Hello I'm Kirstie Young and this is a podcast from the Desert Island Discs archive.

For rights reasons, we've had to shorten the music.

The program was originally broadcast in 1989,

and the presenter was Sue Lawley. My castaway this week is a film actor and a writer.

Forty years ago the Rank organization cast him as the

hero in their famous doctor series where in the house at large and at sea he became a

national heart-throb but fame such as this did not bring satisfaction, and anxious for more serious roles

he enlarged his reputation working with Joseph Lozy in films such as The Servant and Accident.

Eventually he left this country altogether for France and

under the direction of Visconti produced memorable performances in the damned and death in Venice.

The first volume of his autobiography, published in 1977, established him as an

accomplished writer. He's written three more volumes since and several novels too. Now back in England,

he lives alone in Chelsea, a private man protected he's the first

to admit by a crab-like shell. He is Dirk Bogart. A desert island would perhaps they not be entirely dissimilar to your

present existence. Well I don't know I wouldn't be very near Slo and Square

when I know. You're obviously not worried about being alone.

No, I never have been. I think I've been what they call, they call them a loner, which I quite enjoy being.

But can days go by when you don't see a soul?

Oh look, yes, in London especially.

There's long, long weekends and I can't get used to the English Christmas.

I think that five days.

And you hear the cars all revving up and leaving the buildings you know

...