Plum Pie
| Company type | Book |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | September 22, 1966 |
| Founder | P. G. Wodehouse |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Short story collection |
Plum Pie is a compilation of nine short stories penned by P. G. Wodehouse, initially released in the United Kingdom on 22 September 1966 by Barrie & Jenkins under the Herbert Jenkins imprint, followed by its US publication on 1 December 1967 through Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York. The collection’s title is inspired by Wodehouse’s own nickname, Plum.
With the exception of one, all tales belong to well-known Wodehouse series: including one Jeeves story, a golf-themed narrative, a Blandings episode, a yarn featuring Ukridge, one with Mr Mulliner, a lengthier Freddie Threepwood story, and two involving Drones Club characters Bingo Little and Freddie Widgeon. Most stories first appeared in UK publication Argosy and US magazines such as Playboy or The Saturday Evening Post. The British edition also contained extra "Our Man in America" anecdotes originally from Punch.
"Jeeves and the Greasy Bird"
Refer to "Jeeves and the Greasy Bird" for details.
"Sleepy Time"
- United States: The Saturday Evening Post, 5 June 1965 (under the title "The Battle of Squashy Hollow")
- United Kingdom: Argosy, October 1965 (also titled "The Battle of Squashy Hollow")
Characters Agnes Flack and Sidney McMurdo have appeared previously in four other golf-related Wodehouse stories. Cyril Grooly and the publishing house Popgood & Grooly are also referenced in other works including Uncle Dynamite and Ice in the Bedroom.
- Synopsis
Cyril Grooly, a junior partner at New York-based publisher Popgood & Grooly, is engaged to Patricia Binstead, his secretary, and carries a twenty-four handicap in golf. The company intends to publish Professor Pepperidge Farmer’s book on hypnotism, renamed Sleepy Time. Cyril is assigned to negotiate Farmer’s advance, which is limited to $200.
Upon meeting Farmer, Cyril offers $100 but falls under hypnotic trance and falls asleep. Later at Paradise Valley’s Squashy Hollow golf course, Cyril participates in a handicap competition while trying to avoid Agnes Flack, an adept golfer aware of his publishing role. Unexpectedly, Farmer assists Cyril in enhancing his golf skills.
During the contest, Cyril is paired with club champion Sidney McMurdo—who harbors resentment towards Cyril’s poor golfing abilities—and receives an irate call from Popgood revealing that Cyril was hypnotized into agreeing to a $5,000 advance for Farmer. Farmer then hypnotizes Cyril again to instill confidence reminiscent of Arnold Palmer.
Cyril performs remarkably well, shooting a sixty-two score that likely secures victory. On impulse, he proposes to Agnes, who consents due to Cyril’s position in publishing. Sidney confronts Cyril out of jealousy; Farmer hypnotizes Sidney amicably and reverses Cyril’s engagement impulse. Subsequently, Farmer hypnotizes Agnes to dislike Cyril; she reconciles with Sidney and plans to publish her own book through Simon & Schuster.
Thankful for Farmer’s kindness despite his ominous appearance, Cyril regards him as having a heart of gold. Farmer offers him a lemon squash and contemplates hypnotizing the waiter to avoid paying for it.
"Sticky Wicket at Blandings"
- US publication: Playboy, October 1966 (titled "First Aid for Freddie")
- UK publication: Argosy, April 1967 (titled "First Aid for Freddie")
See "Sticky Wicket at Blandings" for more information.
"Ukridge Starts a Bank Account"
- US: Playboy, July 1967
- US: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, June 1982
- Plot
Dressed more smartly than usual, Ukridge invites Corky to an upscale luncheon. When Corky inquires about his financial situation, Ukridge shares the story of his latest enterprise.
He discovers from Horace Stout, Aunt Julia's recently dismissed butler, that Horace’s brother, Percy Stout—a bookmaker specializing in silver rings—has taken possession of antique furniture as settlement for gambling debts and is seeking a salesperson. Ukridge accepts a position with a weekly wage of ten pounds. Operating from Rosemary Cottage in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, they attract drivers by displaying a sign advertising authentic antique furniture. Ukridge borrows reference books on antiques from Aunt Julia, who is pleased to see him gain employment and wishes to inspect the inventory.
After Aunt Julia dismisses Horace for stealing furniture, Ukridge realizes that Horace and Percy have likely absconded with the antiques, leaving him unpaid for six weeks. Despite this setback, Ukridge manages to sell the same piecrust table twice—initially for forty pounds through Percy and later for sixty pounds himself. When legal complications arise due to the double sale, Percy destroys the table by burning it to eliminate evidence.
Ukridge concludes that Aunt Julia's insurance will cover the loss and assumes the two buyers, who have not been reimbursed, are affluent enough to overlook the situation. However, the purchaser who bought the table from Ukridge soon arrives and takes all the money in Ukridge’s wallet—approximately fifty-eight pounds—forcing Corky to cover their lunch bill.
