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John Mortimer

John Mortimer

Writer · Died January 16, 2009, aged 85 · Hampstead, London, United Kingdom

Sir John Clifford Mortimer CBE QC FRSL was an English barrister, dramatist, screenwriter, and author. Mortimer was a prolific writer for the theatre, films (starting during World War II, when he wrote scripts for the Crown Film Unit), television and radio. He also wrote fiction and was a trial attorney for more than 30 years.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 21, 1923
Died
January 16, 2009 (aged 85)
From
Hampstead, London, United Kingdom
Works as
Writer
Titles
14 on MovieCove · 56 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Up 16% in 30 days

What are John Mortimer's films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Drama5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 73rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 50th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
35%
Self
27%
Ideas
13%
Morality
12%
Survival
6%
Society
4%
Power
3%
Family bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTruth2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeHope2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 11 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 5 · Serious 4 · Dark 2

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 7 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 3 · Charged 4 · Intense 4

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 6 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 2

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 2

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 4 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 2

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 5 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
6
Warm
4
Melancholic
4
Joyful
2
Dread
2
Other
10

How their films linger

Hopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet5
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch John Mortimer's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 14 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for John Mortimer's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

56 credits, 14 with a MovieCove page; 6 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Betjeman and Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • In Love and War(2001)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Don Quixote(2000)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Tea with Mussolini(1999)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Cider with Rosie(1998)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • The Garden Party (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Under the Hammer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 7 episodes · Writer

  • Titmuss Regained (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 3 episodes · Writer

  • Summer's Lease (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 4 episodes · Creator · Novel · Screenplay

  • Maschenka (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Writer

  • Paradise Postponed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Writer

  • A Voyage Round My Father(1982)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Edwin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Writer

  • Brideshead Revisited(1981)

    Show 11 episodes · Writer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Unity (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Script

  • Rumpole's Return (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Writer

  • Will Shakespeare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 6 episodes · Creator · Writer

  • Rumpole of the Bailey(1978)

    Show 42 episodes · Creator · Writer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • Rumpole of the Bailey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Writer

  • Shades of Greene (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Show 8 episodes · Writer

  • Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 1 episode · Adaptation

  • Bermondsey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Writer

  • Knightsbridge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Writer

  • King's Cross Lunch Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Writer

  • Mill Hill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Writer

  • Play for Today (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • John and Mary(1969)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Plays of Today (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • A Flea in Her Ear(1968)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Infidelity Took Place (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Writer

  • ITV Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • One Pair of Eyes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Der Mann aus dem Bootshaus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Novel

  • Poslední přestávka (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Original Story

  • Thirty-Minute Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 6 episodes · Writer

  • Bunny Lake Is Missing(1965)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • The Wednesday Play (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 2 episodes · Writer

  • The Running Man(1963)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • The Dock Brief (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Writer

  • Guns of Darkness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Screenplay

  • Lunch Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Producer · Screenplay

  • The Innocents(1961)

    Additional Writing · Writer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Encyclopaedist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Writer

  • They Met in a City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • 24 Hours in a Woman's Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Teleplay

  • Back to Back (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Writer

  • Ferry to Hong Kong(1959)

    Dialogue

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Das Pflichtmandat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Original Story

  • The Dock Brief (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Writer

  • Theatre Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • Armchair Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents(1955)

    Show 1 episode · Theatre Play

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Hallmark Hall of Fame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • The Ware Case (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Youth (uncredited)

  • Me and Marlborough (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Minor Role

  • Brown on Resolution (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Actor

Career shape

A full career of 55 titles from 1935 to 2006.

Biggest box office

Tea with Mussolini (1999)

$14M worldwide

Highest rated

The Innocents (1961)

Midcredits 96th

Most popular right now

Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting6 of 55: 6 only acting, 0 with another roleWriting47 of 55: 43 only writing, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score69thProducing1 of 55: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleOther crew5 of 55: 2 only other crew, 3 with another role

55 titles, 4 with more than one role.

By decade

1930s3 · acting1950s8 · crew1960s19 · 1 acting · 18 crew1970s10 · crew1980s8 · crew1990s5 · 1 acting · 4 crew2000s2 · 1 acting · 1 crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do John Mortimer's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 65th percentile, the median of all 11; across their 11 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 63rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

63rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Approval · how many liked their films

62ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Reach · how many have seen their films

61stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Midcredits score across 14 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 14 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · writer

Cider with Rosie (1998)

53rd percentile spread · 16% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

The Innocents (1961)

Midcredits 96th · 84% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 60/100 and the plot and story 49/100 in their films, across 11 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does John Mortimer work with?

People who share at least 2 of John Mortimer's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Peter Yates shares the most, 2.

Directors

Actors

Composers