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''Blandings Castle and Elsewhere'' is a collection of short stories by
P. G. Wodehouse Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, ( ; 15 October 188114 February 1975) was an English author and one of the most widely read humorists of the 20th century. His creations include the feather-brained Bertie Wooster and his sagacious valet, Jeeve ...
. It was first published in the United Kingdom on 12 April 1935 by Herbert Jenkins, London, and, as ''Blandings Castle'', in the United States on 20 September 1935 by
Doubleday Doran Doubleday is an American publishing company. It was founded as the Doubleday & McClure Company in 1897 and was the largest in the United States by 1947. It published the work of mostly U.S. authors under a number of imprints and distributed th ...
, New York.McIlvaine (1990), pp. 68–68, A53. All the stories had previously appeared in ''
Strand Magazine ''The Strand Magazine'' was a monthly British magazine founded by George Newnes, composed of short fiction and general interest articles. It was published in the United Kingdom from January 1891 to March 1950, running to 711 issues, though the ...
'' (UK) and all except the last in various US magazines.


Overview

The first six stories all take place at the book's namesake
Blandings Castle Blandings Castle is a recurring fictional location in the stories of British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being the seat of Lord Emsworth (Clarence Threepwood, 9th Earl of Emsworth), home to many of his family and the setting for numerous tal ...
; they are set some time between the events of ''
Leave it to Psmith ''Leave It to Psmith'' is a comic novel by English author P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on 30 November 1923 by Herbert Jenkins Ltd, Herbert Jenkins, London, England, and in the United States on 14 March 1924 by George H ...
'' (1923) and those of ''
Summer Lightning ''Summer Lightning'' is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United States on 1 July 1929 by Doubleday (publisher), Doubleday, Doran, New York, under the title ''Fish Preferred'', and in the United Kingdom on 19 July 1929 by Her ...
'' (1929). Lord Emsworth of Blandings Castle is depicted as a gentleman farmer, growing prize pumpkins and especially concerned with his prize pig, Empress of Blandings; he is also concerned with his nieces and nephews as well as the love life of his younger son Freddie Threepwood. The seventh story concerns Bobbie Wickham, an acquaintance and sometime fiancée of
Bertie Wooster Bertram Wilberforce Wooster is a fictional character in the comedic Jeeves stories created by British author P. G. Wodehouse. An amiable English gentleman and one of the "idle rich", Bertie appears alongside his valet, Jeeves, whose intelligenc ...
, who also appears in three of the stories in ''
Mr Mulliner Speaking ''Mr Mulliner Speaking'' is a collection of nine short stories by P. G. Wodehouse. It was first published in the United Kingdom on April 30, 1929 by Herbert Jenkins, and in the United States on February 21, 1930 by Doubleday, Doran.McIlvaine ( ...
''. The last five are narrated by
Mr Mulliner Mr. Mulliner is a fictional character from the short stories of P. G. Wodehouse. Mr. Mulliner is a loquacious pub raconteur who, no matter what the topic of conversation, can find an appropriate (if improbable) story about a member of his fa ...
and are set in Hollywood among the movie studios that Wodehouse knew from his time as a screenwriter in 1930–31.


Contents


"The Custody of the Pumpkin"

* US: ''
Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine, currently published six times a year. It was issued weekly under this title from 1897 until 1963, then every two weeks until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely c ...
'', 29 November 1924 * UK: ''
Strand Strand may refer to: Topography *The flat area of land bordering a body of water, a: ** Beach ** Shoreline * Strand swamp, a type of swamp habitat in Florida Places Africa * Strand, Western Cape, a seaside town in South Africa * Strand Street ...
'', December 1924 See " The Custody of the Pumpkin". (Blandings Castle story.)


"Lord Emsworth Acts for the Best"

* UK: ''Strand'', June 1926 * US: ''
Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...
'', 5 June 1926 See " Lord Emsworth Acts for the Best". (Blandings Castle story.)


"Pig-hoo-o-o-o-ey"

* US: ''Liberty'', 9 July 1927 * UK: ''Strand'', August 1927 See "
Pig-hoo-o-o-o-ey "Pig-Hoo-o-o-o-ey" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, which first appeared in the United States in the 9 July 1927 issue of ''Liberty'', and in the United Kingdom in the August 1927 ''Strand''. Part of the Blandings Castle canon, it featur ...
". (Blandings Castle story.)


