RUMPOLE OF THE BAILEY

'''Rumpole of the Bailey''' is a British television series created and written by British writer and barrister Sir John Mortimer, QC and starring Leo McKern as Horace Rumpole, an aging London barrister who defends any and all clients. It has been spun off into a series of short stories, novels, and radio programmes.

Contents

Horace Rumpole

Biographical information

Rumpole's family

Production

Origins: Play for Today

The series

Television episodes

Radio episodes

'' (1980)

''Rumpole of the Bailey''

2003

2006

2007

Date unknown

Desmond Barrett

Books

Notes

References

External links

Horace Rumpole

While continuity is sometimes ignored within the Rumpole book series, Horace Rumpole has a number of definite character traits that are contstant. First and foremost, Rumpole loves the courtroom. Despite attempts by his friends and family to get him to move on to a more respectable position for his age, such as a QC or a Circuit Judge (referred to as Queer Customers and Circus Judges by Rumpole), he only enjoys the simple pleasure of defending his clients at The Old Bailey, London's central criminal court. A devotee of Arthur Quiller-Couch's ''Oxford Book of English Verse'', he often quotes Wordsworth and secretly calls his wife Hilda "She Who Must Be Obeyed" (SWMBO), a reference to the novel ''She'' by H. Rider Haggard.^[1]
His skill at defending his clients is legendary among the criminal classes. The Timson clan of "minor villains" (primarily thieves) regularly rely on Rumpole to get them out of their latest bit of trouble with the law. Rumpole is proud of his successful handling of the Penge Bungalow Murders "alone and without a leader" (that is, as a "junior" barrister without a QC) early in his career and of his extensive knowledge of bloodstains and typewriters. Cross-examination is one of his favourite activities and he disdains barristers who lack either the skill or courage to ask the right questions. His courtroom zeal gets him into trouble from time to time. More than once, his investigations reveal more than his client wants him to know. Rumpole's most chancy encounters stem from arguing with judges, particularly those who seem to believe that being on trial implies guilt or that the police are infallible.
Rumpole also loves unhealthy habits. Despite attempts by his friends and family to better his health, he enjoys small cigars, cheap claret, and greasy food (particularly steak and kidney pudding). He frequents Pommeroy's, a local tavern at which he contributes regularly to an ever-increasing bar tab by purchasing glasses of the local wine, which he dubs "Pommeroy's Plonk", "Pommeroy's Very Ordinary", "Chateau Thames Embankment", and "Chateau Fleet Street". His cigar smoking is often the subject of debate within his chambers. His peers sometimes criticise his attire, noting his old hat, 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).
Despite his affection for the criminal classes, Rumpole's character is marked by a firm set of ethics. Rumpole's credo is to "never plead guilty", and he refuses to prosecute (there was one exception, but he proved that the defendant was innocent and then reaffirmed, "from now on, Rumpole only defends"). This belief also prevents him from making deals that involve pleading guilty to lesser charges. He is a staunch believer in the presumption of innocence, the "Golden Thread of British Justice".

Biographical information

Within the context of the books, Rumpole's date of birth has never been established. He once refers to buying his wig in 1932, and another time to proposing to Hilda in 1938, and is 67 at the publishing of the first book in 1978. This last piece of info would indicate a birth year of 1911, however later books would seem to contradict this.
In general, it would seem that Rumpole has been frozen at an age of around 70 years old for the duration of the series, and past events in his life have been retconned in order to fit the time-frame of each specific story. Thus, despite an early story indicating he proposed to Hilda in 1938, in most of his reminiscences it appears that he neither became a barrister nor met Hilda until after the Second World War. ''Rumpole and the Penge Bungalow Murders'', containing his first unled case and his engagement to Hilda, takes place in the early 1950s. In the story ''Rumpole and the Reign of Terror'', he was still practising in 2006.
He attended a minor public school and studied law at either Keble College or the fictional "St Joseph's College", Oxford, coming away with "a dubious Fourth". (Rumpole would not be eligible to be called to the bar in England today, as a Lower Second is the minimum degree requirement.) During the Second World War, he served as ground crew in the Royal Air Force.
The stories combine mystery, drama, and especially humour, and are marked by their high reliance on irony.

