MYSTERY!: RUMPOLE OF THE BAILEY: RUMPOLE AND THE MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE (TV)
Summary
One in this mystery anthology series. Host Diana Rigg introduces this British series of legal dramas about eccentric, kind-hearted barrister Horace Rumpole, who defends seemingly hopeless cases in London's main criminal court, the Old Bailey. In this episode, policeman Ted Yeomans is fatally stabbed during a riot and Detective Superintendent Gannon assures his widow Betty that they will catch the culprit. One "Pinhead" Morgan is convicted, with Justice Guthrie Featherstone stating that he is sure of his guilt and sentencing him to life in prison. Rumpole, however, notes that there was little convincing evidence and that Morgan's confession is doubtful. Agreeing that it "stinks to high heaven," Chief Superintendent Belmont runs a test that seems to imply that Gannon faked the written confession. The case is reopened, and Justice Parsloe observes that Featherstone will likely come out of it with "egg on his face." Protestors demand Morgan's freedom, and he is released thanks to the "worthless confession" obtained by Gannon and Featherstone's "unwise remarks." Betty is furious, though she does not blame Gannon, instead blaming Featherstone's recklessness. Featherstone drowns his sorrows, telling the impatient bartender that his wife Marigold is out of town and he is "all alone." He runs into Dot and some of her thespian friends, and they invite him to accompany them to a discotheque for "a bit of a bop," and he agrees.
In the morning, Featherstone sends Dot flowers, observed by Erskine-Brown. Gannon seeks Rumpole's assistance, still believing in Morgan's guilt, but Rumpole observes that Gannon was not present when Morgan initially confessed and wonders why he changed his mind after three days of denial, guessing that Gannon "improved on" the man's statement. Later, he goes to lunch with Erskine-Brown at the Sheraton Club, and Featherstone arrives, talking jovially of his evening with Dot and suggestively saying that it was "successful in every way." The rumor reaches Hilda, and she is shocked to learn that Featherstone was the one talking publicly of "hanky-panky." Betty gives Rumpole a nerve-wracking ride in her mini-cab and mentions that Detective Sergeant Chesney Lane was present at Morgan's confession, adding that a friend of her husband's, Pertwee, was similarly accused of faking evidence. Parsloe urges Featherstone to redeem himself by trying "rotten apple" Gannon for forging the confession, and Rumpole asks Bernard about Pertwee and learns that many wanted to get rid of him before he was accused of planting drugs on a suspect. Bernard talks to Lane and urges him to confess his part in the cover-up, lest Gannon will receive all of the blame.
Hilda tells Marigold about Featherstone's alleged dalliance with Dot, and she coldly tells him that Dot is "perfectly welcome to him" but chastises him for talking about it publicly, which saddens him greatly. In court, Peplow is asked about Morgan's confession, and Rumpole asks if they threatened Morgan was violence if he did not confess, which Peplow denies. Rumpole then questions Belmont and accuses him of faking the machine test on the confession to make it look as though Gannon forged it, wanting to frame him because he knew of the trick played on Pertwee, as witnessed by Lane. Gannon voices his discomfort with Rumpole's strategy, not wanting Lane to get into trouble, but Rumpole says that justice demands it and questions Lane, who finally admits that Peplow did threaten Morgan and agrees that Belmont framed Gannon with the fake-faked confession. Gannon is acquitted, though he notes that there are no cheering crowds for him as there were for Morgan. Rumpole then talks to Dot, who laughs off the suggestion that anything untoward happened with Featherstone, and once Rumpole informs Hilda and Marigold that he was simply boasting because he was "desperately unhappy" about the case, the Featherstones make up at home. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS
- DATE: April 20, 1995 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:00:00
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:77468
- GENRE: Drama, legal
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, legal; Comedy; Britain
- SERIES RUN: PBS - TV series, 1978-1992
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Lloyd Shirley … Executive Producer
- Brian Walcroft … Executive Producer
- Jacqueline Davis … Producer
- Rebecca Eaton … Producer
- David Ball … Associate Producer
- Robert Tronson … Director
- John Mortimer … Writer
- Joseph Horovitz … Music by
- Diana Rigg … Host
- Leo McKern … Cast, Horace Rumpole
- Peter Bowles … Cast, Mr. Justice Featherstone
- Joanna Van Gyseghem … Cast, Lady Marigold Featherstone
- Jonathan Coy … Cast, Henry
- Julian Curry … Cast, Claude Erskine-Brown
- Marion Mathie … Cast, Hilda Rumpole
- Denis Lil … Cast, Mr. Bernard
- Camille Coduri … Cast, Dot
- Ronnie Stevens … Cast, Rt. Hon. Lord Justice Parsloe
- Peter Carlisle … Cast, Wilfred
- Rosalind March … Cast, Betty Yeomans
- Tony Doyle … Cast, Det. Supt. Gannon
- Harvey Ashby … Cast, Ch. Supt. Belmont
- Sean Gascoine … Cast, Det. Sgt. Chesney Lane
- David Beames … Cast, Det. Insp. Peplow
- Graham Sinclair … Cast, Miles Crudgington Q.C.
- Tim Wylton … Cast, Toby Haringay
- David Gooderson … Cast, Denver
- Stanley Kowalski … Cast, Pinhead Morgan
- Jim Penfold … Cast, Thespian
- Sylvester Salmon … Cast, Police Constable
- David Oliver … Cast, Ted Yeomans