| " RUMPOLE OF THE BAILEY " |
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What’s it about?
What can we say about Rumpole that he hasn’t said himself?
He’s a member of the criminal Bar, plies his trade at the Old Bailey, and is in
constant conflict with judges, his wife and the Head of Chambers (whom he sees in common
as authority figures and worthy of his elegant defiance). It is his dry wit that gets him
into trouble, together with his vigorous defence (NEVER the prosecution) of less savoury
criminals who get up the nose of the Old Bailey judges. He loves a drink with his small
cigars, always preferring the cheapest plonk available at Pommeroy's Winebar (where he
favours "Chateau Fleet Street" or "Chateau Thames Embankment"), but
don’t be fooled by his appearance - he is an awe-inspiring advocate and would be the
first to be called by the authors of Law in the Lounge if we needed a first class
criminal barrister - our respect for his prowess is boundless!
In later series the Head of Chambers (at the famous Number 3 Equity
Court) is the unremarkable QC Sam Ballard (or as we call him here at Law in the Lounge,
"Sam Dullard"). Soapy Sam (Rumpole’s nickname that is not a term of
endearment) is a church-going bible-basher who tends to apply his Christian principles
with some intolerance. He got the job ahead of Rumpole after some fancy footwork while
Rumpole was taking a case in Africa. It is not hard to come away from their encounters
with the view that Horace, no lover of piety, is in fact the one with a truly Christian
view of charity. The previous Head of Chambers (following Hilda’s father) was Guthrie
Fetherston QC, who left to become a very ordinary judge (whom Rumpole has helped out of
more than a few jams).
Next to Rumpole, the only barrister at 3 Equity Court who has more
than a modicum of advocacy skill is Phillida Erskine-Brown, the lovely QC who is
surprisingly married to Claude Erskine-Brown (another Chambers resident who knows little
of the law). Rumpole calls her "Portia", after the character in
Shakespeare’s "The Merchant of Venice". Of course we know that all our Law
in the Lounge fans have a solid grasp of Shakespeare, but for those few who can’t
remember the plot of that play, Portia was the character who cross-dressed and made the
famous speech: "…the quality of mercy is not strained…". Phillida has
lately gone to the Bench.
Horace came to prominence, as he loves to tell us, in the infamous
Penge Bungalow Murders Case. We’re not exactly sure when this case took place, but
like a good fishing story it has obviously acquired a certain sheen with the passage of
time. One thing we know for sure - it turned on Rumpole’s vast grasp of the forensic
significance of blood stains, and thus a facility with bloodstains has remained for
Rumpole the hallmark of a barrister’s skill.
Rumpole is also the beneficiary of the generations-old feud between
the Timsons and the Molloys (the English version of the Hatfields and McCoys). Rumpole has
been retained by three generations of Timsons, who typify Rumpole’s skewed view of
the criminal world - like the "villains" in "The Bill", the Timsons
are "good" criminals, not taken to violence but inveterate (though honourable)
thieves. "You always done right by the Timsons" they tell Rumpole, and he is
never less than respectful to the source of these bottomless briefs.
A motley group of indelibly drawn characters appear in "Rumpole
of the Bailey". For the most part these are incompetent lawyers or peevish judges,
who challenge Rumpole’s sense of justice like a bull at a red rag. The audience is
treated to Rumpole’s magnificent stream of privately whispered ridicule, which range
from mimicry to barbed comments on the judicial process. What is somewhat disturbing, and
the source of the prickly edge that sets this show apart from any other, is the patent
truth of many of these asides (similar to the political truths that inform the satire of
"Yes Minister/Prime Minister"). Certainly the judges and lawyers are exaggerated
buffoons, but like all good satire "Rumpole" exposes underlying truths.
Who's it about?
Rumpole and Hilda
This relationship is the cause for some debate in the Law in the Lounge households.
We took a straw poll - do Hilda and Rumpole really love each other? The result: the
lawyers thought yes, the non-lawyers were less sure. What does this say? Probably only
that the lawyers amongst us are more sympathetic to Hilda and Horace’s dysfunctional
marriage. Still, here at Law in the Lounge we believe the Rumpoles always stick
together when the chips are down (when the case is going badly? when the Judge arches his
eyebrows? when the jury returns a verdict of guilty….?). No, Horace has not achieved
all the Hilda may have yearned for, and Daddy still casts a long shadow - but in the end
they will always do the little things that speak the truth of their devotion (remember the
time Horace took dancing lessons for the Lawyers’ Ball? When he agreed to the ill
fated ship cruise?). But no doubt Horace would endorse Zsa Zsa Gabor’s assessment of
marital bliss: "A man in love is incomplete until he has married—then he’s
finished."
