WARNING: This Article May Contain Spoilers

Born: 28th March 1921

Died: 8th May 1999 (aged 78)

Derek Jules Gaspard Ulric Niven van den Bogaerde was born in West Hampstead, London to art editor of The Times, Ulrich, and former actress, Margaret. When he was three his parents had a baby girl, Elizabeth, and nine years later another son, Gareth. At the age of 16 Dirk was sent to live with his mother’s relatives in Glasgow, where he continued his education at Allan Glen’s High School of Science. He returned to London on a scholarship to study art at the Chelsea College of Art after which he secured his first job as a tea-boy at a theatre which also required him to be a stand in on occasion; a job that made him realise he needed a bit more experience in acting so joined a local repertory theatre. Bogarde was 18 when WWII broke and he served in the British Army four years later he was commissioned to the Queen’s Royal Regiment (West Surrey) as second lieutenant and then he served as an intelligence officer under Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery with the 21st Army Group. After D-Day he worked in photo-reconnaissance and he was one of the first Allied Officers to step foot in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.

Before the war Dirk appeared in theatres as ‘Derek Bogaerde’ but it was after the war when he started to pursue a career in film that he started using the name Dirk Bogarde. He made his first film appearance at the age of 18 as an uncredited extra in Come On, George! Which starred George Formby his first credited film came nine years later where he played sweet talking philanderer William Latch in Sin of Esther Walters.

When you look at Dirk Bogarde’s top five films there is a good cross section of films which showcase the man’s versatility unfortunately his first film is one, I think, doesn’t show his best.

The Longest Day and A Bridge Too Far were both films set in WW2 with star studded casts, so it is of no surprise that Dirk Bogarde had to star in one of them – he plays Lieutenant General Browning in A Bridge Too Far. To be honest I am a little disappointed in his performance I was expecting a lot more from him. Normally he has, or seems to have, the demeanour that would be suitable to play a British Army Officer but here it’s a little less than expected there is no authority in his voice at all and I know that not all Army Officers barked orders but when he is explaining the plans for the mission and he is questioned I thought the lack of command wasn’t helpful to his performance. Maybe this is a problem with the script or direction I don’t know but having seen other performances by Bogarde I cannot say it’s all his fault. Next, we have a beautiful French film in the way of Daddy Nostalgie (Daddy Nostalgia/These Foolish Things). It is probably one of the most natural films I have ever seen – not even the subtitles take away from how this film flows. Dirk plays Daddy alongside Jane Birkin and Odette Laure, who play his daughter, Caroline, and wife, Miche respectively; it would be good to point out here that Odette is the only one that was born in France out of the three main actors, Jane Birkin was born in England but lived in France for about 20 years and, obviously, Bogarde was born in England but did live in France for a while – all three speak French through the film although the scenes with mainly Daddy and Caroline are spoken in English. Bogarde speaks French with a confidence that makes him sound like a native which is good as forcing a language that an actor doesn’t speak naturally makes for an awkward performance. All three actors play around with the main storyline as if they have all lived through the same thing as their characters and the film’s organic nature is almost like watching a real family work their way round Daddy’s illness, the subject is skirted around, things are left unsaid and tempers are frayed making up for a most enjoyable film that, unless you don’t do subtitles, could soften the coldest of hearts will. This was Bogarde’s last screen performance he had suffered a minor stroke three years before Daddy Nostalgie was released and died nine years later; he won an award at the Valladolid International Film Festival for his performance. OK based on the little theatrical knowledge I have I do know that, for some, Pinter is a difficult writer to work with so as soon as I saw the name Harold Pinter in the credits of Accident I wasn’t sure what to expect – Pinter isn’t all about what is said but more about the silences. Having watched the film I’m still not sure what was going on in places, but I love the use of the silences and it’s a strong actor that can make the mundane and boring seem relevant which is what Mr Bogarde does with his character of Stephen in this Pinter piece. There is one scene which is devoid of conversation (although there is an overlaid track of conversation) where he is just flicking through a magazine while he waits for the woman to get ready but he makes it something more than that. The plot may have had me a little confused but Bogarde’s performance was faultless.

