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Sir John Clifford Mortimer (21 April 1923 – 16 January 2009) was a British
barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and ...
,
dramatist A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...
,
screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...
and author. He is best known for novels about a barrister named
Horace Rumpole ''Rumpole of the Bailey'' is a British television series created and written by the British writer and barrister John Mortimer. It starred Leo McKern as Horace Rumpole, a middle-aged London barrister who defended a broad variety of clients, ...
.


Early life

Mortimer was born in
Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, and extends from Watling Street, the A5 road (Roman Watling Street) to Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland. The area forms the northwest part of the Lon ...
, London, the only child of Kathleen May (
née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
Smith) and (Herbert) Clifford Mortimer (1884–1961), a divorce and probate
barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and ...
who became blind in 1936 when he hit his head on the door frame of a London taxi but still pursued his career. Clifford's loss of sight was not acknowledged openly by the family.Helen T. Verongo
"John Mortimer, barrister and creator of Rumpole, is dead"
''International Herald Tribune'', 16 January 2009. This obituary was also carried by ''The New York Times''; a more complete version than the version on the ''IHT'' website is onlin

 John Mortimer was educated at the
Dragon School ("Reach for the Sun") , established = 1877 , closed = , type = Preparatory day and boarding school and Pre-Prep school , religion = Church of England , president = , head_label = Head , head = Emma Goldsm ...
,
Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
, and
Harrow School (The Faithful Dispensation of the Gifts of God) , established = (Royal Charter) , closed = , type = Public schoolIndependent schoolBoarding school , religion = Church of E ...
, where he joined the
Communist Party A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of ''The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. A ...
,Obituary
''Daily Telegraph'', 16 January 2009 forming a one-member cell."Sir John Mortimer: creator of Rumpole of the Bailey"
''The Times'', 17 January 2009. He first intended to be an actor (his lead role in the Dragon's 1937 production of ''
Richard II Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales, and Joan, Countess of Kent. Richard's father died ...
'' gained glowing reviews in ''The Draconian'') and then a writer, but his father persuaded him against it, advising: "My dear boy, have some consideration for your unfortunate wife... he lawgets you out of the house." At 17, Mortimer went to
Brasenose College, Oxford Brasenose College (BNC) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It began as Brasenose Hall in the 13th century, before being founded as a college in 1509. The library and chapel were added in the mi ...
, where he read law, though he was actually based at Christ Church because the Brasenose buildings had been requisitioned for the war effort.David Hughe
"Sir John Mortimer: Lawyer and writer who created Rumpole of the Bailey and elegised a bygone England"
''The Independent'', 17 January 2009. In July 1942, at the end of his second year, he was sent down from Oxford by
John Lowe John Lowe may refer to: Sports * John Lowe (darts player) (born 1945), English darts player. * John Lowe (footballer) (1912–1995), Scottish football player * John Lowe (rugby league), English rugby league footballer * John Lowe (cricketer) (18 ...
, Dean of Christ Church, after romantic letters to a
Bradfield College Bradfield College, formally St Andrew's College, Bradfield, is a public school (English independent day and boarding school) for pupils aged 11–18, located in the small village of Bradfield in the English county of Berkshire. It is note ...
sixth-former, Quentin Edwards, later a QC, were discovered by the young man's housemaster.Valerie Grov
"Rumpole creator John Mortimer dies at 85"
, ''The Times'', 16 January 2009. However, Mortimer was still allowed to take his
Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
degree in law in October 1943. His close friend
Michael Hamburger Michael Peter Leopold Hamburger (22 March 1924 – 7 June 2007) was a noted German-British translator, poet, critic, memoirist and academic. He was known in particular for his translations of Friedrich Hölderlin, Paul Celan, Gottfried Benn and ...
believed he had been very harshly treated.