"Company for Gertrude"

* UK: ''Strand'', September 1928 * US: ''
Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...
'', October 1928 See "
Company for Gertrude "Company for Gertrude" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, which first appeared in the United Kingdom in September 1928 in ''Strand'', and in the United States in October 1928 in ''Cosmopolitan''. Part of the Blandings Castle canon, it features t ...
". (Blandings Castle story.)


"The Go-Getter"

* US: ''Cosmopolitan'', March 1931 (as ""Sales Resistance") * UK: ''Strand'', August 1931 See "
The Go-Getter "The Go-Getter" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, which first appeared in the United States in the March 1931 issue of ''Cosmopolitan'' (as "Sales Resistance"), and in the United Kingdom in the August 1931 ''Strand''. Part of the Blandings ...
". (Blandings Castle story.)


"Lord Emsworth and the Girl Friend"

* US: ''Liberty'', 6 October 1928 * UK: ''Strand '', November 1928 See " Lord Emsworth and the Girl Friend". (Blandings Castle story.)


"Mr Potter Takes a Rest Cure"

* US: ''Liberty'', 23 January 1926 (as "The Rest Cure") * UK: ''Strand'', February 1926 ;Plot J. H. Potter, a New York publisher, is, on the advice of his doctor, taking a restful vacation in London. He accepts an invitation to stay at Skeldings Hall, which is owned by Lady Wickham, a best-selling novelist who wants him to publish her novels in America. Lady Wickham's daughter, Roberta ("Bobbie") is in residence, and is actively trying to sabotage an impending marriage proposal by Clifford Gandle, a member of Parliament and Lady Wickham's choice to be Bobbie's husband, much to Bobbie's distress. Readers of the other Bobbie Wickham stories will know that Bobbie is an expert at using psychological tricks to create chaos that swirls around her. Some accidental events, increased by Bobbie's machinations, cause Gandle to believe that Potter is suicidal, and Potter to believe that Gandle is homicidal. Bobbie hints to her mother that Gandle is probably violent, which Lady Wickham refuses to believe. LIke many Wodehouse matrons, she has strong opinions about which suitors are suitable for their children. Gandle, urged on by Bobbie, decides that it would be wise to deprive Potter of his shaving razor. Potter, meanwhile, has barricaded himself in his room as a precaution against the presumed blood lust of Gandle. After midnight, Gandle sneaks into Potter's room by climbing through the window. Discovered by Potter, he nevertheless manages to secure the razor and exit via the window. At breakfast the next day, Bobbie cleverly manipulates Potter into believing that it would be wise for him to leave Skeldings Hall as soon as possible, with no notice or explanation. When Gandle enters for breakfast, he sees Potter about to pop a pill into his mouth. In order to save him from suicide, Gandle rushes at Potter, who decides that he should delay his departure no more. Potter runs off with Gandle in hot pursuit. Bobbie, meanwhile, has given her own spin on these events to her mother, who, as a result, forbids Bobbie ever to marry Gandle. A side effect is that Lady Wickham loses the opportunity to pursue a publishing contract with Potter. Once again, a female novelist trying to manipulate a publisher finds, in Wodehouse's universe, that this is easier said than done.


"Monkey Business"

* UK: ''Strand'', December 1932 (featuring Mervyn Mulliner in magazine versions, Montrose in book) * US: ''
American Magazine ''The American Magazine'' was a periodical publication founded in June 1906, a continuation of failed publications purchased a few years earlier from publishing mogul Miriam Leslie. It succeeded ''Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly'' (1876–1904), ' ...
'', December 1932 (as "A Cagey Gorilla") ;Plot The story is one of those narrated by pub raconteur Mr Mulliner, and concerns his distant cousin Montrose Mulliner, who is in love with Rosalie Beamish. (In the earlier magazine appearances, the cousin's name is given as Mervyn Mulliner.) Indirectly as a result of the advice of Captain Jack Fosdyke (a self-important and possibly lying explorer), Rosalie proposes that she and Montrose be married inside the cage of a star gorilla on the movie set where the two of them work. This would, she explains, generate much publicity for the film, promote her career, and give him an excuse to ask their boss for a raise. Montrose declines, and Rosalind ends their engagement. For dinner that night, she chooses not to dine with Montrose, but with the supposedly more courageous Captain Fosdyke. Montrose goes to the gorilla's cage and tries to befriend it with a banana, despairing when he recalls that it is an elephant that never forgets, not a gorilla. A few days later, just before dinner, Montrose encounters a staff member from the Press department, who warns him that, to stoke publicity about the film, the gorilla will be "accidentally" released from its cage, causing panic and generating press attention. This indeed happens just moments later, and Montrose finds himself stranded in a distant part of the movie lot. For safety, and to reconnoiter, he climbs the steps attached to the back of one of the large sets, whereupon he sees that the gorilla has snatched a baby from its mother and lumbered off with the infant, to the consternation of a large crowd of onlookers. A moment later, he trips and falls, and then discovers that the gorilla is towering over him, staring at him with its "hideous face," having just climbed the steps behind the set as well. Now it is revealed that the gorilla is actually an amiable, educated actor named Cecil Waddesley-Davenport, who took the baby because he is a dedicated performer and that was how he saw the scene, but now regrets this and wants the baby returned. Montrose agrees to return the baby. Having apparently rescued the baby, he defeats Captain Fosdyke and wins Rosalie's admiration.


