A jovial correspondence sparked by fellow writer Goodrum’s enthusiasm for Wodehouse’s work. Wodehouse’s first letter to Goodrum opens, “It was wonderful getting your letter this morning and hearing that you like my books so much. Especially cheering at the moment, as I finished a new novel a few weeks ago and am now going through that unpleasant phase where it seems quite impossible ever to think of another plot!” The novel in question is likely his comic novel Cocktail Time, which was published in Jun 1958 (first appearing in condensed form in The Ladies’ Home Journal in April of that year). He writes, spiritedly, about his writer’s block: “I suppose something will eventually emerge - it always has so far - but right now I feel, as George Ade said, as if somebody had removed my brain and substituted an order of cauliflower.”
Wodehouse mentions a number of his works during the correspondence, both contemporary and historic, including: Something Fishy, the UK title being The Butler Did It; America, I Like You, the US title for Over Seventy (“Over Seventy contains at least 40,000 words of new stuff and is ever so much better than the America book”); Leave it to Jane (musical, based on George Ade’s 1904 play The College Widow) (“It was always one of my favorites in the old days … I’ve always thought Jerry [Jerome Kern]’s score was one of the best he did.”); The Prince and Betty; The Intrusions of Jimmy; Love Among the Chickens (“in which Ukridge [Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge] made his first appearance. Everything before that was school stories for boys.”); Leave it to Psmith; Ice in Bedroom; Pigs Can Fly; Quick Service (“Quick Service is one of the ones of mine I think I like best.”); The Girl in Blue (“everyone seems to think it’s ok”); Nudes (“I must say I wish Simon and Schuster had chosen another title”); and Much Obliged Jeeves.
He also mentions Jeeves and Wooster adaptations, confessing he is “rather dubious” about the “TV Jeeves things the BBC are doing”: “A Jeeves and Bertie story depends so much on Bertie and he has about two pages describing his feelings, whereas on TV it would have to be condensed to B. saying “Gosh!”. Still the sketches may come out well.” He also mentions an earlier adaptation: “two Jeeves pictures in Hollywood in 1936”, which “used their own stories, not mine”, adding, “They were not too hot!” (3 May 1965).
Wodehouse congratulates Goodrum for successes in Goodrum’s own life, including: landing a post at the New Yorker (“a thing I’ve never been able to do”); being taken on by “the best agent in New York”; and writing a book (“I loved it”); for which he offers a quote for the dustjacket (“Not only very well written but very funny and full of charm. I want nothing better.”)
Goodrum’s humorous novel, so enjoyed by Wodehouse, was I’ll Trade you an Elk (1967), which tells the true story of Goodrum’s father’s efforts to build a zoo in Wichita, Kansas, without money, in the face of the Depression. It was made into a Disney tv movie called The Wacky Zoo of Morgan City in 1970.
Wodehouse’s final postcard refers to Much Obliged Jeeves: “… I shall have a Jeeves novel published soon. I assumed they were going to bring it out in October, but they have just sent me the proofs special delivery, which looks as if they may be planning to take advantage of all this publicity and rush it out.” (8 May 1971). Presumably Wodehouse is referring to the media interest surrounding the second proposed nomination for a knighthood (the first had come in 1967, the second was the year of this letter). The knighthood was blocked both the first and second times, for fear of legitimising the scandal that had clung to Wodehouse since the advent of WW2. He was finally knighted in 1975.
An interesting, lively, fistful of correspondence from Wodehouse’s later years in America. Letters all in very good order.