Early writing career

With weak eyes and doubtful lungs, Mortimer was classified as medically unfit for military service in
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. He worked for the
Crown Film Unit The Crown Film Unit was an organisation within the British Government's Ministry of Information during the Second World War. Formerly the GPO Film Unit it became the Crown Film Unit in 1940. Its remit was to make films for the general public in ...
under
Laurie Lee Laurence Edward Alan "Laurie" Lee, MBE (26 June 1914 – 13 May 1997) was an English poet, novelist and screenwriter, who was brought up in the small village of Slad in Gloucestershire. His most notable work is the autobiographical trilogy ...
, writing scripts for propaganda documentaries.
I lived in London and went on journeys in blacked-out trains to factories and coal-mines and military and air force installations. For the first and, in fact, the only time in my life I was, thanks to Laurie Lee, earning my living entirely as a writer. If I have knocked the documentary ideal, I would not wish to sound ungrateful to the Crown Film Unit. I was given great and welcome opportunities to write dialogue, construct scenes and try and turn ideas into some kind of visual drama.
He based his first novel, ''Charade'', on his experiences with the
Crown Film Unit The Crown Film Unit was an organisation within the British Government's Ministry of Information during the Second World War. Formerly the GPO Film Unit it became the Crown Film Unit in 1940. Its remit was to make films for the general public in ...
. Mortimer made his radio debut as a dramatist in 1955, adapting his own novel '' Like Men Betrayed'' for the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
Light Programme The BBC Light Programme was a national radio station which broadcast chiefly mainstream light entertainment and light music from 1945 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 1. It opened on 29 July 1945, taking over the ...
. His debut as an original playwright came with ''
The Dock Brief ''The Dock Brief'' (US title ''Trial and Error'') is a 1962 black-and-white British legal satire directed by James Hill, starring Peter Sellers and Richard Attenborough, and based on the play of the same name written by John Mortimer (creator o ...
'' starring
Michael Hordern Sir Michael Murray Hordern Commander of the Order of the British Empire, CBE (3 October 19112 May 1995)Morley, Sheridan"Hordern, Michael Murray (1911–1995)" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004, online e ...
as a hapless
barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and ...
, first broadcast in 1957 on
BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering th ...
's
Third Programme The BBC Third Programme was a national radio station produced and broadcast from 1946 until 1967, when it was replaced by Radio 3. It first went on the air on 29 September 1946 and quickly became one of the leading cultural and intellectual f ...
, and later televised with the same cast. It later appeared in a double bill with '' What Shall We Tell Caroline?'' at the
Lyric Hammersmith The Lyric Theatre, also known as the Lyric Hammersmith, is a theatre on Lyric Square, off King Street, Hammersmith, London.
in April 1958, before transferring to the
Garrick Theatre The Garrick Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Charing Cross Road, in the City of Westminster, named after the stage actor David Garrick. It opened in 1889 with ''The Profligate'', a play by Arthur Wing Pinero, and another Pinero play ...
. ''
The Dock Brief ''The Dock Brief'' (US title ''Trial and Error'') is a 1962 black-and-white British legal satire directed by James Hill, starring Peter Sellers and Richard Attenborough, and based on the play of the same name written by John Mortimer (creator o ...
'' was revived by
Christopher Morahan Christopher Thomas Morahan Order of the British Empire, CBE (9 July 1929 – 7 April 2017) was a British stage and television director and production executive. Biography Early life and career Morahan was born on 9 July 1929 in London, the son ...
in 2007 for a touring double bill with ''Legal Fictions''. It won the
Prix Italia The Prix Italia is an international Television, Radio-broadcasting and Web award. It was established in 1948 by RAI – Radiotelevisione Italiana (in 1948, RAI had the denomination RAI – Radio Audizioni Italiane) in Capri and is honoured with the ...
in 1957, and its success on radio, stage, and television led Mortimer to prefer writing for performance rather than writing novels. Mortimer's play ''
A Voyage Round My Father ''A Voyage Round My Father'' is an autobiographical play by John Mortimer, later adapted for television. The first version of the play appeared as a series of three half-hour sketches for BBC radio in 1963. It then became a television play with ...
'', first broadcast on radio in 1963, is autobiographical, recounting his experiences as a young barrister and his relations with his blind father. It was televised by
BBC Television BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1927. It produced television programmes from its own studios from 193 ...
in 1969 with
Mark Dignam Cuthbert Mark Dignam (20 March 1909 – 29 September 1989) was a prolific English actor. Born in London, the son of a salesman in the steel industry, Dignam grew up in Sheffield, and was educated at the Jesuit College, where he appeared in num ...
in the title role. In a lengthier version, the play became a stage success – first at
Greenwich Theatre Greenwich Theatre is a local theatre located in Croom's Hill close to the centre of Greenwich in south-east London. Theatre first came to Greenwich at the beginning of the 19th century during the famous Eastertide Greenwich Fair at which the Ric ...
with Dignam, then in 1971 at the
Theatre Royal Haymarket The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre on Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use. Samuel Foot ...
with
Alec Guinness Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. After an early career on the stage, Guinness was featured in several of the Ealing comedies, including ''Kind Hearts and Coronets'' (194 ...
). In 1981 it was remade by
Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a Broadcast license, franchise holder for a region of the British ITV (TV network), ITV television network serving Greater London, London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until th ...
with
Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the Theatre of the U ...
as the father and Alan Bates as young Mortimer. In 1965, he and his wife wrote the screenplay for the
Otto Preminger Otto Ludwig Preminger ( , ; 5 December 1905 – 23 April 1986) was an Austrian-American theatre and film director, film producer, and actor. He directed more than 35 feature films in a five-decade career after leaving the theatre. He first gai ...
film ''
Bunny Lake is Missing ''Bunny Lake Is Missing'' is a 1965 British-American psychological drama film, directed and produced by Otto Preminger. Filmed in black-and-white widescreen format in London, it was based on the 1957 novel '' Bunny Lake Is Missing'' by Merriam ...
'', which also starred Olivier.


