About Us

Creating INSIDE THE OCTAGON, M.G. 1921 – 1945

Director/Cinematographer Gary L. Watson bought his first MG in 1977 – a new chartreuse Midget – from Overseas Motors in Fort Worth, Texas. After relocating to Houston, Texas in the 1980s, he learned about the Houston MG Car Club (HMGCC) in 1986 and soon became a member and editor of the club newsletter. In 1992, he was elected club president.

In 1990, Watson prepared a special edition of the newsletter noting the tenth anniversary of the closing of the MG factory in Abingdon, England. The issue was a history of MG and the people involved with the marque.

Having worked in the film industry since 1967, Watson saw the possibility of producing a documentary film of the MG story. He wrote to John Thornley and Jean Kimber Cook to inquire if they would be open to being interviewed for the production. With their positive responses, the film project was underway.

Production began in 1992 under the new company name of Roadster Productions when Watson and his co-producer/wife Rosalind Young pulled together a production team with soundman Tim Himes and HMGCC colleague David Renner to film the first of the interviews. Shipping cases of equipment and 16mm film stock to England, the team spent a week interviewing key M.G. personalities, such as John Thornley, Jean Kimber Cook, Don Hayter, Jim Simpson, and W. E. “Wilkie" Wilkinson.

Those interviews were the foundation of the film that would become INSIDE THE OCTAGON. The first rough cut was more than three hours long, so the story was split into two films, pre-war and post-war.

Activities during the next three years included archival research for photos and vintage film footage, editing, and most importantly, fundraising. Roadster Productions covered the first half of the film’s cost. The company incorporated in 1993, and INSIDE THE OCTAGON, Ltd., a limited partnership, was formed to raise money for the completion of the film.

In 1993 Watson and Young returned to England to film examples of pre-war M.G.s and the interview with Mike Edmondson.

INSIDE THE OCTAGON, M.G. 1921 – 1945 debuted in 1995 with a running time of more than 90 minutes. The reviews were enthusiastic. That same year Watson and Young were invited to screen their film at the Independent Feature Film Market in New York and soon signed a contract with an international film distribution company that would market a shorter version of the film for broadcast around the world.

Developing the sequel – A happy ending to the cinematic journey

Watson turned his attention to the post-war sequel of INSIDE THE OCTAGON. In the late 1990s, Watson filmed an interview with racing legend Phil Hill at his home in California. The Formula One World Champion spoke of the amazing experiences that made him the fastest man in an MG in 1959.

Despite the critical success of the pre-war film, proceeds from the sales were not sufficient to complete the sequel. Sadly, the footage for the post-war film was placed in long-term storage. Funding was needed—primarily to pay the high cost of licensing vintage newsreel film and archival footage. But there is a happy ending to this story.

Throughout the years, MG enthusiasts would to ask, “Where’s the post-war story?” That was enough encouragement for Watson to find a way to complete INSIDE THE OCTAGON 2.

Fortunately, recent developments in cost-effective, high-quality digital editing and the availability of fundraising methods through nonprofit media arts organizations changed the picture for INSIDE THE OCTAGON 2, and the project was revived in 2007.

INSIDE THE OCTAGON 2 was accepted by the Southwest Alternate Media Project (SWAMP) as a sponsored project. SWAMP is a 501(c)3 nonprofit media arts organization, and as a sponsored project, tax-deductible contributions could be made to SWAMP to support the completion of INSIDE THE OCTAGON 2. Once the word was out, MG owners and car clubs responded enthusiastically with their donations.

With the help of MG owners and organizations and further investment from Roadster Productions, Inc., Watson transferred all of the original interview footage to digital video and completed the final research on archival materials. Watson filmed post-war MGs using cars owned by local car club members. In October 2008, INSIDE THE OCTAGON 2 finally completed its journey as Watson wrapped up the production and prepared the 86-minute film documentary for worldwide distribution.

For Watson, it has truly been a labor of love, but more gratifying than actually finishing the film is the knowledge that MG owners and car club members made it happen and became a part of MG history themselves.