A genius. I rejoice in re-reading his works endlessly. Even though I know what's on the next page, the humour still hits the spot. I have often made a fool of myself on a train or on a plane, by laughing out loud to myself (much to the annoyance of my wife!). Thank you Plum.
Reading Wodehouse is always a pleasure; and it is a great solace in hard times. We’ve lost loved ones in the past year - very difficult...My belated condolences to you.
What a wonderful mind, clarity and joyous yet memorably alone, lonely almost melancholic still nothing like it, one could only call it splendour of insight into human condition , one his own !
It was the Central State Library Sector 17, Chandigarh, 1998, I was a wee lad of but 16, I looked at the Wodehouse book and it looked right back at me and the rest as they say, is history.
Two great English men- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle & Sir P G Wodehouse. The former made us think a bit & the latter laugh a bit, for ever. They were friends too.
It is as if his answer to the final question at the very end of this documentary was an astounding "No". It's clear he felt an affinity with New York and the easiness of spirit it provided him. A true gentleman and brilliant writer without a doubt.
His dachshund shown near the end of this film looks very much like mine. His name is Oscar. I admire not only his writing but his love and loyalty to his dogs.
"but not Plum, Plum was one of us.." That tells you all that you need to know about him. He was the "master" but was yet humble and "one of us." Great man.
I've never been able to understand Duff Cooper's vicious persecution of Plum. I've read Cooper's diaries, his correspondence, Diana Cooper's letters... Their reaction when they found Plum was staying at the same hotel as they... I can't find a reason for Cooper's obtuseness
If you ever try reading the stuff that he broadcast you will realize that it was very funny and at the same time cleverly satirizing the German's attitude. Nothing naive about it in fact it was really the Germans who were naive and didn't understand that the things he said was lampooning and undermining them.
Johnny really looks great and loved all the pampering. He did well with getting his photos taken so don't blame him for wanting a wee bit of fun! He and Faya looked just right together. For tomorrow (9th May) please give 👑Uniek lots of cuddles and treats for her birthday 🎂 she deserves it! 😍💕🐎
Fine, but I'd say two things: P G Wodehouse must be read; any adaptation for any other medium is to eviscerate his power utterly. Secondly, Jeeves is NOT, repeat NOT, a butler.
i concur, with an addendum: excelent audiobooks are available of his works, read very masterfully by, amongst others, Ian Meredith. Perfect for walks...
I agreed, but have recently discovered Jonathan Cecil's audio books. His voice characterisations, timing etc are pitch perfect. Listening to his reading is even better than reading the printed page. But the problem with screen adaptation is that is cuts out some of the magnificent writing.
Despite the vintage quality of this footage, it is enthralling to learn something of PGW's life and to hear in what high regard he was held by the most eminent of his day. Strangely there is one other writer who both in his background, manner and writings in many ways paralleled PGW, Raymond Chandler. Who is there today able to match the quality of either of these two masters? Suggestions welcome.
I have loved every Wodehouse book I've read. His humor was so warm and subtle and fun...and he created a wonderful fictional world for his characters to live in. It's always a great escape from the here and now!
The British phiosophy during and war and peace of course is: "whatever is yours is mine; I am doing you a favor by invading your country and ruling you, so thank us!"
Good documentary. Shame he never got back to England after the war. I think he suffered from some naivety as regards his war time broadcasts. Theres another great film called 'Wodehouse in Exile' which further explains what happened.
Mithrandir Naivety, but he wasn't a traitor. I'm not particularly into Wodehouse, I don't particularly like his class background which he wrote mostly about, but he was a skilled writer and humorist and it does seem how he was treated during the war on account of these broadcasts was unfair. He seems to have always been a bit fish out of water and not really understanding of social surroundings or the political/power implications of things, and his attitude to being interned by the Germans shows this. It seems in time of war there's no room for honest naivety, everything has to be interpreted in black or white as an allegiance or witting motivation.
I don't know if he was so naive about the war . . . Living with Germans, technically their prisoner, his experience of them was very different than that created by British propaganda. As such his broadcasts reflected that. The contradiction he presented meant he had to be demonized with the enemy, and so British Intelligence and their accomplices in the media went about doing that.
