The North East Film Archive is one of a network of regional film archives established to collect, preserve and show film made in, or about the North East of England. Our collections are non-fiction, and date from the early 1900s to the present day, providing a rich record of life in the region over the 20th century. Many of our films are available to watch, free of charge, on our website.
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Hidden Treasure!
X marks the spot! Or so Leonard thinks when his daughter discovers a pirate treasure map buried on a beach.
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Overview
A seaside trip presents the perfect chance for talented Cleveland Cine Club member Leonard Winter to create one of his cheerfully comic silent films. His wife and daughter are affectionately enlisted as cast members. This entertaining short is something of a comedy of errors involving a child's discovery of a pirate treasure map whilst digging on a breezy beach in Saltburn.
Leonard Winter was an accomplished amateur filmmaker who frequently blurred the distinction between home movie and fiction in his work. He made many 9.5mm movies between the 1930s and 1970s. In 1938 he shot films with the West Norwood Cycling Club in Kent and London, but World War Two intervened in his filmmaking activities. From 1946 onwards his films often featured his wife and daughter. The family moved from the South East to Middlesbrough in the late 1940s. Teesside and North Yorkshire are the locations in many subsequent films, bar holiday movies shot further afield. Other Leonard Winter films on BFI Player include Wallis's Holiday Camp Cayton Bay and Neptune's Eye.
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