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Colin Welland

Colin Welland

Actor and writer · Died November 2, 2015, aged 81 · Liverpool, England

Actor and writer Colin Welland will perhaps be forever remembered for his triumph at the 1982 Academy Awards, when he won the Best Screenplay Oscar for his screenplay for the hit film Chariots of Fire, proclaiming "The British are Coming!" As an actor, his first film appearance is perhaps still his best-loved, the sympathetic Mr Farthing in Kes (1969), for which he won a BAFTA. Born in Liverpool, but raised in Leigh, Welland initially started out as an art teacher before moving into acting and becoming a household name playing the role of PC Graham in the long running BBC police serial Z Cars. Aside from Chariots of Fire, he wrote many other plays and films including the BAFTA winning Kisses at Fifty (later remade for Hollywood with Gene Hackman as Twice in a Lifetime), Leeds United! based on the rag trade strike that his own mother-in-law was active in, Yanks, A Dry White Season and War of the Buttons. As a film and TV actor his credits include Kes, Straw Dogs, Blue Remembered Hills, Cowboys and Sweeney! He died at the age of 81 on November 2, 2015, having suffered from Alzheimer's disease for several years.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 4, 1934
Died
November 2, 2015 (aged 81)
From
Liverpool, England
Works as
Actor and writer
Titles
13 on MovieCove · 44 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Up 10% in 30 days

What are Colin Welland's films like?

Across their 10 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Society.

Genres

Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
28%
Society
19%
Bonds
18%
Morality
14%
Survival
11%
Power
9%
Purpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage2 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeViolence2 titles, browse their movies with this themePrejudice2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 10 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 3 · Serious 3 · Dark 4

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 9 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 7 · Intense 3

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 7 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 2

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 2

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 6 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 8 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

1 analyzed role
  • Mentoras Mr. Farthing in Kes (1969)

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
5
Melancholic
5
Dread
3
Bittersweet
2
Hopeful
2
Other
11

How their films linger

Devastating3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet6
  • Tragic2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Colin Welland's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 6 of their 13 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Colin Welland's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

44 credits, 13 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Trial & Retribution(1997)

    Show 2 episodes · as Mallory

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • The Fix (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Harry Catterick

  • Bramwell(1995)

    Show 1 episode · as Mr. Barclay

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all shows

  • War of the Buttons(1994)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Bambino Mio (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Writer

  • Femme Fatale (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Martin Harty

  • For the Greater Good (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 1 episode · as Sir David Whites

  • The Return of the Green Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Narrator

  • Spymaker: The Secret Life of Ian Fleming(1990)

    as Reuters editor

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Dancin' Thru the Dark(1990)

    as Manager

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • A Dry White Season(1989)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Screen One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • The Trial of Klaus Barbie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Klarsfeld

  • Twice in a Lifetime(1985)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • United Kingdom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Chief Constable James McBride

  • Chariots of Fire(1981)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Cowboys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Show 13 episodes · as Geyser

  • After Dark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Actor

  • Yanks(1979)

    Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Blue Remembered Hills (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Willie

  • The South Bank Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Cottage to Let (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 1 episode · as Albert Rodway

  • Sweeney! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as Frank Chadwick

  • Your Man from Six Counties (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Writer

  • Machinegunner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Bone

  • A Passage to England (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Onslow

  • The Wild West Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Show 6 episodes · Writer

  • The Sweeney(1975)

    Show 1 episode · as Tober

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • Leeds United! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Writer · Actor

  • Village Hall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 1 episode · as Ted

  • Jack Point (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Writer

  • Kisses at Fifty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Writer

  • Bank Holiday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Writer

  • Straw Dogs(1971)

    as Rev. Barney Hood

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Villain(1971)

    as Tom Binney

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • The Ten Commandments (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • Roll On Four O'Clock (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Writer · as Lennie Brown

  • The Hallelujah Handshake (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Writer

  • Say Goodnight to Your Grandma (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Writer · as Tony

  • Play for Today (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Show 5 episodes · Writer · as Willie

  • Kes(1969)

    as Mr. Farthing

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • ITV Saturday Night Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 3 episodes · Writer

  • Z-Cars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 139 episodes · as PC David Graham

  • Armchair Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · Writer · as Tony

Career shape

Star power in the 79th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 44 titles from 1956 to 1997; peak year 1970.

Biggest box office

Chariots of Fire (1981)

$59M worldwide

Highest rated

Kes (1969)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Chariots of Fire (1981)

Film career

19561997

Peak 1970 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1970Screen debut· Kes

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting29 of 44: 24 only acting, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score75thWriting20 of 44: 15 only writing, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score80th

44 titles, 5 with more than one role — acting and writing overlap on 5 of them.

By decade

1950s1 · 1 acting · 1 crew1960s2 · 1 acting · 1 crew1970s24 · 16 acting · 12 crew1980s7 · 3 acting · 4 crew1990s10 · 8 acting · 2 crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Colin Welland's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 78th percentile, the median of all 10; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 72nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Approval · how many liked their films

82ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Reach · how many have seen their films

73rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Midcredits score across 13 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th1

Shape of the crowd

None of their 13 titles divides audiences: 10 are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Crowd Pleaser10

Most loved · actor

Kes (1969)

Midcredits 97th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the acting 76/100 in their films, across 10 reviewed titles; fans 82, detractors 50. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Colin Welland's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, 1 of the 5 categories sits near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 35 · moderateMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity5 titles25–65 · median 39 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 43 · moderateMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 33 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 28 · mildMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Colin Welland work with?

People who share at least 2 of Colin Welland's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Joss Ackland shares the most, 2.

Actors

Producers