Rumpole revisited
Howard Duck
Bailey" on DVDs. I don't know if there were more seasons, but there
was one more disc called "The Lost Episode" which had quite a
different flavor to the others. I think Leo McKern was a bit younger
than in the later episodes. Hilda was played by an actress who did
not appear in any of the other episodes, and she was a bit different.
The whole thing felt more like a stageplay than a screenplay. In the
opening scene, Rumpole is preparing breakfast for Hilda in bed. She
was critical as usual, and she taunted Rumpole by calling him an Old
Bailey "hack."
The story centered around the trial of a young boy involved in a
juvenile stabbing of a man on the street. There was a group scene and
the boy in question was found with the knife - he also signed a
confession - but it later appeared that this was contrived by the
police, and the boy was not the guilty party. The trial of the
indicted boy was only incidental to a more important scene between
Rumpole and his son, Nick, who is about to embark on a journey to
America where he will attend Princeton University. The scene takes
place in a pub where Rumpole and Nick have lunch before Rumpole must
go back to court. Rumpole is very proud of his son's academic
accomplishment and all that lies ahead for the young man. But, sad to
say, Nick is quite disdainful and disrespectful of his father. Nick
sympathizes with his mother and thinks that his father is nothing but
a sort of charlatan. The play seems to be a lesson in how youth often
has very little gratitude or respect for the parent, while the parent
is so very proud of the child. The stages of life we go through are
rather tragic in a way. The last scene has Hilda sitting at table
with Rumpole, in a maudlin state of drunkenness, but professing to
have stood up for Rumpole against their son's criticism. There was no
humor in this play and it reminded me somewhat of Arthur Miller.
I watched for a brief scene throughout all of the episodes to find the
one where Rumpole addresses Nick or some other young man who's moving
to America. He said something like: You must be careful in America -
they have something there called "HYGIENE." I had seen this years ago
on public television, but I did not find it in any of the episodes
that I rented.
--
Howard Duck
Francis A. Miniter
Hi Howard,
Parent-child relationships figure strongly in the early
Rumpole stories, as they did in Mortimer's life. His father
was a blind barrister, whose acceptance he had always
sought, even to the extent of also taking up the law. His
play "A Voyage Round My Father" describes, from the son's
point of view, the difficult relationship he and his father
had. In the Rumpole stories, Rumpole and his son Nick so
through increasingly stressful encounters. I recommend
reading the stories in order of publication so you can see
the development.
Francis A. Miniter
Howard Duck
<fami...@comcast.net> wrote:
> Hi Howard,
>
> Parent-child relationships figure strongly in the early
> Rumpole stories, as they did in Mortimer's life. His father
> was a blind barrister, whose acceptance he had always
> sought, even to the extent of also taking up the law. His
> play "A Voyage Round My Father" describes, from the son's
> point of view, the difficult relationship he and his father
> had. In the Rumpole stories, Rumpole and his son Nick so
> through increasingly stressful encounters. I recommend
> reading the stories in order of publication so you can see
> the development.
>
>
> Francis A. Miniter
I'll give that a go. Thanks for the recommendation, Francis.
--
Howard
Fire Tiger
> I don't know if there were more seasons, but there
> was one more disc called "The Lost Episode" which had quite a
> different flavor to the others. I think Leo McKern was a bit younger
> than in the later episodes. Hilda was played by an actress who did
> not appear in any of the other episodes, and she was a bit different.
> The whole thing felt more like a stageplay than a screenplay. In the
> opening scene, Rumpole is preparing breakfast for Hilda in bed. She
> was critical as usual, and she taunted Rumpole by calling him an Old
> Bailey "hack."
I believe that episode is what we would call a "pilot" here in the
US. It appeared and then was later considered to be made into a
series. Yes, it is rough. It has a different feel to it, but it
actually is a very good story.
> The trial of the
> indicted boy was only incidental to a more important scene between
> Rumpole and his son, Nick, who is about to embark on a journey to
> America where he will attend Princeton University.
Yes, there are times when what one would expect to be the main plot is
actually the subplot and vice versa.
In another episode/story, it was Rumpole wanting his son Nick to
follow him into the legal profession while Rumpole defended a boy that
had all the markings of following his father into the criminal
profession. Rumpole's speech to the young offender not to do so made
it dawn on Rumpole to also let his son find his own path.
> The scene takes
> place in a pub where Rumpole and Nick have lunch before Rumpole must
> go back to court. Rumpole is very proud of his son's academic
> accomplishment and all that lies ahead for the young man. But, sad to
> say, Nick is quite disdainful and disrespectful of his father. Nick
> sympathizes with his mother and thinks that his father is nothing but
> a sort of charlatan. The play seems to be a lesson in how youth often
> has very little gratitude or respect for the parent, while the parent
> is so very proud of the child.
It was that but it was also about the presumption of innocence and
equality of the sexes. If I remember correctly, Nick's wife was upset
that Rumpole cross-examined a female and shredded her testimony.
