MYSTERY!: RUMPOLE OF THE BAILEY: RUMPOLE AND THE CHILDREN OF THE DEVIL (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, children run around their schoolyard in demonic masks, and one Tracy Timson is accused of starting the trouble. At home, Rumpole reads of the upcoming Scales of Justice Ball and dismisses the idea of attending, which disappoints Hilda, who misses dancing with her husband. A social services worker, Mirabelle Jones, arrives at the Molloy home and questions young Dominic about Tracy. He tells her about visiting a churchyard with Tracy, where her father engaged the children in a devil-themed "game." Jones arrives at the Timson house late at night with the police and takes Tracy into custody, saying only that she needs "rather special care." Greatly distressed, Mr. and Mrs. Timson appeal to Rumpole for help, wondering what crime an eight-year-old could have committed. Elsewhere, Mirabelle talks to Tracy about her home life with the help of dolls, and when she shows the girl a picture of the devil, she says only that he is "funny."
At the office, Rumpole finds that the pretty young Dot Clapton has replaced Diane as secretary, as Diane has gotten married, and then learns that Probert is to be his opposing counsel on the Timson case. At the bar, Erskine-Brown introduces young lawyer Charlie Wisbeach, suggesting that he should "sharpen up" his skills by sharing Rumpole's office, but Rumpole declares that he is not retiring any time soon. Henry attempts to show Dot "the ropes," and Erskine-Brown hurries to find Ballard, eventually cornering him in church and revealing that Rumpole is "in with" Satanists and will be defending the Timsons. Late at night, Hilda overhears Rumpole making a lunch date with someone on the phone, and she tries to question him in the morning about his possible wandering eye. The Timsons, Cary and Roz, assure Rumpole that they have never been involved in any kind of devil worship, explaining that they thought that Tracy was taken because of Cary's association with a recent store robbery. He states that he is innocent, though refuses to name the real culprit. Ballard confronts Rumpole and urges him to drop the scandalous case, hinting that he could lose his tenancy in the office to Wisbeach if he continues, but Rumpole refuses to let it go, stating that an innocent child's welfare is at stake.
Hilda spots Rumpole on the underground and secretly follows him to a woman's home. She tells her friend Marigold about it over lunch, assuming that he is having an affair, and says that she will confront him with it "when he least expects it." However, it is revealed that Rumpole is actually taking ballroom dancing lessons. In court, Rumpole objects to Probert's use of hearsay and unfounded evidence to make the case against the Timsons, but she tells him that such "quibbles" do not matter outside of the Old Bailey. He acknowledges that Cary is a "minor villain," but points out that the Molloys are criminals as well and that Mr. Molloy believes Cary to be the informant who landed him in prison, suggesting that Dominic was coached to lie about the Timsons as revenge. Later, he spots the same devil masks in a novelty shop and again asks Timson about the robbery, and it is revealed that two of Timson's relatives stole the masks and stashed them at his house, resulting in Tracy innocently finding and wearing them. Wisbeach finds Rumpole again and lets slip that he will be joining his office after all, as Rumpole and Ballard have had a "falling out," but Rumpole arranges for Ballard to spot Wisbeach and his girlfriend drunkenly cavorting on Oliver Goldsmith's tomb outside the offices, and he seems to reconsider. In court, Timson's relative supports Rumpole's argument about the Molloys purposefully framing Tracy, and Rumpole shoots down Probert's complaints of hearsay by pointing out that she did the same thing. Tracy is returned to her parents, and Rumpole happily updates Hilda, who is still suspicious. However, he surprises her by revealing that he has bought two tickets to the Scales of Justice Ball, and while there, Ballard tells them that Wisbeach is not "suitable" for their office after all. Rumpole then asks Hilda to dance and tells her about the lessons, much to her relief. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS
- DATE: April 13, 1995 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:00:00
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:77467
- 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
- James Cellan Jones … Director
- John Mortimer … Writer
- Joseph Horovitz … Music by
- Diana Rigg … Host
- Leo McKern … Cast, Horace Rumpole
- Peter Blythe … Cast, Samuel Ballard Q.C.
- Jonathan Coy … Cast, Henry
- Julian Curry … Cast, Claude Erskine-Brown
- Marion Mathie … Cast, Hilda Rumpole
- Abigail McKern … Cast, Liz Probert
- Denis Lil … Cast, Mr. Bernard
- Camille Coduri … Cast, Dot Clapton
- Joanna Van Gyseghem … Cast, Lady Marigold Featherstone
- Rowena Cooper … Cast, Marguerite Ballard
- Christopher Milburn … Cast, Dave Inchcape
- Joanna David … Cast, Mirabelle Jones
- Chrissie Coterill … Cast, Roz Timson
- Paul Bigley … Cast, Cary Timson
- John Warnaby … Cast, Charlie Wisbeach
- Ron Pember … Cast, Dennis Timson
- John Bardon … Cast, Fred Timson
- Amanda Dickinson … Cast, Peggy Molloy
- Philip Anthony … Cast, Master of the Temple
- Jennifer Piercey … Cast, Chairwoman
- Julian Gartside … Cast, Clerk of the Court
- Sandra Tallent … Cast, Isadora Fern
- Celestine Randall … Cast, Headmistress
- Carly Maker … Cast, Tracy Timson
- Luke Nugent … Cast, Dominic Molloy