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Title: ROYAL AND ANCIENT CHAMPIONSHIP: The Story of the British Open

Reference number: 3384

Date: 1981

Director: d. Phil Pilley

Production company: Trans World International

Sound: sound

Original format: 16mm

Colour: col

Fiction: non-fiction

Running time: 60 mins

Description: A history of the British Open Golf Championship from its origins in mid 19th century Scotland to the 1970s, including a dramatised re-enactment of the first Championship held at the Prestwick Links in 1860.

The National Library of Scotland Moving Image Archive also holds 1981 re-edited version.

See also ref. 7415

Credits: The Producers wish to acknowledge the co-operation of Prestwick Golf Club, British Film Institute and The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews. 1860 Reconstruction:
Reporter Andrew Cruickshank
Earl of Eglinton John Young
Umpire Jimmy Martin.
Modern Era: Reporter Peter Alliss.
Wardrobe Pat Holmes.
Make-Up Anne Smith.
Property Master Peter Holmes.
Camera Arthur Smith, Martin Lightening.
sd. Jack Wilson.
ed. Roger M. Kean.
p. team John Forster, Jeff Harvey, Buzz Hornett, Ken Hawkes.
w. Phil Pilley.

Shotlist: shots of various professional golfers teeing off (0.19) Introduction by Peter Alliss sitting in the Club house at Prestwick with a glass of Johnny Walker Whisky in hand (1.31) scenes at Royal Birkdale 1976;title and credits superimposed (2.25) c/u Challenge belt, original trophy; re-enactment of the first professional championship held at the Prestwick Links in 1860 (3.01) ms Introduction by Andrew Cruickshank as reporter (3.13) gvs competitors meet Lord Eglinton, and are introduced with brief history; (4.55) gvs play, concentrating on the figures of Tom Morris and Willie Park, intercut with shots of spectators in period dress following the game (9.21) reporter gives a brief outline of the history to the founding of the Open (10.16) gvs play and spectators (13.54) ints. Club house, c/us each character; Lord Eglinton's speech, in which he declares that from that time the championship would be "open to the world" (15.27) reporter asks visitors their opinion on the announcement (16.32) shots of the re-enactment intercut with contemporary footage (17.19) shots young boy playing golf on a beach (17.42) talking head Andrew Cruikshank tells the story of the son of the earlier competitor, Tom Morris, who won the championship belt; illustrated with stills (19.45) stills of Johnny Walker Distillery and workers (20.29) Peter Alliss narrates the history of the Open Championship, illustrated with stills, archive footage; World's Finest Golfer Harry Vardon at Prestwick Wins Open Championship For the Sixth Time [1914] (24.37) 1923 footage of golf at Verulam Golf Club Hertfordshire, won by Arthur Gladstone Havers; (25.35) footage of Jock Hutchison; Walter Hagan plays, brief shot of his acceptance speech; shots of Bobby Jones (28.15) footage of Gene Sarazen; Henry Cotton (29.52) Sam Snead; Ben Hogan playing, and taking part in a parade, sitting in an open topped car driving through New York (30.42) Alf Perry; Henry Cotton playing in very wet conditions; Fred Daly (31.31) Bobby Lock; Peter Thomson (31.39) talking head Peter Alliss in front of Royal & Ancient Golf Club; the new Captain, Major David Blair, former Director of the Distillers Company, playing himself into office to the sound of a cannon; caddies scramble for the ball; the winner receives a sovereign; ls clubhouse (33.13) ints. boardroom (33.27) shots of crowds running across golf course (34.24) R&A in meeting; c/u Gerald Micklen; archive footage of Arnold Palmer (35.58) Jack Nicklaus at an acceptance speech [speechless]; c/us Secretary Keith MacKenzie; (36.40) Tony Jacklin; talking head Tony Jacklin (37.57) Doug Sanders; Lee Trevino; Liang Huan Lu; incident where spectator is hit by Lu's ball; Trevino's win (40.26) footage from 1972 Open Championship (43.33) officials testing a pin placement at Augusta for the US Open (44.03) R&A officials discuss pin placement (44.34) series of talking heads: Arnold Palmer; Henry Cotton; Peter Thomson; Tony Jacklin (45.39) footage of Sarazen 1973 Open; Gary Player in 1974; Tom Watson, 1975; Johnny Miller 1976; Nicklaus 1978; Ballesteros 1979; Bill Rodgers 1981; (47.51) Iv Brian Barnes (49.43) shots of preparations for the 110th Open; crowds; pan over golf course with BBC broadcast vans, hospitality tents, marquees and spectators' stand (50.46) previous talking heads (51.39) gvs play; arial shot links course; Watson and Nicklaus playing in 1977 (57.45) montage of winners of the Open Championship, (58.11) ecs (59.15)