Colin Welland

Colin Welland (born 4 July 1934 in Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire) is an English actor and screenwriter. He appeared as PC David Graham in the BBC television series Z-Cars, and in films, including Kes (1969), before also concentrating on writing. He also appeared in the film Dancin' Thru the Dark in 1990. In Kes he played an English school-teacher - a job which (like fellow Kes actor Brian Glover and its writer Barry Hines) he had had in real life, having taught art at Manchester Road Secondary Modern school in Leigh.

His other writing credits include the 1979 film Yanks, starring Vanessa Redgrave and Richard Gere, and directed by John Schlesinger. The same year he appeared in Dennis Potter's "Blue Remembered Hills", playing the character of "Willie".

He 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 Chariots of Fire the sign outside the Church of Scotland in Paris shows the preacher for the 9 o'clock morning worship to be "CM Welland".

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