How UK and USA Films Represented and Performed Scottishness from 1895 to 1935: With Particular Attention to the Transition to Sound (1927–1933) John Ritchie Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Stirling Division of Communication, Media and Culture School of Arts and Humanities August 2018 © John Ritchie 2018 Abstract This thesis explores the manners in which UK and USA cinema represented and performed Scottish people’s national identity from 1895 to 1935. It starts with the early years of cinema and identifies certain characteristic themes and motifs borrowed from both literature and theatre. Once these themes are established, the thesis moves on through the silent film era tracing developments, or stagnation, in the performances of Scottishness. The transition to sound is the key period for the thesis and it examines the variety of “Scottish” accents that were heard in cinemas. Performed Scottishness from the USA is explored and the thesis identifies methods by which Hollywood brought “Scottish” voices to the screen. In tandem with this, UK productions at the outset of synchronised sound-on-film are investigated. The most famous Scotsman in the world, Sir Harry Lauder, is analysed both in terms of his performances of Scottishness and the effects of those performances on further representations of Scottishness. That is compared with the work of one of his closest contemporaries, Will Fyffe. Verisimilitude, an attempt to bring reality in representations in narrative drama, is scrutinised in a case study of the 1930 film, The Loves of Robert Burns. The study closes in 1935 by which time fully synchronised talking features had become the staple in the English speaking cinema. The UK straddled the past, with the Scot as a figure to be feared, and the future, with the Scot as a truly modern man. Through the use of dialogue coaches, some USA productions presented vocal performances that distinguished nation from nation. This work enabled the on-screen presence of Scottish characters of significantly enhanced verisimilitude. This thesis makes a contribution through the study of this period for further understanding of the ways in which early cinema and sound film represented Scotland on screen. Contents List of Illustrations ............................................................................................................ i Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................ iii Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1 Scottishness on Film ..................................................................................... 8 The Literary Influence ................................................................................................. 8 Twa’ Beasts: Kailyard and Tartanry ......................................................................... 14 Sound in the cinema – voice and music .................................................................. 22 Voice ......................................................................................................................... 23 Music ......................................................................................................................... 29 Acting, Performance and Interpretation ................................................................... 31 Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 44 Chapter 2 Methodology ................................................................................................ 46 Archival and Nonfilmical Research .......................................................................... 47 Selection of Texts for Analysis ................................................................................. 49 Textual Analysis Approaches ................................................................................... 51 Chapter 3 More Than A Kilt? Scottishness in Early UK and US Cinema ................... 56 The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots (1895) and Dewar’s Whisky (1897) ........ 58 Macnab’s Visit to London (1905) - no credits .......................................................... 60 Auld Robin Gray (Trimble, 1910).............................................................................. 62 Mairi: The Romance of a Highland Maiden (Paterson. 1912) ................................. 68 Adventures of “Wee Rob Roy” No. 1 (Speed, 1916) ............................................... 69 Bunkered at Blackpool (Lauder, 1917) .................................................................... 70 Pride of the Clan (Tourneur, 1917) .......................................................................... 73 I Love A Lassie (Lauder, 1920) ................................................................................ 76 Annie Laurie (Robertson, 1927) ............................................................................... 77 Putting Pants on Philip (Bruckman, 1927) ............................................................... 81 Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 85 Chapter 4 North American Representations of Scottishness: 1928 – 1933 ............... 87 McFadden’s Flats (Wallace, 1927)/The Cohens and the Kellys in Scotland (Craft, 1930) ......................................................................................................................... 87 The Black Watch (Ford, 1929) a.k.a. King of the Khyber Rifles .............................. 94 Seven Days Leave (Wallace, 1930) ......................................................................... 99 King of Jazz (Anderson, 1930) ............................................................................... 105 Delicious (Butler, 1931) .......................................................................................... 108 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 112 Chapter 5 British Representations of Scottishness 1927-1933: From the Music Hall Stage to Centre Screen ............................................................................................. 114 Sir Harry Lauder and His World-Famous Songs ................................................... 116 Will Fyffe ................................................................................................................. 130 Conclusion: Lauder and Fyffe – Exactly the Same But Different in Almost Every Way ......................................................................................................................... 136 Chapter 6 The Loves of Robert Burns ....................................................................... 139 Burns in Early Film ................................................................................................. 140 The Loves of Robert Burns (Wilcox, 1930) ............................................................ 142 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 159 Chapter 7 Scottishness in UK Cinema, 1934 & 1935 ............................................... 160 The Secret of the Loch (Rosmer, 1934) ................................................................ 162 Red Ensign (Powell, 1934) ..................................................................................... 166 The 39 Steps (Hitchcock, 1935) ............................................................................. 169 The Ghost Goes West (Clair, 1935)....................................................................... 178 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 185 Chapter 8 Scottishness in US Cinema, 1934 and 1935 ........................................... 188 Hollywood Scots ..................................................................................................... 190 Bonnie Scotland (Horne, 1935) .............................................................................. 191 What Every Woman Knows (La Cava, 1934) ........................................................ 195 The Little Minister (Wallace, 1934) ........................................................................ 199 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 207 Chapter 9 Conclusion................................................................................................. 210 References ................................................................................................................. 217 Primary Sources ..................................................................................................... 217 Secondary Sources ................................................................................................ 227 Filmography ................................................................................................................ 242 List of Illustrations Figure 3-1. Dewar's Whisky: The Whisky of His Forefathers. ..................................... 59 Figure 3-2. Auld Robin Gray: Gray arrives. ................................................................. 64 Figure 3-3. Auld Robin Gray: Jenny rises to