In 1986, Dirk Bogarde burnt most of his personal papers at his home in southern France. However, 12 cans of home movies, shot mostly by Bogarde's long-term partner Anthony Forwood, survived the flames. This Arena special draws on this footage to present for the first time a comprehensive, two-part portrait of the reclusive actor, who died in 1999. The first film chronicles Bogarde's idyllic Sussex childhood and charts his meteoric rise to "idol of the Odeons" status in the fifties. Bogarde's sister, brother and grandmother, and Anthony Forwood's son Gareth offer their recollections. (S) (W)

10.00 The second film plots Bogarde's progress to the forefront of European cinema in films such as Joseph Losey's "The Servant" and Luchino Visconti's "Death in Venice" before retiring from acting to become a writer. Tributes come from co-stars James Fox, Michael York and Charlotte Rampling. Director Adam Low (S) (W) "The Night Porter", which follows, rounds off today's Dirk Bogarde triple bill
Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without Stars: page 11