"The Nodder"

* UK: ''Strand'', January 1933 * US: ''American Magazine'', January 1933 (as "Love Birds") ;Plot While discussing child characters in films portrayed by midgets, Mr Mulliner remarks that one such actor, Johnny Bingley, played a role in the affairs of his distant relative Wilmot. He tells the following story about Wilmot. Wilmot Mulliner is a Nodder. A Nodder is similar to a Yes-Man except lower in the social scale. He is expected to nod in agreement to what the chief executive says after all the Yes-Men have said yes. Wilmot works for Mr Schnellenhamer, the head of the Perfecto-Zizzbaum Corporation, a film studio. Mabel Potter, Schnellenhamer's secretary, was formerly a bird-imitator in vaudeville. Wilmot overhears her arguing with a director about how cuckoos sound. Having grown up on a farm, Wilmot is familiar with birds and agrees with her. They grow closer together in the weeks that follow. He proposes to her, but she says she will not marry a mere nodder. Disappointed, Wilmot goes to drink at a speakeasy. Another person sits at his table, apparently a child in a Lord Fauntleroy costume. Wilmot recognizes him as the child actor Little Johnny Bingley and is surprised to see him there. Bingley asks Wilmot not to tell Schnellenhamer he was in a speakeasy, since there is a morality clause in his contract. Wilmot agrees. They become friends and visit other speakeasies together. The next day, Mr Schnellenhamer tells his fellow executive, Mr Levitsky, that he is concerned. Bingley told him that he may have revealed to Wilmot that he is actually a midget. If this becomes known, Bingley will be worthless to them, and he has a contract for two more films. Levitsky suggests they watch Wilmot closely. If he acts unlike his usual deferential self, they will know he knows and have to pay him off. In reality, Wilmot barely remembers his night out and does not know the truth about Bingley. At a story-conference, Wilmot seems listless, which Schnellenhamer and Levitsky think means he knows, though Wilmot actually just has a hangover. Wilmot winces when he nods, which looks like a scowl to the anxious executives. Schnellenhamer talks about adding birds that go "cuckoo" to the story, but Mabel says he is wrong, to the astonishment of the many obsequious men in the room. She insists that cuckoos go "wuckoo". She says that Wilmot agreed with her, and for her sake, Wilmot risks his job by firmly agreeing with her in front of the executives. Mabel is delighted and embraces him. Schnellenhamer and Levitsky tell the others to leave. They remark that Wilmot is loyal to the firm and would never betray its secrets. They ask if he will consent to become an executive. Wilmot does not entirely understand what is going on, but he is glad he will get to marry Mabel and nods.


"The Juice of an Orange"

