Dangerous Davies: The Last Detective (1981)

This made-for-TV thriller starred Bernard Cribbins as the titular policeman investigating the cold case file of the rape and murder of a young woman 15 years earlier.

The eternally crumpled Detective Constable “Dangerous” Davies is capably assisted in his investigation by his loyal civilian chum Mod Lewis (Bill Maynard, with one of the dodgiest Welsh accents in film history).

Doggedly tenacious, Davies survives multiple attacks with baseball bats and by the end of the film is in a wheelchair, bandaged from head to toe.

Dangerous Davies: The Last Detective has a clear narrative, a funny but keen script and excellent direction from Val Guest, who also wrote the screenplay with writer Leslie Thomas. The same storyline was later used for the pilot episode of the 2003 TV series The Last Detective starring Peter Davison.

Detective Constable “Dangerous” Davies
Bernard Cribbins
Mod Lewis
Bill Maynard
Chief Inspector Yardbird
Joss Ackland
Sergeant Ben
Bernard Lee
Fred Fennell
Frank Windsor
Dave Boot
John Leyton
Ena Lind
Maureen Lipman
Josie Norris
Cindy O’Callaghan
Detective Superintendent Carter
Derek Bond
Madame Tarantella
Patsy Rowlands
William Lind
Colin Baker
Mrs Fulljames
Avril Angers
Mr Norris
Ken Jones
Detective Sergeant Green
Jeremy Sinden
George Tilth
Peter Bland
Celia Norris
Lucy Aston
Mrs Norris
Pam St. Clement
Albert
Eric Francis
Dr Longton
Sam Dastor
Mrs Fennell
Diana King
Marie
Betty Romaine
Tarquin
David Auker
PC Westerman
Richard Hunter
Venus
Marianne Stone
Detective Constable Evans
Charles Pemberton
Father Harvey
John Rogan
Doris Davies
Pauline Delaney
Patel
Barbar Bhatti
Parsons
Norman Chappell
Dulcie
Lucy Griffiths
Harkness
Sydney Bromley
Chrust
Gordon Rollings
Pomeroy
Roy Stewart

Director
Val Guest