Legal career

Mortimer was called to the Bar (
Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional associations for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wal ...
) in 1948, at the age of 25. His early career covered testamentary and divorce work, but on
taking silk In the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth countries, a King's Counsel (post-nominal initials KC) during the reign of a king, or Queen's Counsel (post-nominal initials QC) during the reign of a queen, is a lawyer (usually a barrister or a ...
in 1966, he began to undertake criminal law. His highest profile came from cases relating to claims of
obscenity An obscenity is any utterance or act that strongly offends the prevalent morality of the time. It is derived from the Latin ''obscēnus'', ''obscaenus'', "boding ill; disgusting; indecent", of uncertain etymology. Such loaded language can be use ...
, which, according to Mortimer, were "alleged to be testing the frontiers of tolerance." He has sometimes been cited wrongly as one in the ''
Lady Chatterley's Lover ''Lady Chatterley's Lover'' is the last novel by English author D. H. Lawrence, which was first published privately in 1928, in Italy, and in 1929, in France. An unexpurgated edition was not published openly in the United Kingdom until 1960, w ...
'' obscenity trial defence team. He did, however, successfully defend publishers
John Calder John Mackenzie Calder (25 January 1927 – 13 August 2018) was a Scottish-Canadian writer and publisher who founded the company Calder Publishing in 1949. Biography Calder was born in Montreal, Canada, into the Calder family associated with the ...
and Marion Boyars in a 1968 appeal against a conviction for publishing
Hubert Selby Jr. Hubert "Cubby" Selby Jr. (July 23, 1928 – April 26, 2004) was an American writer. Two of his novels, ''Last Exit to Brooklyn'' (1964) and ''Requiem for a Dream'' (1978) explore worlds in the New York area and were adapted as films, both of whi ...
's ''
Last Exit to Brooklyn ''Last Exit to Brooklyn'' is a 1964 novel by American author Hubert Selby Jr. The novel takes a harsh, uncompromising look at lower class Brooklyn in the 1950s written in a brusque, everyman style of prose. Critics and fellow writers praised ...
''. He assumed a similar role three years later, this time unsuccessfully, for Richard Handyside, the English publisher of ''
The Little Red Schoolbook ''The Little Red Schoolbook'' ( da, Den Lille Røde Bog For Skoleelever; en, The Little Red Book For School Pupils) is a book written by two Danish schoolteachers, Søren Hansen and Jesper Jensen, first published in 1969. It was subject to mu ...
''. In 1971, Mortimer managed to defend the editors of the satirical paper '' Oz'' against a charge of "conspiracy to corrupt and debauch the morals of the young of the Realm", which might have carried a sentence of 12 years' hard labour. In 1976, he defended ''
Gay News ''Gay News'' was a fortnightly newspaper in the United Kingdom founded in June 1972 in a collaboration between former members of the Gay Liberation Front and members of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE). At the newspaper's height, circul ...
'' editor Denis Lemon ('' Whitehouse v. Lemon'') against charges of blasphemous libel for publishing
James Kirkup James Harold Kirkup, FRSL (23 April 1918 – 10 May 2009) was an English poet, translator and travel writer. He wrote over 45 books, including autobiographies, novels and plays. He wrote under many pen-names including James Falconer, Aditya Jha ...
's ''
The Love That Dares to Speak Its Name ''Whitehouse v Lemon'' is a 1977 court case involving the blasphemy law in the United Kingdom. It was the last successful blasphemy trial in the UK. Facts James Kirkup's poem '' The Love that Dares to Speak its Name'' was published in the 3 J ...
''; Lemon was given a suspended prison sentence, which was overturned on appeal. He successfully defended
Virgin Records Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a worldwid ...
in a 1977 obscenity hearing for using the word
bollocks ''Bollocks'' () is a word of Middle English origin, meaning "testicles". The word is often used figuratively in British English and Hiberno-English in a multitude of negative ways; it most commonly appears as a noun meaning "rubbish" or "nonsen ...
in the title of the
Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they were one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. They were responsible for ...
album ''
Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols ''Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols'' is the only studio album by English punk rock band the Sex Pistols, released on 28 October 1977 by Virgin Records in the UK and on 11 November 1977 by Warner Bros. Records in the US. The album ...
'' and the manager of the Nottingham branch of Virgin record shop chain for displaying and selling the record. Mortimer retired from the bar in 1984.


