So farewell then George Baker

These days I find myself increasingly drawn to the obituary columns.

At least I have heard of many of the people in them. More and more I hear people discussing names - Jessie J, Phil Jagielka, Ed Miliband - that mean nothing to me.

Anyway, I was sad to read this evening of the actor George Baker. He is best known to modern audiences for playing Inspector Wexford and to people of my generation for playing Tiberius in I Claudius.

But long before either of those roles, he had a brief spell as a swashbuckling romantic lead in British films of the 1950s. The photo above shows him in The Moonraker from 1958 and it is borrowed from South Central Media Scene, which also examines his long career.

Reading the cast list for The Moonraker, I find that Oliver Cromwell was played by John Le Mesurier. I have not seen the film, but I imagine it goes rather like this:

CHARLES I: I intend to remind Parliament that I rule by Divine Right.
CROMWELL: Do you think that's wise, sir?