Derek Bond

Scottish-born 'Derek Bond' (qv) was a leading man of post-war British films fondly remembered for his portrayal of the titular hero in Ealing Studios' _The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (1947)_ (qv), an adaptation of the 'Charles Dickens' (qv) novel.The actor was born in Glasgow on January 26, 1920, the son of a commercial traveler 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 Society 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. 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 film was set in a German WWII POW camp. Stardom was officially clinched when Ealing entrusted Bond, in only his second film role, to play the Nickleby lead opposite the renowned 'Cedric Hardwicke' (qv) as his cruel Uncle Ralph. Bond also had a choice role portraying the doomed South Pole explorer Capt. Oates in _Scott of the Antarctic (1948)_ (qv) opposite 'John Mills' (qv). Throughout the late 1940s the staid, classically good-looking actor 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' (qv) in _The Inheritance (1947)_ (qv), 'Phyllis Calvert' (qv) in _Broken Journey (1948)_ (qv), 'Ursula Jeans' (qv) in _The Weaker Sex (1948)_ (qv), 'Susan Shaw' (qv) in _Marry Me (1949)_ (qv) and 'Rona Anderson' (qv) in _Poet's Pub (1949)_ (qv).Bond continued primarily in the "B" film ranks in the 1950s with a steady dose of light comedy (_Tony Draws a Horse (1950)_ (qv), _The Caretaker's Daughter (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 of Scotland Yard (1958)_ (qv)). He also was utilized on TV in the next decade as a co-presenter of _Picture Parade (1956)_ (qv) for more than two years before joining "Tonight," an early-evening current-affairs program. Among his other series work included episodes of _William Tell (1958)_ (qv) and _The Saint (1962)_ (qv) 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, conservative leader, he resigned in 1986 amid political controversy and pressure from left-wing opponents, 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.::Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net