Later writing career

Mortimer is best remembered for creating a barrister named
Horace Rumpole ''Rumpole of the Bailey'' is a British television series created and written by the British writer and barrister John Mortimer. It starred Leo McKern as Horace Rumpole, a middle-aged London barrister who defended a broad variety of clients, ...
, inspired by his father Clifford, whose speciality is defending those accused in London's
Old Bailey The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, commonly referred to as the Old Bailey after the street on which it stands, is a criminal court building in central London, one of several that house the Crown Court of England and Wales. The s ...
. Mortimer created Rumpole for a
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
''
Play For Today ''Play for Today'' is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage ...
'' in 1975. Although not Mortimer's first choice of actor – in an interview on the DVD set, he said he wanted Alistair Sim "but he turned out to be dead so he couldn't take it on" – Australian-born
Leo McKern Reginald "Leo" McKern, Order of Australia, AO (16 March 1920 – 23 July 2002) was an Australian actor who appeared in numerous British, Australian and American television programmes and films, and in more than 200 stage roles. His notabl ...
played Rumpole with gusto and proved popular. The idea was developed into a series, ''
Rumpole of the Bailey ''Rumpole of the Bailey'' is a British television series created and written by the British writer and barrister John Mortimer. It starred Leo McKern as Horace Rumpole, a middle-aged London barrister who defended a broad variety of clients, o ...
'', for
Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a Broadcast license, franchise holder for a region of the British ITV (TV network), ITV television network serving Greater London, London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until th ...
, in which McKern kept the lead role. Mortimer also wrote a series of Rumpole books. In September–October 2003,
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
broadcast four new 45-minute Rumpole plays by Mortimer with
Timothy West Timothy Lancaster West, CBE (born 20 October 1934) is an English actor and presenter. He has appeared frequently on both stage and television, including stints in both ''Coronation Street'' (as Eric Babbage) and ''EastEnders'' (as Stan Carter) ...
in the title role. Mortimer also dramatised many real-life cases of the barrister
Edward Marshall-Hall Sir Edward Marshall Hall, (16 September 1858 – 24 February 1927) was an English barrister who had a formidable reputation as an orator. He successfully defended many people accused of notorious murders and became known as "The Great Defende ...
in a radio series with former ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...
'' star
Tom Baker Thomas Stewart Baker (born 20 January 1934) is an English actor and writer. He is well known for his portrayal of the Fourth Doctor, fourth incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the science fiction television series ''Doctor Wh ...
as protagonist. In 1975 and 1976, Mortimer adapted eight of
Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading English novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquir ...
’s short stories for episodes of ''
Shades of Greene ''Shades of Greene'' is a British television series based on short stories written by the author Graham Greene. The series began in 1975, with each hour-long episode featuring a dramatisation of one of Greene's stories, many of which dealt with ...
'' presented by
Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a Broadcast license, franchise holder for a region of the British ITV (TV network), ITV television network serving Greater London, London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until th ...
. Mortimer was credited with writing the script for
Granada Television ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire but only on weekdays as ABC Weekend Television was it ...
's 1981 serialization of ''
Brideshead Revisited ''Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred & Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder'' is a novel by English writer Evelyn Waugh, first published in 1945. It follows, from the 1920s to the early 1940s, the life and romances of the protagonist Charles ...
'', based on the novel by
Evelyn Waugh Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh (; 28 October 1903 – 10 April 1966) was an English writer of novels, biographies, and travel books; he was also a prolific journalist and book reviewer. His most famous works include the early satires ''Decli ...
. However,
Graham Lord Graham Lord (16 February 1943 – 13 June 2015) was a British biographer and novelist. His biographies include those of Jeffrey Bernard, James Herriot, Dick Francis, Arthur Lowe, David Niven, John Mortimer and Joan Collins. He was the lit ...
's unofficial biography, ''John Mortimer: The Devil's Advocate'', revealed in 2005 that none of Mortimer's submitted scripts had in fact been used and the screenplay was actually written by the series' producer and director. Mortimer adapted
John Fowles John Robert Fowles (; 31 March 1926 – 5 November 2005) was an English novelist of international renown, critically positioned between modernism and postmodernism. His work was influenced by Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus, among others. Aft ...
's ''The Ebony Tower'' starring
Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the Theatre of the U ...
for Granada in 1984. In 1986, his adaptation of his own novel ''
Paradise Postponed ''Paradise Postponed'' (1986) is a British 11-episode TV serial based on the 1985 novel by writer John Mortimer. The series covered a span of 30 years of postwar British history, set in a small village. Plot The series explores the mystery of ...
'' was televised. He wrote the script, based on the autobiography of
Franco Zeffirelli Gian Franco Corsi Zeffirelli (12 February 1923 – 15 June 2019), was an Italian stage and film director, producer, production designer and politician. He was one of the most significant opera and theatre directors of the post-World War II era, ...
, for the 1999 film ''
Tea with Mussolini ''Tea with Mussolini'' ( it, Un tè con Mussolini) is a 1999 Anglo-Italian semi-autobiographical comedy-drama war film directed by Franco Zeffirelli, scripted by John Mortimer, telling the story of a young Italian boy's upbringing by a circle o ...
'', directed by Zeffirelli and starring
Joan Plowright Joan Ann Olivier, Baroness Olivier, (née Plowright; born 28 October 1929), professionally known as Dame Joan Plowright, is an English retired actress whose career has spanned over seven decades. She has won two Golden Globe Awards and a Tony ...
,
Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...
,
Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Regarded as one of Britain's best actresses, she is noted for her versatile work in various films and television programmes encompassing several genres, as well as for her ...
,
Maggie Smith Dame Margaret Natalie Smith (born 28 December 1934) is an English actress. With an extensive career on screen and stage beginning in the mid-1950s, Smith has appeared in more than sixty films and seventy plays. She is one of the few performer ...
and
Lily Tomlin Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin (born September 1, 1939) is an American actress, comedian, writer, singer, and producer. She started her career as a stand-up comedian as well as performing off-Broadway during the 1960s. Her breakout role was on the vari ...
. From 2004, Mortimer worked as a consultant for the politico-legal US "dramedy" television show ''
Boston Legal ''Boston Legal'' is an American legal drama and comedy drama television series created by former lawyer and Boston native David E. Kelley, produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for ABC. The series aired from October 3, 2004, t ...
''. Mortimer developed his career as a dramatist by rising early to write before attending court. His work in total includes over 50 books, plays and scripts. Besides 13 episodes of Rumpole dramatized for radio in 1980, several others of his works were broadcast on the BBC, including the true crime series ''John Mortimer Presents: The Trials Of Marshall Hall'' and ''Sensational British Trials''.