* UK: ''Strand'', February 1933 * US: ''American Magazine'', February 1933 (as "Love on a Diet") ;Plot The topic of dieting comes up at the
Angler's Rest The following is a list of recurring or notable fictional locations featured in the stories of P. G. Wodehouse, in alphabetical order by place name. Angler's Rest The Angler's (or Anglers') Rest is the fictional public house frequented by irrepr ...
, leading Mr Mulliner to tell the following story about Wilmot (from "The Nodder"). Wilmot is now an executive at the Perfecto-Zizzbaum Corporation, a film studio. He is engaged to Mabel, the secretary of the head of the company, Mr Schnellehamer. Schnellehamer convinces Wilmot to take a large salary cut by claiming it will help the company. This upsets Mabel, who believes that Wilmot is still a Nodder at heart. She refuses to marry him unless he proves he can assert himself. Wilmot thinks there is nothing he can do, and his disappointment makes him eat more than usual. Before long, Wilmot gets indigestion. He consults a physician, who advises him to take orange juice, which the physician insists on calling "the juice of an orange", in place of meals. Wilmot goes from being very genial to very irritable as a result of being on this diet for four days. There is a plate of sandwiches at the next story-conference. The sight of Schnellenhamer enthusiastically eating a sandwich pushes Wilmot too far. He shouts at Mr Schnellenhamer to stop eating. Schnellenhamer is about to fire Wilmot when a siren goes off. This siren warns all workers on the lot to take cover because Hortensia Burwash, the temperamental female star actress, has lost her temper. She is armed with a sword she borrowed off an actor playing a Roman soldier. Everyone flees except Wilmot, who is too busy brooding on his diet to notice, Mabel, who crouches on top of the filing cabinet, and Schnellenhamer, who hides in a cupboard. Hortensia appears and breaks an ink-pot with her sword, and some of the ink gets on Wilmot's trousers. Wilmot grabs the sword and demands that she stop. Surprised by his reaction, she apologizes and explains that she is in a bad mood because she has been on an orange juice diet for fifteen days. She is on the diet because of a strict weight clause in her contract. Wilmot sympathizes with her and borrows her sword. He makes Schnellenhamer write Hortensia a new contract without a weight clause, and tells him to restore his former salary. However, Hortensia wants Wilmot to be her new business manager, at double his old salary. Mabel is pleased and writes out the contract for Wilmot's new job.


"The Rise of Minna Nordstrom"

* UK: ''Strand'', April 1933 * US: ''American Magazine'', March 1933 (as "A Star is Born", omitting Anglers' Rest introduction) ;Plot The story is the fourth of five stories set in Hollywood that are narrated by pub raconteur Mr Mulliner, who tells this one while sipping his usual hot Scotch and lemon at a pub called the Angler's Rest. The barmaid has just seen a movie starring Minna Nordstrom, and was much impressed. Mr. Mulliner claims to know the story of how Nordstrom became a star–by "sheer enterprise and determination", not personal connections. He begins by describing Vera Prebble, a parlormaid working at the home of the head of a large movie studio. She (and, according to Mulliner, nearly every other non-acting resident of Hollywood) starts demonstrating her acting prowess whenever she encounters a studio executive, who in this case is Jacob Z. Schnellenhamer. Annoyed, he fires her, and she retaliates by informing the police (accurately) that he has a stash of liquor in his cellar. Because the story takes place during
Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic ...
, the police raid the house and confiscate the alcohol. But he and his wife are planning a party that evening for 150 people, and they must have liquor to serve, Prohibition or no Prohibition. So Schnellenhamer contacts several suppliers (
bootleggers Bootleg or bootlegging most often refers to: * Bootleg recording, an audio or video recording released unofficially * Rum-running, the illegal business of transporting and trading in alcoholic beverages, hence: ** Moonshine, or illicitly made ...
), but they are all busy filming movies. Then he tries contacting another studio head, who had the misfortune of having recently hired the same Vera Prebble, firing her, and suffering the same fate. The two of them move on to a third studio head, who had fired Prebble even more recently, with the same result of confiscation of his liquor. The three studio executives band together and, in one last desperate attempt, visit the home of a fourth studio head, who happens to be away on vacation. Alas, Prebble had just been hired by him, too, and she threatens another police raid if she is not awarded a contract as a movie star. The three studio heads begin to bargain with her, each outbidding the others, until they decide to merge their firms and thus become a sole negotiator to deal with Prebble. This is the crisis that precipitates the creation of the Perfecto-Zizzbaum Corporation—by virtue of the merger of the Colossal-Exquisite, the Perfecto-Fishbein, and the Zizzbaum-Celluloid. The vacationing executive, head of the Medulla-Oblongata studio, is not present to add his company to the mix. As the negotiations escalate and the executives near an agreement to offer Prebble a 5-year contract, the police arrive. Soon the studio heads try to bribe the police, too, by offering them movie contracts. Recalling previous rejections by the same men, the police decline the offers and head for the cellar. Prebble misleads them and locks them in the coal cellar instead of taking them to the wine cellar. Terms are agreed to. Prebble selects the stage name of Minna Nordstrom, and cannily requires the executives to sign a letter summarizing the main points of their deal before she hands over the key to the liquor.


