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John Mortimer (I) (1923–2009)

Writer | Actor | Producer

John Mortimer is a prolific writer for the theatre, films (starting during World War II, when he wrote scripts for the Crown Film Unit), television and radio. He also writes fiction and was a trial attorney for more than 30 years. Arguably his most famous creation is Horace Rumpole, "barrister at law... See full bio »

Born:

John Clifford Mortimer
in Hampstead, London, England, UK

Died:

(age 85) in Turville Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK
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Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 8 nominations See more awards »

Known For


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Filmography

Hide HideWriter (70 titles)
2001 In Love and War (TV movie) (teleplay)
 
2000 Don Quixote (TV movie) (teleplay)
 
1999 Tea with Mussolini (writer)
 
1998 Cider with Rosie (TV movie)
 
1994 Under the Hammer (TV series)
– Treasure Trove (1994) (writer)
– The Spectre at the Feast (1994) (writer)
– After Titian (1994) (writer)
– The Jolly Joker (1994) (writer)
– The Virgin of Vitebsk (1994) (writer)
See all 7 episodes »
 
1978-1992 Rumpole of the Bailey (TV series)
– Rumpole on Trial (1992) (written by)
– Rumpole and the Family Pride (1992) (written by)
– Rumpole and the Reform of Joby Jonson (1992) (written by)
– Rumpole and the Eternal Triangle (1992) (written by)
– Rumpole and the Miscarriage of Justice (1992) (written by)
See all 42 episodes »
 
1991 Titmuss Regained (TV mini-series)
– And the Next Day (1991) (novel / script)
– Tomorrow (1991) (novel / script)
– Today (1991) (novel / script)
 
1990 Die Fledermaus (TV movie) (English adaptation)
 
1989 Summer's Lease (TV mini-series)
– The Urbino Trail (1989) (novel / screenplay)
– A Battlefield (1989) (novel / screenplay)
– Where the Water Goes (1989) (novel / screenplay)
– Villa to Let (1989) (novel / screenplay)
 
1989 Smith and Jones in Small Doses (TV series)
– The Waiting Room (1989) (writer)
 
1987 Maschenka
 
1986 Paradise Postponed (TV mini-series)
– The Simcox Inheritance (1986) (novel)
– Faith Unfaithful (1986) (novel)
– The Gods of the Copy Book Headings (1986) (novel)
– Enigma Variations (1986) (novel)
– And a Happy New Year to You, Too! (1986) (novel)
See all 11 episodes »
 
1984 The Ebony Tower (TV movie)
 
1984 A Voyage Round My Father (TV movie) (play / screenplay)
 
1984 Edwin (TV movie)
 
1981 Brideshead Revisited (TV mini-series)
– Brideshead Revisited (1981) (adaptation)
– A Twitch Upon the Thread (1981) (adaptation)
– Orphans of the Storm (1981) (adaptation)
– Brideshead Deserted (1981) (adaptation)
– The Unseen Hook (1981) (adaptation)
See all 11 episodes »
 
1981 BBC2 Playhouse (TV series)
– Unity (1981) (script)
 
1980 Rumpole's Return (TV movie)
 
1980 Comedy Tonight (TV movie)
 
1978 Life of Shakespeare (TV mini-series)
– The Living Record (1978) (writer)
– Rebellion's Masterpiece (1978) (writer)
– The Loved Boy (1978) (writer)
– Of Comfort and Despair (1978) (writer)
– Alms for Oblivion (1978) (writer)
See all 6 episodes »
 
1977 Two Stars for Comfort (TV movie)
 
1975-1976 Shades of Greene (TV series)
– Mortmain (1976) (adaptation)
– Chagrin in Three Parts (1976) (adaptation)
– The Case for the Defence (1976) (adaptation)
– The Destructors (1975) (adaptation)
– A Little Place Off the Edgware Road (1975) (adaptation)
See all 8 episodes »
 
