Arthur Cheetham (1864 – 15 January 1937) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

-born

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

filmmaker, who became the first of his profession to be based in

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

. His legacy is a collection of eight surviving films, including the oldest extant British football 'short' from 1898. Cheetham, along with fellow cinematic pioneer,

William Haggar William Haggar (10 March 1851 – 4 February 1925) was a British pioneer of the cinema industry. Beginning his career as a travelling entertainer, Haggar, whose large family formed his theatre company, later bought a Bioscope show and earned his ...

, are recognised as the only Welsh-based film makers of importance before the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Life history

Cheetham was born in

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby g ...

in 1864, but moved to Wales in the 1880s, basing himself in

Rhyl Rhyl (; cy, Y Rhyl, ) is a seaside town and community in Denbighshire, Wales. The town lies within the historic boundaries of Flintshire, on the north-east coast of Wales at the mouth of the River Clwyd ( Welsh: ''Afon Clwyd''). To the we ...

. He took up several jobs, including printer, film exhibitor, hygienist and phrenologist. He first began showing films in Rhyl in 1897, and the next year he made his debut movie, of children playing on Rhyl sands. Although not the first person to film in Wales, American

Birt Acres Birt Acres (23 July 1854 – 27 December 1918) was an American and British photographer and film pioneer. Among his contributions to the early film industry are the first working 35 mm camera in Britain (Wales), and ''Birtac'', the firs ...

had filmed in

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

in 1896, he was the first person based in Wales to make films in the country. Children playing on Rhyl Sands

Cheetham continued filming until at least 1912, but it was between 1898 and 1899 that he was most active, making over 30 'shorts' which he would then show at local halls he hired for the purpose. Of his films, at least eight survive to this day. The majority of his films were of everyday life, including the self-explanatory ''Rhyl May Day Procession'', ''Mailboat Munster Arriving at Holyhead'', ''Irish Mail Train going through Rhyl Station'' and ''Ladies Boating at Aberystwyth Bay''; all of which were shot in 1898. Of his surviving films, those of special note include ''

Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club, based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second tier of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. Th ...

West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pl ...

'' (1898), the oldest surviving film of an

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

match and ''E.H. Williams and his Merrie Men'' (1899), an important record of a

minstrel show The minstrel show, also called minstrelsy, was an American form of racist theatrical entertainment developed in the early 19th century. Each show consisted of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music performances that depicted people spec ...

held in Rhyl. Two of his films to include notable people include ''Royal Visit to Conway'' which captures the

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...

and Duchess of York on 26 April 1899 and a 1903 record of

Buffalo Bill Cody William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846January 10, 1917), known as "Buffalo Bill", was an American soldier, bison hunter, and showman. He was born in Le Claire, Iowa Territory (now the U.S. state of Iowa), but he lived for several years in ...

during the showman's visit to Rhyl. Cheetham took his films to the rural communities of the area, bringing to many their first experience of cinema. He opened the first all-year-round cinema in Rhyl in 1906, and in 1908 he followed this by opening the first cinema in Colwyn Bay. By 1920, Cheetham was managing public-hall screenings and running cinemas not only in Wales, but also in the

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

area. Cheetham inspired his son, G.A. Cheetham to take up film making. Arthur Cheetham died in

Tring Tring is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Dacorum, Hertfordshire, England. It is situated in a gap passing through the Chiltern Hills, classed as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, from Central London. Tring is linked to ...

, Hertfordshire on 15 January 1937.

Legacy

The

National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales The National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales was established in 2001 in order to preserve and promote the audio visual heritage of Wales. The archive is funded by the National Library of Wales and the Welsh Government and located at the Nationa ...

have audio interviews with Stanley Cheetham, and hold some work by his son G.A. Cheetham, including his 1923 film ''Unveiling of Aberystwyth War Memorial''. Cheetham is still acknowledged in Wales and his work has been celebrated in several Welsh film festivals, in the 2007 Welsh Classic Film Festival and again in the 2009 Denbigh Film Festival.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cheetham, Arthur English film directors 1864 births 1937 deaths People from Derby People from Rhyl