Sir Dirk Bogarde, R.i.p.

[theuofc]

Sir Dirk Bogarde, born 28 March 1921, in Hampstead, London; died 8 May, 1999,

Chelsea, London.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^





Hello, Everyone,



I included a biography of Sir Dirk in his birthday notice, so I won't repeat it in this

moment of reflection on the body of work he has left behind. He died peacefully

on 8 May 1999, around noon, sitting in his chair facing the light he loved so much

streaming in from the windows of his top flat. I like to think that light reminded

him of his beloved home in southern France.



Sir Dirk had just turned 78. From reports, he was of good cheer having had a

lively, cordial visit from Lauren Bacall that morning. He was looking forward to the

coming year and perhaps even dictating more writing. On a personal level, I

would have cherished reading one last essay from him at that point in his life

which reflected back on his films, his friends, and life in general. From what

his nurse, family, and biographer John Coldstream have said, he had "reconciled himself" and come to terms with his life. He had "packed his bags" and was ready to go.



During his lifetime, Sir Dirk made 70 films and wrote 15 books, plus early poetry,

introductions, and a good amount of uncredited scripts he tweaked or wrote

himself, as well as his narrative work and the audio books he recorded. For eight years, he also wrote weekly articles and reviews for the Daily Telegraph, collected in "For the Time Being." He began his career in the theatre, which he returned to several times during his years in film; in his later years, he greatly enjoyed a series of theatre platforms and engaging in Q&A sessions with audiences about his work and whatever current book he had written. He also left a body of wonderful drawings, many of which were used to illustrate his books.



R.I.P. Sir Dirk Bogarde.



Barbara

[Steve Crook]

I'll second all of that. He had a great life and he was fairly content at the end of it.



We'll be thinking of him today (& of you Barbara)



Steve

[theuofc]

Thanks so much for the good thoughts.



I like to keep the flame burning for Bogarde. His books are being reissued one by one; "Snakes and Ladders" just came out in April. His authorised biographer John Coldstream is working on an edition of Bogarde's collected letters, so all of this is encouraging news.



I always appreciate your kindness and that of everyone else in BritM.



Best,



Barbara

[Fellwanderer]

(theuofc @ May 8 2006, 05:16 AM)

Thanks so much for the good thoughts.

I like to keep the flame burning for Bogarde. His books are being reissued one by one; "Snakes and Ladders" just came out in April. His authorised biographer John Coldstream is working on an edition of Bogarde's collected letters, so all of this is encouraging news.

I always appreciate your kindness and that of everyone else in BritM.



Best,



Barbara

A very fine actor - would there were more like him.



I am sure he would be pleased to know that there are admirers such as yourself who keep his memory bright and to the forefront.



Thinking of you and him this day.



FELL

[Marky B]

Yep,an actor who rose through the ranks from being the killer of George Dixon in The Blue Lamp,into the light comedies of the fifties,to a respected star with an independent streak in the sixties and seventies,bagging BAFTAs for The Servant and Darling,but no sniff of an Oscar. Thanks,Barbara for pricking our memories of him every now and again,but rest assured that no lover of British film or cinema in general should ever forget such unique talent.

Sir Dirk Bogarde - gone but not forgotten - R.I.P.

Mark

[Freddy]

(Steve Crook @ May 8 2006, 02:53 AM)

I'll second all of that. He had a great life and he was fairly content at the end of it.



We'll be thinking of him today (& of you Barbara)



Steve

[/b]

Can't really say anymore than that



Freddy

[DeeDee]

This was the year of Dirk Bogard for me. I started watching his films after I found a book of photographs from his films in a thrift shop. What an adventure I had! His films were a revelation and I'm sorry that it took me so long to "discover" him. I have my favorites of course, and went to extra lenghts to find some that were out of print or otherwise unavailable at video stores. Thank goodness for libraries -where I found many of the "lost" films. Also, a special thanks to Barbara for being so welcoming on her DB forum.



