The Brides in the Bath

The Brides in the Bath
Screenplay byGlenn Chandler
Directed byHarry Bradbeer
StarringMartin Kemp
Tracey Wilkinson
Charlotte Randle
Emma Ferguson
Theme music composerRichard Taylor
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducersDavid Reynolds
Alan Dossor
CinematographyRobin Vidgeon
EditorDavid Aspinall
Running time120 minutes
Production companyYorkshire Television
Original release
NetworkITV
Release31 December 2003 (2003-12-31)

The Brides in the Bath is a 2003 television film by Yorkshire Television for ITV, based on the life and trial of British serial killer and bigamist George Joseph Smith, the "Brides in the Bath Murderer". Martin Kemp plays the role of Smith, and Richard Griffiths plays barrister Sir Edward Marshall-Hall. The film was directed by Harry Bradbeer, and written by Glenn Chandler.[1][2]

Production

Set to portray coastal Weymouth, filming took place in Yorkshire locations of Bridlington, Filey and Scarborough from June to mid-July, 2003.[3] Bradford City Hall in Bradford, doubled for the court room and holding cells of the Old Bailey in the City of London.[4][5][6]

Plot

The film focuses on the trial of George Smith and flashbacks showing how he met each of his wives. Smith is married to his wife Edith. He often goes away on the pretext of business. Whilst he is away he meets wealthy women, marries them within a few weeks, insures their lives and then drowns them in the bath. He returns with the insurance money (sometimes he brings the latest victims' possessions to Edith as gifts). He is eventually arrested and ultimately hanged for his crimes. At the trial it is revealed that his marriage to Edith is bigamous; in total he had eight wives, most of whom he left after stealing all of their possessions.[7]

Cast

References

  1. ^ a b "The Brides in the Bath". BFI Collections. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  2. ^ Lavery, Mark (31 December 2003). "A Role to Die For". Yorkshire Evening Post. Archived from the original on 18 June 2015. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  3. ^ "Filming in Old Town". Bridlington Free Press. 29 May 2003. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  4. ^ "EastEnders' villain filming in City Hall". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 27 June 2003. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  5. ^ Clayton, Emma (20 March 2014). "Tour Bradford's movie hot spots through the eyes of location director". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  6. ^ "City Hall makes killing with soap murder trial". The Yorkshire Post. 7 April 2010. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  7. ^ "Brides in the Bath". Radio Times. 4 March 2016. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2016.