Personal life

Mortimer in 1949 married Penelope Fletcher as her second husband, later better known as
Penelope Mortimer Penelope Ruth Mortimer (née Fletcher; 19 September 1918 – 19 October 1999) was a Welsh-born English journalist, biographer, and novelist. Her semi-autobiographical novel ''The Pumpkin Eater'' (1962) was made into a The Pumpkin Eater, 1964 fil ...
. They had a son,
Jeremy Mortimer Jeremy Mortimer is a British director and producer of radio dramas for BBC Radio.Jeremy Mor ...
, and a daughter, Sally Silverman. The unstable marriage inspired work by both writers, of which Penelope's novel, ''
The Pumpkin Eater ''The Pumpkin Eater'' is a 1964 British drama film starring Anne Bancroft as an unusually fertile woman and Peter Finch as her philandering husband. The film was adapted by Harold Pinter from the 1962 novel of the same title by Penelope Mortim ...
'' (1962), later made into a film of the same name, is best known. The couple divorced in 1971 and he married Penelope Gollop in 1972. They had two daughters,
Emily Mortimer Emily Kathleen Anne Mortimer (born 6 October 1971) is a British-American actress. She began acting in stage productions and has since appeared in several film and television roles. In 2003, she won an Independent Spirit Award for her performanc ...
(1971), and Rosie Mortimer (1984). He and his second wife lived in the
Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-ea ...
village of Turville Heath. The split with his first wife had been bitter, but they were on friendly terms by the time of her death in 1999. In September 2004, the ''Sunday Telegraph'' journalist Tim Walker revealed that Mortimer had fathered another son, Ross Bentley, who was conceived during a secret affair Mortimer had with the English actress
Wendy Craig Anne Gwendolyn "Wendy" Craig (born 20 June 1934) is an English actress who is best known for her appearances in the sitcoms ''Not in Front of the Children (TV series), Not in Front of the Children'', ''...And Mother Makes Three'', ''...And M ...
more than 40 years earlier. He was born in November 1961.John Wals
"Wit, flirt, genius: John Mortimer dies aged 85"
, ''The Independent'', 17 January 2009 Craig and Mortimer had met when the actress had been cast playing a pregnant woman in Mortimer's first full-length West End play, ''The Wrong Side of the Park''. Ross Bentley was raised by Craig and her husband, Jack Bentley, the show business writer and musician. In Mortimer's memoirs, ''Clinging to the Wreckage'', he wrote of "enjoying my mid-thirties and all the pleasures which come to a young writer."


Honours

Awarded a
CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
in 1986, he was made a
knight bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are the ...
in the 1998 Birthday Honours.


Death

Mortimer suffered a
stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...
in October 2008 and died on 16 January 2009, aged 85.


Attributes

John Mortimer was a member of
English PEN Founded in 1921, English PEN is one of the world's first non-governmental organisations and among the first international bodies advocating for human rights. English PEN was the founding centre of PEN International, a worldwide writers' associati ...
. He was patron of the
Burma Campaign UK Burma Campaign UK (BCUK) founded in 1991 is a London-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) that aims to achieve the restoration of basic human rights and democracy in Burma (also known as Burma, Myanmar). BCUK campaigns on behalf of the Bur ...
, the London-based group campaigning for human rights and democracy in
Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
and president of the
Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, Englan ...
, having been the chairman of its board in 1990–2000.