DeeDee

[theuofc]

(DeeDee @ May 10 2006, 10:01 PM)

This was the year of Dirk Bogard for me. I started watching his films after I found a book of photographs from his films in a thrift shop. What an adventure I had! His films were a revelation and I'm sorry that it took me so long to "discover" him. I have my favorites of course, and went to extra lenghts to find some that were out of print or otherwise unavailable at video stores. Thank goodness for libraries -where I found many of the "lost" films. Also, a special thanks to Barbara for being so welcoming on her DB forum.



DeeDee

A heartfelt hug, DeeDee, and also to FELL, MarkyB, and Freddy for their very kind comments about Dirk Bogarde.



The DB Forum wouldn't exist without grand members like you, DeeDee. Moreover, your reviews of Dirk's films have been outstanding and have given all of us a renewed desire to view them again.



All the best,



Barbara

[AndrewLA]

Hi, Barbara,



A touching tribute to an exceptional man. I was wondering, do you know, or have you seen any discussion, of the screenplays which Bogarde may have completely written himself...?

[theuofc]

(AndrewLA @ May 11 2006, 05:56 PM)

Hi, Barbara,



A touching tribute to an exceptional man. I was wondering, do you know, or have you seen any discussion, of the screenplays which Bogarde may have completely written himself...?

Hello, AndrewLA:



Thanks so much for the kind words. Dirk wrote one screenplay, an adaptation of Graham Greene's "May We Borrow Your Husband?" which was filmed in the Nice area and shown on TV in 1986.



Dirk had a role in tweaking and revising, in varying degrees, many of his scripts and for a few, he wrote entire scenes. When Liliana Cavani first approached Dirk to do "The Night Porter" (1974), he felt the script was too political and in general "unfilmable"; yet he thought there might be a germ in it which could be salvaged. Between Cavani and Dirk's doctoring, it took close to three months to shape up the script.



He also rewrote many of the scenes in "I Could Go On Singing" (1963) to fit Judy Garland's temperament and demands. She was hesitant to do the film without Dirk and even during it, almost quit. His continual modifying of the script and hand-holding, as it were, got the film in the can and gave us a portrayal by Judy which many say was close to her own personality and the difficulties of being a performer.



In his final film, "Daddy Nostalgie" (1990), he worked closely with Bertrand Tavernier on the conception of his character and the wording of his part. He wrote the scene where he was in the car at the gas station talking to his daughter.



After a Tavernier Q&A platform last year, I had an opportunity to chat with Tavernier about Dirk's contribution to DaddyN and the script (written by ex-wife Colo Tavernier). A very cordial man, Tavernier enthusiastically confirmed this, adding that he had great respect for Bogarde as an actor and a writer. The two had earlier positive connections through their mutual work with Joe Losey and also when Dirk and the jury he presided over at Cannes in 1984 had chosen Tavernier to receive the director's award for "Un dimanche Ã* la campagne" (A Sunday in the Country).



Always lovely chatting with you,



Barbara

[AndrewLA]

(theuofc @ May 12 2006, 09:00 PM)

Dirk wrote one screenplay, an adaptation of Graham Greene's "May We Borrow Your Husband?" which was filmed in the Nice area and shown on TV in 1986.



Dirk had a role in tweaking and revising, in varying degrees, many of his scripts and for a few, he wrote entire scenes. When Liliana Cavani first approached Dirk to do "The Night Porter" (1974), he felt the script was too political and in general "unfilmable"; yet he thought there might be a germ in it which could be salvaged. Between Cavani and Dirk's doctoring, it took close to three months to shape up the script.



He also rewrote many of the scenes in "I Could Go On Singing" (1963) to fit Judy Garland's temperament and demands.



In his final film, "Daddy Nostalgie" (1990), he worked closely with Bertrand Tavernier on the conception of his character and the wording of his part. He wrote the scene where he was in the car at the gas station talking to his daughter.

[/b]

Thanks for that rundown, Barbara. I've never seen MAY WE BORROW YOUR HUSBAND -- do you know if that is on DVD anywhere? Who was in it? Is it good?



I remember hearing about Dirk's writing on I COULD GO ON SINGING. A solid movie that doesn't quite lift off, but done as well as it could be and immeasurably helped by the Judy-Dirk pairing. You'd think they'd be chalk and cheese, but they have a lovely chemistry together -- more than many on-screen couples today.



