Arthur Cheetham

Arthur Cheetham (1864 – 15 January 1937) was an English-born Welsh filmmaker, who became the first of his profession to be based in Wales. His legacy is a collection of eight surviving films, including one of the oldest extant British football 'shorts' from 1898. Cheetham, along with fellow cinematic pioneer, William Haggar, are recognised as the only Welsh-based film makers of importance before the First World War.

Life history Cheetham was born in Derby in 1864, but moved to Wales in the 1880s, basing himself in Rhyl. 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 had filmed in Cardiff in 1896, he was the first person based in Wales to make films in the country.

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. and E.H. Williams and his Merrie Men (1899), an important record of a minstrel show held in Rhyl. and a 1903 record of Buffalo Bill Cody during the showman's visit to Rhyl.

Legacy The National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales 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.