The Charmer(1987)

The Charmer is a 1987 British television serial set in the 1930s, starring Nigel Havers as Ralph Ernest Gorse, a seductive conman and murderer who preys on wealthy widows. Rosemary Leach plays Joan Plumleigh-Bruce, a lonely widow who falls under his spell, while Bernard Hepton portrays Donald Stimpson, her devoted suitor who becomes determined to expose and stop Gorse after witnessing the con unfold. Based on Patrick Hamilton's 1953 novel Mr. Stimpson and Mr. Gorse—the second installment in the Gorse Trilogy—the serial explores themes of deception, obsession, and revenge. Produced by London Weekend Television for ITV, it captures the period atmosphere of interwar England while charting the cat-and-mouse game between a calculating predator and those who seek justice.