1975 Play for Today (TV series)
– Rumpole of the Bailey (1975) (written by)
 
1973 Das Pflichtmandat (TV movie) (play)
 
1967-1972 Thirty-Minute Theatre (TV series)
– Bermondsey (1972) (writer)
– Swiss Cottage (1972) (writer)
– King's Cross Lunch Hour (1972) (writer)
– Mill Hill (1972) (writer)
– The Other Side (1967) (writer)
 
1971 Die Anarchisten (TV movie)
 
1970 Scheidung auf englisch (TV movie) (play)
 
1970 ITV Saturday Night Theatre (TV series)
– Married Alive (1970) (writer)
 
1969 John and Mary (screenplay)
 
1969 Plays of Today (TV series)
– A Voyage Round My Father (1969) (writer)
 
1968 A Flea in Her Ear (writer)
 
1966-1968 The Wednesday Play (TV series)
– Infidelity Took Place (1968) (writer)
– The Head Waiter (1966) (writer)
 
1968 Beryl Reid Says Good Evening (TV series)
– Episode #1.4 (1968) (additional material)
 
1967 Eerlijk en ongelogen (TV movie) (play "Call Me a Liar")
 
1967 A Flea in Her Ear (TV movie) (translator)
 
1967 Der Mann aus dem Bootshaus (TV movie) (novel "The Narrowing Stream")
 
1967 Armchair Theatre (TV series)
– The Exploding Azalea (1967) (writer)
 
1967 Podnevna pauza (TV movie) (play)
 
1966 Der Oberkellner (TV movie) (play)
 
1966 ITV Play of the Week (TV series)
– A Choice of Kings (1966) (writer)
 
1965 Bunny Lake Is Missing (screenplay)
 
1965 BBC 3 (TV series)
 
1965 Konversationslexikon (TV movie) (play)
 
1965 Not So Much a Programme, More a Way of Life (TV series)
– Episode #1.47 (1965) (writer)
 
1965 Reci da sam lazov (TV movie)
 
1964 Teatterituokio (TV series)
– Merry Paysonin suuri tilaisuus (1964) (writer)
 
1964 Der Fluggast (TV movie) (play)
 
1964 Wat vertellen we Caroline? (TV movie)
 
1963 ITV Television Playhouse (TV series)
– Collect Your Hand Baggage (1963) (writer)
 
1963 The Ballad of the Running Man (screenplay)
 
1963 Back to Back (TV movie) (plays "What Shall We Tell Caroline?" and "The Dock Brief")
 
1962 Ne éljek, ha nem igaz! (TV movie) (play)
 
1962 Trial and Error (play)
 
1962 Guns of Darkness
 
1962 Ett svårt fall (TV movie)
 
1961 Alfred Hitchcock Presents (TV series)
– I Spy (1961) (play)
 
1961 The Innocents (additional scenes & dialogue)
 
1961 De beklaagde (TV movie)
 
1961 Mittagspause (TV short) (play "Lunch Hour")
 
1961 They Met in a City (TV series)
– The Encyclopaedist (1961) (writer)
 
1961 Twenty-Four Hours in a Woman's Life (TV movie) (teleplay)
 
1961 BBC Sunday-Night Play (TV series)
– The Wrong Side of the Park (1961) (writer)
 
1961 Branilac po sluzbenoj duznosti (TV movie)
 
1961 Lunch Hour (play / screenplay)
 
1960 Sie können's mir glauben (TV movie) (play)
 
1960 David and Broccoli (TV movie)
 
1959 Play of the Week (TV series)
– Back to Back: The Dock Brief and What Shall We Tell Caroline? (1959)
 
1959 Ferry to Hong Kong (additional dialogue)
 
1958 Das Pflichtmandat (TV movie) (play "The Dock Brief")
 
1958 I Spy (TV movie) (radio script)
 
Show ShowActor (1 title)
1987-1992 Rumpole of the Bailey (TV series)
Judge at table / Passenger on deck chair / Wine drinker
– Rumpole on Trial (1992) … Judge at table (uncredited)
– Rumpole at Sea (1991) … Passenger on deck chair (uncredited)
– Rumpole and the Blind Tasting (1987) … Wine drinker (uncredited)
 
