This is the 1000 th article that I have written on this Blog – so I have saved this one which I know is about someone of interest to those film fans of the era.

This might not be a name that immediately is recognised – however she played a very big part in the success of film star Richard Todd – because she was his first wife.

She was Catherine Stewart Crawford Grant-Bogle

After Wartime service, Richard Todd had returned to Dundee Rep and there he met his first wife, the actress Catherine Stewart Crawford (Kitty) Bogle (1926-1997), , with whom he co-starred in the American comedy Claudia. She was the daughter of William Grant Bogle, steel brass founder. They married at St Columba’s Church, Pont Street, Chelsea, on 13 August 1949 and had a son, Peter, and a daughter, Fiona.

They married in 1949 before his film career had really started and about the time he made ‘The Hasty Heart’ in England – a film that went extremely well at the Box Office on both sides of the Atlantic.

She went with him on his trips to Hollywood at that time and later, together they had two children Peter and Fiona.

Their first home was Wayside House in Pinkneys Green Nr Maidenhead before the purchased a large house and farm – Haileywood House at Shiplake close to Henley on Thames

Catherine had been an actress of some note in Rep in Dundee – where she met her husband – and she then gave up her promising career to support him – in fact she had been offered employment with Liverpool Rep after the play Claudia in Dundee finished and, it is true to say, that while they were married Richard Todd was very successful. It seems to me that she was influential and guided him in a sure-footed way – after they divorced in the late 1960s his career was not well handled and plummeted downwards as he concentrated on Theatre bringing in a much lower income than he had been used to.

Without Catherine, he was not able to command the heights he had achieved before in my view.

If you read his Autobiography, Richard Todd says that in 1968 things were not right in his marriage. After he had consulted a Solicitor informally, he suggested a separation but Catherine did not – however she later did say that if he wanted a separation then she would want a divorce. They agreed to meet for a meal at the Lygon Arms in Broadway but discussions did not go well and they left. He was not living at their home but a few weeks later he agreed to call round and pack his belongings – which he later did – and on this visit they barely spoke a word to one another – and in fact never spoke to each other again.

Of course, while all this was going on, he had met Virginia Mailer which quite obviously sparked off the breakdown of his marriage as he appeared smitten.

I find this such a sad story – more so for Catherine and there is little information about her after this

We do know from Richard’s Autobiography that, in the divorce settlement he took a Crown Lease on a very nice Regency styled house near The Tate Gallery in North London for Catherine ( Kitty) and their two children. Peter at that time, was at Eton and Fiona at a college in Wantage Berkshire. I was going to say that I was not sure if Kitty drove, but she did because Richard mentions buying her a particular car before the break-up – I mention this because I was just thinking about how she would visit and collect her youngsters.

The Messages BELOW are actually re-printed from www.disneysrobin.blogspot.com – a wonderful site to visit. I have asked and received the owners permission to publish as below :-

Little was known about Catherine’s life after she was divorced from film legend Richard Todd (1919-2009). So I am sure readers will be very interested in some of the messages:

Pam says:

“I was looking up info on Richard Todd when I saw this article on Catherine Grant-Bogle. She was my landlady in 1970/71 in London, in a flat near the Tate Gallery.​​ I am Canadian and was backpacking through Europe with my girlfriend. She took me, my girlfriend and a girl from Hawaii in for room and board. The rooms were as the children left them and she didn’t want us to touch or move anything. She also didn’t want us using the kitchen and when she found the three of us making dinner, she was very upset.​​ She was very bitter about the divorce and told us stories. Her son Peter also came by a few times to check on her. I also have a picture of her with her cat in my photo album.​​I went back to London with my first husband in 1978 and went to show him the flat. And there she was walking down the street coming out of the liquor store, looking a little worse for wear.​​I am surprised to see that she lived another 20 years after I last saw her. She didn’t look well and the difference in her from 1971 to 1978 was astounding!”​

Pam continued:​​ “She did seem so sad, not only when I was rooming at her flat, but especially when I saw her walking down the street a few years later. She was a sweet lady.​​Anyway, just thought I would share this with you.”

“Hi!​

​​Catherine was a cousin (first or second) of my paternal grandmother. She returned home to Rothesay in her later years. She used to drop into the Copper Kettle café which was run by another family member, my grandmother’s niece Muriel.”

I think that it’s true she had something of an alcohol problem latterly, but she lived with or was married to a German chap, and they had a couple of dogs. He outlived her by a few years. ​I remember my aunts being very excited as schoolgirls when she and Richard visited the family when filming Rob Roy in Argyll.​

Best wishes,​

Dr. Marianne M Gilchrist”.

Scott says:

​​​​​​”Hi all. My sister was married to Peter Todd for many years before he tragically took his own life. It’s funny how I’ve stumbled across this blog as I was searching for Catherine as I’m in the process of selling my artefacts that I have had passed to me, all of which are related to Richard Todd and his film career. I’m sure I can answer many of your questions if you still have any and would be happy to do so. I have a portrait of Catherine which is part of my collection passed to me by Richard and Peter Todd and she truly was a beautiful lady and from what I understand a fantastic mother. However, the Todd’s life was incredibly difficult for all involved and I saw personally the very sad end in which it finished. I’m here if you wish to discuss further. 

Best regards.”

I now go back to Richard Todd’s Autobiography my my final thoughts :

He said that during the run of the play ‘Claudia’ there had been a 20th Birthday Party for Kitty and during that evening a charming older actress Ethel Ramsey took Richard Todd to one side and said ‘Be kind to her. Don’t hurt her’.

However my view is that he did hurt her

From all I have read, it seems to me that he cast her aside and hurt her deeply