Arthur's Hallowed Ground

Thoroughly enjoyed this movie, from a bygone era.

It covers the relationship between an elderly grounds an and his ground (and his young new apprentice).

All rather harmless and enjoyable.

Freddie Young was a distinguished cinematographer who won three Oscars including for Lawrence of Arabia.

The low budget Arthur's Hallowed Ground was Young's directorial debut. It centres on Arthur (Jimmy Jewel) the crabby caretaker of a cricket field. He has looked after it for 45 years and the ground is perfect.

Only the local county team is on a losing streak. The captain blames the pitch.

The new owner Len (Michael Elphick) has had enough of Arthur's intransigence.

The cricket club is losing money, matches and spectators. Len is a property developer who will happily build houses on the ground.

As Arthur is getting on a bit, he gets help. A young black lad Henry (Vas Blackwood) who is imposed on Arthur. He is on a government training scheme.

Henry's puts up with Arthur's stubbornness and gets to learn some skills as to how to maintain the cricket pitch.

This is a twee small scale film. It does have a blindspot. Any cricket groundsman knows that a cricket pitch needs to help the bowlers or the batsmen. Divots in the pitch that could help the spin bowlers for example.

It is no use Arthur having a carpet, that was not his job. The movie never tackles that question.

Charming debut from octogenarian director Freddy Young. The hallowed ground in question is a cricket pitch, of which Arthur is the groundsman

The directing debut from 80-year-old Freddy Young (David Lean's triple Oscar Winning photographer), comes from the same Puttnam produced TV series, First Love, as P'Tang Yang Kipperbang.

For 45 years, groundsman Arthur (Jimmy Jewell) has toiled to create the perfect cricket pitch. He's fiercely protective of his pride and joy to the extent that the hallowed turf's appearance is more important to him than its purpose, and his obduracy is turning the school authorities against him.

New assistant, Henry (Blackwood), struggles to establish a relationship with his intimidating boss, but slowly he wears away at Arthur's leathery surface to reveal the old man's tender affections.