Influences

I think it was the Russian writer Tolstoy who saidtomorrow"), Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Caine, the
that the most significant revolutions were internal; indodgy Hugh Grant, Kate Winslett (Titanic) and Sean
other words they happen individually and in yourConnerry.The first film I ever saw, when I was
head. I can see what he meant, although if the oldseven years old, was 'Red River' with John Wayne
boy had been around in 1917 he might have bitten hisand Montgomery Clift. I was taken by my dear
lip.We tend to think of revolutions as being violentfoster parents and I have never forgotten it. The
and bloody conflicts, which of course they are, thefollowing week I was taken to see 'Winchester 73',
French, Russian and American Revolutions being primestarring the already mentioned James Stewart.
examples. On the other hand, the IndustrialCinemas in those days were wondrous places with, it
Revolution, which, in the end was more far-reachingseemed to me, impossibly high ceilings and
than any of the other contemporary revolutions, wasextravagant baroque decorations everywhere. This
on the whole, peaceful.At this point I have to do aone had an amazing colour and light-filled organ, which
little flag waving for Scotland. Well, I don't have to,came up out of the floor. The whole thing, the
but I'm going to. Three important inventions of theelectric organ like a rainbow in the dark, and the
time, without which it's difficult to see how theten-foot high cowboys clanking across the screen
Industrial Revolution could have made much progress,(we always sat near the front), made an indelible
were all Scottish. In 1769 James Watt patented theimpression on me.It was only later, when I started to
first effective steam engine and subsequently had aread the likes of Dee Wells' 'Bury My Heart at
unit of power called a Watt, named after him. ThenWounded Knee' that I began to realize that the
there was the macadamised road, invented by - yes,Western myth, powerful as it was, had another side.
you've guessed it - a man called McAdam.Finally thereWhen you grow up, you realize that everything has
was the pneumatic tyre, invented in Scotland notanother side.As for books, I suppose I read mainly
once but twice, and forty years apart. It was firstEnglish writers, from Kipling to John Galsworthy and
patented in 1845 by Robert Thomson, usedG.K.Chesterton. Chesterton could be poignant, as
successfully for a while on bicycles and then,in;'With monstrous head and sickening cry,And ears
unbelievably, forgotten. Forty-three years later Johnlike errant wings,The devil's walking parodyOn all
Dunlop re-invented it, and the rest, as they say, isfour-footed things.Fools! For I also had my hour;One
history. Robert Thomson, went on to invent thefar fierce hour and sweet:There was a shout about
fountain pen, and he gets my vote for that, as Imy ears,And palms before my feet.'The Donkeyand
detest biro pens (excusez-moi, Monsieur Biro).Just forhe could be funny in an odd sort of way;'The souls
the record I might as well mention a few othermost fed with Shakespeare's flameStill sat
contemporary Scots inventions.James Simpson - firstunconquered in a ring,Remembering him like
doctor to use anaesthetics,Joseph Lister - first toanything'.Chesterton once dedicated a story to his
use antiseptics,The Kelvin scale,Maxwell's equations inreaders - 'So many of which belong to the human
Electro-magnetism (whatever theyrace'.One of my favourite writers at the time was
are),Marmalade,The macintosh. A waterproof coat,Henry Williamson, a contemporary and friend of
invented by a Scots chemist called (why, of course)T.E.Lawrence, 'Lawrence of Arabia'. His best-known
Charles Macintosh. He invented it whilst trying to dobook was 'Tarka the Otter', a gritty, realistic story
something else, but it still counts as a Scottishabout the life of an otter in North Devon. Much later
invention.I'm tempted to add whisky to the list, but II was disillusioned to find out that he was a Nazi
have a feeling that this particular invention wouldsympathiser, and I think he once actually met Hitler. I
have had the effect of slowing the march ofcan only think he was attracted by the idea of
progress to a walk, or possibly a stagger.Fortunately'purity'. Well, we all know where that leads.I read a lot