THE NIGHT PORTER is a bit grim for me, so will never be one of my favorites.



DADDY NOSTALGIA -- a lovely film. I had guessed that he had something to do with writing that one. Great use of wide screen. I really admire Tavernier for the breadth and style of his movies (not to mention his knowledge of movies and what seems to be an utterly charming personality), but I think he often falls a bit short. CAPITAINE CONAN seems incomplete to me, and I have the same sensation with DADDY NOSTALGIA. Everything is there for a moving father-daughter story, and Bogarde is perfect, but it seems not quite fully realized. I can't quite say why, to me it just needs something to bring the rest of the movie up to Dirk's level of brilliance. Depth. Imagination. I've seen it a couple of times and I always want to say to Tavernier, "Keep doing what you're doing -- but do it better!" Easy for me to say. But Dirk's scenes are magic and unsentimental. (I recently saw the BBC movie, GIDEON'S DAUGHTER and -- good as Bill Nighy is -- couldn't help thinking that this would have been a great Bogarde father role. And with a happy ending, too -- just like a 50s movie!)



I wonder if Bogarde ever wrote a script for his own novel, A GENTLE OCCUPATION. That would have made a terrific movie, though it was probably out of step with the styles of the 1980s. Too ironic and civilized and conversational and English (even when he's being critical of England) and middle class -- too "gentle." And probably too expensive for a BBC TV movie. You have the feeling Dirk could have become a Greene or Coward himself had he been a novelist in the 30s, 4s or 50s, with his written dramas pitched at quieter levels than we've become used to. Our loss, I think.



(I haven't read WEST OF SUNSET -- how is it...?)

[theuofc]

(AndrewLA @ May 16 2006, 12:06 AM)

Thanks for that rundown, Barbara. I've never seen MAY WE BORROW YOUR HUSBAND -- do you know if that is on DVD anywhere? Who was in it? Is it good?



I remember hearing about Dirk's writing on I COULD GO ON SINGING. A solid movie that doesn't quite lift off, but done as well as it could be and immeasurably helped by the Judy-Dirk pairing. You'd think they'd be chalk and cheese, but they have a lovely chemistry together -- more than many on-screen couples today.



THE NIGHT PORTER is a bit grim for me, so will never be one of my favorites.



DADDY NOSTALGIA -- a lovely film. I had guessed that he had something to do with writing that one. Great use of wide screen. I really admire Tavernier for the breadth and style of his movies (not to mention his knowledge of movies and what seems to be an utterly charming personality), but I think he often falls a bit short. CAPITAINE CONAN seems incomplete to me, and I have the same sensation with DADDY NOSTALGIA. Everything is there for a moving father-daughter story, and Bogarde is perfect, but it seems not quite fully realized. I can't quite say why, to me it just needs something to bring the rest of the movie up to Dirk's level of brilliance. Depth. Imagination. I've seen it a couple of times and I always want to say to Tavernier, "Keep doing what you're doing -- but do it better!" Easy for me to say. But Dirk's scenes are magic and unsentimental. (I recently saw the BBC movie, GIDEON'S DAUGHTER and -- good as Bill Nighy is -- couldn't help thinking that this would have been a great Bogarde father role. And with a happy ending, too -- just like a 50s movie!)



I wonder if Bogarde ever wrote a script for his own novel, A GENTLE OCCUPATION. That would have made a terrific movie, though it was probably out of step with the styles of the 1980s. Too ironic and civilized and conversational and English (even when he's being critical of England) and middle class -- too "gentle." And probably too expensive for a BBC TV movie. You have the feeling Dirk could have become a Greene or Coward himself had he been a novelist in the 30s, 4s or 50s, with his written dramas pitched at quieter levels than we've become used to. Our loss, I think.



(I haven't read WEST OF SUNSET -- how is it...?)