Rumpole's family

Apart from the legal drama, 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, who was Rumpole's head of chambers, and pushes for Rumpole to achieve more: head of chambers, QC, judge.^[2] The Rumpoles reside in a cavernous, underheated "mansion flat" at 25B Froxbury Court, Gloucester Road.
Rumpole unintentionally raises tensions with his American daughter-in-law Erica because of their differing views (such as her disapproval of him cross-examining a rape "victim" whom he believed to be lying).^[3] His associates' dynamic social positions contrast with his relatively static one, which causes feelings between him and the others to shift over time.
Rumpole retired for a short period of time, moving to Florida to be near his son Nick, a sociology professor and now department head at the University of Miami.^[4]

Production

Origins: Play for Today

The origins of ''Rumpole of the Bailey'' lie in “Infidelity Took Place”, a ''Wednesday Play'' written by John Mortimer and broadcast by the BBC on 18 May 1968.^[5] This satirical play – a comment on newly enacted English divorce laws – told the story of a happily married couple who decide to get divorced to take advantage of the more beneficial tax situation they would enjoy were they legally separated. The play features a character, Leonard Hoskins (played by John Nettleton), a divorce lawyer with a domineering mother, who can be seen as an early prototype of Horace Rumpole.^[6] In the mid nineteen-seventies, Mortimer approached ''Play for Today'' producer Irene Shubik, who had overseen “Infidelity Took Place”, with a new idea for a play, titled “My Darling Prince, Peter Kropotkin”, that centred around a barrister called Horace Rumbold.⁶ Rumbold would have a particular interest in nineteenth-century anarchists, especially the Russian Peter Kropotkin from whom the title of the play was drawn. The character's name was later changed to Horace Rumpole when it was discovered that there was a real barrister called Horace Rumbold.^[7] In an early synopsis of the character, Mortimer suggested that part of the reason for the breakdown of Rumpole's marriage was a “tendency to prefer young men”.⁷ The title of the play was briefly changed to “Jolly Old Jean Jacques Rousseau” before settling on the less esoteric “Rumpole of the Bailey”.⁷
Mortimer was keen on Michael Horden for the role of Rumpole but, when Horden proved unavailable, the part went to Australian-born actor Leo McKern.⁷ Mortimer was initially unenthusiastic about McKern's casting but changed his opinion upon seeing him at rehearsal.^[8] Cast as Hilda was Joyce Heron, who played the character as much tougher individual than that later seen in the eventual series.^[9] “Rumpole of the Bailey” was broadcast, to good reviews, on 17 December 1975 .⁹

The series

Aware of the potential for further stories centered on Rumpole, Irene Shubik approached the BBC's Head of Plays, Christopher Morahan, and obtained permission from him to commission a further six ''Rumpole of the Bailey'' scripts from John Mortimer.^[10] However, Morahan left his post at the BBC a short time later and his successor was not interested in turning ''Rumpole of the Bailey'' into a series. At around this time, Shubik was contacted by Verity Lambert, Head of Drama at Thames Television, who was looking for ideas for an up-market drama series.¹⁰ Impressed with ''Rumpole of the Bailey'', Lambert offered Shubik the opportunity to bring the series to Thames. John Mortimer readily agreed, since it would mean more money, and Shubik (and ''Rumpole'') duly left the BBC in late 1976.^[11]
''Rumpole of the Bailey'' made its Thames Television debut on 3 April 1978 in a season of six episodes. These introduced and established the supporting characters including Guthrie Featherstone (Peter Bowles), Claude Erskine-Browne (Julian Curry) and Phyllida Trant (Patricia Hodge). The role of Hilda was recast, with Peggy Thorpe-Bates taking on the part. Rob Page's title sequence, featuring amusing caricatures of Rumpole, was inspired by the nineteenth-century cartoonist George Cruikshank, who had illustrated the works of Charles Dickens.^[12] The music was composed by Joseph Horovitz, whose extensive use of the bassoon for Rumpole's theme complemented Leo McKern's portly stature and sonorous voice.¹² Mortimer continued to work as a barrister while writing the series, rising at 5:30am to write scripts before going to work at the Old Bailey.^[13] The series was critically acclaimed (“Not to be missed. Leo McKern is superb as the wild and wilt barrister Rumpole”^[14] - ''The Times''; “I wouldn't say the BBC threw away a pearl richer than all its tribe but it has mislaid a tasty box of kippers”¹⁴ - Nancy Banks-Smith, ''The Guardian'') and Thames quickly commissioned a second season. However, upset to see that her pay had reduced while McKern and Mortimer had received increases for the second season, Shubik's relationship with Verity Lambert deteriorated and, in the end, she quit Thames after commissioning three of the six scripts for the second season.^[15] Shubik moved to Granada Television where she produced an acclaimed adaptation of Paul Scott's ''Staying On'' and set up, but did not produce, ''The Jewel in the Crown'' the follow-up adaptation of Scott's ''Raj Quartet''.^[16] ''Rumpole of the Bailey'' continued under a new production team.
When the series returned for its fourth season in 1987 Marion Mathie took over as Hilda when Peggy Thorpe-Bates retired because of poor health.^[17] Other regular cast members included:

★ Patricia Hodge as Phillida (Trant) Erskine-Brown, the "Portia of our Chambers".

★ Peter Bowles as Guthrie Featherstone, the feckless Head of Chambers who later becomes a Judge, with usually hilarious results.

★ Joanna Van Gyseghem as Marigold Featherstone, Guthrie's wife.

★ Julian Curry as Claude Erskine-Brown, Phillida's nerdy husband, "opera buff and hopeless cross-examiner", and sometime philanderer.

★ Peter Blythe as Samuel Ballard, Head of Chambers in later series, whom Rumpole referred to as "Soapy Sam" and addressed as "Bollard".

★ Rosalyn Landor as Fiona Allways, Rumpole's pupil in Chambers.

★ Richard Murdoch as T.C. (Thomas Cartwright) Rowley, better known as Uncle Tom, "the oldest member of chambers, who has not had a brief as long as any of us can remember." He is usually seen happily practising his putting in the clerk's room.

★ Samantha Bond (1987) and later Abigail McKern (1988–1992; Leo McKern's daughter) as Liz Probert (a.k.a. Miz Liz), a young feminist barrister in Rumpole's chambers.

★ Moray Watson as George Frobisher, a sensible if somewhat stiff barrister in the same Chambers as Rumpole and later a Circuit Judge.

★ Jonathan Coy as Henry, the efficient but harried clerk of chambers.

★ Maureen Darbyshire as Diane, the oft-seen but rarely heard chambers secretary, and Henry's flame.

★ Denis Lill as Mr. Bernard, (played by Edward de Souza in the first series) a solicitor who frequently presents Rumpole with clients (usually a hapless member of the Timson clan).

★ Bill Fraser (1978–1988) as Judge Roger Bullingham, "the Mad Bull", Rumpole's most notorious courtroom enemy.

★ James Grout (1991–1992) as Mr. Justice Oliver Oliphant, whose affectations of Northern bluntness drive Rumpole to distraction.
Each season (seven in all, plus a one-off two-hour episode) was accompanied by a book adaptation, also written by John Mortimer. Although the television series ended on December 3 1992, the books have continued, now containing original stories.
All 44 episodes are available on DVD.
The BBC One Play for Today and the second television series were adapted for BBC Radio 4 in 1980 along with seven new stories. '' starred Maurice Denham as Rumpole and Margot Boyd as Hilda.
As Leo McKern and Maurice Denham died one day apart in 2002, McKern on July 23 and Denham on July 24, the role of Rumpole went to Timothy West when four new 45-minute plays were broadcast by BBC Radio 4 in the autumn of 2003. ''Rumpole and the Primrose Path'' also starred West's wife Prunella Scales as Hilda.

Television episodes

'BBC One Play for Today (1975)'

★ "Rumpole of the Bailey" (December 16 1975; a.k.a "Rumpole and the Confession of Guilt")
'Season 1 (1978)'
# "Rumpole and the Younger Generation" (April 3 1978) (Set in 1967)
# "Rumpole and the Alternative Society" (April 10 1978) (Set in 1970)
# "Rumpole and the Honourable Member" (April 17 1978) (Set in 1974)
# "Rumpole and the Married Lady" (April 24 1978) (Set in 1975)
# "Rumpole and the Learned Friends" (May 1 1978) (Set in 1976)
# "Rumpole and the Heavy Brigade" (May 15 1978) (Set in 1977)
'Season 2 (1979)'
# "Rumpole and the Man of God" (May 29 1979)
# "Rumpole and the Case of Identity" (June 5 1979)
# "Rumpole and the Show Folk" (June 12 1979)
# "Rumpole and the Fascist Beast" (June 19 1979)
# "Rumpole and the Course of True Love" (June 26 1979)
# "Rumpole and the Age for Retirement" (July 3 1979)
'Special (1980)'

