Steve Crook

On most of the ones I've heard he just spoke the words to a musical backing. But it does bring out the poetry of the lyrics. The classic recording is probably his "Lyrics for Lovers".

But Barbara can probably tell us more.

Steve

theuofc

Hello, David,

I could never resist Lyrics for Lovers.

And here's the thing about Lyrics: although Dirk himself had to be dragged into the studios to make the then vinyl, and critics since have had some mild fun over his non-singing talent (which is as true as it is of let's say Rex Harrison's "singing" in My Fair Lady)....I'm very glad Dirk made the recording.

Why? Despite being a bit over the top in some of the sentimental songs, he can unexpectedly wrap you in the embrace of the lyrics and fill you with the spell of Bogarde back then when he was in his prime and looking finer than any man alive. Who wouldn't want to hear that Bogarde, that face, that voice whisper those lyrics?

The very special perk about "Lyrics" is the time frame when Dirk recorded it.
Dirk's younger voice in that recording is one of the few we have from that
period. His audiobooks on the whole were recorded much later in life from his
60s on. As an older man, his voice also had a wonderful sound but a deeper,
more mature, authoritative feel, and quite a different timbre than in his 40s.

So Lyrics is to be appreciated for its time frame alone.

That's another reason I cherish his interview in the Victim (1960) DVD
because it gives us Bogarde as Bogarde when he was 39 prime. Other than seeing him in The Epic That Never Was a few years later, that's about alll we have available from that remarkable ending of his Idol of the Odeons decade. There must be newsreels of DB at premieres in the 50s/60s, etc. but who has them.

Here are the tracks on the vinyl, now rereleased on CD: If you listen closely you can hear Dirk pause to take a drag on his cigarette. He also changed and omitted some of the words to the songs. Could Dirk ever resist changing a script?

1. A Foggy Day
2. The Way You Look Tonight
3. Our Love Affair
4. You Go To My Head
5. Can't We Be Friends
6. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
7. Just One Of Those Things
8. Get Out Of Town
9. I Get Along Without You Very Well
10. These Foolish Things
11. Where Or When (From Babes In Arms)
12. As Time Goes By

Enjoy,

Barbara

Steve Crook

He makes a few appearances in the newsreels that are available at British Pathe. Although doing a quick search I only see 6 of them and he isn't mentioned in the title of any of them. He might just make a "walk on" appearance in them and I'm not sure if he speaks in any of them.

You can view a low quality version for free or you can buy a high quality version. But you have to agree to their copyright & reproduction agreement.

Steve

DAVID RAYNER

That LP sounds worth listening to. A lot of Pathe News reels at the time featured film premieres, but usually only of films that were being released on the ABC circuit. With Dirk appearing mostly in Rank films shown at Odeon or Gaumont cinemas on their initial release, if there are any premieres of his films on newsreels of the period, they will probably be on British Movietone News, as their's were the reels that were shown on the Gaumont and Odeon circuits.

By the way, for anyone interested who hasn't got it, there's a 49 years old film magazine on eBay at the moment with a Dirk Bogarde / Jon Whiteley photo cover. Very cheap, too. I've already got one, so I won't be bidding. Below is a link to the page.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Films-and-filming-19...1QQcmdZViewItem

Steve Crook

There is also a web site with the British Movietone News archive. They require you to register but they don't charge.

They have 8 clips found in response to a search for Bogarde. But again, none that mention him in the title.

Steve

theuofc

Many thanks for the alerts and links to British Pathe and to British Movietone.
[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/clapping.gif[/img] It should have, but it never occurred to me to go straight to their sites for Bogarde clips. I very much appreciate the knowledgeable and cordial help ... another reason I love this group.

Barbara

theuofc

Thanks for these details, David. I didn't know about Rank reels also showing at the Gaumont circuits. There are some wonderful photos of the Gaumont Studio/Graphic, Shepherds Bush, included in Freddie Young's autobiography Seventy Light Years.

Also appreciate the alert about Films and Filming.

Best,

Barbara

theuofc

John W. Mitchell who did the sound for Hunted as well as seven other Bogarde films died last November 2005. (see obit posted in news forum).

Mitchell worked on sound for these Bogarde films: Hot Enough for June (1964), The Wind Cannot Read (1958), The Spanish Gardener (1957), Doctor at Sea (1955), Doctor in the House (1954), Penny Princess (1952), Hunted (1952), and So Long at the Fair (1950).

Barbara