I always love the views and attitudes of our ancestors...not ruined by the howling left wing PC mob....of 2019 Britain......They too will pass into dustbin of history....
Or... maybe he knew them better than we do, better than we who have been relentlessly propagandized with the victors' portrayal of them for the last almost eight decades now.
You people lost the war. Get over it. Go back to haunting war videos. Plum later said he ought to have seen it was a loony thing to do to use the German radio for any reason.
War causes man to behave in a savage manner, and hating the enemy becomes a patriotic duty. Wodehouse was incapable of hating an entire nation. When asked, if he did not hate Germans, he stated that while he might dislike a particular German, he could not hate all Germans.
A genius. I rejoice in re-reading his works endlessly. Even though I know what's on the next page, the humour still hits the spot. I have often made a fool of myself on a train or on a plane, by laughing out loud to myself (much to the annoyance of my wife!). Thank you Plum.
God bless ole Plum. He got me through the death of my father, the death of my mother, and some other the hardest times I've ever faced.
Ah yes the death of ones parents..raw raw times
Reading Wodehouse is always a pleasure; and it is a great solace in hard times. We’ve lost loved ones in the past year - very difficult...My belated condolences to you.
Oh, what a bitter joy and a wistfu happiness!.. From now on his books will wrap me in most humorous sadness. Tremendously grateful. Ah...
My absolute favorite writer of humor - although there are many other fine ones - he is the best. Mahalo from the big island of Hawaii.
Aloha
Never read any..seen Jeeves n woster on tv
What a wonderful mind, clarity and joyous yet memorably alone, lonely almost melancholic still nothing like it, one could only call it splendour of insight into human condition , one his own !
England's greatest writer.
great doco! and the man doing the book readings is just fantastic
It was the Central State Library Sector 17, Chandigarh, 1998, I was a wee lad of but 16, I looked at the Wodehouse book and it looked right back at me and the rest as they say, is history.
Two great English men- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle & Sir P G Wodehouse. The former made us think a bit & the latter laugh a bit, for ever. They were friends too.
Conan Doyle was born in Scotland of Irish roots
And Oscar Wilde made us live a bit.
Two Great Brits.
I entirely agree, the laughter he provokes is genuine and spontaneous.
My Man Wodehouse My favorite author.
It is as if his answer to the final question at the very end of this documentary was an astounding "No". It's clear he felt an affinity with New York and the easiness of spirit it provided him. A true gentleman and brilliant writer without a doubt.
His dachshund shown near the end of this film looks very much like mine. His name is Oscar. I admire not only his writing but his love and loyalty to his dogs.
"but not Plum, Plum was one of us.."
That tells you all that you need to know about him.
He was the "master" but was yet humble and "one of us."
Great man.
Isn’t that Richard Griffiths narrating Wodehouse’s writings?? Uncle Monty!
I've never been able to understand Duff Cooper's vicious persecution of Plum. I've read Cooper's diaries, his correspondence, Diana Cooper's letters... Their reaction when they found Plum was staying at the same hotel as they... I can't find a reason for Cooper's obtuseness
Thanks you for posting, I was unfamiliar with him but I will now read some of his work
,read it all. He's wonderful.
If you ever try reading the stuff that he broadcast you will realize that it was very funny and at the same time cleverly satirizing the German's attitude. Nothing naive about it in fact it was really the Germans who were naive and didn't understand that the things he said was lampooning and undermining them.
Johnny really looks great and loved all the pampering. He did well with getting his photos taken so don't blame him for wanting a wee bit of fun! He and Faya looked just right together. For tomorrow (9th May) please give 👑Uniek lots of cuddles and treats for her birthday 🎂 she deserves it! 😍💕🐎
Fine, but I'd say two things: P G Wodehouse must be read; any adaptation for any other medium is to eviscerate his power utterly. Secondly, Jeeves is NOT, repeat NOT, a butler.
i concur, with an addendum: excelent audiobooks are available of his works, read very masterfully by, amongst others, Ian Meredith. Perfect for walks...
I agreed, but have recently discovered Jonathan Cecil's audio books. His voice characterisations, timing etc are pitch perfect. Listening to his reading is even better than reading the printed page. But the problem with screen adaptation is that is cuts out some of the magnificent writing.
Jeeves IS, repeat IS a valet, or a gentleman's personal gentleman.