★ "Rumpole's Return" (December 30 1980)
'Season 3 (1983)'
# "Rumpole and the Genuine Article" (October 11 1983)
# "Rumpole and the Golden Thread" (October 18 1983)
# "Rumpole and the Old Boy Net" (October 25 1983)
# "Rumpole and the Female of the Species" (November 1 1983)
# "Rumpole and the Sporting Life" (November 8 1983)
# "Rumpole and the Last Resort" (November 15 1983)
'Season 4 (1987)'
# "Rumpole and the Old, Old Story" (January 19 1987)
# "Rumpole and the Blind Tasting" (January 26 1987)
# "Rumpole and the Official Secret" (February 2 1987)
# "Rumpole and the Judge's Elbow" (February 9 1987)
# "Rumpole and the Bright Seraphim" (February 16 1987)
# "Rumpole's Last Case" (February 25 1987)
'Season 5 (1988)'
# "Rumpole and the Bubble Reputation" (November 23 1988)
# "Rumpole and the Barrow Boy" (November 30 1988)
# "Rumpole and the Age of Miracles" (December 7 1988)
# "Rumpole and the Tap End" (December 14 1988)
# "Rumpole and Portia" (December 21 1988)
# "Rumpole and the Quality of Life" (December 28 1988)
'Season 6 (1991)'
# "Rumpole à la Carte" (October 28 1991)
# "Rumpole and the Summer of Discontent" (November 4 1991)
# "Rumpole and the Right to Silence" (November 11 1991)
# "Rumpole at Sea" (November 8 1991)
# "Rumpole and the Quacks" (November 25 1991)
# "Rumpole for the Prosecution" (December 2 1991)
'Season 7 (1992)'
# "Rumpole and the Children of the Devil" (October 29 1992)
# "Rumpole and the Miscarriage of Justice" (November 5 1992)
# "Rumpole and the Eternal Triangle" (November 12 1992)
# "Rumpole and the Reform of Joby Jonson" (November 19 1992)
# "Rumpole and the Family Pride" (November 26 1992)
# "Rumpole on Trial" (December 3 1992)

''Rumpole''" (book cover)

Radio episodes

'' (1980)

Starring Maurice Denham as Horace Rumpole
# "Rumpole and the Confession of Guilt" (July 21, 1980)
# "Rumpole and the Dear Departed"
# "Rumpole and the Gentle Art of Blackmail"
# "Rumpole and the Rotten Apple"
# "Rumpole and the Man of God"
# "Rumpole and the Defence of Guthrie Featherstone"
# "Rumpole and the Show Folk"
# "Rumpole and the Fascist Beast"
# "Rumpole and the Case of Identity"
# "Rumpole and the Expert Witness "
# "Rumpole and the Course of True Love"
# "Rumpole and the Perils of the Sea"
# "Rumpole and the Age of Retirement" (October 13, 1980)

''Rumpole of the Bailey''

Starring Timothy West as Horace Rumpole and his real-life wife Prunella Scales as Hilda

2003

# "Rumpole and the Primrose Path"
# "Rumpole and the Scales of Justice"
# "Rumpole and the Vanishing Juror"
# "Rumpole Redeemed"

2006

★ "Rumpole and the Teenage Werewolf"

★ "Rumpole and the Right to Privacy"

2007

★ "Rumpole and the Reign of Terror" (15th and 22nd August)
#Truth Makes All Things Plain
#The Past Catches up with Us All

Date unknown

★ "Rumpole and the Widow Twankey"

Desmond Barrett

★ "Rumpole and the Old Faces"

Books

★ ''Rumpole of the Bailey'' (1978) (adaptions of the first season stories)

★
★ "Rumpole and the Younger Generation"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Alternative Society"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Honourable Member"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Married Lady"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Learned Friends"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Heavy Brigade"

★ ''The Trials of Rumpole'' (1979) (adaptions of the second season stories)

★
★ "Rumpole and the Man of God"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Showfolk"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Fascist Beast"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Case of Identity"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Course of True Love"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Age for Retirement"

★ ''Rumpole's Return'' (1980) (novel; based on one-off special)

