Convention Time: August 11–14
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The quarterly journal of The Wodehouse Society Volume 26 Number 2 Summer 2005 Convention Time: August 11–14 nly two months to go, but it’s not too late to send farewell brunch Oin your registration for The Wodehouse Society’s Fun times that include reading stories with 13th International Convention, Hooray for Hollywood! other Wodehousians, visiting booksellers’ The site of this year’s gathering is Sunset Village on the and Chapters Corner tables, plenty of grounds of the UCLA campus, a beautiful location singing, and most of all cavorting with with easy access to Westwood, the Getty Museum, and fellow Plummies from all over so much more. And if you’re worried about the climate, don’t be: Informed sources tell us that we can expect What—you want to know more? Well, then, how warm, dry weather in Los Angeles in August, making about our speakers, who include: for an environment that will be pleasurable in every way. Brian Taves: “Wodehouse Still can’t make up your mind? Perhaps on Screen: Hollywood and these enticements will sway you: Elsewhere” Hilary & Robert Bruce: “Red A bus tour of Hollywood that Hot Stuff—But Where’s the includes a visit to Paramount Red Hot Staff?” (by Murray Studios Hedgcock) A Clean, Bright Entertainment Chris Dueker: “Remembrance of that includes songs, skits, and Fish Past” The Great Wodehouse Movie Melissa Aaron: “The Art of the Pitch Challenge Banjolele” Chances to win Exciting Prizes Tony Ring: “Published Works on that include a raffle, a Fiendish Wodehouse” Quiz based on Wodehouse’s Dennis Chitty: “The Master’s Hollywood, and a costume Beastly Similes” competition A weekend program that includes Right—you’re in? Good! Then let’s review erudite talks, more skits and what you need to know. readings, and even a film from Brian Taves provided (1) A registration form is enclosed with talented chapter members this poster; see the this issue of Plum Lines and covers everything article about Brian’s Browsing and sluicing from convention fees to accommodations to book on page 2, and opportunities that include a parking. With everything paid for in advance, hear him speak at the cookout, a fabulous sit-down all you’ll need is a plane ticket, possibly a car convention! dinner, and the traditional (see the article on transportation on page 15), and some pocket money. PGW and More than Hollywood (2) Details about accommodations on the UCLA campus can be found in the Winter 2004 issue, pages 2 here is another important Wodehouse book on the and 5, and our roommate-matching scheme is described Thorizon. The author is Library of Congress film on page 5 of that issue and page 23 of the Spring 2005 archivist Brian Taves, a TWS member who spoke at the issue (as well as on our website at www.wodehouse.org/ 2001 Philadelphia convention and will be a featured TWSHollywood.html). speaker at the Hollywood convention this year. Remember: Reservations for rooms must be made by The title of the book is to be P. G. Wodehouse and July 22! After that you are on your own. Hollywood, which Brian admits is a bit of a misnomer (3) The Saturday banquet main course will be a because it covers a lot more than that, including foreign tasty dish called Chicken Castro Villa. If you want the films and TV adaptations: “Wodehouse has been part vegetarian option instead, please write this in on your of film and television history in a number of different registration form. ways. He spent two sojourns during the 1930s in (4) Do you have a nom de Plum? If so, please write Hollywood as a scriptwriter, which in turn led to a dozen it on your form so we can include your nom on your novels, short stories and autobiographical memoirs, name tag. exposing Hollywood characters and the studio system (5) Attention, chapters! If you want some table space with a comic twist. His more than 70 novels, and even to strut your stuff or sell your wares to make money more numerous short stories, have been adapted into for your chapter, then write to Missy Ratcliffe. Space is some 150 movies and television productions in many limited, so make your reservation now, and be sure to countries beginning in 1915, through such hit series as let Missy know what you plan to sell, if anything. Jeeves and Wooster. While the careers of many writers (6) Attention, booksellers! Tables will be available on reflect one or two of these strands, none has covered all both Friday and Saturday; the fee is a mere $25 for the three or matched the span of Wodehouse’s 45 years of weekend. If interested, write to Gary Hall. writing about Hollywood.” Brian adds that this aspect (7) With a deadline of August 1 for entries, there’s of Wodehouse’s