Blandings Castle and Elsewhere is a collection of short stories by P. G. Wodehouse. 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, New York.McIlvaine (1990), pp. 68–68, A53. All the stories had previously appeared in Strand Magazine (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; they are set some time between the events of Leave it to Psmith (1923) and those of Summer Lightning (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, who also appears in three of the stories in Mr Mulliner Speaking. The last five are narrated by Mr Mulliner 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, 29 November 1924 UK: Strand, December 1924
See "The Custody of the Pumpkin". (Blandings Castle story.)
"Lord Emsworth Acts for the Best" UK: Strand, June 1926 US: Liberty, 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". (Blandings Castle story.)
"Company for Gertrude" UK: Strand, September 1928 US: Cosmopolitan, October 1928
See "Company for Gertrude". (Blandings Castle story.)
"The Go-Getter" US: Cosmopolitan, March 1931 (as ""Sales Resistance") UK: Strand, August 1931
See "The Go-Getter". (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, 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, 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