@@anthonygibbons4688
A Butler by any other name?
@@elizabethw9633 Yes! Jonathan Cecil was born to narrate Wodehouse's novels!
Wonderful! Anyone have any idea what that wistful piece of piano music is?
Une barque sur l'océan by Ravel
The Colonel chap looks as if Wodehouse invented him!
Despite the vintage quality of this footage, it is enthralling to learn something of PGW's life and to hear in what high regard he was held by the most eminent of his day. Strangely there is one other writer who both in his background, manner and writings in many ways paralleled PGW, Raymond Chandler. Who is there today able to match the quality of either of these two masters? Suggestions welcome.
I have loved every Wodehouse book I've read. His humor was so warm and subtle and fun...and he created a wonderful fictional world for his characters to live in. It's always a great escape from the here and now!
Can anyone tell me why he is referred to as "Plum"? I'd appreciate it!
I think as a child he mispronounced his first name "Pelham" as Plum and his family called him Plum ever afterwards
It's a nickname for other people called Pelham as well - see Plum Warner.
One biographer noted his family would pronounce his name Pelham quickly which sounded like Plum, and his mum liked it so it stuck.
It leads to characters such as "Lord Bleicestershire" which Americans will take some time to work out is pronounced "Lord Blister."
German philosophy during The (other) War: “What’s mine is mine, and what’s yours is negotiable.” Not much, if anything, has changed since.
The British phiosophy during and war and peace of course is: "whatever is yours is mine; I am doing you a favor by invading your country and ruling you, so thank us!"
1:15 - is that Elspeth Ballantyne aka Meg from Prisoner he's watching on TV? Obviously before PCBH, but it certainly looks like her.
Good documentary. Shame he never got back to England after the war.
I think he suffered from some naivety as regards his war time broadcasts.
Theres another great film called 'Wodehouse in Exile' which further explains what happened.
Mithrandir Naivety, but he wasn't a traitor. I'm not particularly into Wodehouse, I don't particularly like his class background which he wrote mostly about, but he was a skilled writer and humorist and it does seem how he was treated during the war on account of these broadcasts was unfair. He seems to have always been a bit fish out of water and not really understanding of social surroundings or the political/power implications of things, and his attitude to being interned by the Germans shows this. It seems in time of war there's no room for honest naivety, everything has to be interpreted in black or white as an allegiance or witting motivation.
I love the story Honeysuckle Cottage: I laugh out loud whenever I read it.
Oh, I adore it, too!!
My favourite is probably Goodbye to All Cats
Amazing story!
I don't know if he was so naive about the war . . . Living with Germans, technically their prisoner, his experience of them was very different than that created by British propaganda. As such his broadcasts reflected that.
The contradiction he presented meant he had to be demonized with the enemy, and so British Intelligence and their accomplices in the media went about doing that.
8:55 - I too want some yellow ones... on the side of course
funniest author I've ever read.
I always love the views and attitudes of our ancestors...not ruined by the howling left wing PC mob....of 2019 Britain......They too will pass into dustbin of history....
Interesting!
re autobiographical elements. The Theosophists come in for some stick, his brother was involved with them.
Wodehouse didn't know how evil the Nazis were at the time. He should never have given the talks over the radio because it was a form of cooperation.
Or... maybe he knew them better than we do, better than we who have been relentlessly propagandized with the victors' portrayal of them for the last almost eight decades now.
You people lost the war. Get over it. Go back to haunting war videos.
Plum later said he ought to have seen it was a loony thing to do to use the German radio for any reason.
Goodbye Fresh
War causes man to behave in a savage manner, and hating the enemy becomes a patriotic duty. Wodehouse was incapable of hating an entire nation. When asked, if he did not hate Germans, he stated that while he might dislike a particular German, he could not hate all Germans.
The creator of Roderick Spode could have no use for Spode’s sort of people.
Great Reaction: 48:32
I don't get it. What/who is 'PLUM' ?
if memory serves me rught it was a childhood nickname that remained in use thriughiut his adult life by his family and close friends.
Short for Pelham, Wodehouse's nickname
Newts!
Une barque sur l'océan, Ravel
-there were no women in hong kong
~except for the yellow ones!
-well they were taboo
~on the side maybe
-we won't talk about that