Hello, AndrewLA,



As always a most insightful post that gives me a lot of food for thought. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/clapping.gif[/img] "May We Borrow Your Husband" (1986) takes place in or near Nice with Dirk as a divorced writer. Among the guests he meets at his hotel are the newly wed Travis couple (the wife played by Charlotte Attenborough, daughter of Dirk's longterm friend Richard A) and a gay couple (played by Francis Matthews and David Yelland) who reel in the new groom (Simon Shepherd) with the intention of seducing him. In turn, the new bride spends her time questioning her appeal in long chats with Dirk, the consoling writer. But under this glib surface, there are, for me, undercurrent themes of sexual predator, gullible victim, and sexual realisation. It's fair to say Dirk gave an excellent performance as the caustic, yet vulnerable, divorced, aging writer. ' May We Borrow' was only shown on Yorkshire TV, with no commercial copies, alas. Dirk was always reluctant to do TV work; yet, he had known Bob Mahoney who directed the film through various connections.



There were other forays in TVLand. Early in his career in 1947, Dirk played Charles in "Rope" for BBC-TV, which I would loved to have seen as it was a role he could play superbly. Twenty years later, Dirk played another Charles in "Blithe Spirit" for NBC. A later venture in 1981 with Glenda Jackson in "The Patricia Neal Story" was a fine effort for both, yet the film received a yawn from the public. After "May We Borrow," he appeared in a final TV film "The Vision" (1987) with the beautiful and talented Lee Remick, who died way too young. He wrote no other film scripts for TV.



That's an excellent thought about making "Gentle Occupation" into a film. I'm not sure why Bogarde did not adapt it, or any of his other novels for the screen (except for "Voices in the Garden" which he did not do) although I might guess. In his 23 plus years of professional writing, GentleO was only his third book and his first novel, the first two being autobiographical ('Postillion Struck By Lightning' and 'Snakes and Ladders'). He was happily living in France and tending his garden, so to speak. It was only two years after the Fassbinder editing fiasco of "Despair," which had led Dirk to his own despair saying he'd had it with films and was going back up the mountain to his place near Cannes. It's possible he wanted nothing to do with adapting his novels to the screen and then seeing what a studio might do with them and the battles, which would be inevitable.



"West of Sunset" - Many enjoy Dirk's novel "West of Sunset" and its biting look at the false glitter of Hollywood studios, its "stars," and hangers-on, a scene he had witnessed during his visits there and the detested filming of "Song Without End." Yet, I much prefer his autobiographies for their persona of Dirk the man and the gentle, more kindly view of the things he loved: Sussex, the Downs, France, nature, and animals, punctuated by his fascinating stories of the film world he knew.



As Dirk had a deep respect for the writing talent of both Graham Greene and Coward, no doubt he would have taken your comparison with them as high praise. I know that I do.



Best,



Barbara

[AndrewLA]

(theuofc @ May 17 2006, 07:26 AM)

"May We Borrow Your Husband" (1986) takes place in or near Nice with Dirk as a divorced writer. Among the guests he meets at his hotel are the newly wed Travis couple (the wife played by Charlotte Attenborough, daughter of Dirk's longterm friend Richard A) and a gay couple (played by Francis Matthews and David Yelland) who reel in the new groom (Simon Shepherd) with the intention of seducing him. In turn, the new bride spends her time questioning her appeal in long chats with Dirk, the consoling writer. But under this glib surface, there are, for me, undercurrent themes of sexual predator, gullible victim, and sexual realisation. It's fair to say Dirk gave an excellent performance as the caustic, yet vulnerable, divorced, aging writer. ' May We Borrow' was only shown on Yorkshire TV, with no commercial copies, alas. Dirk was always reluctant to do TV work; yet, he had known Bob Mahoney who directed the film through various connections.



There were other forays in TVLand. Early in his career in 1947, Dirk played Charles in "Rope" for BBC-TV, which I would loved to have seen as it was a role he could play superbly. Twenty years later, Dirk played another Charles in "Blithe Spirit" for NBC. A later venture in 1981 with Glenda Jackson in "The Patricia Neal Story" was a fine effort for both, yet the film received a yawn from the public. After "May We Borrow," he appeared in a final TV film "The Vision" (1987) with the beautiful and talented Lee Remick, who died way too young. He wrote no other film scripts for TV.