Nick's wife thought that a woman's word was enough to convict a man to
prison and Rumpole thought that it must be challenged. This issue was
a hot one then and still is. I really like and thank Sir John for how
he has Rumpole tackle such things and expose them for what they really
are. In this case, reverse sexism. In later episodes, Rumpole takes
on what we would call "political correctness" and how advocates of it
use it to punish and control others.
> The stages of life we go through are
> rather tragic in a way. The last scene has Hilda sitting at table
> with Rumpole, in a maudlin state of drunkenness, but professing to
> have stood up for Rumpole against their son's criticism. There was no
> humor in this play and it reminded me somewhat of Arthur Miller.
Odd. I seem to recall laughing at times during it. But then I like
Rumpole's dry wit.
> I watched for a brief scene throughout all of the episodes to find the
> one where Rumpole addresses Nick or some other young man who's moving
> to America. He said something like: You must be careful in America -
> they have something there called "HYGIENE." I had seen this years ago
> on public television, but I did not find it in any of the episodes
> that I rented.
I agree with Francis that you should read/listen to the novels. You
get inside Rumpole mind far more than the TV episodes do and it is a
great mind to visit.
Scott
Howard Duck
<Recreati...@gmail.com> wrote:
> It was that but it was also about the presumption of innocence and
> equality of the sexes. If I remember correctly, Nick's wife was upset
> that Rumpole cross-examined a female and shredded her testimony.
> Nick's wife thought that a woman's word was enough to convict a man to
> prison and Rumpole thought that it must be challenged. This issue was
> a hot one then and still is.
Don't believe that was the same one. The only court scene was Rumpole
challenging an inspector over the contents of the boy's would-be
confession. Also, I don't think Nick was married in this one.
The one concerning cross-examination of a woman that I recall
especially well, involved an authoress who must have been a kind of
English version of Danielle Steel except that she billed herself as a
writer of historical romance novels. Rompole discovered her
involvement with the defendant in fraud - she being the plaintiff.
Occasionally people under indictment employ Rumpole because they think
he will lose the case (which is what they hope). He usually wins the
case, much to their disgruntlement.
Yes, I am ordering some of Mortimer's books now. Also, Miniter's
suggested Westmacott.
--
Howard
Fire Tiger
> Fire Tiger <RecreationalPo...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > It was that but it was also about the presumption of innocence and
> > equality of the sexes. If I remember correctly, Nick's wife was upset
> > that Rumpole cross-examined a female and shredded her testimony.
> > Nick's wife thought that a woman's word was enough to convict a man to
> > prison and Rumpole thought that it must be challenged. This issue was
> > a hot one then and still is.
>
> Don't believe that was the same one. The only court scene was Rumpole
> challenging an inspector over the contents of the boy's would-be
> confession. Also, I don't think Nick was married in this one.
You're right. By the way, the one that BBC 7 radio is currently
playing is the one you read. I was hoping it was an new story but
just the opposite. It is the oldest.
> The one concerning cross-examination of a woman that I recall
> especially well, involved an authoress who must have been a kind of
> English version of Danielle Steel except that she billed herself as a
> writer of historical romance novels. Rompole discovered her
> involvement with the defendant in fraud - she being the plaintiff.
I think the one I was thinking of was "Rumpole and the Honourable
Member".
> Occasionally people under indictment employ Rumpole because they think
> he will lose the case (which is what they hope). He usually wins the
> case, much to their disgruntlement.
How can you make Rumpole even more of a underdog? Have his clients
expect and want him to lose. ;-)
By the way, someone posted a link to a 2007 New York Times interview
of Sir John. Here's a link to that newsgroup thread.
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.rumpole/browse_frm/thread/80de39154077e9c2#
Tiny URL link if the above one was too long for you:
http://tinyurl.com/6ggfte
Scott
David Matthews
were undergoing counseling to try to get them together again for the sake of
their young son who alternated between the two of them. The police were
investigating a series of anonymous letters each was getting accusing the
other of wrong doing. It turns out the letters were written by the kid who
was trying to keep them apart as he liked having two homes.
Dave in Toronto
Howard Duck
<Recreati...@gmail.com> wrote:
> By the way, someone posted a link to a 2007 New York Times interview
> of Sir John. Here's a link to that newsgroup thread.
>
> http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.rumpole/browse_frm/thread/80de39154077e9c2#
>
> Tiny URL link if the above one was too long for you:
> http://tinyurl.com/6ggfte
>
> Scott
Very nice. You wouldn't know the Mortimer of today by the Mortimer of
previous years. He's changed a lot through the years.
--
Howard
Howard Duck
That does ring a bell. Can't remember the name of the episode though.
--
Howard
Fire Tiger
The story was "Rumpole and the Married Lady". As far as I recall, no
police were involved. It was "just" a divorce case. The couple did
write the nasty letters to each. I won't give any other spoilers.
