The Intruder

Adapted from the award-winning children's novel by John Rowe Townsend this 8-part mini drama from 1972 (produced and directed by BAFTA winner Peter Plummer), revolves around young sand pilot Arnold Haithwaite who suddenly finds himself confronted with a sinister intruder who claims to be the real Arnold Haithwaite…

Made almost entirely on location in Ravenglass, Cumbria, and the surrounding district, the uncanny setting permeates the entire series despite there being no actual supernatural element at play. Arnold Haithwaite (James Bate) is a 16-year old ‘sand pilot’ - his job is seeing people across the perilous sands of the concourse, of course, as a local lad he knows the layout inside out. For this service he charges 12 and a half pence although on his advertising board the price is given as 2/6.
One day a mysterious stranger, initially referred to as Sonny (Milton Johns), arrives wishing to be guided across the sands to the small seaside village of Skirlston (which looks more desolate than lively). The stranger wears an eye patch, a belted raincoat and beret. As soon as we clap eyes on this fellow we get an immediate feeling of foreboding. When Arnold tells the stranger his name there is a pause of stunned disbelief when the man informs him that HE is Arnold Haithwaite!

Things then start to get rather difficult for young Arnold when the intruder comes along to the local convenience store where Arnold works. The shop is part of a ramshackle old house where he lives with his ancient 'adopted' father Ernest (Jack Woolgar). It then emerges that young Arnold is actually a foundling who was deposited at the shop’s doorstep and was taken in by the kindly old Ernest. The odious Sonny (or is it Arnold Haithwaite?) soon inveigles himself into the situation. After digging away (in his unsettling reptilian manner) for further info the devious Sonny then casually lets slip that he is in fact Ernest’s long lost nephew and promptly starts to worm his way into the old man's confidence, much to young Arnold's dismay. Things start to get worse as Sonny starts to take over the running of the little shop and starts treating young Arnold like his unpaid lackey.
Fortunately, Arnold finds considerable support in his friendship with Peter Ellison (Simon Fisher-Turner) and his older ‘posh totty’ sister Jane (Sheila Ruskin). The two siblings live with their stuck-up mother in an upper middle-class house nearby and put themselves out considerably when it comes to discovering a number of unanswered questions as to who Arnold really is… who the spooky stranger really is and what his motives might be. This will soon become only too apparent: describing himself earlier on as a businessman he has enormous plans for the development of this rather barren area and holds ambitions to turn it into some sort of mini Las Vegas. Given Sonny’s odd appearance and his even weirder demeanour, the plan seems a little absurd to say the least.

We also have a little romance blossoming between young Arnold and Jane, who actually has a wimpish boyfriend of sorts by the name of Jeremy (Barry Stokes) whom her class-conscious mother approves of (as opposed to working-class Arnold). Meanwhile, Jane’s younger brother Peter is putting himself at considerable risk in his efforts to help Arnold to get to the bottom of the mystery when he follows Sonny to his secret abode in Manchester – we’re talking a derelict warehouse compound which he shares with his long-suffering fiancée Miss Binns (Jean Alexandrov). Also on board is old-stager Catherine Lacey as the ‘village mystic’ Miss Hendry (it's all in the cards) and it is she who really knows something about young Arnold's real background. This all culminates in a tremendous climax with Jane in dire peril from drowning in a cottage on an isolated rock and she’s not the only one in danger of drowning. We know that eventually, the two Arnolds must clash and well, we don't want to give any more away here…

Peter Plummer has once again succeeded in providing a very similar eerie atmosphere to the one achieved with his adaptation of Alan Garner’s THE OWL SERVICE (also released via Network on Blu-ray) a couple of years previously. Milton Johns is truly memorable with his eye patch, beret and Mancunian accent and tends to dominate the production. The use of the flute throughout also plays an integral part in creating a feeling of unease; along with the near barren landscapes.

Exclusive to order just from Network on Air – this restored HD Blu-ray release can be ordered directly via www.networkonair.com and features the following Extras:
Limited web-exclusive card, archive interview with author John Rowe Townsend, Brand-new interview with actor Simon Fisher Turner, Commentaries, Image gallery, Extensive booklet.