"The Castaways"

* UK: ''Strand'', June 1933 ;Plot At the Angler's Rest, the barmaid mentions a book she is reading in which a couple of castaways are deposited on a desert island, then fall in love with each other even though each is engaged to a different person back home. Mr Mulliner steps in with a story about his nephew, Bulstrode Mulliner, and a woman named Genevieve Bootle; he claims that their situation was very similar to that story. Mr Mulliner's nephew Bulstrode Mulliner is an Englishman who moves to Los Angeles planning to make money by striking oil. His fiancée, Mabelle Ridgway, stays in New York. A hat mixup on a train leads him to the office of Jacob Z. Schnellenhamer, the president of the Perfecto-Zizzbaum movie studio. (Both Schnellenhamer and the studio are featured in Mr Mulliner's other Hollywood stories.) Schnellenhamer proposes that Bulstrode sign a document which turns out to be a dialogue-writing contract, not a hat receipt. Schnellenhamer sends Bulstrode to a room in the "Leper Colony", a building in which writers write when working for Perfecto-Zizzbaum. The project Bulstrode has inadvertently joined is a movie adaptation of "Scented Sinners", a failed Broadway musical. 10 other writers are already working on dialogue for it. One day another writer, Genevieve Bootle, shows up in Bulstrode's room. Although both immediately disclose that they are engaged to others (Genevieve to Ed Murgatroyd, a Chicago bootlegger), a chaste romance develops as a result of solitude and propinquity. The pressure of writing triggers a declaration of love by Bulstrode, and when he embraces Genevieve, Mabelle and Ed burst through the door, the latter carrying a sawed-off shotgun. The two had met on a train to Los Angeles. The two couples argue and break up. Mabelle and Ed meet Schnellenhamer, who tricks them, too, into signing writing contracts for "Scented Sinners". Assigned to the building called the "Ohio State Penitentiary", Ed and Mabelle soon become engaged. Bulstrode meets Ed and Mabelle in the commissary. Everyone confesses: they are all repelled by their current fiancés, and would prefer to return to their original partners. The three of them agree to confront Schnellenhamer and resign. Schnellenhamer refuses to release them from their contracts. However, sensing unrest among the "Scented Sinners" writers, he calls a meeting to deliver a pep talk to them. This inspirational speech is interrupted by another executive, who informs Schnellenhamer that their company does not own the rights to "Scented Sinners"; a different company outbid them for the rights 11 years previously. All the contracts are thus null and void. The released writers all celebrate their freedom. Bulstrode and Mabelle are happy but have no financial resources to fall back on. Ed offers them a position in his Chicago bootlegging operation, and Bulstrode enthusiastically accepts.


Style

Robert Hall used "Mr Potter Takes a Rest Cure" as an example of a Wodehouse short story where the romantic element is only a minor part of the story and treated farcically, as in Gandle's interrupted proposal of marriage to Bobbie Wickham, in contrast to stories in which romance plays a larger role or is not involved at all. The other example Hall gave of a short story similar to "Mr Potter Takes a Rest Cure" in this respect was "
Uncle Fred Flits By "Uncle Fred Flits By" is a short story by British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, which was published in the United States in the July 1935 edition of '' Redbook'', and in the United Kingdom in the December 1935 issue of the ''Strand''. It was inc ...
". In "Mr Potter Takes a Rest Cure", the pompous politician Clifford Gandle exaggerates the neutral vowel which has replaced ''r'' at the end of words such as "desire", "here", and "there" in south-east British English. It is made into a separate syllable, which Wodehouse represents with the spellings "desi-ah", "hee-yah", and "they-ah" respectively. Gandle's exaggerated pronunciation of the final vowel in the words "Nature" and "razor" is shown by the spellings "Na-chah" and "ra-zah". Some of these changes also occur in the speech of other Wodehouse characters, such as Lavender Briggs in '' Service with a Smile''. Percy Gorringe similarly refers to his mother as "Moth-aw" in ''
Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit ''Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit'' is a comic novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on 15 October 1954 by Herbert Jenkins, London and in the United States on 23 February 1955 by Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York, under th ...
''. In "The Castaways", which concerns Mr Mulliner's nephew Bulstrode Mulliner, a writer in Hollywood, writing dialogue for sound films is compared to being castaways on a desert island.


