The Best Man to Die
1990: Adapted by John Brown from the Ruth Rendell novel.
A man is murdered on the eve of his best friend’s wedding and a young woman is found dead at the scene of a fatal road accident in which a wealthy businessman is also killed. Wexford and Burden discover a possible connection between the deaths in this tale of adultery, blackmail and greed… Continue reading →
Background: Mike and Jenny’s wedding originally featured in the short story When the Wedding Was Over. The scene with Inspector Burden and the stripper did not appear in Ruth Rendell’s original story. The filming of Dora’s cancer scare in Southampton General Hospital cruelly coincided with George Baker’s own wife, Sally Home’s struggle with the disease: “Louie asked for news of Sal and, I told her that Sal was in the hospital at that very moment and was about to see the surgeon, she was very concerned and a little tearful.”
Audio Clip: “About the other night…”
Audio Clip: “About the other night…”
Next episode: An Unkindness of Ravens »
Cast and Crew
- DCI Wexford
- GEORGE BAKER
- DI Burden
- CHRISTOPHER RAVENSCROFT
- Dora Wexford
- LOUIE RAMSAY
- Jenny Ireland
- DIANE KEEN
- Maurice Cullam
- TONY HAYGARTH
- Dr Crane
- JOHN VINE
- Dr Crocker
- JOHN BURGESS
- Nurse Rose
- CLARA SALAMAN
- Mrs Fanshawe
- BARBARA LEIGH-HUNT
- Nora Fanshawe
- JULIA ORMOND
- DS Martin
- KEN KITSON
- Sheila Wexford
- DEBORAH POPLETT
- Policeman
- DAVID MICHAELS
- Nurse Lewis
- NINA MARC
- Lillian Hatton
- SHIRIN TAYLOR
- Jack Pertwee
- JONATHAN BARLOW
- Marilyn Thompson
- TRACIE BENNETT
- Mr Pertwee
- JOHN CATER
- George Carter
- JOHN BLEASDALE
- Jolyon Vigo
- STEPHEN BOXER
- Dr. Crocker
- JOHN BURGESS
- 1st Policeman
- PAUL KYNMAN
- Charlie Hatton
- RICHARD GRAHAM
- John Burden
- NOAH HUNTLEY
- Pat Burden
- EMMA SMITH
- Script Executive
- CORINNE CARTER
- Music composed by
- BRIAN BENNETT
- Casting Director
- DOREEN JONES
- Production Manager
- GRAEME MacARTHUR
- Location Manager
- IAN STRACHAN
- 1st Assistant Director
- JAMES GREVILLE
- P.A./Continuity
- ALISON BLACK
- Stage Manager
- MIKE FISHER
- Production Secretary
- DEBRA TOMLINSON
- Production Buyer
- GRAHAM CURTIS
- Costume Designer
- RITA ANGELL
- Make Up Supervisor
- TONI HOLMES
- Dubbing Mixer
- TONY CUNNINGHAM
- Dubbing Editor
- PETER DANSIE
- Sound Recordist
- MAURICE HILLIER
- Camera Operator
- JULIAN BARBER
- Lighting Cameraman
- MICHAEL D SMITH
- Designer
- MARK WARD
- Film Editor
- CHRISTOPHER WENTZELL
- Executive Producer
- GRAHAM BENSON
- Producer
- NEIL ZEIGER
- Directed by
- HERBERT WISE
- A Television South Production
Principle Characters
The Best Man to Die
Joan Fanshawe (Barbara Leigh-Hunt) regains consciousness in Stowerton Infirmary after being involved in a car crash which the police believe claimed the lives of both her husband and daughter. However, when Mrs Fanshawe’s glamorous daughter (Julia Ormond) turns up unharmed, an investigation has to begin to discover the dead woman’s identity.
Charlie Hatton (Richard Graham) - a service engineer for a local security company - is found murdered on the morning of his best friend’s wedding. The Groom, Jack Pertwee (Jonathan Barlow), is devastated by Charlie’s death and is impatient for the police to apprehend the killer.
Charlie was a boastful man - well known for living a lavish lifestyle and for belittling less fortunate people like Maurice Cullam (Tony Haygarth). Charlie was even able to afford to have a birthmark removed by the eminent cosmetic surgeon, Jolyon Vigo (Stephen Boxer). Wexford wonders where the money used to sustain this lifestyle came from.
Background notes | Cast & crew »
Next Episode » An Unkindness of Ravens »