I'm not sure why Bogarde did not adapt it, or any of his other novels for the screen (except for "Voices in the Garden" which he did not do)...



"West of Sunset" - Many enjoy Dirk's novel "West of Sunset" and its biting look at the false glitter of Hollywood studios, its "stars," and hangers-on, a scene he had witnessed during his visits there and the detested filming of "Song Without End." Yet, I much prefer his autobiographies for their persona of Dirk the man and the gentle, more kindly view of the things he loved: Sussex, the Downs, France, nature, and animals, punctuated by his fascinating stories of the film world he knew.



As Dirk had a deep respect for the writing talent of both Graham Greene and Coward, no doubt he would have taken your comparison with them as high praise. I know that I do.

Barbara

You're too kind, Barbara. With my 20,000 brain cells flaking away each day, I'm afraid I won't be able to provide many more thoughts, let alone food for thought. But I do enjoy your posts and responses, so let me add my congratulations to everyone else's.



I hadn't realized that Dirk was in MAY WE BORROW YOUR HUSBAND. Sounds like a kind of observer/commentator/father-confessor role akin to Herbert Marshall in THE RAZOR'S EDGE (lovely film -- that would have been perfect for Bogarde in the Tyrone Power role), very much a Somerset Maugham device.



You mentioned VOICES IN THE GARDEN. Was that made into another TV movie?



I'll have to read WEST OF SUNSET. I don't generally like those English-writers-in-Hollywood stories because they all seem to fall into the same traps and cliches. Even DANIEL MARTIN by John Fowles, one of my favorite writers, repeats the same old hackneyed observations. Years ago, I saw a play in London with Glenda Jackson and Nigel Hawthorne on the same subject (he was a British writer in Los Angeles), and it was the same old litany of complaints against Hollywood crassness, etc. So I'm a little wary of Bogarde's take, since he could be quite adept with his literary stiletto. But you've wetted my appetite.



Back to DADDY NOSTALGIA. I think I will have to see that again. I felt frustrated at not being to identify exactly what limited it for me, so will report back again on this later. In the meantime, I'm about to watch Tavernier's D'ARTAGNAN'S DAUGHTER/REVENGE OF THE MUSKETEERs, and it will be interesting to see if that one, which has a terrific premise (though didn't Maureen O'Hara get there first?), also comes across as not-quite-fulfilled for me.



All best to you, Barbara.

[theuofc]

(AndrewLA @ May 18 2006, 10:08 PM)

You're too kind, Barbara. With my 20,000 brain cells flaking away each day, I'm afraid I won't be able to provide many more thoughts, let alone food for thought. But I do enjoy your posts and responses, so let me add my congratulations to everyone else's.



I hadn't realized that Dirk was in MAY WE BORROW YOUR HUSBAND. Sounds like a kind of observer/commentator/father-confessor role akin to Herbert Marshall in THE RAZOR'S EDGE (lovely film -- that would have been perfect for Bogarde in the Tyrone Power role), very much a Somerset Maugham device.



You mentioned VOICES IN THE GARDEN. Was that made into another TV movie?



I'll have to read WEST OF SUNSET. I don't generally like those English-writers-in-Hollywood stories because they all seem to fall into the same traps and cliches. Even DANIEL MARTIN by John Fowles, one of my favorite writers, repeats the same old hackneyed observations. Years ago, I saw a play in London with Glenda Jackson and Nigel Hawthorne on the same subject (he was a British writer in Los Angeles), and it was the same old litany of complaints against Hollywood crassness, etc. So I'm a little wary of Bogarde's take, since he could be quite adept with his literary stiletto. But you've wetted my appetite.



Back to DADDY NOSTALGIA. I think I will have to see that again. I felt frustrated at not being to identify exactly what limited it for me, so will report back again on this later. In the meantime, I'm about to watch Tavernier's D'ARTAGNAN'S DAUGHTER/REVENGE OF THE MUSKETEERs, and it will be interesting to see if that one, which has a terrific premise (though didn't Maureen O'Hara get there first?), also comes across as not-quite-fulfilled for me.



All best to you, Barbara.

Hello, Andrew,



Many thanks for the kind words about making the 4-digit mark. I certainly had a lot of fun doing it.



