A true-crime dramatisation of the life and crimes of John George Haigh, the notorious “Acid Bath Murderer” of 1940s Britain.
John George Haigh (Martin Clunes) cultivates an image of a respectable, well-spoken inventor to insinuate himself into the lives of the wealthy. Behind the charming facade, however, is a methodical predator who murders for financial gain. After luring his victims, including the wealthy McSwan family and the widow Olive Durand-Deacon (Rowena Cooper), to a workshop in Sussex, he shoots them and dissolves their remains in sulphuric acid. Believing he has devised the perfect crime, Haigh’s arrogance leads to carelessness, and the disappearance of Mrs Durand-Deacon alerts police. The investigation, led by Inspector Archie Henderson (Richard Hope), slowly uncovers the horrifying truth behind Haigh’s respectable veneer.
This single drama provided Martin Clunes with a significant role, one that moved his screen persona decisively away from the laddish comedy for which he was best known. The teleplay by Glenn Chandler avoids lurid sensationalism, finding its chill in the mundane reality of Haigh’s evil. The horror is not in grand guignol theatrics but in the protagonist’s business-like approach to murder, set against the grey, ration-book world of post-war Britain. Clunes’s performance is central to the film’s success; he captures the killer’s superficial charm and the chilling sociopathic void beneath it. The production is a sober, atmospheric piece of television, distinguished by its meticulous period detail and its unnerving focus on a plausible, persuasive monster.
Broadcast: ITV1, 09 September 2002
Written by: Glenn Chandler
Director: Harry Bradbeer
Executive Producer: David Reynolds
Producer: Alan Dossor
Main Cast: Martin Clunes (John George Haigh), Keeley Hawes (Gillian Rogers), Richard Hope (Archie Henderson), Celia Imrie (Rose Henderson), John Flanagan (Arnold Burlin), Rowena Cooper (Mrs Durand-Deacon), Matyelok Gibbs (Mrs Constance Lane), Neil McKinven (Donald McSwan)
