A Perfect Hero on AllMovie

A Perfect Hero, Christopher Matthews' novel about a grotesquely disfigured war hero, was transformed into a six-part British TV drama in 1991. Nigel Havers starred as Hugh Flemming, a Cambridge-educated bomber pilot who was shot down in flames during the 1940 Battle of Britain. The rest of the drama dealt with Flemming's Herculean efforts to adjust to his horrific wounds -- both actual and psychological -- in the postwar era. According to studio publicity, actress Fiona Gillies' terrified reaction to Havers' facial makeup was genuine; she was not permitted to see his "remade" face until the cameras started turning.