Scottish-born Derek Bond was a leading man of post-war British films
fondly remembered for his portrayal of the titular hero in Ealing
Studios'
Nicholas Nickleby (1947),
an adaptation of the Charles Dickens
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
Stille Helden (1946)
starring Michael Redgrave, Redgrave's
wife Rachel Kempson 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
as his cruel Uncle Ralph. Bond also had a choice role portraying the
doomed South Pole explorer Capt. Oates in
Scotts letzte Fahrt (1948)
opposite John Mills. 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 and
Googie Withers in
The Loves of Joanna Godden (1947),
Jean Simmons in
Uncle Silas (1947),
Phyllis Calvert in
Notlandung (1948),
Ursula Jeans in
The Weaker Sex (1948),
Susan Shaw in
Marry Me (1949) and
Rona Anderson in
Poet's Pub (1949).
Bond continued primarily in the "B" film ranks in the 1950s with a steady
dose of light comedy
(Tony Draws a Horse (1950),
Love's a Luxury (1952),
Ich und der Herr Direktor (1953)) and
crime drama
(The Quiet Woman (1951),
The Hour of 13 (1952),
Rogue's Yarn (1957),
Chefinspektor Gideon (1958)). He also was
utilized on TV in the next decade as a co-presenter of
Picture Parade (1956) 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) and
Simon Templar (1962) and a notable
recurring role on Callan (1967)
starring Edward Woodward. A bright
presence on the West End light comedy stage, his theatre resume
included "A Scent of Flowers" (with a budding
Ian McKellen), "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.
