Rumpole raises tensions with his American daughter-in-law Erica (Deborah Fallender) because of their differing views (such as her disapproval of his cross-examining a rape victim he believed to be lying). [12] His associates' dynamic social positions contrast with his relatively static views, which causes feelings between him and the others to shift over time. I am sure the series has a lot of detail that appeals to the British reader, but it is also universal in its appeal.

John Mortimer was a member of English PEN. He was patron of the Burma Campaign UK, the London-based group campaigning for human rights and democracy in Burma and president of the Royal Court Theatre, having been the chairman of its board in 1990–2000. His cigar smoking is often the subject of debate within his Chambers. His peers sometimes criticise his attire, noting his old hat (a battered Homburg), imperfectly aligned clothes, cigar ash trailing down his waistcoat and faded barrister's wig, "bought second hand from a former Chief Justice of Tonga" (or the Windward Islands: Rumpole is occasionally an unreliable narrator). Mortimer was called to the Bar ( Inner Temple) in 1948, at the age of 25. His early career covered testamentary and divorce work, but on taking silk in 1966, he began to undertake criminal law. [7] His highest profile came from cases relating to claims of obscenity, which, according to Mortimer, were "alleged to be testing the frontiers of tolerance." [6]Rumpole and the Younger Generation (1995) - stand-alone publication of short story first published in Rumpole of the Bailey (1978) Horace Rumpole is a marvellous character: something of a curmudgeon who regularly quotes poetry, talks with a rude wit, and enjoys inappropriate, occasionally even grotesque, humour. Although he's hard to love, he has a great integrity, and heartily dislikes hypocrisy and smugness. I'd certainly enjoy sharing a bottle of wine with him at Pomeroy's Wine Bar. Ultimately Rumpole becomes an endearing and sympathetic character, and that is down to the splendid writing. John Mortimer writes with the same deft touch as P.G. Wodehouse and is a consummate storyteller. Each of the short stories was rather predictable. You essentially knew what the outcome was going to be.

Murderers and Other Friends: Another Part of Life (autobiography), Viking, London (1994); Viking, NY (1995); ISBN 0-670-84902-2 Rumpole on Trial' (1992) (adaptations of the scripts of all six stories in TV Season Seven – 1992 – plus one additional story not used in the TV series) Rumpole also refuses to prosecute, feeling it more important to defend the accused than to work to imprison them. (There was one exception, when Rumpole took on a private prosecution, working for a private citizen rather than for the crown, but he proved that the defendant was innocent and then reaffirmed, "from now on, Rumpole only defends".) Vahimagi, Tise. "Irene Shubik (1935–)". Screenonline. British Film Institute . Retrieved 17 April 2007.Hilda Rumpole ( Joyce Heron) (Original Play for Today "Pilot"); ( Peggy Thorpe-Bates) (Series 1–3 and Special); ( Marion Mathie) (Series 4–7): Privately referred to by Rumpole as "She Who Must Be Obeyed" – a reference to the Rider Haggard novel She. She would dearly love to see Rumpole become a QC, Head of Chambers or a judge – none of which is a role to which Rumpole aspires. She is the daughter of Rumpole's late head of chambers, C. H. Wystan. Horace Rumpole, the irreverent, iconoclastic, claret-swilling, poetry-spouting barrister at law, is among the most beloved characters of English crime literature. He is not a particularly gifted attorney, nor is he particularly fond of the law by courts if it comes to that, but he'd rather be swinging at a case than bowing to his wife Hilda, She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed. Dennis Timson ( Ron Pember) (Series 4–7): Another member of the Timson clan who frequently requires Rumpole's services, either for himself or for a family member.

T.C. Rowley, widely known as "Uncle Tom" ( Richard Murdoch) (Series 1–6 and Special). "The oldest member of Chambers, who has not had a brief as long as any of us can remember." Rumpole first joined C. H. Wystan's chambers as Uncle Tom's pupil. [15] He is usually seen happily practising his golf putting in the clerk's room, or offering cheerfully inappropriate comments in Chambers' meetings. There have been seven collections that have presented previously published Rumpole stories. These comprise three volumes of an "Omnibus" series that each gathered together three previously issued sets of stories into a single book, three books that each presented a collection of tales drawn from across the broad canon of Rumpole short stories and one volume of Christmas-themed stories that had each been previously published in a magazine rather than in a Rumpole book. Dot Clapton ( Camille Coduri) (Series 7): The new Chambers secretary after Diane leaves. A friendly chatterbox, especially in contrast to the quiet Diane. Detective Inspector Brush ( Struan Rodger) (Series 2–5): A police officer intent on seeing accused criminals put away. Rumpole is generally contemptuous of Inspector Brush and his "unreliable notebook".Hilarious brain candy guaranteed to take you away from the worries of the workaday world for a blissful all-too-short few hours. Highly recommended. Fred Timson ( Peter Childs) (Series 1–2); ( John Bardon) (Series 4–7): Head of the Timson clan, a family of "minor South London villains". The Timsons, who specialise in non-violent petty theft, often turn to Rumpole to defend them against charges arising from their latest brush with the law. Although many Timsons are seen through the course of the series, only Fred and Dennis (below) are series regulars. In RUMPOLE OF THE BAILEY, John Mortimer has served up a veritable smorgasbord of short snappy tales that are the very best that British courtroom humour has to offer. Whether it's criminal trials in the old Bailey or civil trials in Chancery division, Horace Rumpole takes on all comers with a trademarked irreverent disdain for the sanctity of the law, the court, the judiciary and his learned colleagues at the bar. But, make no mistake, Rumpole's disarming attitude and appearance mask a razor sharp legal mind able to cut directly to the heart of the matter and an ability to draw on brutally cunning legal tactics which, for many American readers, will be reminiscent of the television detective, Columbo. I heartily recommend Rumpole of the Bailey, and look forward to reading more Rumpole books, and more books by the splendid John Mortimer. Where There's a Will (autobiography), Viking, London (2003) ISBN 0-670-91365-0; Viking, New York (2005); ISBN 0-670-03409-6

In the early 1970s Mortimer was appearing for some football hooligans when James Burge, with whom he was sharing the defence, told him: "I’m really an anarchist at heart, but I don’t think even my darling old Prince Peter Kropotkin would have approved of this lot." "And there," Mortimer realised, "I had Rumpole." [4] Biographical information (television) [ edit ]In general, in the book series, it would seem that Rumpole has been frozen at an age of around 70 years, and past events in his life have been retconned to fit each story's time frame. Thus, in the books published in 1996 and before, he proposed to Hilda in 1938, and in books published in 2003 and after, it appears that he neither became a barrister nor met Hilda until after World War II ended in 1945. Rumpole and the Penge Bungalow Murders, containing his first unled case and his engagement to Hilda, takes place in the early 1950s, entirely inconsistent with the early stories. Since 1988, when Phyllida Erskine-Brown became a QC and Soapy Sam Ballard became Head of Chambers, the other characters seem to be similarly frozen in time. In Rumpole and the Reign of Terror, Rumpole was still practising in 2006, and Judge Bullingham was still in post – unless this is a different Bullingham, but that is never stated explicitly. In the 1990 story Rumpole at Sea, Rumpole says of Bullingham: "But now we have lost him." The prior "Mad Bull" was Roger Bullingham, and this Bullingham's name is Leonard. From the archive: John Mortimer on defending Felix Dennis at the Oz trial 24 June 2014 www.indexoncensorship.org, accessed 2 November 2020.