The Sydney, Australia native was 82, and had a career on the London stage in Shakespeare, Chekhov and Ibsen roles prior to success on film (including in "Help!" with the Beatles) and TV. The 44-episode "Rumpole" series, playing occasionally between the mid-1970s and 1992, mixed comedy with court cases and was a hit in Britain, and around the world. It was seen in the U.S. on PBS.