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Product Details:
Actors:
Leo McKern, Joyce Heron, Noel Willman, David Yelland, Herbert Norville
Director:
John Gorrie
Format:
Color, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
Language:
English
Number of Discs:
1
Studio:
Acorn Media
Run Time:
65 minutes
DVD Release Date:
January 06, 2004
Average Customer Rating:
based on 10 reviews
Description:
"You'll have a bit of fun with this one, Mr. Rumpole," and so will fans of this venerable BBC series. This may not be Horace Rumpole's absolute finest hour (65 minutes, to be exact), but it is his first. John Mortimer introduced his crusty, irrepressible British barrister in this long-lost 1975 television play, originally broadcast as part of the anthology series Play for Today. Leo McKern doesn't portray so much as inhabit Rumpole, as cynical about the justice system ("Crime doesn't pay, but it's a living") as he is passionate about defending his clients; in this case, a sullen black youth accused of stabbing a stranger at a bus stop. Though his wife ("she who must be obeyed") needles him as "an old Bailey hack," he rises to the occasion after determining that there is more to this "20-minute case" than simply "just another boy with a dagger." It's grand fun watching Rumpole get the best of scowling judges and corrupt policemen. Rumpole could very well have been reviewing this episode when he tells his son, Nick, "Sometimes, it goes well... sweet and easy as knocking back a pint of Guinness." -- Donald Liebenson
Customer Reviews:
Average Customer Review:
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We must have itOct 04, 2008 Lovers of Rumpole will agree that there is no such thing as a bad Rumpole story. This, the first, is probably the worst. However, we see that Leo McKern has already taken the measure of the character he portrays and made it his own. John Mortimer wrote the rest of his Rumpole stories so that Leo was a perfect fit.
We expect to see Rumpole more rotund and with hair more gray, but we accept that here is a slightly younger, but still wise, version of our favorite barrister.
The price for the DVD is excessive; but what are Rumpole lovers to do? We must pay because WE MUST HAVE IT!
Hilda........Sep 14, 2008 Not bad overall, especially if you want to see a pre-Rumpole before Peggy-Thorton-Bates assumes the role of Hilda. It is only one hour and a bit pricey, but it was after all a play originally written for a BBC series. I think it was our equivalent of a "skit"? Worth a look for sure.
Review of Rumpole of the Bailey SeriesJan 15, 2008 When Rumpole of the Bailey was first screened on Australian television many years ago my partner and I thoroughly enjoyed the series. I had been searching for any of the episodes for quite some time in Australian stores but never saw it on the shelves. When I asked about the series, either the sales person hadn't heard of it or I was advised that it wasn't available. So it was with great delight that I found I could order the series from Amazon. It's a fantastic series - albeit some of the scenes a little "dated" in this day and age but Rumpole is a most intriguing and entertaining character. I've enjoyed every episode with as much delight as when we first saw them.
Rumpole of the Bailey (lost[original TV play] episode)Aug 03, 2007 For a well written and performed on air tell-play that sets the tone for a classic drama/ mystery series one could not do better than this.
19 of 19 found the following review helpful:
A Rumpole episode you never saw before!Jun 03, 2006 Rumpole of the Bailey, that poetry-quoting British barrister, bane to prosecutors and Old Bailey judges, and well known creation of author John Mortimer, got his start in 1978 with the creation of the Rumpole series, right? Wrong! In point of fact, Rumpole first saw the light in 1975, when John Mortimer wrote a screenplay for the series Play For Today. And now, after all of these years, you can see the very first ever Rumpole of the Bailey!
This wonderful show has all of the quality that you expect from the later Rumpoles, but with a few surprises. Leo McKern appears as Horace Rumpole and David Yelland appears as his son Nick Rumpole, but those are the only faces you'll recognize. Joyce Heron appears as Hilda Rumpole, and all of the judges and lawyers are strangers. Also, most strange is Rumpole's attempt to get a client to plea bargain.
But, that aside, this is a very good Rumpole story, with an interesting plot and wonderful twist in the way that Rumpole gets his client off. So, if you are a fan of Leo McKern as Horace Rumpole, then I can definitely say that you will like this DVD. I really enjoyed seeing a Rumpole episode that I have never seen before! I love this DVD and give it my absolutely highest recommendations!
based on 10 reviews
