A Murder of Quality

1h 43min

Mystery

Drama

TV Movie

At the request of his old war time colleague Ailsa Brimley, George Smiley agrees to look into the murder of Stella Rode. Brimley had only just received a letter from her saying she feared for her life at her husband's hand. The husband, Stanley Rode teaches at Carne School, but Smiley is doubtful that he had anything to do with his wife's death. As Smiley investigates, he learns that Stella was a nosy busybody who loved to learn other's little secrets and then gossip about them - or possibly blackmail them. When a student is killed and Smiley unearths a secret, he has the evidence to name the killer.Based on John Le Carré's 1962 thriller (his first) in which George Smiley is brought out of spy retirement to solve a murder in a British public school. The setting is based on Le Carre"s own schooldays in Sherborne and his brief experience teaching at Eton.

Production Companies

Portobello Pictures

Thames Television

Cast

Denholm Elliott

Denholm Elliott

George Smiley
Joss Ackland

Joss Ackland

Terence Fielding
Glenda Jackson

Glenda Jackson

Alisa Brimley
David Threlfall

David Threlfall

Stanley Rode
Ronald Pickup

Ronald Pickup

Felix D'Arcy
Matthew Scurfield

Matthew Scurfield

Inspector Rigby
Christian Bale

Christian Bale

Tim Perkins
Diane Fletcher

Diane Fletcher

Shane Hecht
Fiona Walker

Fiona Walker

Dorothy D'Arcy
Nick Reding

Nick Reding

Sgt. Mellor
Michael Cochrane

Michael Cochrane

Charles Hecht
Charles Pemberton

Charles Pemberton

Sgt. Ted Mundy
Moray Watson

Moray Watson

Maj. Harriman
Tim Dutton

Tim Dutton

Simon Snow
Helen Lindsay

Helen Lindsay

Mrs. Harlowe
Samantha Womack

Samantha Womack

Alice Lawry
John Grillo

John Grillo

The Pathologist
George Raistrick

George Raistrick

Samuel Glaston
George Winter

George Winter

Police Constable Dai
Thorley Walters

Thorley Walters

Bishop Harry
Joanna Jacobs

Joanna Jacobs

Stella Rode
Nick Lewis

Nick Lewis

Friend of Perkins
Peter Snelling

Peter Snelling

Friend of Perkins

Release date

4th Oct 1991

Status

Released

Spoken languages

English