Bibliography

*''Charade'', Mortimer's first novel, Bodley Head, London (1947); Viking, New York (1986); *''Rumming Park'', Bodley Head, London (1948) *''Answer Yes Or No'', Bodley Head, London (1950) *''Like Men Betrayed'', Collins, London (1953); Viking, New York (1988); *''The Narrowing Stream'', Collins, London (1954); Viking, New York (1989); *''Three Winters'', Collins, London (1956) *''Heaven and Hell'' (including ''The Fear of Heaven'' and ''The Prince of Darkness'') (1976) *'' Will Shakespeare'' (1977) *''
Rumpole of the Bailey ''Rumpole of the Bailey'' is a British television series created and written by the British writer and barrister John Mortimer. It starred Leo McKern as Horace Rumpole, a middle-aged London barrister who defended a broad variety of clients, o ...
'' (1978); *''
The Trials of Rumpole ''The Trials of Rumpole'' is a collection of short stories by John Mortimer adapted from scripts for his TV series about Horace Rumpole ''Rumpole of the Bailey'' is a British television series created and written by the British writer and b ...
'' (1979) *''
Rumpole's Return ''Rumpole's Return'' is a 1980 novel by John Mortimer about the defence barrister Horace Rumpole. It was based on a script for a two-hour Rumpole telemovie of the same name.
'' (1980) *'' Regina v Rumpole'' (1981) *''
Rumpole for the Defence ''Rumpole of the Bailey'' is a British television series created and written by the British writer and barrister John Mortimer. It starred Leo McKern as Horace Rumpole, a middle-aged London barrister who defended a broad variety of clients, oft ...
'' (1982) *'' Clinging to the Wreckage: A Part Of Life'' (autobiography) Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London (1982); ; Houghton Mifflin, New York (1982); *''The First Rumpole Omnibus'' (omnibus) (1983) *''
Rumpole and the Golden Thread ''Rumpole and the Golden Thread'' is a 1983 collection of short stories by John Mortimer about defence barrister Horace Rumpole ''Rumpole of the Bailey'' is a British television series created and written by the British writer and barrister J ...
'' (1983) *''
A Choice of Kings "A Choice of Kings" is a television drama film and stage play by John Mortimer. It was first produced in 1966 in the ITV Play of the Week series, directed by John Frankau, starring Michael Craig. Outline The action is set at the court of Edwa ...
'', in Alan Durband, ed., ''Playbill 3'' (Nelson Thornes, 1966), *''Edwin and Other Plays'' (1984) *''In Character'' (1984); *''
Paradise Postponed ''Paradise Postponed'' (1986) is a British 11-episode TV serial based on the 1985 novel by writer John Mortimer. The series covered a span of 30 years of postwar British history, set in a small village. Plot The series explores the mystery of ...
'' (1985); *''Character Parts'' (1986); *'' Rumpole for the Prosecution'' (1986) *''
Rumpole's Last Case ''Rumpole's Last Case'' is a 1987 collection of short stories by John Mortimer about defence barrister Horace Rumpole ''Rumpole of the Bailey'' is a British television series created and written by the British writer and barrister John Mortime ...
'' (1987) *''The Second Rumpole Omnibus'' (omnibus) (1987) *'' Rumpole and the Age of Miracles'' (1988) *''Glasnost'' (BBC Radio Four, 1988) *''
Summer's Lease ''Summer's Lease'' is a novel by Sir John Mortimer, author of the Rumpole novels, which is set predominantly in Italy. It was first published in 1988 and made into a British television mini-series, first shown in 1989. The title "Summer's Leas ...