career has been largely neglected. still time to enter The Great Wodehouse Movie Pitch The book will include reproductions of movie Challenge! Details can be found in the Winter 2004 advertising, photos, notes, index, and complete credits Plum Lines on page 16, in the Spring 2005 issue on on all Wodehouse films and television shows (with page 3, or on our website at www.wodehouse.org/ details on each Wodehouse series episode) from around TWSHollywood.html. the world. Much of the information will be new, even Finally, detailed information on the what, when, to ardent Wodehousians. For example, how many where, and how of our weekend will be mailed to all have heard of the 1988, 10-part Indian adaptation of registrants well ahead of the convention. So—see you Leave it to Psmith, played in Hindi by an Indian cast? in Los Angeles! Blandings Castle becomes a palace in Rajasthan, “The Effici Baxter” [sic] is an Indian bureaucrat, and Psmith has been renamed Rambo! The series, apparently, was not a great success. The foreword to the book will be provided by the actor Richard Briers, who has appeared in Wodehouse adaptations on film, television, and radio—the only actor to have done Wodehouse in all of these media— and is also president of The P G Wodehouse Society (UK). The publication date and price have not yet been announced. The publisher will be McFarland (www. mcfarlandpub.com). She had a latent conviction of the immoral- ity of all artists. The Coming of Bill (1920) The illustrious Brian Taves 2 Plum Lines Vol. 26 No. 2 Summer 2005 unlike Gerrard’s comparatively subdued performance Blandings on Screen as George in Brother Alfred. BY BRIAN TAVES Help heads a large, frenetic but unsuccessful office, Help, Ltd. Finally winning a promise of employment landings Castle has in many ways had a more varied from a mysterious figure meeting him at a club, on the Band interesting series of screen incarnations than way he manages to ensnare a flower pot with his cane, the Jeeves stories. Although not as frequently a subject echoed later when Help drops one on Rupert Baxter of television series, Blandings has inspired its full (Gus McNaughton). On the way, he meets and falls share of feature films among Wodehouse adaptations. in love with Miss Eve Halliday (Lamont), who will Regrettably, these are not as widely seen as they arrive later at Blandings, and the two share the first of deserve and are almost unknown among Wodehouse two singing duets. Help is hired to keep an eye on the aficionados, partly because they have been largely jewels of Lady Constance (Bruce) and finds the perfect produced for domestic consumption in England, cover when the poet, Siegfried Veleur (Peter Godfrey, Germany, and India; several are inaccessible and are the character’s name changed from Ralston MacTodd probably lost to posterity. in the play and novel), scheduled to read his poetry at Beginning in 1932, two Wodehouse stories Blandings, asks Help to impersonate him. On the train, appeared in quick succession, both produced by British Help meets his friend Freddie Threepwood (Melville International Pictures and starring Gene Gerrard, Molly Cooper), Lord Emsworth’s son. A mix-up in suitcases Lamont, and Tonie Bruce. Each has been preserved by with the criminal Ed Coots (George Gee) when the the British Film Institute. First was the weak Brother train arrives first makes butler Beach (Syd Crossley) Alfred in 1932, but the second outing, Leave It to Me, suspicious, for Help’s bag is filled with tools of the was made with vastly more skill. It was given a lavish burglary trade, and he informs Baxter, who realizes production, with elaborate settings, elegant costumes, Help is an imposter. Ed is linked with Lida (changed and appropriate makeup. The credited source was a from Alison Peavey, and played by Olive Borden), play Wodehouse had written with Ian Hay while in another undercover guest at Blandings who is after the Hollywood, which utilizes the basic plot of the novel jewels. for which it is named, Leave It to Psmith. The stage Help must continue the pretence of being the version makes such alterations as changing Clarence’s poet Veleur and recite his work in an amusing scene name to the Earl of Middlewick and eliminating all that maintains the satire of poets found throughout the plot strands tying in the novel to earlier stories of Wodehouse generally but which is not crystallized Psmith and Mike Jackson. Most notably, its comic fully in any particular scene in the original play and dialogue far surpasses the very gentle, subtle humor of novel. Halliday places Constance’s necklace in the the novel. Leave It to Me may be said to roughly follow flowerpot, observed by Ed; she is suspicious of Help.