I said previously that Pinter is all about the pauses but The Servant was adapted from a novella so Pinter hasn’t got complete autonomy here but what is The Servant all about?! Five minutes from the end and I’m sure we should be getting a punchline soon but no – I still have no idea why Hugo Barrett is doing what he is doing. The first half of the film Bogarde’s Barrett is the epitome of a gentleman’s gentleman but things take a turn when Vera arrives on the scene it is obvious now that there is something dark in Barrett. There is a definite twist in his character too which Bogarde does really well it’s almost like two different actors have taken on the role of Barrett – there is something about this second side of him that drew me in that he’s gritty, crude and, at times, vile and all played

to such perfection that it is obvious why Bogarde was considered to have been a sex symbol of his time. This next film was probably the turning point in Bogarde’s switch from matinee idol to “icon of edginess” and the only X Rated film he made. Victim only got past the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) by a fine margin, and I must say how brave of Dirk to take on such a role as Melville Farr. In fact, it was a bold move to make such a film, a film that handles, in my opinion, one of the most ridiculous laws in British history – Male Homosexuality (a law that was decriminalised for over 21s some six years after this film’s release). Melville Farr is a barrister, possibly soon to become a QC, until he becomes involved in a blackmail ring and although we know the reason for the blackmail it is never really mentioned there is just an undertone, mainly because it was a crime, but it is handled so well that I feel if this film was remade today it would be lost as we now live in a different age and the whole subject isn’t as taboo. Bogarde plays Farr so calmly which is no surprise as his is a barrister first and foremost and there is no reason to over play the homosexuality at all, the only reason we know he is is when he admits to his wife, about the victim Barrett, that he “WANTED him!”. The line is so powerful that we can almost feel the tension of the era in that simple sentence. Victim is a different type of role to the other films in this list and each one shows Bogarde’s versatility as an actor.

There was no question when it came to my favourite Dirk Bogarde character. I watched these films when I was younger, while my friends were swooning over pop stars and actors of the day, I was crushing on Dr Simon Sparrow in the Doctor in… films. Dirk Bogarde played Dr Simon Sparrow in four films based on the books by Richard Gordon. They follow Dr Sparrow from Medical Student (Doctor in the House) to Surgeon (Doctor in Distress not one of the books but based on its characters). He plays the naïve new student like he was the new boy on set even though he had worked with Kenneth More before. Over the films Dirk develops Dr Sparrow from naivety to self-assured young surgeon who becomes confidant to Sir Lancelot while dealing with his own love life.

Unfortunately, Doctor at Sea is slightly out of sync. Dirk plays Dr Sparrow yet the supporting cast, although the same as the first film, all play different characters. Doesn’t affect Dirk’s performance just seems a little odd. I’m also a little disappointed that Doctor in Distress does not pick up from where Doctor at Large leaves off, the film falls a little short compared to the first three but Mr Bogarde’s performance doesn’t drop.

Sir Dirk Bogarde made over sixty films over his career, with only one attempt at Hollywood, yet he only won (not including longevity awards) two out of six nominations at the BAFTAs – for The Servant (1964) and Darling (1966); he lost out to Peter Finch in 1962 when he was nominated for Victim. He was the first to receive the BAFTA Tribute award for an outstanding contribution to cinema in 1988 and he was also the first British person to serve as jury president at the |Cannes Film Festival. At the tender age of 56, Bogarde started writing he wrote six novels, nine biographies as well as numerous bits of poetry, essays and reviews. In 1992 he was honoured with a knighthood.

Bogarde never married, he lived with his business manager, Anthony “Tote” Forwood, in a cottage on the Bendrose Estate in Little Chalfont. Together they bought neighbouring Beel House and Park to extend their own residence and lived for nearly 40 years before moving to Provence, France only returning to London in 1988 shortly before Forwood’s death. Bogarde himself died some eleven years later of a heart attack in 1999