The Docket

Requiescat In Pace: John Mortimer

RUMPOLE’S LAST CASE

We lost one of our best crime fiction short story writers today, Sir John Mortimer, creator of Rumpole of the Bailey.

Here is a link to his obituary in the New York Times.

Posted in Miscellany on January 17th, 2009
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4 comments

  1. January 17th, 2009 at 3:06 pm, Jeff Baker Says:

    Rumpole was one of the few of the Great Detectives who debuted on television (Columbo is also on this short list!) Ironicly, the original script was written for a radio program and they rejected it! Mortimer based Rumpole on his own father…

  2. January 17th, 2009 at 3:23 pm, Neil Schofield Says:

    Even more ironically, the first television film and the first appearance of Rumpole and – just as important – She Who Must Be Obeyed ( played by the inimitable Peggy Thorpe-Bates), was called ‘Rumpole’s Last Case’. After which, he never looked back. Adieu to a kind, droll, generous gentleman and writer.

  3. January 17th, 2009 at 4:35 pm, Rob Says:

    Aw crud. Too many heroes gone.

    I thought Columbo first appeared in a play?

  4. January 17th, 2009 at 7:29 pm, Jeff Baker Says:

    He was in a play but I don’t think he was called Columbo yet. His creators (Levinson and Link???) had used this type of guy in a telplay (where he was offstage) and the play where they noticede it was the detective who got the best response from the audience. So, he did appear earlier than the t.v. show, but he became the full-blown-Columbo on the show.
    Oh, one more thing, there were only about forty-five episodes all-in-all.

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