★ ''Rumpole for the Defence'' (1982) (adaption of the BBC One Play For Today plus the seven Denham radio episodes)

★
★ "Rumpole and the Confession of Guilt"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Gentle Art of Blackmail"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Dear Departed"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Rotten Apple"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Expert Witness"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Spirit of Christmas" (a.k.a. "Rumpole and the Defence of Guthrie Featherstone")

★
★ "Rumpole and the Boat People" (a.k.a. "Rumpole and the Perils of the Sea")

★ ''Rumpole and the Golden Thread'' (1983) (adaptions of the third season stories)

★
★ "Rumpole and the Genuine Article"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Golden Thread"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Old Boy Net"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Female of the Species"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Sporting Life"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Last Resort"

★ ''Rumpole's Last Case'' (1987) (adaptions of the fourth season stories, plus one new story)

★
★ "Rumpole and the Blind Tasting"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Old, Old Story"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Official Secret"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Judge's Elbow"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Bright Seraphim"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Winter Break" (new story)

★
★ "Rumpole's Last Case"

★ ''Rumpole and the Age of Miracles'' (1988]) (adaptions of the fifth season stories, plus one new story)

★
★ "Rumpole and the Bubble Reputation"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Barrow Boy"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Age of Miracles"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Tap End"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Chambers Party" (new story)

★
★ "Rumpole and Portia"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Quality of Life"

★ ''Rumpole à la Carte'' (1990) (adaptions of the sixth season stories)"

★
★ "Rumpole à la Carte"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Summer of Discontent"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Right to Silence"

★
★ "Rumpole at Sea"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Quacks"

★
★ "Rumpole for the Prosecution"

★ ''Rumpole on Trial'' (1992) (adaptions of the seventh season stories, plus one new story)

★
★ "Rumpole and the Children of the Devil"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Eternal Triangle"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Miscarriage of Justice"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Family Pride"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Soothsayer" (new story)

★
★ "Rumpole and the Reform of Joby Jonson"

★
★ "Rumpole on Trial"

★ ''Rumpole and the Angel of Death'' (1995) (new stories)

★
★ "Rumpole and the Model Prisoner"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Way Through the Woods

★
★ "Hilda's Story"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Little Boy Lost"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Rights of Man"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Angel of Death"

★ ''Rumpole Rests His Case'' (2002) (new stories)

★
★ "Rumpole and the Old Familiar Faces"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Remembrance of Things Past"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Asylum Seekers"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Camberwell Carrot"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Actor Laddie"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Teenage Werewolf"

★
★ "Rumpole Rests His Case"

★ ''Rumpole and the Primrose Path'' (2003) (new stories)

★
★ "Rumpole and the Primrose Path"

★
★ "Rumpole and the New Year's Resolutions"

★
★ "Rumpole the Scales of Justice"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Right to Privacy"

★
★ "Rumpole and the Vanishing Juror"

★
★ "Rumpole Redeemed"

★ ''Rumpole and the Penge Bungalow Murders'' (2004) (novel; new story)

★ ''Rumpole and the Reign of Terror'' (2006) (novel; new story)

Notes

1. The Rumpolean FAQ Sharpe, Brenda J.
2. Rumpole of the Bailey (1978-83, 87-92) Angelini, Sergio
3.
4.
5. Shubik, ''Play for Today'', p. 101-102.
6. Shubik, ''Play for Today'', p. 177.
7. Shubik, ''Play for Today'', p. 178.
8. Shubik, ''Play for Today'', p. 179.
9. Shubik, ''Play for Today'', p. 180.
10. Shubik, ''Play for Today'', p. 182.
11. Shubik, ''Play for Today'', p. 184.
12. Shubik, ''Play for Today'', p. 187.
13. Shubik, ''Play for Today'', p. 190.
14. Shubik, ''Play for Today'', p. 195.
15. Shubik, ''Play for Today'', p. 198-203.
16. Irene Shubik (1935 - )
17. John Mortimer Cooper, Nick

References

★ Play for Today. The evolution of television drama, , Irene, Shubik, Manchester University Press, 2000,

External links

★ ''Salon's interview with John Mortimer re ''Rumpole of the Bailey''

★ Horace Rumpole at The Thrilling Detective Website (includes comprehensive list of television episodes and books)

★

★

★ The Rumpolean FAQ, a list of frequently asked questions about Rumpole with answers (last updated in 2002)