Arena Season 1, Episode 544

The Private Dirk Bogarde: Part 1 · BBC Four · Wednesday, December 26

In 1986, Dirk Bogarde burnt most of his personal papers at his home in southern France. However, 12 cans of home movies, shot mostly by Bogarde's long-term partner Anthony Forwood, survived the flames. This two-part Arena special draws on this footage to present for the first time a comprehensive portrait of the reclusive actor, who died in 1999. The first film chronicles Bogarde's idyllic Sussex childhood and charts his meteoric rise to "idol of the Odeons" status in the fifties. Bogarde's sister, brother and grandmother, and Anthony Forwood's son Gareth offer their recollections.