Background

"The Castaways" was influenced by Wodehouse's experience writing dialogue for films. In a letter to fellow author William "Bill" Townend (dated 26 June 1930, as published in '' Author! Author!'' and ''
Performing Flea ''Performing Flea'' is a non-fiction book, based on a letter collection, series of letters written by P. G. Wodehouse to William Townend, a friend of Wodehouse's since their schooldays together at Dulwich College. It was originally published in ...
''), Wodehouse wrote: "When the
Talkies A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...
came in and they had to have dialogue, the studios started handing out contracts right and left to everyone who had ever written a line of it. Only an author of exceptional ability and determination could avoid getting signed up. ... With the result that the migration to Hollywood has been like one of those great race movement of the Middle Ages. So though there is a touch of desert island about the place and one feels millions of miles from anywhere, one can always count on meeting half a dozen kindred spirits when one is asked out to dinner."


Publication history

In ''
The Strand Magazine ''The Strand Magazine'' was a monthly British magazine founded by George Newnes, composed of short fiction and general interest articles. It was published in the United Kingdom from January 1891 to March 1950, running to 711 issues, though the ...
'', "Monkey Business", "The Nodder", "The Juice of an Orange", "The Rise of Minna Nordstrom", and "The Castaways" were illustrated by Gilbert Wilkinson. "Mr Potter Takes a Rest Cure" was illustrated by Charles Crombie. In ''
American Magazine ''The American Magazine'' was a periodical publication founded in June 1906, a continuation of failed publications purchased a few years earlier from publishing mogul Miriam Leslie. It succeeded ''Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly'' (1876–1904), ' ...
'', "Monkey Business", "The Nodder", "The Juice of an Orange", and "The Rise of Minna Nordstrom" were illustrated by Roy F. Spreter. "Mr Potter Takes a Rest Cure" was published with illustrations by
Wallace Morgan Wallace Morgan (1875 – April 24, 1948) was a war artist for the United States Army during World War I. Biography Morgan was born in 1875, and he grew up in Albany, New York, where his family had moved shortly after his birth. Upon graduation fr ...
in ''
Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...
''. "Mr Potter Takes a Rest Cure", under the title "The Rest Cure", was published in the ''Family Herald and Weekly Star'' magazine (Montreal, Canada) on 8 May 1935. It was published in the Toronto ''
Star Weekly The ''Star Weekly'' magazine was a Canadian periodical published from 1910 until 1973. The publication was read widely in rural Canada where delivery of daily newspapers was infrequent. History Formation The newspaper was founded as the ''Toronto ...
'' on 11 May 1935. The story was translated into Swedish by Birgitta Hammar and published in the Stockholm magazine ''Böckernas värld'' in 1971, with illustrations by Gunnar Brusewitz. The five Mulliner stories in the collection were collected in the ''Mulliner Omnibus'' (1935), ''The World of Mr. Mulliner'' (1972), and the Wodehouse collection ''The Hollywood Omnibus'' (1985). "Monkey Business" and "The Rise of Minna Nordstrom" were included in the 1939 collection ''The Week-End Wodehouse'' (US edition), published by Doubleday, Doran & Co. "Monkey Business" was also included in the 1960 book ''The Most of P. G. Wodehouse'', published in October 1960 by Simon and Schuster, New York, and ''A Wodehouse Bestiary'', edited by D. R. Bensen and published in October 1985 by Ticknor & Fields, New York. "The Nodder" was featured in the 1985 Wodehouse collection ''Short Stories''.


