The Charmer

Nigel Havers is the suave and deadly Ralph Ernest Gorse, a.k.a. The Charmer - minor public schoolboy, social climber, seducer of women and eternal seeker after the main chance; his stalking grounds are the roadhouses, boarding rooms and grand seaside hotels of the 1930's, the haunts of vulnerable widows and ambitious swindlers. Gorse is no English hero in the traditional sense of the word. He is a psychopath with the plausible charm of every mother's son, a Lothario whose conquests are merely a means to obtaining what he really craves - money and power. But there's trouble in store for Gorse when he becomes infatuated with Clarice (Fiona Fullerton) and needs every penny he can get his hands on to continue to impress her. The source of his income is the well-off Joan Plumleigh-Bruce (Rosemary Leach), who Gorse has already swindled to the tune of a thousand pounds. But he hasn't taken into account her estate agent friend Donald (Bernard Hepton) who soon discovers what Gorse is up to and sets about getting revenge. This double BAFTA-winning drama from writer Allan Prior and director Alan Gibson showcased arguably a career-best performance from Havers as psychopathic gigolo Ralph Gorse.

Published on December 3rd, 2018. Written by Network on Air (Reproduced with Permission). for Television Heaven.