Scotland At The Movies

24 March 2009, 10:15

Place Of Birth: Glasgow
Date Of Birth: December 19 1937
Died: September 22, 2005

Charlie Gormley, who passed away in 2005, proved himself to be an important figure in the development of the film industry in Scotland during the 1970s and 1980s. 

He started with short documentaries and information films, eventually graduating to the likes of 1986 comedy feature film Heavenly Pursuits, which he wrote and directed. 

For several years he worked with Bill Forsyth; he encouraged Forsyth’s own move into feature films and he helped many young Scots to get started in the business. 

Born in Rutherglen, just outside Glasgow, in 1937, Gormley was the son of a sheet-metal worker and trade union activist.

The Big Catch (1968), which he co-wrote, was a rare foray into fiction film-making. A children's adventure set on a Scottish island, it revolved around a visit to the Highlands by an American boy and a hot-headed attempt to catch a wild pony.

Gormley got his chance to write and direct full-length films in Scotland with the arrival of Channel 4. His first effort was Living Apart Together, about a rock star returning to Glasgow for a funeral. It went out on Channel 4 in 1983. 

His second film, Heavenly Pursuits, had a much bigger budget and was released in cinemas in the UK and US. 

Set in a Roman Catholic school in Glasgow, it starred Tom Conti, Helen Mirren and a very young Ewen Bremner, and dealt with faith and miracles. 

Last updated: 26 March 2009, 13:02