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IMDbPro

John Mortimer(1923-2009)

  • Writer
  • Actor
  • Producer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Trailer for The Innocents
Play trailer3:09
The Innocents (1961)
John Mortimer was 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, 68 next birthday, Old Bailey hack, husband to Mrs Hilda Rumpole," the protagonist and narrator of dozens of stories. (The quotation comes from Rumpole and the Younger Generation.) On television, Leo McKern personified Rumpole for the better part of two decades.
BornApril 21, 1923
DiedJanuary 16, 2009(85)
BornApril 21, 1923
DiedJanuary 16, 2009(85)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Add photos, demo reels
  • Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy
    • 2 wins & 9 nominations total

Known for

The Innocents (1961)
The Innocents
7.7
  • Writer
  • 1961
Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965)
Bunny Lake Is Missing
7.3
  • Writer
  • 1965
Dustin Hoffman and Mia Farrow in John and Mary (1969)
John and Mary
6.5
  • Writer
  • 1969
Ann Bell and Peter Sallis in Plays of Today (1969)
Plays of Today
TV Series
  • Writer

Credits

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IMDbPro

Writer



  • Strahinja Puskarevic and Dragan Djedovic in Cekaonica (2017)
    Cekaonica
    Short
    • based on a play by
    • 2017
  • Reality is an illusion caused by lack of NF Simpson (2008)
    Reality is an illusion caused by lack of NF Simpson
    Short
    • Writer
    • 2008
  • Talár a ptací zob
    6.4
    TV Movie
    • play "The Dock Brief"
    • 2003
  • In Love and War (2001)
    In Love and War
    6.4
    TV Movie
    • teleplay
    • 2001
  • Don Quixote (2000)
    Don Quixote
    6.1
    TV Movie
    • teleplay
    • 2000
  • Cher, Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Lily Tomlin, and Joan Plowright in Tea with Mussolini (1999)
    Tea with Mussolini
    6.9
    • screenplay
    • 1999
  • Cider with Rosie (1998)
    Cider with Rosie
    6.2
    TV Movie
    • Writer
    • 1998
  • Jan Francis and Richard Wilson in Under the Hammer (1993)
    Under the Hammer
    6.9
    TV Series
    • writer
    • 1994
  • Rumpole of the Bailey (1978)
    Rumpole of the Bailey
    8.4
    TV Series
    • written by
    • by
    • 1978–1992
  • Titmuss Regained (1991)
    Titmuss Regained
    6.9
    TV Mini Series
    • novel
    • script
    • 1991
  • Nancy Gustafson in Die Fledermaus (1990)
    Die Fledermaus
    8.1
    TV Movie
    • English adaptation
    • 1990
  • John Gielgud and Susan Fleetwood in Summer's Lease (1989)
    Summer's Lease
    7.3
    TV Mini Series
    • novel
    • screenplay
    • 1989
  • Smith and Jones in Small Doses
    6.6
    TV Series
    • writer
    • 1989
  • Maschenka (1987)
    Maschenka
    6.7
    • Writer
    • 1987
  • Paradise Postponed (1986)
    Paradise Postponed
    7.7
    TV Mini Series
    • novel
    • 1986

Actor



  • Rumpole of the Bailey (1978)
    Rumpole of the Bailey
    8.4
    TV Series
    • Judge at tribunal luncheon table
    • Theatregoer in bar at the opera during the interval
    • Guest at Judge's Lunch (uncredited) ...
    • 1979–1992

Producer



  • Shirley Anne Field in Lunch Hour (1963)
    Lunch Hour
    6.4
    • producer
    • 1963
  • Peter Sellers in Trial and Error (1962)
    Trial and Error
    6.2
    • associate producer
    • 1962

Videos1

The Innocents (1961)
Trailer 3:09
The Innocents (1961)

Personal details

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  • Alternative names
    • Sir John Mortimer
  • Born
    • April 21, 1923
    • Hampstead, London, England, UK
  • Died
    • January 16, 2009
    • Turville Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK(undisclosed)
  • Spouses
      Penny Mortimer1972 - January 16, 2009 (his death, 2 children)
  • Children
      Emily Mortimer
  • Other works
    "Clinging to the Wreckage: A Part of Life," 1982.
  • Publicity listings
    • 5 Print Biographies
    • 3 Portrayals
    • 6 Interviews
    • 82 Articles

Did you know

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  • Trivia
    In September 2004, it was revealed that he had a second son, Ross Bentley, born in 1962 and the result of a short affair with Wendy Craig.
  • Quotes
    As the son of a divorce barrister, I was fed, raised, educated and clothed entirely on the proceeds of adultery. If people had remained faithful, I would never have been sent to Harrow.

FAQ12

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