Have you ever heard the one about Lawrence of Arabia trying to break into Elstree Film and Television Studios?

Well, that is how things might have appeared when Peter O'Toole, famed for his screen portrayal of the wartime hero, arrived at the Elstree Way studios last week.

In fact, the veteran actor was being filmed trying to break into the studios for a scene in his latest movie, The Final Curtain ,, due to be released in cinemas in February.

Young Crossbow Ltd has spent the past six weeks shooting the film, set in the topsy-turvy world of British showbiz, at Elstree Film and Television Studios (EFTS).

Producer Chris Young said: 'It is a film set in the world of contemporary British television about two entertainers who are also businessmen.

'They are in the business of selling their personalities and this story is based around the rivalry between them.'

Peter O'Toole plays JJ Curtis, a television industry legend who, to try and retain his crown as king of British showbusiness, commissions a story of his own life. JJ's rival is Dave Turner, a shrewd and aggressive young entertainer, who is perfectly equipped to make it to the top in the world of ratings-driven television.

Dave Turner is played by Aiden Gillen and the cast also includes Adrian Lester, who starred in the film Primary Colors, and Julia Sawalha, of television's Absolutely Fabulous.

The film was written by Oscar-nominated screen-writer John Hodge, who worked on Trainspotting and, more recently, The Beach, and directed by Patrick Harkins.

Chris said: 'I don't think there has been a British film set in the world of television and it felt as if that was a ripe subject for a movie.'

Previous successes for Young Crossbow Ltd have included Gregory's 2 Girls, the follow-up to the hit Gregory's Girl, and Venus Peter, a film about a remote Scottish Island.

Chris, who runs Young Crossbow from his home on the Isle of Skye, first worked at Elstree Film Studios back in the1980s as an assistant editor on Raiders of the Lost Ark.