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Influences

I think it was the Russian writer Tolstoy whoWinslett (Titanic) and Sean Connerry.The
said that the most significant revolutionsfirst film I ever saw, when I was seven years
were internal; in other words they happenold, was 'Red River' with John Wayne and
individually and in your head. I can see whatMontgomery Clift. I was taken by my dear
he meant, although if the old boy had beenfoster parents and I have never forgotten it.
around in 1917 he might have bitten hisThe following week I was taken to see
lip.We tend to think of revolutions as being'Winchester 73', starring the already
violent and bloody conflicts, which of coursementioned James Stewart. Cinemas in those
they are, the French, Russian and Americandays were wondrous places with, it seemed to
Revolutions being prime examples. On theme, impossibly high ceilings and extravagant
other hand, the Industrial Revolution, which,baroque decorations everywhere. This one had
in the end was more far-reaching than any ofan amazing colour and light-filled organ,
the other contemporary revolutions, was onwhich came up out of the floor. The whole
the whole, peaceful.At this point I have tothing, the electric organ like a rainbow in
do a little flag waving for Scotland. Well, Ithe dark, and the ten-foot high cowboys
don't have to, but I'm going to. Threeclanking across the screen (we always sat
important inventions of the time, withoutnear the front), made an indelible impression
which it's difficult to see how theon me.It was only later, when I started to
Industrial Revolution could have made muchread the likes of Dee Wells' 'Bury My Heart
progress, were all Scottish. In 1769 Jamesat Wounded Knee' that I began to realize that
Watt patented the first effective steamthe Western myth, powerful as it was, had
engine and subsequently had a unit of poweranother side. When you grow up, you realize
called a Watt, named after him. Then therethat everything has another side.As for
was the macadamised road, invented by - yes,books, I suppose I read mainly English
you've guessed it - a man calledwriters, from Kipling to John Galsworthy and
McAdam.Finally there was the pneumatic tyre,G.K.Chesterton. Chesterton could be poignant,
invented in Scotland not once but twice, andas in;'With monstrous head and sickening
forty years apart. It was first patented incry,And ears like errant wings,The devil's
1845 by Robert Thomson, used successfully forwalking parodyOn all four-footed
a while on bicycles and then, unbelievably,things.Fools! For I also had my hour;One far
forgotten. Forty-three years later Johnfierce hour and sweet:There was a shout about
Dunlop re-invented it, and the rest, as theymy ears,And palms before my feet.'The
say, is history. Robert Thomson, went on toDonkeyand he could be funny in an odd sort of
invent the fountain pen, and he gets my voteway;'The souls most fed with Shakespeare's
for that, as I detest biro pens (excusez-moi,flameStill sat unconquered in a
Monsieur Biro).Just for the record I might asring,Remembering him like
well mention a few other contemporary Scotsanything'.Chesterton once dedicated a story
inventions.James Simpson - first doctor toto his readers - 'So many of which belong to
use anaesthetics,Joseph Lister - first to usethe human race'.One of my favourite writers
antiseptics,The Kelvin scale,Maxwell'sat the time was Henry Williamson, a
equations in Electro-magnetism (whatever theycontemporary and friend of T.E.Lawrence,
are),Marmalade,The macintosh. A waterproof'Lawrence of Arabia'. His best-known book was
coat, invented by a Scots chemist called'Tarka the Otter', a gritty, realistic story
(why, of course) Charles Macintosh. Heabout the life of an otter in North Devon.
invented it whilst trying to do somethingMuch later I was disillusioned to find out
else, but it still counts as a Scottishthat he was a Nazi sympathiser, and I think
invention.I'm tempted to add whisky to thehe once actually met Hitler. I can only think
list, but I have a feeling that thishe was attracted by the idea of 'purity'.
