Rumpole of the Bailey, Set 1 - The Complete Seasons 1 & 2

Rating:
Summary: O Frabjous day!
Review: As someone else here noted, a Rumpole fan needs no urging to buy this set. For the uninitiated, however, be aware this may well be an acquired taste -- all the best things in life are.

Here's a litmus test: see if you find this story amusing. A judge had before him an elderly con who's been convicted so many times they are on a first name basis. He sentences him to 20 years and the man looks up and says "But, your honor, I'm a very old man and don't have too many years left. I don't know that I can do 20 years." "Well," says the judge, "you just do as much as you can."

That's one of the stories that Rumpole loves to tell, and it's typical of the kinds of scenerios this barrister finds himself facing. One of the best things about having these episodes on DVD is you can quickly skip back and reply scenes -- every single reviewing will reward you with new treats.

Leo played a part written especially for him, and it's almost impossible to tell where he leaves off and Rumpole begins. The Rumpole series has never been collected in this organized a fashion before (previous releases came in a bewildering array of assorted sets that mixed years willy-nilly) and this is a perfect place to get aquainted with the most erudite and witty barrister the other side of the Big Pond. Nothing can replace Mr. McKern, but this set at least preserves his best performances for all time.

Rating:
Summary: The legal gang's all here--on DVD at last
Review: By far, one of the more popular series that came over the Atlantic to our PBS television stations was the six-season "Rumpole of the Bailey" with Leo McKern as the craggy-faced barrister. Few of us realized that there was once a single Rumpole teleplay, "Rumpole and the Confession of Guilt," now available on an Acorn Media DVD (AMP-6684), that inspired the series and is a Must for fans of what followed.


While all six seasons have been long available on video tapes, about a year ago HBO finally came out on DVD with the first two seasons. After a wait for the rest, A&E has suddenly put out not only the first two seasons as a redone boxed set (AAE71659)but at the same time has given us seasons three and four (AAE71664). Added to the format are introductions to each episode by Rumpole's creator, John Mortimer; but I am afraid all he talks about is the plot and reveals too much of what follows. Better to skip them on first viewing.


So now we have the first 12 episodes with all the amusing characters, most of whom drive Rumpole up a wall, the leader being his wife "She Who Must Be Obeyed" Hilda Rumpole, played first by Peggy Thorpe-Bates, then by Marion Mathie. Most of his fellow lawyers are pretty incompetent chaps: Guthrie Featherstone (Peter Bowles), Claude Erskine-Brown (Julian Curry), and "Soapy Sam" Ballard (Peter Blythe). Even worse than these are the judges-from-hell: Graves (Robin Bailey), Bullingham (Bill Fraser), and Oliphant (James Grout).


The professional women are far more competent: Elizabeth Probert (played first by Samantha Bond, later by Abigail McKern) and Rumpole's favorite "Portia," Phyllida Trant and later Mrs. Erskine-Brown (Patricia Hodge).


Other than the humor, the insight into the British legal system, the high quality acting, and the immortal family of villains, the Timsons, we have the double plots. Each episode develops a theme that is the basis of both the trial in question and of the events of the framing device. For example, the trial of a neo-fascist who wants a purely white England takes place after Hilda has commented on the number of non-white faces in London lately.


An added inducement to purchase the first boxed set of seasons 1 and 2 is the inclusion of the feature-length story "Rumpole's Return." Seeing him stretched out by a pool in Florida is worth the price alone.


Grab these and wait with me impatiently for seasons 5-6 to appear shortly.



Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Collection
Review: HBO Home Video has done a nice job of presenting the first two Rumpole series in this initial DVD collection. The set contains twelve one-hour episodes (six per series) and the two-hour film, "Rumpole's Return". The picture is sharp overall, particularly in the indoor scenes originally recorded on studio videotape, while the outdoor scenes done on 16 mm film are as well as can be expected (the production values of the Rumpole episodes improved considerably over time. These episodes are from the late 1970s). The DVD menus are good and provide about six scene selections per episode. There are also a few extras, such as bios of John Mortimer and Leo McKern, and some information about the British legal system. I have looked forward to seeing Rumpole on DVD for several years and am pleased with this set overall. Presumably, there will be two more sets like it to complete the Rumpole collection, and I would certainly buy them too. If I could have made a suggestion or two to the people in charge of the packaging, I would have liked to have seen the collection in a hard case rather than a paper one, and I would have tried to find more flattering photos of Rumpole than those used on the outside of the box. Also, the photo used to illustrate the episode "Rumpole and the Younger Generation" is from another episode in which Phyllida (Trant) Erskine-Brown appeared (she was not in the Younger Generation). Otherwise, a good job and I hope to see the other two sets soon.

Rating:
Summary: COME ON -- Get the rest of the Series out on DVD!
Review: I bought these for my husband's birthday. We sat right down and watched all the disks over the period of a week. We enjoyed it on PBS, but found the DVDs even better, mainly because we could go back and pick up the dialog that our American ears/brains didn't process the first time through. PLEASE, please get the rest of the series out on DVD for us!

Rating:
Summary: "All Rise For This Honorable Court"
Review: There must be a hallowed place in heaven for barristers the likes of Horace Rumpole. A creation of author John Mortimer, Rumpole plies his craft in London's Old Bailey Criminal Court as the barrister of choice for all sorts of wayward characters charged with a variety of sins. An original PBS series from the 1970's, Leo McKern plays the barrister with distinction. The supporting cast includes Rumpole's wife Hilda "affectionately" referred to as "She Who Must Be Obeyed." While Rumpole's firm, i.e. his Chambers, disdains criminal clients, Rumpole, the senior member who yearns for a good cross examination, has made a career for himself toiling away in the Old Bailey.

This boxed set includes the first two seasons of the series in the order in which they were shown making it easy to follow Rumpole's travails in court, in Chambers and in his personal life. There will be a big demand for the remainder of the series to be finally put on DVD after this success.

Rumpole is humorous, irreverent and traditional. Rumpole's character is a tribute to those defense lawyers both in the UK and in the colonies who stand between their clients and the government to ensure that justice is done. While Rumpole would disdain being a role model, this series was the catalyst for so many courtroom dramas on the tube today. I suspect that Rumpole's creator wanted to and did set the bar high for future performances for those who earn a living being and acting as trial lawyers.

Rating:
Summary: Rumpole Forever!
Review: This DVD set contains the full episodes of Seasons 1 and 2 of Rumpole, and also has as a bonus the single episode Rumpole's Return. These date from the late 1970s and early 1980s but don't seem out of date at all. The first season's shows are all dated with the year they supposedly occured, starting with 1967 and going on until 1977. The characters all age appropriately and incidentally provide a good record of changes in British fashion. (All except Rumpole, who always dresses the same.) Rumpole is an embarrassment to his chambers in Equity Court because he won't get rid of his old hat and won't give up representing petty criminals, who bring down the tone of the place, according to some of the snootier barristers. He is likewise exasperating to his longsuffering and loving wife Hilda (She Who Must Be Obeyed). Rumpole is fully aware that he aggravates everyone around him and delights in doing so. It is this cheerful bullheadedness that makes Rumpole so charming, and makes this set of videos a real treasure.