A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis story.

[RosaMoline]

I am really looking forward to this. This particular case (and miscarriage of justice IMO) has long since been a personal obsession of mine.
If Ruth had committed this crime in recent times, she wouldn’t even have had a custodial sentence (thankfully CP long abolished) - David Blakely was extremely mentally, verbally and physically abusive towards Ruth. He apparently caused her to miscarry just weeks before the incident. So it’s beyond question the balance of her mind was affected.
In the few post production photos I’ve seen, it looks gorgeous & I am sure Lucy Boynton will do Ruth justice. Perfect casting.
No date yet, but I was hoping it might be in the Easter TV schedules? Especially as Ruth shot David on Easter Sunday, so the the timing would be very apt:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28496144/

Which underscores the cruelty of the death penalty - keeping the condemned alive until the state decides their oblivion.

Yep @SerendipityJane grim …her story is so sad …I do wonder if she hadn’t shot him if he’d had killed her sooner or later as he beat her and had a temper …

She disclosed to him that Cussons gave her the gun. She didn't want Cussons dragged into the trial so wouldn't let her solicitor use the information as evidence.

Her solicitor kept the information a secret which was perjury.

Tonight is last episode …

She’s is nasty the findlater woman 😟

The Findlaters had a lot to answer for. Nasty people who should have been ashamed of themselves. I wonder how they fared in the aftermath?

Cussons emigrated to Australia and lived until 1991. I wonder whether he ever had any regret for his part?

The last half was very well done and tense to watch. I think Lucy has played the part brilliantly. You could really feel the emotion.

Ruth was let down and abused by so many people. That is what is so tragic.

I was surprised to discover Desmond Cussen was only 3 years older than Ruth. I thought he was in his mid 40s at least - he was 32 when this happened.

DM knew a lot about this story ,about the same age as Ruth at the time ,how everyone was shocked and horrified .The times then were so hypocritical .Ruth was seen as another common showgirl to be used and abused .Superb acting all round .How awful to go to bed knowing you will be killed the next morning

The last episode was very well done Lucy has played the part brilliantly!

Shocking how badly handled it all was...the lawyer at the end tried his best, they seemed determined she would hang regardless...

Also I thought it so sad that she felt she had enjoyed her time in prison "Being called Mrs Ellis " and no one banging on the door all night.Just respect even for a short while. so sad

agree @dottydodah that was very poignant

If she's just told this new solicitor the actual story, why didn't she tell the other one it? And why did the other one say it was too late to her but this one seems to think it isn't?

I don't see how it would have helped Ruth even if DC had been prosecuted as she fired the gun. I'm totally against capital punishment but we are trying to judge the past on today's more compassionate standards. I wonder if the alleged sexual abuse Ruth suffered as a child was mentioned during her trial ? I suspect not.

A much worse miscarriage of justice imo is that of Edith Thompson in the 1920s. She was hanged even though it was her lover who killed her husband, not her. Hanged for adultery.

Because her first solicitor was old hat and had accepted he couldn't change the system no matter what he did. It's what partly led him to becoming an alcoholic. Her second solicitor was younger, fresher and believed he could make a difference.

A tiny glimpse into the effect capital punishment has on the legal profession. Something that gets "forgotten" when people are elbowing each other to be the most barbaric in the class.

Who would be a barrister whose client was found guilty and hanged ?

Who would be a barrister whose client was found guilty and hanged and later exonerated ?

Yep the first solicitor didn’t want to take on the establishment or felt he couldn’t/too worn down etc. he

The new was much younger and tried to the end but they wouldn’t listen he was from Mishcon de Reya they are the lawyers working with Ruth’s grandson re a post humous pardon.

👏👏There are so many people lacking in empathy, calling them odd for showing some kind of compassion. I've watched the drama and I was crying at the end of it.

I can't remember if she decided to kill David independently or Desmond C put the idea into her head.

I think also that Ruth had found out Desmond wasn't going to take card of Andre was another reason she wanted the new solicitor to tell the whole story.

The way it played out on screen, DC encouraged her to kill David and offered her the gun. Ruth said she didn't know how to use a gun and DC showed her how.

In the last episode it showed how DC was never truly in love with Ruth. She was one of his play things and I got the impression he was seeing how hard he could push her. When Ruth's friend tracked him down he was with another girl and Ruth's landlord/boss said DC was one of his best customers (paying for girls) which was why he was reluctant to give him up.

Yes agree. She phoned Andre's school to find the fees hadn't been paid so knew then that DC had lied to her so she wouldn't give him up for his part in the killing.

i heard Nigel Havers talking about this and glad that it seems to be a well made production - shocking to have the death penalty
those arguing would she be charged with manslaughter, she was charged with murder and hanged.

not just sent to prison for murder is my point

I thought it was very well done.
I saw the film of the same subject when I was about 14 but being 40 years older now, couldnt' remember much detail. What a tragic case it was. Poor Ruth.