John Mortimer
The witty barrister who created the beloved, claret-swilling defender Horace Rumpole and championed civil liberties in and out of court.
1923–2009 (age 86)·British barrister and author·Birthday: April 21·The Greatest Generation
Biography
John Mortimer lived a life divided between the theater of the courtroom and the theater of the stage. The son of a blind barrister, he followed his father into law, specializing in divorce and, most notably, defending free speech in obscenity trials. His most famous case was defending the publishers of 'Lady Chatterley's Lover' in 1960, a victory that signaled a cultural shift in Britain. Yet his true legacy was literary. Drawing on his legal experiences, he created Horace Rumpole, the rumpled, poetry-quoting, indefatigable Old Bailey hack who championed the underdog and loathed judges he called 'the old sweethearts'. The character, brought to life on television, became a national treasure. Mortimer himself was a gregarious, hard-working figure who wrote novels, stage plays, and autobiographies with equal flair, all infused with a deep humanism and a belief in the importance of laughter in the face of life's absurdities.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
John was born in 1923, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When John Was Born
The biggest hits of 1923
#1 Movie
The Covered Wagon
John's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1923Born
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1928Started school
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1936Became a teenager
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1939Could drive
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1941Could vote
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1944Turned 21
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1953Turned 30
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1963Turned 40
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1973Turned 50
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 60
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 70
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 80
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2009Died at 86
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
Key Achievements
- Created the enduring literary and television character Horace Rumpole, the star of 'Rumpole of the Bailey'.
- Successfully defended Penguin Books in the 1960 obscenity trial over D.H. Lawrence's 'Lady Chatterley's Lover'.
- Wrote the screenplay for the acclaimed 1981 television adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's 'Brideshead Revisited'.
- Authored numerous novels, stage plays, and autobiographical works, including the memoir 'Clinging to the Wreckage'.
Did You Know?
He was almost completely blind in one eye from childhood due to a condition called glaucoma.
He continued to practice as a barrister even after his success as a writer, often taking on pro bono cases.
His father, upon whom Rumpole was partly based, was a divorce lawyer who continued to practice after going blind.
He was a passionate supporter of the Labour Party and once stood (unsuccessfully) for Parliament.
“The law is a way of keeping poor people from doing what rich people are doing.”
