TREASURES RESCUED BY PURE LUCK

..incredible story of this boy's life in the movies

- BY PAUL ENGLISH

HIT Liam Neeson in the title role of historic drama Rob Roy GUTTED Remains of fire after the fire in a barn at Michael's home in Cumbria LOSS Blaze destroyed many of Michael's treasured mementoes

WHEN his collection of movie memorabilia went up in flames last spring, Hollywood director Michael Caton-Jones thought he'd missed his chance to share it with the public.

But this year, film buffs will get to enjoy incredible behind-the-scenes footage and items saved from the blaze by pure luck.

An exhibition and documentary will feature footage and mementoes rescued by a plot twist as incredible as anything in his movies.

Michael, from West Lothian, thought he had lost his priceless collection when an electrical fault sparked an inferno in the barn at his countryside home.

The director had amassed an irreplaceable tranche of items from a string of his celebrated cinema favourites including Memphis Belle, with Eric Stoltz and Harry Connick Jr, Doc Hollywood, starring Michael J Fox, and This Boy's Life in which he gave a teen Leonardo DiCaprio his first movie role alongside Robert De Niro.

His haul included a model of the B17 bomber plane in 1990 war drama Memphis Belle as well as a sword from his Oscar-nominated historical drama Rob Roy and his beloved director's chair.