Classic Wodehouse Illustrations, Part 14: "Jeeves and the Chump Cyril", "Extricating Young Gussie"
Hi! Remember these? I'm finally back with a couple more, after a long and frustrating adventure with my computer's service board blowing out, and then being out of the country for two months. Sort of bunged a spanner into the works. Alas, this is about all I have at the moment anyway, but I'll be doing my best to get my hands on more as soon as I can.
Today, I give you two stories illustrated by our old friend Leete: "Jeeves and the Chump Cyril" and "Extricating Young Gussie."
The first story, "Jeeves and the Chump Cyril," is of course the tale of Bertie's idiotic thespian friend Cyril Bassington-Bassington. It was later published as "A Letter of Introduction" and "Startling Dressiness of a Lift Attendant."
. . . Oh dear. That's unfortunate. Let's move on.
Hey, is Spode moonlighting as an American rozzer? No wonder he's so grumpy all the time. Dude has way too much on his plate. I do like Leete's slouching, chinless Cyril.
I always loved the father-son Blumenfield duo. Apparently they were based on reality -- Wodehouse encountered the real "Mr. Blumenfield" during his musical theater years. Bertie seems to be positively enjoying the encounter. Jeeves, oddly enough, looks like he's ready to choke the kid. Also, Cyril reminds me a bit of BBC!Tuppy here.
You tell 'em, Mr. Blumenfield! The guy they cast in the show actually looks a fair bit like this dude.
Once again, the illustrations are a bit out of order in this one. This is poor Cyril reacting to Blumenfield Jr. panning him on stage. I like the earnest-looking lady next to him.
Next up is the one I've been saving for last (at least until I can get my hands on more of these): "Extricating Young Gussie." This is where it all began . . . the very first story in which Bertie and Jeeves ever appeared. Jeeves' role in the story is so small that he doesn't even get an illustration.
That's the first ever illustration of Bertie Wooster . . . and he's with none other than Aunt Agatha. Leete's Agatha is just about perfect. She was already pretty fully developed as a character by this point. This is a fascinating story, really . . . a little glimpse into a part of Bertie's family history that never comes up again.
The plot revolves around Bertie trying to prevent his cousin, Gussie Mannering-Phipps, from marrying a Broadway chorus girl and going into showbiz. As it turns out, Gussie is following in his mother's footsteps. Bertie's Aunt Julia was once a beautiful vaudevillian actress, forcefully molded into a respectable society woman by Aunt Agatha after she married into the family.
This story was written during Wodehouse's musical theater years, so there are a lot of American show business stereotypes in here. And Bertie himself is a stereotype, too . . . an outlandish caricature of an "English Dude" designed to appeal to an American audience. Bertie is really just a foil for the action at this point. He hasn't learned yet to turn to Jeeves for help, so he just sort of bungles through, completely at a loss to prevent the inevitable outcome. Don't worry, Bertie, you'll start to wise up by the next one!
Leete's Bertie sort of fluctuates between looking kind of ordinary to fairly hideous throughout this one. He hadn't yet settled on his final ugly!Bertie form.
I think Aunt Julia is pretty awesome, and I wish she had been a recurring character. *ponders fanfic*
At the end, of course, Bertie's efforts backfire spectacularly. Gussie gets his mother's blessing and marries his Broadway chorus girl sweetheart, and Julia defects from the family and marries an old flame from her vaudeville days. Bertie is left to break the news to Aunt Agatha. He looks positively Skidmore-esque in this final picture. I guess dealing with Aunt Agatha will depress and prematurely age a fellow. Also, I'm trying to figure out if he's supposed to have a pencil mustache here, but I'm pretty sure it's just his teeth sticking out from under his improbably thin upper lip. Lookin' good, Leete!Bertie. *shudder*
Previous entries:
"Bingo and the Little Woman" and "The Metropolitan Touch"
"Comrade Bingo"
"Bertie Changes His Mind"
"Leave It to Jeeves"
Right Ho, Jeeves
"The Delayed Exit of Claude and Eustace"
"Aunt Agatha Takes the Count"
"Jeeves in the Springtime"
"Scoring Off Jeeves" and "Sir Roderick Comes to Lunch"
"Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest"
"The Great Sermon Handicap"
"The Purity of the Turf"
"Jeeves and the Hard-Boiled Egg"
Today, I give you two stories illustrated by our old friend Leete: "Jeeves and the Chump Cyril" and "Extricating Young Gussie."