About "Voices in the Garden": recorded in July 1992, Voices was broadcast 7 March 1993, with an excellent cast: Joss Ackland, Samuel West, Gayle Hunnicutt, and Anouk Aimee among others and directed by Pierre Boutron. Lee Langley wrote the adaptation of Dirk's book. I am guessing that Dirk didn't write the television script because he was deeply involved with several books and fulfilling his contracts for them. His "Jericho" and "Great Meadow" came out in 1992 so he was busy flogging both, while also completing "A Short Walk from Harrods," which came out in 1993. This meant more book signings, BBC interviews, etc. for "Short Walk" and ongoing appearances for the earlier two books. It's a shame because I would have liked his writing the television script for his own book "Voices."



Coincidentally, as you mention watching D'ARTAGNAN'S DAUGHTER, I've been working my way through Tavernier's films also. I just viewed his marvelous "Life and Nothing But" with Philippe Noiret and Sabine Azema, whose performance took my breath away. Noiret is always splendid, but not being as familiar with Sabine's work, I was mesmerized, particularly with her speech to Noiret in the carriage. Potent and very moving. They have a wonderful chemistry on screen. "Life and Nothing But" was made the year before Dirk's collaboration with Tavernier in "Daddy Nostalgie," so I particularly wanted to see it.



Although I'm glad Dirk ended his film career with "Daddy" rather than, let's say, Hermann in "Despair," and although he was excellent in the role, my own personal inclination is not to journey with him as he plays a crabby, somewhat boasting retired salesman, who has reached a dead end in his long marriage with a wife who has become an irritatingly nagging woman. While I see behind their facades to the sad reality beneath, I don't especially warm to them. I love Jane Birkin as the sympathetic daughter and the scenes with her father.



Truth be, I would have thrilled to see Dirk play his last role on screen as Mitterand in "Le Promeneur du champ de Mars" (portrayed superbly by Michel Bouquet). What a role for Dirk to sink his acting teeth into. I can see him as the dying Mitterand in conversation with the young journalist and revealing Mitterand's inner man with a subtlety of eye and face and voice that was the essence of Bogarde's acting. As so often happens in Life, it was not to be.



Many times, I watch a film and say to myself, "Now that's a role meant for Bogarde."



All the best,



Barbara

[Fellwanderer]

Doctor in the House was shown earlier this week. A delightful film with three of my favourite actors - Dirk Bogarde, Kenneth More and Donald Sinden

[theuofc]

(Fellwanderer @ Jun 8 2006, 06:04 AM)

Doctor in the House was shown earlier this week. A delightful film with three of my favourite actors - Dirk Bogarde, Kenneth More and Donald Sinden

Hi, FELL,



I love that film. No matter how many times I see it, Dirk as the naive Simon Sparrow makes me laugh. Maybe it's also that the role is such a far cry from many of the others he played that I am so charmed by it. I always break up when he gets on the bus with the skeleton.



Kenneth More and Donald Sinden were all wonderful. More had such a good-hearted, cordial way about him.



Barbara

[Marky B]

Appointment In London was on today. I would have loved to have watched,but my brother in law would have been displeased that I was watching a film,whilst he laboured refurbishing the bathroom.

Ta Ta

[theuofc]

(Marky B @ Jun 8 2006, 06:59 PM)

Appointment In London was on today. I would have loved to have watched,but my brother in law would have been displeased that I was watching a film,whilst he laboured refurbishing the bathroom.

Ta Ta

Marky

But, Mark, tell your brother-in-law it's patriotic to watch Wing-Commander Tim Mason!

I admit my avatar says I always have a soft spot for Bogarde in that role although, seriously, he's pretty good as the idealistic officer.



Take care,



Barbara

[Freddy]

Excellent film MB, you should have told your brother that as we are part of the EU, taking an afternoon siesta is now a govern mental edict.

Put your feet up and watch a British film. the afternoons seem to be the only time they are on.



I videoed it so PM me



Freddy

[Fellwanderer]

Permission to Kill is on Sky tomorrow night.



Worth recording?



Ok - I know it's a silly question, Barbara!