Bogard projected sensitivity
1961
‘Victim’, starring Dirk Bogard, was released in 1961 and shown widely across Britain. “He played the part of a barrister and was blackmailed; he was a covert gay man. Bogard projected a great deal of sensitivity, he was a top barrister with an opulent, comfortable lifestyle and it was the effect on him and eventually the decision he was going to come out with it”. “The cinemas were very busy, and as we were a minority the bulk of people viewing it were straights, I think the film was received generally sympathetically, ‘How awful that such a thing could happen’. In those days TV was still in its infancy so film carried a big punch”. Around this time, the word “consenting adults” came into currency, and he felt there was an overarching belief that homosexuals were viewed in this way.
Contributed by: John McGarry, 70