"Bingo Bans the Bomb"
- US: Playboy, January 1965
- UK: Argosy, August 1965
- Plot
Bingo, editor of the children's periodical Wee Tots, requests a salary increase from his employer Henry Cuthbert Purkiss after losing his monthly wages on a horse race; Purkiss denies the request. On his way home, Bingo encounters Mabel Murgatroyd, a red-haired activist protesting against nuclear weapons. To attract attention, Mabel organizes a sit-in at Trafalgar Square, involving Bingo in the demonstration. Both are arrested for obstructing traffic.
The magistrate reprimands them before releasing them. Mabel expresses concern about her father, Lord Ippleton, while Bingo hopes his wife Rosie, who is away on a trip, remains unaware of the incident. At work, Bingo notices their photograph published in the Mirror and contacts Lord Ippleton, who informs him that Mabel has been sent to stay with her aunt in Edinburgh.
Purkiss arrives at work appearing hungover after a poker night and asks Bingo to cover for him with his wife. Bingo consents in return for a raise. When Rosie calls again, Bingo claims he spent the entire night with Purkiss and insists that the man in the photograph is his look-alike. Purkiss confirms this over the phone.
"Stylish Stouts"
- US: Playboy, April 1965 (titled "Stylish Stout")
- UK: London Evening Standard, 24 December 1965 (titled "The Great Fat Uncle Contest")
In "Stylish Stouts," Rosie refers to contributing funds to Algy’s bank account mentioned in the 1940 story "The Word in Season". The Fat Uncles sweepstakes concept first appeared in "The Fat of the Land" (1958).
- Plot
Purkiss, proprietor of Wee Tots, asks Bingo about his dinner arrangements. Actor Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright offers Bingo tickets to his theatrical performance. With Rosie and their son Algy away, Bingo plans to invite his aunt Myrtle Beenstock but finds she is not home. Her butler Wilberforce suggests placing a bet on Whistler’s Mother; Bingo wagers Rosie's £10 intended for Algy's account but loses.
At the Drones Club, Catsmeat explains the Fat Uncles Sweepstakes: participants purchase tickets corresponding to uncles drawn at random; the fattest uncle wins a prize pool minus £50 awarded to his nephew. Bingo wishes to enter Aunt Myrtle but learns only uncles qualify for participation.
Purkiss hopes American writer Kirk Rockaway will contribute material to Wee Tots. Since Rockaway admires Rosie M. Banks' novels, Purkiss provides Bingo with £10 to host Rockaway for dinner—Rockaway abstains from alcohol. During dinner, Rockaway’s stoutness prompts Bingo to wish he were his uncle. Rockaway reveals he traveled from Oakland, San Francisco intending to marry Myrtle and was advised to drink champagne and stout to boost his confidence.
Later, Rockaway drunkenly insults a critic and leaves Bingo responsible for settling the bill. At Myrtle’s residence, Rockaway assaults a constable and is arrested. Myrtle has married Sir Hercules Foliot-Foljambe during her absence; he is even larger than Rockaway. Bingo borrows Sir Hercules’ photograph to show millionaire club member Oofy Prosser.
"George and Alfred"
- US: Playboy, January 1967
Refer to "George and Alfred". (A tale featuring Mr. Mulliner.)
"A Good Cigar Is a Smoke"
- US: Playboy, December 1967
Colonel Sir Francis Pashley-Drake, a character who also appears in "Unpleasantness at Bludleigh Court," is central to this story.
- Synopsis
Lancelot Bingley, a young painter, is engaged to the poet Gladys Wetherby. Gladys’s uncle, Colonel Francis Pashley-Drake—a former big game hunter—holds the key to her inheritance, which he will only release if he approves of her fiancé. Concerned that the Colonel will disapprove of Lancelot’s profession, Gladys suggests that Lancelot paint the Colonel’s portrait to win his favor. She arranges for Lancelot to visit her uncle’s residence in Sussex, highlighting the excellence of the household cook’s cuisine. Before his visit, Gladys cautions Lancelot against smoking, as the Colonel disapproves; although Lancelot is a habitual smoker with fifty cigars packed, he agrees to abstain.
Upon arrival, Lancelot meets the Colonel and enjoys Mrs Potter’s culinary skills. He assures the Colonel of his non-smoking habits, gaining his approval. After a walk in the garden, Lancelot finds himself locked out and inadvertently stumbles into the Colonel’s room in darkness, causing a minor accident. He sends a telegram to Gladys requesting assistance.
When Gladys arrives, Lancelot recounts the incident along with another: while secretly smoking in the garden, he accidentally dropped a cigar near the Colonel and Mrs Potter, who was shocked by this discovery. The Colonel decides to have the cigar’s fingerprint analyzed and secures it in his desk. Gladys insists on retrieving it discreetly that night using a duplicate key.
During their nighttime visit to the study, they overhear the Colonel entering and smoking a cigar himself. He confesses that he quit smoking three years prior because Mrs Potter refused to serve a smoker but was tempted by the found cigar. Gladys demands her inheritance as a condition to marry Lancelot; despite his dislike for Lancelot, the Colonel consents when she threatens to reveal his secret smoking habit to Mrs Potter.
