English actor Dirk Bogarde dominated the films in which he starred. Exploring the tension between his matinee idol appeal and his own closeted sexuality, this book focuses on the wide variety of genres in which he worked, and the highly charged interaction between his life and his roles.

Beginning with an expose of gay life in post-war Britain and his relationship with partner/manager, Anthony Forwood, each chapter explores Bogarde's performances by genre-his juvenile delinquent movies, his military roles, his contribution to Basil Dearden's overtly gay thriller Victim (1961), and his outsider roles in such films as The Servant (1963), The Fixer (1968) and Despair (1978). Bogarde's camp cinema, espionage thrillers and various roles as artists are also examined, along with the misogyny of the Doctor films and his later television work.