Adaptations

Several of the Blandings shorts from this collection were adapted for the first series of ''
The World of Wodehouse ''The World of Wodehouse'' is a comedy television series, based on the Blandings Castle and Ukridge stories written by P. G. Wodehouse. The series, which followed the television series ''The World of Wooster'', was shown on BBC Television. It c ...
'', broadcast in February and March 1967 in six half-hour episodes. They starred
Ralph Richardson Sir Ralph David Richardson (19 December 1902 – 10 October 1983) was an English actor who, with John Gielgud and Laurence Olivier, was one of the trinity of male actors who dominated the British stage for much of the 20th century. He wo ...
as
Lord Emsworth Clarence Threepwood, 9th Earl Emsworth, commonly known as Lord Emsworth, is a recurring fictional character in the Blandings Castle series of stories by British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse. He is the amiable and somewhat absent-minded head of th ...
,
Derek Nimmo Derek Robert Nimmo (19 September 193024 February 1999) was an English character actor, producer and author. He is best remembered for his comedic upper class "silly ass" and clerical roles including Revd Mervyn Noote in the BBC1 sitcom ''All G ...
as
Freddie Threepwood The Honourable Frederick Threepwood is a fictional character in the Blandings stories by P. G. Wodehouse. A member of the Drones Club affectionately known as "Freddie", he is the second son of Lord Emsworth, and a somewhat simple-minded youth who ...
,
Meriel Forbes Meriel Forbes, Lady Richardson (13 September 1913 – 7 April 2000) was an English actress. She was a granddaughter of Norman Forbes-Robertson and great-niece of Sir Johnston Forbes-Robertson. After making her stage debut with her father's tour ...
as Lady Constance, and
Stanley Holloway Stanley Augustus Holloway (1 October 1890 – 30 January 1982) was an English actor, comedian, singer and monologist. He was famous for his comic and character roles Stanley Holloway on stage and screen, on stage and screen, especially t ...
as
Beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shel ...
. Unfortunately the master tapes of all but the first part ("Lord Emsworth and the Girl Friend"), were wiped, and no known copies exist. Some of the stories featured in the collection, "Mr Potter Takes a Rest Cure", "The Rise of Minna Nordstrom" and "The Nodder" (combined with "Monkey Business") were produced as part of the BBC's ''
Wodehouse Playhouse ''Wodehouse Playhouse'' is a British television comedy series based on the short stories of P. G. Wodehouse. From 1974 to 1978, a pilot and three series were made, with 21 half-hour episodes altogether in the entire series. The series has been r ...
'' series, starring
John Alderton John Alderton (born 27 November 1940) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles in '' Upstairs, Downstairs'', ''Thomas & Sarah'', ''Wodehouse Playhouse'', ''Little Miss'' (original television series), ''Please Sir!'', ''No, Honestly' ...
and
Pauline Collins Pauline Collins (born 3 September 1940) is a British actress who first came to prominence portraying Sarah Moffat in '' Upstairs, Downstairs'' (1971–1973) and its spin-off, ''Thomas & Sarah'' (1979). In 1992, she published her autobiography, ...
, airing in 1975 and 1976 respectively.Wodehouse Playhouse
, Blandings. In 2013 and 2014,
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
television aired a series titled ''
Blandings Blandings Castle is a recurring fictional location in the stories of British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being the seat of Lord Emsworth (Clarence Threepwood, 9th Earl of Emsworth), home to many of his family and the setting for numerous tal ...
'' starring
Timothy Spall Timothy Leonard Spall (born 27 February 1957) is an English actor and presenter. He became a household name in the UK after appearing as Barry Spencer Taylor in the 1983 ITV comedy-drama series ''Auf Wiedersehen, Pet''. Spall performed in '' S ...
as
Clarence Clarence may refer to: Places Australia * Clarence County, New South Wales, a Cadastral division * Clarence, New South Wales, a place near Lithgow * Clarence River (New South Wales) * Clarence Strait (Northern Territory) * City of Clarence, a l ...
,
Jennifer Saunders Jennifer Jane Saunders (born 6 July 1958) is an English actress, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Saunders originally found attention in the 1980s, when she became a member of The Comic Strip after graduating from the Royal Central School of ...
as
Connie Connie is a given name. It is often a pet form (hypocorism) of Concetta, Constance, Cornelia, or Cornelius. Given name or nickname Women * Connie Achurra, Chilean chef * Connie Binsfeld (1924–2014), American politician * Connie Booth ...
, and Jack Farthing as Freddie.
Beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shel ...
was played by Mark Williams (2013) and
Tim Vine Timothy Mark Vine (born 4 March 1967) is an English comedian, actor, writer, and presenter best known for his one-liners and his role on the sitcom ''Not Going Out'' (2006–2014). He has released a number of stand-up comedy specials and has wr ...
(2014).


See also

* List of short stories by P. G. Wodehouse


References and sources

;References ;Sources * * * – Alphabetical list of Wodehouse's short stories, with publication and collections. * – Lists of characters and publication dates for each story.


External links

* ** ** ** **
Fantastic Fiction's page
with details of published editions, photos of book covers and links to used copies * {{DEFAULTSORT:Blandings Castle And Elsewhere Short story collections by P. G. Wodehouse 1935 short story collections Herbert Jenkins books Pigs in literature