we do not have revolutions anymore; we haveof science fiction in those days, starting with
elections. Not even that business with the holesH.G.Wells, Arthur C.Clarke, C.S.Lewis, and going on to
punched in voters' cards in the Bush vs Gore electionthe American writers, Ray Bradbury etc. Thats
scramble caused more than the American equivalentprobably how I discovered American writers in
of a Gallic shrug (and doesn't that seem a long timegeneral; Hemingway, John Steinbeck, who wrote East
ago now?)All the same, the earth has moved aof Eden, from which the film starring James Dean
couple of times in our lifetime (well, in mine, anyhow);was made, and the wonderful James Thurber, whose
once in the fifties and then again in the nineties, withelegant and witty prose deserves to be better
the coming of the communications revolution, basedremembered than it is. Perhaps he really belongs to
on the silicon chip and the all-conquering computer.that black and white era in which Spenser Tracy
Incidentally, while we're on the subject, hands up allalways wore a suit and Katherine Hepburn would glide
those who actually know what a silicon chip is. Hmm,through a marble hall bigger than most people's
I see you're all with me and Homer Simpson on thishouses today.I must also mention William Faulkner
one. You remember when the doctor asks him if thewho wrote about the Deep South and the mythical
alien life form he'd seen was silicon or carbon based,Yuknapatawpha County. In all his novels he explored
and he thinks for a moment and says, "Um, the firstthe sometimes convoluted relationship between the
thing - zilophone".Anyway, the fifties, as everyoneraces. He also wrote one humorous story, 'The
knows, saw the rise of the teenager. Before theReivers', which was made into a film starring Steve
fifties, young people wanted nothing more than toMcQueen. For me, he was one of the best
grow up like their parents. They dressed like themmid-century writers, although apparently he was not
and probably thought like them. If Dad wanted tomuch liked by the local farmers, who referred to him
wear his trousers under his armpits and haveas 'that writing fella'. Perhaps he got too close for
shoulder pads so broad that he looked wider than hecomfort in his stories. Or maybe it was his habit of
was tall, then that was okay for Junior too.All thatretiring to bed for a couple of weeks every once in a
changed with the coming of James Dean and Marlonwhile with a bottle of whisky and a copy of
Brando. James Dean was gone by the time I reachedShakespeare. You can never tell what these writing
my teens, but I still went through the black leatherfellas are going to do next!Finally in this tale of
jacket and white T-shirt phase. Dean had such aninfluences, it was as far as I remember, a book I'd
impact that he still seems modern today. It's as if hebeen given for Christmas that first kindled my
belongs to an entirely different world than, say,interest in art. It had pictures of boats and water -
Jimmy Stewart.It was the recent passing of twomostly oil paintings - and I was fascinated by the
icons from my early years; the great Ray Charles,way the reflections in the water had been portrayed.
followed by Marlon Brando which set me thinkingThey looked so real, and at the same time you could
about my early influences. Inevitably a lot of themtell they had been painted. I still try to keep that
were American. At that time in the UK we didn'tfeeling in my work today. Later on, at art college, I
have many international stars, although throughoutthink one of the tutors described painting as a dialog
the history of the cinema there has been a steadybetween reality and illusion, but I think what he
trickle of actors from the UK who have made it bigmeant was - it's magic. James Donaldson
time in the US; Chaplin, Stan Laurel, Cary Grant (TonyCollinsDonaldson Collins is an artist and writer.
Curtis's atrocious English accent as the phoneyHe lives in the Scottish Highlands with his wife,
millionaire in 'Some Like it Hot' was based on Carydaughter and three dogs.
Grant's accent), Bob Hope, Hitchcock, the beautifulHis interests are history, sci-fi, chess and snooker.
Vivien Leigh, picked from thousands to play ScarletHe also claims to play guitar like a ringing a bell.
O'Hara in 'Gone With the Wind'("I'll think about it