Name:
Date of Birth:
Derek Bond
26 January 1920
Derek Bond played in 3 movies in the Action, Adventure, Drama, Music, Sci-Fi, Comedy genres.
Derek Bond got succeed with average imdb rating 5.9.
The Scots-born leading man of post-war British films fondly remembered for his portrayal of 'Charles Dickens' (qv)' titular hero in Ealing Studios' film adaptation of _Nicholas Nickleby (1947)_ (qv) was born in Glasgow on January 26, 1920, the son of a commercial traveller and a beautician. Educated at the Haberdashers' Askes School in Hampstead, he originally sought out a career as a reporter/journalist. When that didn't pan out he turned to acting, training with the Finchley Amateur Dramatic S... ociety and making his professional theatre debut with "As Husbands Go" in 1937. A member of the Colchester Repertory Company (where he met his first wife), he played a number of both comedic and dramatic roles until his burgeoning career was interrupted by WWII (1939-1946). Commissioned with the Grenadier Guards' 3rd Brigade, he was awarded the Military Cross after seeing action and suffering serious wounds in North Africa. Captured at one point, he served as a POW in Italy where he produced and appeared in a number of Army shows. Following the war he returned to his acting career and was picked up by Ealing Studios. Life certainly imitated art when he made his film debut as a British POW in the stirring war drama _The Captive Heart (1946)_ (qv) starring 'Michael Redgrave' (qv), Redgrave's wife 'Rachel Kempson' (qv) and a virtual "Who's Who" supporting cast of British names. The picture took place in a German WWII concentration camp. Stardom was officially clinched when Ealing entrusted Bond, in only his second film role, to play the Nickleby lead opposite the renown 'Cedric Hardwicke' (qv) as his cruel Uncle Ralph. He had a choice role as well portraying the doomed South Pole explorer Captain Oates in _Scott of the Antarctic (1948)_ (qv) opposite 'John Mills (I)' (qv). Throughout the late 1940s the staid, classically good-looking Bond played lead and second lead roles alongside a number of established or up-and-coming leading lovelies of the British cinema including 'Jean Kent' (qv) and 'Googie Withers' (qv) in _The Loves of Joanna Godden (1947)_ (qv), 'Jean Simmons (I)' (qv) in _Uncle Silas (1947)_ (qv), 'Phyllis Calvert' (qv) in _Broken Journey (1948)_ (qv), 'Ursula Jeans' (qv) in _The Weaker Sex (1948)_ (qv), 'Susan Shaw (II)' (qv) in _Marry Me (1949)_ (qv), and 'Rona Anderson' (qv) in _Poet's Pub (1949)_ (qv). He continued primarily in the "B" film ranks in the 1950s with a steady dose of light comedy (_Tony Draws a Horse (1950)_ (qv), _Love's a Luxury (1952)_ (qv), _Trouble in Store (1953)_ (qv)) and crime drama (_The Quiet Woman (1951)_ (qv), _The Hour of 13 (1952)_ (qv), _Rogue's Yarn (1957)_ (qv), _Gideon's Day (1958)_ (qv)). He also was utilized on TV in the next decade as a co-presenter of _"Picture Parade" (1961)_ for more than two years before joining "Tonight," an early-evening current-affairs program. Among his other series work included episodes of "William Tell" and "The Saint," and a notable recurring role on _"Callan" (1967)_ (qv) starring 'Edward Woodward' (qv). A bright presence on the West End light comedy stage, his theatre resume included "A Scent of Flowers" (with a budding 'Ian McKellen' (qv)), "Your Obedient Servant," "The Secretary Bird," "Murder at the Vicarage," "No Sex Please, We're British, and "The Mousetrap." He also wrote a number of plays for both TV and radio. Bond was elected president of the British Actors' Equity Association during the 1970s. An outspoken, ultra-conservative leader, he resigned in 1986 amid political controversy, which prompted his amusing memoir, "Steady Old Man! Don't You Know There's a War On?" in 1990. Married three times, he passed away at age 86 on October 15, 2006, and was survived by his third wife, a son from his first marriage, and a daughter from his second.Read more Less