The first story, "Jeeves and the Chump Cyril," is of course the tale of Bertie's idiotic thespian friend Cyril Bassington-Bassington. It was later published as "A Letter of Introduction" and "Startling Dressiness of a Lift Attendant."
. . . Oh dear. That's unfortunate. Let's move on.
Hey, is Spode moonlighting as an American rozzer? No wonder he's so grumpy all the time. Dude has way too much on his plate. I do like Leete's slouching, chinless Cyril.
I always loved the father-son Blumenfield duo. Apparently they were based on reality -- Wodehouse encountered the real "Mr. Blumenfield" during his musical theater years. Bertie seems to be positively enjoying the encounter. Jeeves, oddly enough, looks like he's ready to choke the kid. Also, Cyril reminds me a bit of BBC!Tuppy here.
You tell 'em, Mr. Blumenfield! The guy they cast in the show actually looks a fair bit like this dude.
Once again, the illustrations are a bit out of order in this one. This is poor Cyril reacting to Blumenfield Jr. panning him on stage. I like the earnest-looking lady next to him.
Next up is the one I've been saving for last (at least until I can get my hands on more of these): "Extricating Young Gussie." This is where it all began . . . the very first story in which Bertie and Jeeves ever appeared. Jeeves' role in the story is so small that he doesn't even get an illustration.
That's the first ever illustration of Bertie Wooster . . . and he's with none other than Aunt Agatha. Leete's Agatha is just about perfect. She was already pretty fully developed as a character by this point. This is a fascinating story, really . . . a little glimpse into a part of Bertie's family history that never comes up again.
The plot revolves around Bertie trying to prevent his cousin, Gussie Mannering-Phipps, from marrying a Broadway chorus girl and going into showbiz. As it turns out, Gussie is following in his mother's footsteps. Bertie's Aunt Julia was once a beautiful vaudevillian actress, forcefully molded into a respectable society woman by Aunt Agatha after she married into the family.
This story was written during Wodehouse's musical theater years, so there are a lot of American show business stereotypes in here. And Bertie himself is a stereotype, too . . . an outlandish caricature of an "English Dude" designed to appeal to an American audience. Bertie is really just a foil for the action at this point. He hasn't learned yet to turn to Jeeves for help, so he just sort of bungles through, completely at a loss to prevent the inevitable outcome. Don't worry, Bertie, you'll start to wise up by the next one!
Leete's Bertie sort of fluctuates between looking kind of ordinary to fairly hideous throughout this one. He hadn't yet settled on his final ugly!Bertie form.
I think Aunt Julia is pretty awesome, and I wish she had been a recurring character. *ponders fanfic*
At the end, of course, Bertie's efforts backfire spectacularly. Gussie gets his mother's blessing and marries his Broadway chorus girl sweetheart, and Julia defects from the family and marries an old flame from her vaudeville days. Bertie is left to break the news to Aunt Agatha. He looks positively Skidmore-esque in this final picture. I guess dealing with Aunt Agatha will depress and prematurely age a fellow. Also, I'm trying to figure out if he's supposed to have a pencil mustache here, but I'm pretty sure it's just his teeth sticking out from under his improbably thin upper lip. Lookin' good, Leete!Bertie. *shudder*
Previous entries:
"Bingo and the Little Woman" and "The Metropolitan Touch"
"Comrade Bingo"
"Bertie Changes His Mind"
"Leave It to Jeeves"
Right Ho, Jeeves
"The Delayed Exit of Claude and Eustace"
"Aunt Agatha Takes the Count"
"Jeeves in the Springtime"
"Scoring Off Jeeves" and "Sir Roderick Comes to Lunch"
"Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest"
"The Great Sermon Handicap"
"The Purity of the Turf"
"Jeeves and the Hard-Boiled Egg"