Show ShowProducer (1 title)
1961 Lunch Hour (producer)
 
Show ShowSelf (28 titles)
2013 Dangerous Edge: A Life of Graham Greene
Himself
 
2009 John Mortimer: A Life in Words (TV documentary)
Himself
 
2008 Strictly Courtroom (TV documentary)
Himself
 
2008 Truly, Madly, Cheaply!: British B Movies (TV documentary)
Himself (as Sir John Mortimer)
 
2008 Sunday AM (TV series)
Himself
– Episode #3.23 (2008) … Himself (as Sir John Mortimer)
 
2007 Burn Hollywood Burn (TV series documentary)
Himself
– Rachel Roberts (2007) … Himself
 
2007 The Secret Life of Brian (TV documentary)
Himself (as Sir John Mortimer)
 
2006 Betjeman and Me: Griff Rhys Jones (TV documentary)
Himself
 
2004-2006 This Week (TV series)
Himself
– Episode dated 15 June 2006 (2006) … Himself
– Episode dated 3 November 2005 (2005) … Himself (as Sir John Mortimer)
– Episode dated 18 November 2004 (2004) … Himself
 
2006 War Stories (TV documentary)
Himself
 
2005 Late Review (TV series)
Himself
– Episode dated 25 November 2005 (2005) … Himself (as Sir John Mortimer)
 
2003 Imagine (TV series)
Himself
– John Mortimer: Owning Up at 80 (2003) … Himself
 
2002 Breakfast with Frost (TV series)
Himself
– Episode dated 24 November 2002 (2002) … Himself
 
2002 The Best of British (TV series)
Himself
– Leslie Phillips (2002) … Himself
 
1998 Dear John: A Tribute to John Wells (TV documentary)
Himself
 
1994 The ABC of Democracy (TV documentary)
Himself
 
1992 Alistair Cooke Salute (TV movie)
Himself
 
1991 Benny Hill: The World's Favorite Clown (TV documentary)
Himself
 
1988 Ten Great Writers of the Modern World (TV mini-series documentary)
Himself
– Henrik Ibsen (1988) … Himself
 
1986 The Life and Loves of a She-Devil (TV series)
Himself
– Episode #1.3 (1986) … Himself
 
1986 The South Bank Show (TV series documentary)
Himself
– John Mortimer (1986) … Himself
 
1979-1982 Question Time (TV series)
Himself
– Episode dated 10 June 1982 (1982) … Himself
– Episode dated 16 October 1979 (1979) … Himself (as John Mortimer QC)
 
1980 Panorama (TV series documentary)
Himself
– Thank You 1980, and Goodbye: A Panorama Special (1980) … Himself
 
1980 Friday Night, Saturday Morning (TV series)
Himself
– Episode #2.4 (1980) … Himself
 
1978 Read All About It (TV series)
Himself
– Episode dated 22 January 1978 (1978) … Himself
 
1973 But Seriously, It's Sheila Hancock (TV series)
Himself
– Episode #1.6 (1973) … Himself
 
1972 The Brian Connell Interview (TV series)
Himself
– John Mortimer (1972) … Himself
 
1971 Aquarius (TV series)
Himself
– Pornography Should Never Be Forbidden (1971) … Himself
 
Show ShowArchive Footage (1 title)
2006 Longford (TV movie)
Himself (uncredited)
 
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Personal Details

Other Works:

"Clinging to the Wreckage: A Part of Life," 1982. See more »

Publicity Listings:

5 Print Biographies  | 6 Interviews  | 82 Articles  | See more »

Official Sites:

Resume at PFD | See more »

Alternate Names:

Sir John Mortimer | John Mortimer QC
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Did You Know?

Personal Quote:

I was raised, educated and clothed almost entirely on the proceeds of cruelty, adultery and neglect. See more »

Trivia:

He was awarded the Knighthood of the British Empire in the 1998 Queen's Birthday Honors List for his services to Literature. See more »

Star Sign:

Taurus