RICHARD ATTENBOROUGH - BOGARDE SLAMMED ATTENBOROUGH AND GIELGUD

Late acting legend SIR DIRK BOGARDE attacked co-stars SIR RICHARD ATTENBOROUGH and SIR JOHN GIELGUD in newly released letters he wrote to film critic friend DILYS POWELL. The film star was particularly critical of actor/director Attenborough, with whom he worked on OH! WHAT A LOVELY WAR and A BRIDGE TOO FAR. Bogarde calls Attenborough an "idiot" in one letter, and says he stayed away from one award ceremony because he didn't want to meet "Attenborough and all that beaming falsity". The two actors are known to have fallen out in the late 1970's after artistic differences. Attenborough isn't the only one under attack - British actress VANESSA REDGRAVE is called a "Ninny" and SIR JOHN GIELGUD, "Struggled to understand Shakespeare". The scathing correspondence has been acquired by the British Library following Bogarde's death in 1999.