'' (1988); *'' Rumpole and the Age for Retirement'' (1989) - stand-alone publication of short story first published in ''The Trials of Rumpole'' (1979) *'' Rumpole a La Carte'' (1990) *'' Titmuss Regained'' (1990) *''Great Law And Order Stories'' (1990) *''The Rapstone Chronicles'' (omnibus; 1991) *'' Rumpole On Trial'' (1992) *''Dunster'' (1992); *''Thou Shalt Not Kill: Father Brown, Father Dowling And Other Ecclesiastical Sleuths'' (1992) (with G K Chesterton and
Ralph McInerny Ralph Matthew McInerny (February 24, 1929 – January 29, 2010) was an American author and philosophy professor at the University of Notre Dame. McInerny's most popular mystery novels featured Father Dowling, and was later adapted into the '' ...
) *''The Oxford Book of Villains'' (1992) *'' The Best of Rumpole: A Personal Choice'' (1993) *''
Under the Hammer ''Under the Hammer'' is a British comedy drama television series which originally aired on ITV in 1994. Written by John Mortimer, it is set at a London auction house. Episodes #"The Fatal Attribution" (10 January 1994) #"Wonders in the Deep" (1 ...
'' (1994) *'' Murderers and Other Friends: Another Part of Life'' (autobiography), Viking, London (1994); Viking, NY (1995); *''
Rumpole and the Angel of Death ''Rumpole and the Angel of Death'' is a 1995 collection of short stories by John Mortimer about defence barrister Horace Rumpole. They were adapted from his scripts for the TV series of the same name.Rumpole and the Younger Generation'' (1995) - stand-alone publication of short story first published in ''Rumpole of the Bailey'' (1978) *''Felix in the Underworld'' (1996) *''The Third Rumpole Omnibus'' (omnibus) (1997) *''The Sound of Trumpets'' (1998) *''The Mammoth Book of Twentieth-Century Ghost Stories'' (1998) *'' The Summer of a Dormouse: A Year of Growing Old Disgracefully'' (autobiography), Viking Penguin, London (2000); ; Viking Press, New York (2001); *'' Rumpole Rests His Case'' (2002) *'' Rumpole and the Primrose Path'' (2002)Rumpole stays the same. Hurrah
''www.theguardian.com'', accessed 2 November 2020 *''
The Brancusi Trial ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'' (2003) *''Where There's a Will'' (autobiography), Viking, London (2003) ; Viking, New York (2005); *''
Rumpole and the Penge Bungalow Murders ''Rumpole and the Penge Bungalow Murders'' is a 2004 novel by John Mortimer about defence barrister Horace Rumpole. It describes the events of the Penge Penge () is a suburb of South East London, England, now in the London Borough of Bromley ...
'' (2004); *''Quite Honestly'' (2005); *''The Scales of Justice'' (2005); *''
Rumpole and the Reign of Terror ''Rumpole of the Bailey'' is a British television series created and written by the British writer and barrister John Mortimer. It starred Leo McKern as Horace Rumpole, a middle-aged London barrister who defended a broad variety of clients, ...
'' (2006); *'' The Antisocial Behaviour of Horace Rumpole'' (2007; in United States as Rumpole Misbehaves) *''
Rumpole at Christmas ''Rumpole of the Bailey'' is a British television series created and written by the British writer and barrister John Mortimer. It starred Leo McKern as Horace Rumpole, a middle-aged London barrister who defended a broad variety of clients, ...
'' (2009)


