Dirk Bogarde Timeline

 

 

1921
Born Derek Niven Van den Bogaerde, on March 28th in Hampstead, north-west London, to Ulric and Margaret

1931-4
Attends University College School, Hampstead

1934 -7
Attends Allan Glen’s School, Glasgow

1938-9
Attends Chelsea School of Art

1938
Makes stage debut in Alf’s Button
for Newick Amateur Dramatic Society

1939
Auditions for Old Vic School;
makes screen debut as extra in Come on George!

1940
Makes London stage debut in
When We Are Married at Q Theatre; meets Anthony Forwood

1941
Enlisted into Royal Corps of Signals as Signalman 2371461

1943
Commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant into Queen’s Royal Regiment

1944
Appointed Intelligence Officer, 21 Army Group
(Army Photographic Interpretation Section);
seconded to 39 Wing, Royal Canadian Air Force, for liberation of Europe

1945
Appointed Temporary Captain;
exhibits paintings and drawings with F/Lt Christopher Greaves
at the Batsford Gallery; posted to India with RAF;
posted to Java

1946
Edits forces newspaper, The Fighting Cock; demobilised

1947
Makes television debut in Rope;
plays Cliff in Power Without Glory at New Lindsey Theatre and in West End;
signs contract with Rank Organisation;
makes screen debut ‘above the title’ in Esther Waters (released1948);
tipped by Sketch Magazine as one of four ‘young men of mark’
alongside Harold Wilson

1949
Makes The Blue Lamp (released 1950);
stars with Mai Zetterling in Point of Departure

1954
Doctor in the House released

1955
Returns to the stage in Summertime;
nominated most popular film actor in Motion Picture Herald poll

1957
Makes A Tale of Two Cities

1958
Makes final stage appearance, in Jezebel

1959
Works for the first time in America, on Song Without End

1960
Makes The Singer Not the Song;
Lyrics for Lovers (LP) released

1961
Makes Victim; leaves Rank Organisation;
makes HMS Defiant

1962
Variety Club film actor of the year for 1961

1963
Makes The Servant

1964
Variety Club Award for The Servant

1965
Makes Darling

1966
British Film Academy Award
for Best Performance by a British Actor, in Darling;
makes Accident and Our Mother’s House

1969
Leaves the UK for Italy

1970
Buys Le Haut Clermont, Provençal farmhouse;
makes Death in Venice

1971
50th birthday

1973
Makes The Night Porter

1976
Makes Providence and A Bridge Too Far

1977
A Postillion Struck by Lightning published;
makes Despair

1978
Snakes and Ladders published

1980
A Gentle Occupation published

1981
Makes The Patricia Neal Story;
Voices in the Garden published

1982
Apppointed Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres

1983
An Orderly Man published

1984
West of Sunset published;
chairs Cannes Film Festival jury

1985
Hon D. Litt., University of St Andrews

1986
Makes May We Borrow Your Husband
(also debut as scriptwriter);
Backcloth published

1987
Returns to the UK;
makes The Vision (BBC TV);
awarded BFI Fellowship

1988
Anthony Forwood dies
Honoured by BAFTA

1989
A Particular Friendship published;
returns to Provence to make Daddy Nostalgie (These Foolish Things)

1990
Commandeur dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres

1992
Knighthood conferred;
Jericho published;
Great Meadow published

1993
Hon. D. Litt., University of Sussex;
A Short Walk from Harrods published

1994
A Period of Adjustment published

1995
Cleared for Take-Off published

1996
Has stroke following operation

1997
Closing Ranks published

1998
For the Time Being published

1999
(May 8) Dies suddenly but peacefully at home in Chelsea

 

This timeline is based on Dirk Bogarde: the Authorised Biography (Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 2004),
by John Coldstream