Screenplay:
Lesley Storm & John Bryan (from a novel by A.J. Cronin)
Role:
Jose
The
Spanish Gardener (1957)
Dirk gives a sensitive performance
as the soulful gardener Jose, caught between the uptight,
neurotic diplomat Harrington Brande (Michael Hordern)
and his overprotected son Nicholas (Jon Whiteley). Not
surprisingly, the '50s producers shied away from the homoerotic
undercurrents in Cronin's novel. While not a major role,
it was one that gave Dirk an opportunity to do what he
does better than anyone else: reveal a character's inner
thoughts and emotions to the camera.