Here's a link if you would like to watch it over the net.
http://www.veoh.com/videos/v604509636Yk9tQq
Scott
peggy
(snipped for space)
>
>> The stages of life we go through are
>> rather tragic in a way. The last scene has Hilda sitting at table
>> with Rumpole, in a maudlin state of drunkenness, but professing to
>> have stood up for Rumpole against their son's criticism. There was no
>> humor in this play and it reminded me somewhat of Arthur Miller.
>
> Odd. I seem to recall laughing at times during it. But then I like
> Rumpole's dry wit.
>
>> I watched for a brief scene throughout all of the episodes to find the
>> one where Rumpole addresses Nick or some other young man who's moving
>> to America. He said something like: You must be careful in America -
>> they have something there called "HYGIENE." I had seen this years ago
>> on public television, but I did not find it in any of the episodes
>> that I rented.
It's in one of the last scenes of "Rumpole and the Honourable Member."
Nick comes to Pommery's to meet Rumpole and tell him about his and his
fiancee's plans.
>
> I agree with Francis that you should read/listen to the novels. You
> get inside Rumpole mind far more than the TV episodes do and it is a
> great mind to visit.
>
> Scott
This episode rang such a bell with me that I was sure I must have seen
it, but I've never watched any of the DVDs, so I couldn't have. Turns
out I heard it on an audiobook that included four of the radio plays
that were broadcast on BBC Radio in 1980. Maurice Denham played Rumpole.
Evidently these seven stories never made it to television, which is a
shame, because the four I heard were very good. There's one in
particular about a probate case where the client claims to be in touch
with the deceased, that was very funny. ("Rumpole and the Dear
Departed") They were published in print as "Rumpole for the Defence,"
and are all available in full story length in audiobook as well. I did
rather like the radio plays, and wish I could hear the rest. Apart from
anything else, I like the earlier stories. In later years, the
characters became much less realistic, especially in my opinion the
Erskine-Browns, the POV a tad cantankerous, and certain plot twists
became repetitive. Rumpole will always be one of my favorite characters,
though.
From looking into this, I find the book versions all came out after the
radio/TV versions, which is the opposite of what I'd always assumed. By
the way, the "lost episode" appears in print as "Rumpole and the
Confessions of Guilt." I think it is a rather bittersweet story, in both
the main plot and the plot between Rumpole and his son.
Peggy
Rik Shepherd
> Turns out I heard it on an audiobook that included four of the radio
> plays that were broadcast on BBC Radio in 1980. Maurice Denham played
> Rumpole. Evidently these seven stories never made it to television, which
> is a shame, because the four I heard were very good. There's one in
> particular about a probate case where the client claims to be in touch
> with the deceased, that was very funny. ("Rumpole and the Dear Departed")
> They were published in print as "Rumpole for the Defence," and are all
> available in full story length in audiobook as well. I did rather like the
> radio plays, and wish I could hear the rest.
These are the ones that are currently on BBC7 - the Dear Departed was on the
week before last and has vanished into the ether (or until BBC7 run them
again). They're having a run of 13, so it must be something more than just
'Rumpole for the Defence'; episode 5 was last Monday, so 10 to 13 are on
this week. Everything BBC7 plays is available online for a week, so until
about something AM on the morning of the 15th you can listen to episode 5 at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbc7/listenagain/monday - scroll down to Rumpole of the
Bailey (change the day for the rest of the week).
Martin Underwood
e377a121-31b1-4886...@f63g2000hsf.googlegroups.com:
> On Apr 5, 8:24 pm, Howard Duck <hbd...@geusnet.com> wrote:
>> I don't know if there were more seasons, but there
>> was one more disc called "The Lost Episode" which had quite a
>> different flavor to the others. I think Leo McKern was a bit younger
>> than in the later episodes. Hilda was played by an actress who did
>> not appear in any of the other episodes, and she was a bit different.
>> The whole thing felt more like a stageplay than a screenplay. In the
>> opening scene, Rumpole is preparing breakfast for Hilda in bed. She
>> was critical as usual, and she taunted Rumpole by calling him an Old
>> Bailey "hack."
>
> I believe that episode is what we would call a "pilot" here in the
> US. It appeared and then was later considered to be made into a
> series. Yes, it is rough. It has a different feel to it, but it
> actually is a very good story.
Do you have a cast list for the episode? I wonder if you are talking about
the original 1975 play "Rumpole of the Bailey"
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0073642/ which was one of many standalone plays
in the long-running BBC TV series "Play for Today". The producer Irene
Shubik saw the potential for an ongoing series using John Mortimer's
stories, but the BBC didn't. So she took her idea to Thames Television (one
of the ITV - Independent Television - companies)... and the rest is history:
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0078680/ which started in 1978.
There have been three actresses who have played Hilda "SWMBO" Rumpole: Joyce
Heron in the BBC pilot, Peggy Thorpe-Bates in the earlier ITV episodes (1.1
to 3.6) and Marion Mathie in the later ITV episodes (4.1 to 7.6).