Why is Hilda "she who must be obeyed"? You obviously
haven’t watched the show if you’re asking that question!
Hilda and Horace met through Chambers. Hilda’s father, whom she
annoyingly refers to as "Daddy", was the head of the Chambers (Number 3 Equity
Court). Unfortunately Hilda seems to have a somewhat exaggerated view of her father’s
advocacy skills, but as Horace is wont to lament, his late father-in-law knew nothing of
bloodstains. Hilda forever bemoans Rumpole’s inability to gain her father’s
legacy as Head of Chambers - of course, we know he doesn’t want the job at any price,
even if he is the senior member of the Chambers (not counting the senile Uncle Tom, who is
clearly past it).
Hilda and Rumpole have a son, Nicholas, who like his father went to
Oxford, but later travelled to America to take up an academic post. Nicholas is married to
Erica and has a child named Sam. In a celebrated early episode Erica was shocked that
Rumpole would ruthlessly cross-examine a rape victim.
Who’s who?
Leo McKern. It's impossible to think of "Rumpole of the
Bailey" without Leo McKern, and vice versa. This is not a series that could stand a
change in starring roles - Rumpole and McKern go together like…well, they’ve
sort of fused into one entity in our minds. Here at Law in the Lounge we defy you to read
a Rumpole book and NOT think of McKern as the roly-poly barrister. This is a part that the
wonderful McKern has made his own for eternity. Clearly the show can only continue as long
as the Rumpolean partners, Mortimer and McKern, continue to work in tandem (and long may
they do so).
Please do not think we are typecasting McKern. He is luckier than
most actors who live in the shadow of a singular role - McKern was a distinguished actor
before Rumpole ever graced a page. He has appeared in roles as diverse as David Ben-Gurion
in "House on Garibaldi Street", Moriarty in "Sherlock Holmes", Tom
Ryan in "Ryan’s Daughter", Cardinal Leone in "The Shoes of the
Fisherman", Cromwell in "A Man for All Seasons", Benter in "The Mouse
That Roared", and, believe it or not, as Clang in the Beatle’s "Help".
He was born in Sydney, Australia, in 1920, though he has spent the larger part of his
professional life in England.
Peggy Thorpe-Bates. Once seen, Hilda is never forgotten -
least of all, by her long suffering husband Horace Rumpole. Peggy Thorpe-Bates is
magnificent in the role of the socially ambitious Hilda who puts fear into the hearts of
all male viewers. She played the hospital sister in "Georgie Girl", and was Miss
Toliver in the 1933 "Alcatraz Island". She also had a role in the sensational
and notorious "Peeping Tom", directed by the great Michael Powell.
Peter Bowles. Bowles is now one of the most durable and
recognisable of British actors, moving effortlessly between television and film, comedy
and drama. He has appeared in "Blowup", Antonioni’s provocative movie set
in 60’s "swinging London" (look for "Ron"); and "Charge of
the Light Brigade", Tony Richardson’s masterful telling of the Crimean War saga
(look for the Paymaster); in television he has distinguished himself as Guthrie Fetherston
in "Rumpole of the Bailey"; as Richard DeVere in "To the Manor Born";
as Caractacus in "I, Claudius"; and as Inspector Bullion in "Passport To
Murder". If you’re watching "The Avengers" on cable, you might catch
him as Waldo Thyssen in a 1967 episode called "Escape In Time".
Peter Blythe. We know him as "Soapy" Sam Ballard.
He had a largish role in the rather forgettable "Challenge for Robin Hood"
(1968); the Peter Cushing vehicle "Frankenstein Created Woman"; and the
television miniseries "Love On A Branch Line" (as Mark Fairweather).
Where did it come from?
Of course we think of "Rumpole of the Bailey" as a
television show, but it is really a series of books that have been translated to the small
screen. It all comes from the incredibly fertile mind of John Mortimer.
The Mortimer short stories were acquired and produced by the BBC,
originally in 1979. They are shown in Australia by the ABC, and in America as part of the
PBS series, "Mystery!"
The facts
John Mortimer, the creator of "Rumpole of the Bailey", was
himself a QC, though we believe he no longer practices at the Bar. He once successfully
defended Penguin Books as the publishers of "Lady Chatterley’s Lover" in a
landmark case.
Are you interested in joining other Rumpolean fans in a shared
enterprise (yes, Your Honour, we refer to a Fan Club)? The appropriate address would be:
Rumpole Society
P.O. Box 906
San Mateo, CA 94403
U.S.A.