particular invention would have had theWell, we all know where that leads.I read a
effect of slowing the march of progress to alot of science fiction in those days,
walk, or possibly a stagger.Fortunately we dostarting with H.G.Wells, Arthur C.Clarke,
not have revolutions anymore; we haveC.S.Lewis, and going on to the American
elections. Not even that business with thewriters, Ray Bradbury etc. Thats probably how
holes punched in voters' cards in the Bush vsI discovered American writers in general;
Gore election scramble caused more than theHemingway, John Steinbeck, who wrote East of
American equivalent of a Gallic shrug (andEden, from which the film starring James Dean
doesn't that seem a long time ago now?)Allwas made, and the wonderful James Thurber,
the same, the earth has moved a couple ofwhose elegant and witty prose deserves to be
times in our lifetime (well, in mine,better remembered than it is. Perhaps he
anyhow); once in the fifties and then againreally belongs to that black and white era in
in the nineties, with the coming of thewhich Spenser Tracy always wore a suit and
communications revolution, based on theKatherine Hepburn would glide through a
silicon chip and the all-conquering computer.marble hall bigger than most people's houses
Incidentally, while we're on the subject,today.I must also mention William Faulkner
hands up all those who actually know what awho wrote about the Deep South and the
silicon chip is. Hmm, I see you're all withmythical Yuknapatawpha County. In all his
me and Homer Simpson on this one. Younovels he explored the sometimes convoluted
remember when the doctor asks him if therelationship between the races. He also wrote
alien life form he'd seen was silicon orone humorous story, 'The Reivers', which was
carbon based, and he thinks for a moment andmade into a film starring Steve McQueen. For
says, "Um, the first thing -me, he was one of the best mid-century
zilophone".Anyway, the fifties, as everyonewriters, although apparently he was not much
knows, saw the rise of the teenager. Beforeliked by the local farmers, who referred to
the fifties, young people wanted nothing morehim as 'that writing fella'. Perhaps he got
than to grow up like their parents. Theytoo close for comfort in his stories. Or
dressed like them and probably thought likemaybe it was his habit of retiring to bed for
them. If Dad wanted to wear his trousersa couple of weeks every once in a while with
under his armpits and have shoulder pads soa bottle of whisky and a copy of Shakespeare.
broad that he looked wider than he was tall,You can never tell what these writing fellas
then that was okay for Junior too.All thatare going to do next!Finally in this tale of
changed with the coming of James Dean andinfluences, it was as far as I remember, a
Marlon Brando. James Dean was gone by thebook I'd been given for Christmas that first
time I reached my teens, but I still wentkindled my interest in art. It had pictures
through the black leather jacket and whiteof boats and water - mostly oil paintings -
T-shirt phase. Dean had such an impact thatand I was fascinated by the way the
he still seems modern today. It's as if hereflections in the water had been portrayed.
belongs to an entirely different world than,They looked so real, and at the same time you
say, Jimmy Stewart.It was the recent passingcould tell they had been painted. I still try
of two icons from my early years; the greatto keep that feeling in my work today. Later
Ray Charles, followed by Marlon Brando whichon, at art college, I think one of the tutors
set me thinking about my early influences.described painting as a dialog between
Inevitably a lot of them were American. Atreality and illusion, but I think what he
that time in the UK we didn't have manymeant was - it's magic. James Donaldson
international stars, although throughout theCollinsDonaldson Collins is an artist and
history of the cinema there has been a steadywriter.
trickle of actors from the UK who have made
it big time in the US; Chaplin, Stan Laurel,He lives in the Scottish Highlands with his
Cary Grant (Tony Curtis's atrocious Englishwife,  daughter  and  three  dogs.
accent as the phoney millionaire in 'Some
Like it Hot' was based on Cary Grant'sHis interests are history, sci-fi, chess and
accent), Bob Hope, Hitchcock, the beautifulsnooker.
Vivien Leigh, picked from thousands to play
Scarlet O'Hara in 'Gone With the Wind'("I'llHe also claims to play guitar like a ringing
think about it tomorrow"), Elizabeth Taylor,a bell.
Michael Caine, the dodgy Hugh Grant, Kate



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