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Colin Welland is a Actor and Scriptwriter British born on 4 july 1934 at Leigh (United-kingdom)

Colin Welland

Colin Welland
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Birth name Colin Williams
Nationality United-kingdom
Birth 4 july 1934 at Leigh (United-kingdom)
Death 2 november 2015 (at 81 years)

Colin Welland (born 4 July 1934) is a British actor and screenwriter. He won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for his script for Chariots of Fire (1981).

Born in Leigh, Lancashire, Welland grew up as a child in the Kensington area of Liverpool before moving to Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire. His parents were Jack and Nora Williams.

As an actor, Welland appeared as PC David Graham in the BBC Television series Z-Cars as well as a villain in the 1970s drama The Sweeney. In films, he appeared in Kes (1969) and Sweeney! (1977) as Frank Chadwick, an editor of a newspaper, before also concentrating on screenwriting. He also appeared in the film Dancin' Thru the Dark in 1990. He also appeared in the 1980 series 'Cowboys' with Roy Kinnear, a comedy about a dodgy builder.

Welland's writing credits include the 1979 film Yanks, starring Vanessa Redgrave and Richard Gere, and directed by John Schlesinger. Welland also wrote the screenplay for the 1985 film Twice in a Lifetime, starring Gene Hackman, Ellen Burstyn and Ann-Margret. In 1979, Welland appeared as an actor in Dennis Potter's Blue Remembered Hills, playing the character of Willie.

Welland won the award for Best Original Screenplay for Chariots of Fire at the 1982 Academy Awards, and his acceptance speech famously included the phrase: "The British are coming!" (a quotation from Paul Revere). In the film Chariots of Fire, the sign outside the Church of Scotland in Paris shows the preacher for the 9 am worship to be "C.M. Welland"; he also played a vicar in Straw Dogs (1971). Welland worked with producer David Puttnam twice. They first worked together on the Academy Award winning Chariots of Fire, and again on War of the Buttons.

In Kes (1969), Welland had played an English schoolteacher, an occupation in which (like fellow Kes actor Brian Glover and its writer Barry Hines) he had been employed, teaching art at Manchester Road Secondary Modern school in Leigh, where he was known as "Ted" Williams because of his Teddy Boy curly hair style. Amongst his pupils was the future author John G. Sutton, who was once "slippered" by "Ted" for talking during school meals. Another pupil was Adrian Watson, who is now the Huddersfield town crier.

Biography

Colin Welland obtient l'Oscar du meilleur scénario original pour Les Chariots de feu.

Best films

Chariots of Fire (1981)
(Novel)

Usually with

Willy Russell
Willy Russell
(1 films)
Bud Yorkin
Bud Yorkin
(1 films)
Brian Glover
Brian Glover
(2 films)
T.P. McKenna
T.P. McKenna
(2 films)
Mike Southon
Mike Southon
(1 films)
Source : Wikidata

Filmography of Colin Welland (12 films)

