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Derek Bond, born in Scotland, was a prominent leading man in post-war British cinema, best remembered for his role as the titular character in Ealing Studios' 1947 adaptation of Charles Dickens' The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby.
Born in Glasgow on January 26, 1920, to a commercial traveler and a beautician, Bond was educated at Haberdashers' Askes School in Hampstead. Initially aspiring to be a reporter or journalist, he shifted to acting after that career path did not materialize. He trained with the Finchley Amateur Dramatic Society and made his professional stage debut in 1937 with As Husbands Go. While with the Colchester Repertory Company, where he met his first wife, he performed in both comedic and dramatic roles until World War II interrupted his rising career. Serving with the Grenadier Guards' 3rd Brigade, he was awarded the Military Cross after being seriously wounded in North Africa and was held as a POW in Italy, where he produced and performed in army shows.
After the war, Bond resumed acting and was signed by Ealing Studios. His film debut came with The Captive Heart (1946), a war drama set in a German POW camp featuring Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson among others. His breakthrough came in his second film, portraying Nicholas Nickleby opposite Cedric Hardwicke as Uncle Ralph. He also portrayed Captain Oates in Scott of the Antarctic (1948) alongside John Mills. During the late 1940s, Bond appeared in leading and supporting roles with notable British actresses such as Jean Kent and Googie Withers in The Loves of Joanna Godden (1947), Jean Simmons in The Inheritance (1947), Phyllis Calvert in Broken Journey (1948), Ursula Jeans in The Weaker Sex (1948), Susan Shaw in Marry Me (1949), and Rona Anderson in Poet's Pub (1949).
In the 1950s, Bond mainly worked in "B" films, featuring in light comedies like Tony Draws a Horse (1950), The Caretaker's Daughter (1952), and Trouble in Store (1953), as well as crime dramas including The Quiet Woman (1951), The Hour of 13 (1952), Rogue's Yarn (1957), and Gideon of Scotland Yard (1958). He also appeared on television, co-hosting Picture Parade (1956) for over two years before joining the current-affairs program Tonight. His TV credits include episodes of William Tell (1958), The Saint (1962), and a recurring role on Callan (1967) starring Edward Woodward. On the West End stage, Bond was known for performances in light comedies such as A Scent of Flowers (with Ian McKellen), Your Obedient Servant, The Secretary Bird, Murder at the Vicarage, No Sex Please, We're British, and The Mousetrap. He also wrote several plays for television and radio.
During the 1970s, Bond served as president of the British Actors' Equity Association. Known for his outspoken conservative views, he resigned in 1986 amid political disputes with left-wing critics, an experience he recounted humorously in his 1990 memoir, Steady Old Man! Don't You Know There's a War On? Bond was married three times and died at the age of 86 on October 15, 2006. He was survived by his third wife, a son from his first marriage, and a daughter from his second.
