A Murder of Quality (film)

A Murder of Quality is a 1991 television film directed by Gavin Millar and a screenplay written by John le Carré, based on his 1962 novel A Murder of Quality, first screened on 10 April 1991 on ITV in the United Kingdom and shown in the United States of America on 13 October 1991 on the A&E network.

Plot
George Smiley, at the request of his old wartime colleague Ailsa Brimley, investigates the murder of Stella Rode. A letter had previously come to Brimley from Rode detailing a plot supposedly by her husband, Stanley Rode, who teaches at Carne School, to kill her. Upon investigating, Smiley learns of many secrets that were kept by the victim, and one being that Terence Fielding, a house master at Carne, was being blackmailed by her due to past homosexual activities. Smiley solves the investigation when it is revealed that it was not Stanley Rode who murdered his wife, but Terence Fielding.

Cast

 * Denholm Elliott as George Smiley
 * Joss Ackland as Terence Fielding
 * Glenda Jackson as Ailsa Brimley
 * Billie Whitelaw as Mad Janie
 * Diane Fletcher as Shane Hecht
 * David Threlfall as Stanley Rode
 * Christian Bale as Tim Perkins
 * Nick Lewis as Tim Perkins's Friend

Critical reception
The New York Times wrote "Chronic Anglophiles can be assured that Mr. le Carre's fury is generally conveyed with ingrained British understatement and good manners. A top-notch cast makes sure of that. Mr. Elliott is perfect as the gray, piercingly intelligent Smiley; and his co-stars are sparkling."