Select screenwriting credits

*'' The Innocents'' (additional dialogue, 1961) *''
Bunny Lake Is Missing ''Bunny Lake Is Missing'' is a 1965 British-American psychological drama film, directed and produced by Otto Preminger. Filmed in black-and-white widescreen format in London, it was based on the 1957 novel '' Bunny Lake Is Missing'' by Merriam ...
'' (1965) *''
A Flea in Her Ear ''A Flea in Her Ear'' (french: La Puce à l'oreille) is a play by Georges Feydeau written in 1907, at the height of the Belle Époque. The author called it a vaudeville, but in Anglophone countries, where it is the most popular of Feydeau's play ...
'' (1968) *'' John and Mary'' (1969) * ''
Edwin The name Edwin means "rich friend". It comes from the Old English elements "ead" (rich, blessed) and "ƿine" (friend). The original Anglo-Saxon form is Eadƿine, which is also found for Anglo-Saxon figures. People * Edwin of Northumbria (die ...
'' (1984, TV film) *'' Maschenka'' (1987) (
Vladimir Nabokov Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov (russian: link=no, Владимир Владимирович Набоков ; 2 July 1977), also known by the pen name Vladimir Sirin (), was a Russian-American novelist, poet, translator, and entomologist. Bo ...
novel adaptation directed by John Goldschmidt) *''
Tea With Mussolini ''Tea with Mussolini'' ( it, Un tè con Mussolini) is a 1999 Anglo-Italian semi-autobiographical comedy-drama war film directed by Franco Zeffirelli, scripted by John Mortimer, telling the story of a young Italian boy's upbringing by a circle o ...
'' (1999)


References

*''The Radio Companion'' by Paul Donovan, HarperCollins (1991) *''Halliwell's Television Companion'', Third edition, Grafton (1986) *''Who's Who in the Theatre'', 17th edition, ed Ian Herbert, Gale (1981) *''John Mortimer: The Devil's Advocate'' by Graham Lord, Orion (2005)


External links

* *
John Mortimer plays in Bristol University Theatre Archive
*
Finding Aid to the John Clifford Mortimer papers
at The Bancroft Library

at
Harry Ransom Center The Harry Ransom Center (until 1983 the Humanities Research Center) is an archive, library and museum at the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in the collection of literary and cultural artifacts from the Americas and Europe for the pur ...
*
Recordings
an
Photos
of the visit by Sir John to the
College Historical Society The College Historical Society (CHS) – popularly referred to as The Hist – is a debating society at Trinity College Dublin. It was established within the college in 1770 and was inspired by the club formed by the philosopher Edmund Bu ...
in October 2007 *
Obituary: Sir John Mortimer
(BBC)
Sir John Clifford Mortimer (1923-2009), barrister, playwright and writer
Sitter in 7 portraits (National Portrait Gallery) * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mortimer, John 1923 births 2009 deaths Alumni of Brasenose College, Oxford British Book Award winners Commanders of the Order of the British Empire English dramatists and playwrights English short story writers English television writers Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature Knights Bachelor People educated at Gibbs School People educated at The Dragon School People educated at Harrow School People from Hampstead People from Wycombe District Prix Italia winners Booker authors' division English male dramatists and playwrights English male short story writers English male novelists 20th-century English novelists 20th-century British short story writers 20th-century English male writers British male television writers
John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...
20th-century English screenwriters 20th-century English lawyers Members of the Inner Temple 20th-century King's Counsel