Lancelot then offers his remaining cigars and shows the Colonel a secluded garden spot for smoking. The Colonel gives his full approval of Lancelot thereafter.
"Life with Freddie"
- First published in this volume
This narrative involves Freddie Threepwood, a recurring figure in Wodehouse's Blandings Castle series. The fictional liner Atlantic also features in The Girl on the Boat and The Luck of the Bodkins. The solicitor Mr Bunting appears here as well as in Frozen Assets. Additionally, McGarry, bartender at the Drones Club, makes a brief appearance.
- Synopsis
Freddie Threepwood returns from England aboard the SS Atlantic to America while employed by Donaldson's Dog Joy, aiming to secure an order from Arnold Pinkney, proprietor of Pinkney's Stores. Freddie’s affluent friend Judson Phipps is also traveling to New York but wishes to avoid Arlene Pinkney—Arnold’s athletic daughter preparing for the Curtis Cup. Judson has a history of impulsive proposals and two breach of promise suits (both handled by Mr Bunting, who also represents Donaldson's Dog Joy). Despite no intention to marry Arlene, Judson fears proposing again.
Judson’s sister Julie Cheever is engaged to Arnold Pinkney and has given Judson an expensive diamond necklace to smuggle into America without customs fees. Joe Cardinal, Pinkney’s nephew and ex-employee of New Asiatic Bank, has fallen for Dinah Biddle, Pinkney's secretary; Joe’s inheritance remains held in trust by Pinkney.
Joe resigns from his banking job to travel on the ship and pursue Dinah romantically. Freddie deceives Pinkney by claiming Joe received a promotion. Judson asks Dinah to stay near him to prevent an unwanted proposal to Arlene; she agrees. Arlene fears accepting Judson's proposal out of financial necessity and asks Joe to remain close despite his feelings for Dinah; Joe complies. Arlene convinces her father to release Joe’s inheritance funds.
Freddie clears up misunderstandings between Joe and Dinah, leading them to share a kiss. Upon discovering Joe quit his position, Pinkney withdraws his consent for releasing Joe’s money. Judson reveals Julie’s smuggling plan and hands over the necklace to Pinkney, who hides it inside a toy bear purchased for Dinah.
Freddie fails in selling Donaldson's products. Dinah rejects receiving the bear; unaware of its contents, Judson smuggles it through customs and passes it on to Freddie. Pinkney instructs Judson to retrieve it promptly. Mistaken for an intruder by Freddie’s cook Lana Tuttle, Judson is confined in the cellar until Freddie arrives accompanied by Bunting.
Bunting deduces where the necklace is concealed; Judson is alarmed at having risked smuggling it himself. Freddie proposes holding onto the necklace as leverage until Pinkney places an order with Donaldson's Dog Joy and releases Joe’s inheritance funds. The story ends with Freddie confidently contacting Pinkney.
Publication history
Bill Charmatz contributed illustrations for "Bingo Bans the Bomb," "Stylish Stouts," and "A Good Cigar Is a Smoke" in Playboy. Both "Sleepy Time" and "Bingo Bans the Bomb" were featured in Argosy with artwork by "Graham". Additionally, "Sleepy Time" was illustrated by Charles Saxon for The Saturday Evening Post in 1965, with a reprint issued in 1985. The story "Ukridge Starts a Bank Account" included illustrations by Edward Gorey in its Playboy publication.
The 1973 Wodehouse anthology The Golf Omnibus contains "Sleepy Time". Meanwhile, "Ukridge Starts a Bank Account" was included in the 1975 volume The World of Ukridge as well as the 1981 compilation Wodehouse on Crime. The collection Tales From the Drones Club from 1982 features both "Bingo Bans the Bomb" and "Stylish Stouts".
Although classified as a short story, Plum Pie’s longest narrative, "Life with Freddie," approaches novella length. Its initial UK edition spans 67 pages, notably longer than the 45 pages of "Jeeves and the Greasy Bird". Scholar Richard Usborne posits that this extended length might suggest it was originally intended as a novel.
In the case of "Stylish Stouts," the butler’s name shifts from Wilberforce in magazine versions to Willoughby in book editions, which is likely due to editorial oversight. Wodehouse experts Tony Ring and Geoffrey Jaggard humorously speculate that Wilberforce may have altered his name to Willoughby to avoid embarrassment following an incident.
Within "Life with Freddie," Freddie Threepwood is depicted living near the former Sound View golf course located in Great Neck, Long Island. Wodehouse himself began playing golf seriously there in 1918, drawing inspiration from such courses for earlier collections like The Clicking of Cuthbert and The Heart of a Goof. The explicit mention of Sound View as a golf course first appeared in this 1966 narrative.
See also
- Comprehensive list of P. G. Wodehouse short stories, arranged by series
References and sources
- References
- Sources
External links
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- The Russian Wodehouse Society's webpage, featuring character lists