Charade, Mortimer's first novel, Bodley Head, London (1947); Viking, New York (1986); ISBN 0-670-81186-6 Mr Justice Vosper ( Donald Eccles) (Series 2): A humourless, elderly judge who does not like Rumpole. At 17, Mortimer went to Brasenose College, Oxford, where he read law, though he was actually based at Christ Church because the Brasenose buildings had been requisitioned for the war effort. [9] In July 1942, at the end of his second year, he was sent down from Oxford by John Lowe, Dean of Christ Church, after romantic letters to a Bradfield College sixth-former, Quentin Edwards, later a QC, were discovered by the young man's housemaster. [10] [8] However, Mortimer was still allowed to take his Bachelor of Arts degree in law in October 1943. His close friend Michael Hamburger believed he had been very harshly treated. [11] Early writing career [ edit ] In total, seven series of Rumpole of the Bailey were made from 1978 to 1992, each consisting of six episodes. A special two-hour film, Rumpole's Return, was made and aired in 1980, between the 2nd and 3rd series. The author, John Mortimer, occasionally appeared as an extra. He is asked what he will be doing that day. The reply? “Go on asking distasteful questions.” Does he want to relax and sit around? No! He says, “I don’t want to take it easy.” He states, “Everyone is worth defending!” He is willing to oppose the conventional and set rules in the support of justice. He is not flashy, goes by his principles and appears at times gruffer than he really is. While he speaks of his wife as “she who must be obeyed”, there is a tenderness that lies at the core of their relationship. We watch and observe, rather than simply being told. Actions speak more than words.

Apart from the legal drama in each story, Rumpole also has to deal with his relationships with family and friends. His wife Hilda was proud of her daddy (as she calls him), C. H. Wystan, [10] who was Rumpole's Head of Chambers, and she frequently advocates that Rumpole seek a higher position in the legal world such as Head of Chambers, Queen's Counsel or a judgeship. [11] The Rumpoles reside in a cavernous, underheated mansion flat at 25B Froxbury Mansions (sometimes called Froxbury Court), Gloucester Road, London. Champagne for Everyone", Scott Rosenberg's interview with John Mortimer, re Rumpole of the Bailey Salon.com (archive from 24 February 2011, accessed 16 September 2018). The son of Reverend Wilfred Rumpole and his wife Alice, and born at Dulwich, [5] [6] Rumpole attended "Linklater's" (a fictional minor public school) [7] and studied law at either Keble College [8] or the fictional "St Joseph's College", Oxford, [9] coming away with "a dubious third" (Oxford then awarded fourths, so a third is equivalent to a 2:2). Rumpole was called to the bar at the "Outer Temple" (a fictional Inn of Court, named on the analogy of the Inner Temple, where John Mortimer was called, and the Middle Temple). Legal Fiction: Wit, humanity and nostalgic English melancholy". The Daily Telegraph. London, UK. 19 November 2007. Archived from the original on 20 November 2007 . Retrieved 7 May 2010. The book consists of loosely connected short stories from Rumpole’s POV. Rumpole’s wife, Hilda, aka She Who Must Be Obeyed, is a rather nebulous figure - we get much better descriptions of Rumpole’s colleagues, particularly one Guthrie Featherstone, Q.C.

What To Read Next

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. Rumpole at Christmas (2009) A collection of seven Christmas-themed short stories – some first published in US or UK magazines

Tony Lacey. "John Mortimer and Penguin". Penguin Books. Archived from the original on 8 June 2009 . Retrieved 10 November 2010. This is a batch of humor to lighten the soul with a sprinkle of pathos for real world problems. Mortimer writes in a breezy, almost Wodehousian way, substituting the care-free, silly bachelor for a more curmudgeonly, sly near-retiree. But while Rumpole may be a bit grumpy with his colleagues and wife, and though he defends criminals, he is a thoroughly sympathetic character. Mortimer knows his boundaries and stays within them. He can also be relied upon to tell a satisfying tale competently. These six short stories introduce all the lovable (or not so lovable) characters from the delightful Rumpole series. Published in United States as John Mortimer. The Secret Lives of Rumpole's Creator (New York, Thomas Dunne Books, 2006)Regina v. Rumpole (1981) (adaptations of the scripts of all six stories specially written for the 1980 BBC Radio series – plus adaptation of the script for the 1975 one-off film for BBC TV's Play for Today Series) Simon Farquhar (December 2009). "Rumpole of the Bailey". BBC. Archived from the original on 17 March 2011. Mortimer's 2009 obituary in The Daily Telegraph confirmed that Rumpole was, in part, based on a chance meeting in court with James Burge QC: 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. Dianne ( Maureen Darbyshire) (Series 1–6 and Special): The oft-seen but rarely heard Chambers secretary, and Henry's flame. She eventually leaves Chambers and marries.

Vahimagi, Tise. "Irene Shubik (1935–)". Screenonline. British Film Institute . Retrieved 17 April 2007.

The Best of Rumpole: A Personal Choice (1993) Contains seven Rumpole stories personally selected as favourites by John Mortimer. SUB-TREASURER'S CORRESPONDENCE FILES (c.1950-2003)". archives.innertemple.org.uk . Retrieved 25 August 2022.