A Murder of Quality

George Smiley

Terence Fielding

Ailsa Brimley

Mad Janie

Stanley Rode

Felix D'Arcy

Insp. Rigby

Tim Perkins

Shane Hecht

Dorothy D'Arcy

Sgt. Mellor

Charles Hecht

Sgt. Ted Mundy

Rev. Fergus

Maj. Harriman

Alice Lawry (as Samantha Janus)

Pathologist

Mandy

Ann Snow

Simon Snow

Samuel Glaston

Const. Dai

Stella Rode

Boxer

Plum

Friend of Perkin

Friend of Perkin

Bishop Harry

Alec Guinness was asked to play George Smiley for a third time but he passed. Anthony Hopkins was offered the role and read a script but withdrew from the project when script changes were made that he didn't like. Denholm Elliott was approached with just three days until production was to start. Elliott turned it down initially as he was living in Spain and returning to the UK would mean he would be landed with a bigger tax bill. He then agreed to play the role when he was offered twice the fee.

Writer John le Carré partially based his famous George Smiley character on a friend, the Lincoln College tutor and Oxford University don, the Reverend Vivian Green. Smiley was also based on le Carré's boss at Mi5, Lord Clanmorris, who wrote crime novels under the pseudonym of John Bingham.

This was Thorley Walters's final appearance before his death on July 6, 1991 at the age of 78.