre
West Cliff Theatre
The West Cliff Theatre in Clacton-on-Sea, England, dates back to 1894 when Bert Graham, a 21-year-old civil servant, set up a concert party on a patch of waste ground in Agate Road. In 1899, along with Bernard Russell and Will Bentley, Graham moved the concert party to the West Cliff...
in Clacton, and performing onstage as a comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
, although it was said that the latter was not his greatest strength.
He also ran summer concert parties in conjunction with Jack Payne
Jack Payne
Jack Payne was a British dance music bandleader.-Career:John Wesley Vivian Payne was born in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, the only son of a music warehouse manager...
, the famous bandleader, and led a troupe called Will Hammer's Players, taking his stage name of Hammer from Hammersmith
Hammersmith
Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...
, where he lived.
Motion picture career
Success with his theatres led Hinds to diversify into the increasingly popular motion picture industry.In November 1934, Hinds registered his own film company, Hammer Productions Ltd.
Work began almost immediately on the first Hammer film, The Public Life of Henry the Ninth at the MGM/ATP studios, with shooting concluding on 2 January 1935. During this period Hinds met Spanish émigré Enrique Carreras, a former cinema owner, and on 10 May 1935 they formed a film distribution
Film distributor
A film distributor is a company or individual responsible for releasing films to the public either theatrically or for home viewing...
company Exclusive Films.
A slump in the British film industry forced Hammer Productions Ltd. into bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
and the company went into liquidation in 1937. Exclusive, however, survived and continued to distribute films made by other companies. James Carreras
James Carreras
Sir James Carreras MBE was one of the founders of Hammer Film Productions. He was knighted in 1970. His son was the film director and producer Michael Carreras.- Films as Executive Producer :...
(son of Enrique) resurrected the company in 1946 as Hammer Film Productions, the film production arm of Exclusive.
Cycling interest leads to death
A lifelong interest of Hinds was cyclingCycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
. He owned a number of cycle shops.
Hinds met his death while riding his bicycle near his Leatherhead
Leatherhead
Leatherhead is a town in the County of Surrey, England, on the River Mole, part of Mole Valley district. It is thought to be of Saxon origin...
home in 1957, a year after the centenary of the family jewellery business.
Family
Hinds's oldest son William "Bill" Hinds continued to run the jewellery shops for many years. These were sold in the 1960s, but Bill continued as a jeweller. His widow eventually sold his remaining shop in WorthingWorthing
Worthing is a large seaside town with borough status in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, forming part of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
to the other half of the family, reuniting the jewellery business. It is now a branch of F. Hinds.
His second son, Anthony "Tony" Hinds
Anthony Hinds
Anthony Hinds , aka Tony Hinds, aka John Elder, is a British screenwriter and producer. He is the son of the founder of Hammer Film Productions, William Hinds.-Early life:Tony Hinds was educated at St Paul's School...
, rejoined Hammer Film Productions in 1946.