Display filmography as list

Actor

Dancin' Thru the Dark, 1h35
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Comedy
Actors Con O'Neill, Ben Murphy, Mark Womack, Julia Deakin, Colin Welland, Angela Clarke
Roles Manager
Rating66% 3.3392853.3392853.3392853.3392853.339285
Linda's out on her hen night, her fiance is out on his stag night. Linda is having major doubts about getting married, when both groups arrive at a club, to find the band fronted by her ex-boyfriend—and the love of her life—Peter. Linda has to decide: Does she stay and settle down, like her friends want her to, or does she chuck it all in and run away with Peter?
The Secret Life of Ian Fleming, 1h40
Origin USA
Genres Biography, Documentary, Adventure
Themes Spy films
Actors Jason Connery, Kristin Scott Thomas, Joss Ackland, Joseph Long, Patricia Hodge, David Warner
Roles Reuters editor
Rating60% 3.04633.04633.04633.04633.0463
Élevé selon des principes austères, le futur créateur de James Bond commence sa propre carrière d'espion à la veille de la Seconde Guerre mondiale sous les ordres de l'amiral Godfrey, chef des services secrets
Sweeney!
Sweeney! (1977)
, 1h29
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Thriller, Action, Crime
Actors John Thaw, Dennis Waterman, Ian Bannen, Lynda Bellingham, Barry Foster, Colin Welland
Roles Frank Chadwick
Rating67% 3.3973453.3973453.3973453.3973453.397345
The film followed the adventures of DI Regan and DS Carter as they became embroiled in a deadly political scandal. One of the leading members of the government, Charles Baker (Ian Bannen), is about to secure a huge deal with OPEC stabilising the world oil market and boosting Britain's position within it. Baker is the rising star of the government, regarded as a future prime minister, and he is closely controlled by his urbane, manipulative American press secretary Elliot McQueen (Barry Foster).
Straw Dogs
Straw Dogs (1971)
, 1h58
Directed by Sam Peckinpah
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Thriller, Horror, Crime
Themes Films about sexuality, Rape in fiction
Actors Dustin Hoffman, Susan George, David Warner, Peter Vaughan, T.P. McKenna, Jim Norton
Roles Rev. Barney Hood
Rating73% 3.6980753.6980753.6980753.6980753.698075
David Sumner, an American mathematician, comes to live with his young 'trophy' wife, Amy, in her hometown, a small village in a remote part of Cornwall, England.
Villain
Villain (1971)
, 1h38
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Thriller, Crime
Themes Films about sexuality, LGBT-related films, Heist films, LGBT-related films, LGBT-related film
Actors Richard Burton, Ian McShane, T.P. McKenna, Donald Sinden, Nigel Davenport, Fiona Lewis
Roles Tom Binney
Rating64% 3.246023.246023.246023.246023.24602
Ruthless East End gangster Vic Dakin has plans for an ambitious raid on the wages van of a plastics factory. This is a departure from Dakin's usual modus operandi and the job is further complicated by his having to work with fellow gangster Frank Fletcher's firm.
Kes
Kes (1970)
, 1h50
Directed by Ken Loach
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Comedy-drama
Themes L'adolescence, Films about animals, Films about education, Films about children, Films about birds, Films about school violence
Actors David Bradley, Dai Bradley, Lynne Perrie, Colin Welland, Brian Glover, Bill Dean
Roles Mr. Farthing
Rating78% 3.946163.946163.946163.946163.94616
The film focuses on 15-year-old Billy Casper, who has little hope in life and is bullied, both at home by his physically and verbally abusive older half-brother, Jud, and at school. He is constantly held to account for some prior run-ins with the police, although he insists that his mischief is behind him. Yet we see evidence of his mischievous side as he carries out his morning newspaper delivery, stealing eggs and milk from milk floats. He has difficulty paying attention in school and is often provoked into tussles with classmates. Billy comes across as an emotionally neglected boy with little self-respect. Billy's father has left the family some time ago, and his mother refers to him in the film as a "hopeless case.

Scriptwriter

War of the Buttons, 1h34
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama
Themes Films about children
Actors Colm Meaney, Liam Cunningham, Dervla Kirwan, Frank Kelly, Declan Mulholland, Bairbre Dowling
Roles Writer
Rating73% 3.6936653.6936653.6936653.6936653.693665
En Irlande, deux villages sont séparés par un pont. Deux bandes de garçons s'affrontent continuellement pour la défense de leur territoire de part et d'autre du pont.
A Dry White Season, 1h37
Directed by Euzhan Palcy
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Thriller, Politic
Themes Films set in Africa, Films about racism
Actors Donald Sutherland, Janet Suzman, Jürgen Prochnow, Zakes Mokae, Susannah Harker, Susan Sarandon
Rating69% 3.4957853.4957853.4957853.4957853.495785
In 1976, in South Africa during Apartheid, Ben Du Toit (Donald Sutherland) is a South African school teacher.
Twice in a Lifetime, 1h51
Directed by Bud Yorkin
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Romance
Actors Gene Hackman, Ann-Margret, Ellen Burstyn, Amy Madigan, Ally Sheedy, Stephen Lang
Roles Writer
Rating63% 3.1951153.1951153.1951153.1951153.195115
Harry Mackenzie works in a factory by day and comes home to comfortable marriage at night, but it lacks excitement and passion. For his 50th birthday, his wife Kate blithely tells him to just go to his favorite corner tavern and have a good time.
Chariots of Fire, 1h59
Directed by Hugh Hudson
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Biography, Comedy-drama, Historical
Themes Films about religion, Sports films, Athletics films, Films about the Olympic Games, Films about Jews and Judaism, Children's films
Actors Ben Cross, Ian Charleson, Nigel Havers, Cheryl Campbell, Alice Krige, Ian Holm
Roles Novel
Rating70% 3.547943.547943.547943.547943.54794
In 1919, Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross) enters the University of Cambridge, where he experiences anti-Semitism from the staff, but enjoys participating in the Gilbert and Sullivan club. He becomes the first person to ever complete the Trinity Great Court Run – running around the college courtyard in the time it takes for the clock to strike 12. Abrahams achieves an undefeated string of victories in various national running competitions. Although focused on his running, he falls in love with a leading Gilbert and Sullivan soprano, Sybil (Alice Krige).
Yanks
Yanks (1979)
, 2h18
Directed by John Schlesinger
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, War, Romance
Themes Political films
Actors Richard Gere, Vanessa Redgrave, William Devane, Rachel Roberts, Lisa Eichhorn, Chick Vennera
Roles Story
Rating63% 3.196973.196973.196973.196973.19697
This film opens with the narration: "From early 1942 until the invasion of Europe over a million Americans landed in Britain. They came to serve on other battle fronts or to man the vast U.S. bases in England. Hardly a city, town or village remained untouched."