It’s hard to follow Rumpole if you haven’t got a grasp of
the legal lingo. Here’s some help:
- Bail: This allows the accused to be released from custody until the
date of the hearing at Old Bailey.
- Barrister: see "…the facts, all the facts…."
- Brief: the instructions given to Rumpole by a solicitor, usually a
document that contains the facts as described by the solicitor.
- Burden of Proof: The standard of evidence the prosecutor must reach
to have one of Rumpole’s clients convicted.
- Chambers: see "…the facts, all the facts…."
- Defendant: Rumpole’s client charged with the offence - Rumpole
NEVER prosecutes, and NEVER pleads guilty!
- Felony: A more serious type of charge.
- Hearsay evidence: Something not seen or heard by the witness, and
usually against the rules at the Old Bailey (unless one of the judges lets it go).
- Oath: Placing your hand on the Bible and swearing your evidence will
be truthful.
- Statute: A law made by Parliament.
The legal point
Rumpole is a barrister. Most of us at Law in the Lounge are
solicitors - so, what’s the difference (besides the fact that none of us here at Law
in the Lounge can act)?:
- Both barristers and solicitors have law degrees.
- Solicitors usually work in offices and will be the first legal
professional seen by a client.
- Barristers usually spend most of their time in court. They are
specialists in court appearances.
- Solicitors can also appear in court, and often do.
- Usually a solicitor introduces a client to a barrister, in much the
same way as a general practitioner introduces a patient to a medical specialist. This is
called "briefing" a barrister.
- Barristers can be found in "Chambers", offices where only
lawyers practice. In Australia these tend to be office blocks - Rumpole belongs to a
typically small English Chambers, where a place is only available when someone dies or
otherwise moves on. These Chambers are called the Inns of Court. The Head of Chambers is
like the managing director - they can hire and fire the clerk (Henry is the Chamber’s
long suffering clerk) and chairs meetings of the Chamber’s barristers. In
"Rumpole of the Bailey" these meetings generally have little importance and are
one of the bains of Rumpole’s professional life.
What is the Old Bailey, where Rumpole inevitably finds himself
before some disagreeable judge? In reality it is a street in London and is the Central
Criminal Court. So, like "Downing Street" (where the PM lives), the Old Bailey
derives its name from the street where it is situated.
Guthrie, Ballard and Portia are QCs - what does this mean? This is
what is known as "taking silk" (because the QC wears a silk gown). Barristers
and solicitors can be promoted to Queen’s Counsel, although most QCs are barristers.
All QCs must have a "junior" member of the Bar to help them in court. Clearly
Horace does not want to take silk, and just as clearly some of his brethren consider
elevation to silk to be a matter of life and death. By the way, when Prince Charles or his
son finally ascends to the throne, the appointees will be called "King’s
Counsels".
Henry is the Chamber’s clerk - this means he books the cases
for the barristers, allocates the briefs (instructions from lawyers that seek the
barrister’s representation in court) and negotiates the fees for a small commission.
All barristers in Victoria work through a clerk.
Our verdict
Rumpole loves to quote poetry, particularly Wordsworth, and sometimes Keats, who once said:
"With a great poet the sense of Beauty overcomes every other consideration, or rather
obliterates all consideration" - the same might be said of this wonderful show and
its central creation, who makes other television lawyers look lame by comparison.
"Rumpole of the Bailey" could not have an American equivalent, both for its
sense of poetry and its understated but devastating wit. Rumpole is devious in a way that
demands at least some concentration from the audience, who soon echo his cry: "Never
plead guilty". He exposes the foibles of the English legal establishment,
particularly its judiciary, as a subversive – certainly Rumpole believes in Queen and
Country, and he would stand to the death against anarchy, but he well appreciates the need
to undermine the preciousness of it all at every opportunity.
"Rumpole of the Bailey" is distinguished by its impeccable
scripts - one can only wonder at John Mortimer’s prolific imaginative skills, the
yearly grind of short stories and television scripts (not to mention his novels,
interviews, biographical writings) that never waver in their excellence. Thankfully the
ABC in Australia has regularly repeated the earlier episodes, and it is fascinating to
watch the development of the main character as he assails all and sundry with his fearless
repertoire of barrister’s tricks. Here at Law in the Lounge we particularly
admire his courage - we have never seen Rumpole flinch at the moment of battle, nor
deviate one inch from his principles (sometimes at a real cost to his comfort and career).
"Rumpole of the Bailey" is that rarest of all television
shows, excellent in every regard and endlessly (and joyously) watchable at the tenth
repeat. The Law in the Lounge winner for all-round brilliance, the best of the
best.
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