P.G. Wodehouse and Hollywood

Beloved British humorist P.G. Wodehouse produced a wealth of literature in his lengthy career, contributing novels, short stories, plays, lyrics and essays to the canon of comic writing. His work in film and television included two stints as a screenwriter in Hollywood in the 1930s, and his stories have been the basis for more than 150 film and television productions. He also wrote 20 stories and essays about Hollywood, satirizing the city and its entertainment magnates. This book studies P.G. Wodehouse’s extensive, but often overlooked relationship with Tinsel Town.
The book is arranged chronologically, covering Wodehouse’s Hollywood career from his early efforts in silent film, to his later contributions in television, to his work adapted posthumously for the screen. Radio is covered as well, including a discussion of his internment in occupied France and his brief appearances on German radio. Reflecting Wodehouse’s international appeal, the book covers Wodehouse films and television in England, Germany, Sweden, and India. Also included are a comprehensive, detailed list of Wodehouse’s stories and articles about Hollywood, and a complete filmography of motion picture and television works to which he contributed or which were based on his stories.

Brian Taves is the author of six books and more than 60 articles on popular culture and media. A film archivist for the Library of Congress, he lives in Washington, D.C.

Brian Taves
Foreword by Richard Briers
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 228
Bibliographic Info: 45 photos, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2006
pISBN: 978-0-7864-2288-3
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8443-0
Imprint: McFarland

Foreword by Richard Briers      1
Preface      3
Introduction      5

I. The Silents      7
II. Screenwriter      24
III. Satires      46
IV. British and Hollywood Adaptations      63
V. Screenwriter Once More      83
VI.War and Aftermath      98
VII. Television      108
VIII. Last Words      118
IX. Posthumous Adaptations      127

Conclusion      145
Appendix 1. Wodehouse’s Stories and Articles About Hollywood      147
Appendix 2. Motion Picture and Television Filmography      149
Notes      201
Bibliography      209
Index      211

• “Comprehensive and thoroughly researched”—Film Quarterly
• “Recommend[ed]…thorough”—Wooster Sauce
• “Scholarly…definitive”—Plum Lines