Jeeves and the Chump Cyril

"Jeeves and the Chump Cyril"
"Jeeves and the Chump Cyril"
Short story by P. G. Wodehouse
	1918 Strand illustration by Alfred Leete
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Genre(s)	Comedy
Publication
Publisher	Saturday Evening Post (US); The Strand Magazine (UK)
Media type	Print (Magazine)
Publication date	8 June 1918 (US); August 1918 (UK)
Chronology
Series	Jeeves
; Sir Roderick Comes to Lunch	; Comrade Bingo

Last updated October 11, 2024

"Jeeves and the Chump Cyril" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in the Saturday Evening Post in New York in June 1918, and in The Strand Magazine in London in August 1918.^[1] It was also included in the 1923 collection The Inimitable Jeeves as two separate chapters, "A Letter of Introduction" and "Startling Dressiness of a Lift Attendant".^[2]

Plot

A Letter of Introduction

One morning in New York, Jeeves tells Bertie a Cyril Bassington-Bassington visited earlier, with a letter of introduction from Bertie's Aunt Agatha, and will return later. Hoping to return to England in time for Goodwood, Bertie decides to appease his menacing Aunt Agatha by treating Cyril kindly. Bertie wears purple socks, though Jeeves disapproves. Cyril does not appear, so Bertie goes out to a club with a new pal, the playwright George Caffyn. Jeeves comes to the club, and informs Bertie that Cyril is in prison.

Bertie, Jeeves, and George go to the police station, and learn the hot-tempered Cyril had shoved a policeman. Bertie pays his bail. Cyril befriends George. Later, Bertie receives a cable from Aunt Agatha, instructing Bertie not to introduce Cyril to anyone involved with theatre. Bertie is concerned, but Jeeves is unsympathetic due to the purple socks.

The part which old George had written for the chump Cyril took up about two pages of typescript; but it might have been Hamlet, the way the poor, misguided pinhead worked himself to the bone over it.

— Cyril takes pride in his small part^[3]

Cyril visits Bertie and says he has a small part in George's musical comedy, Ask Dad. Though Cyril is supposed to go to Washington to improve himself, he has actually come to New York to perform, against his father's wishes. Bertie calls to ask George to remove Cyril from the show, but George refuses. At night, Bertie knocks on Jeeves's door. Jeeves, who was reading, appears in a dressing gown. Bertie tells him that Aunt Agatha will blame him if Cyril performs. Jeeves will consider the problem.

Startling Dressiness of a Lift Attendant

A letter from Aunt Agatha arrives, demanding that Bertie keep Cyril off the stage. Disturbed, Bertie seeks Jeeves, and finds him in the kitchen, entertaining a boy and the boy's father's valet, whom Jeeves knows. Bertie shows Jeeves the letter. Cyril appears, and the boy says Cyril has a fish face. This angers Cyril, and a confused altercation occurs. The boy gets away, yelling that Jeeves paid him to insult Cyril. Cyril and Bertie doubt this.

George invites Bertie to a run-through of his show. From the back of the theatre, Bertie sees that the boy from earlier is the son of the manager, Blumenfield. Blumenfield listens to all his son's opinions about the show; George suggests that this is because Blumenfield thinks a child has the same amount of intelligence as the average audience member. When the boy notices Cyril on stage, he says Cyril's face is no good, and Blumenfield agrees. Cyril yells at them, and Blumenfield fires Cyril.

Cyril tells Bertie that he is leaving for Washington, and lies about the reason. Bertie realizes Jeeves worked events to get Cyril fired. He thanks Jeeves. Leaving his rooms, Bertie decides he will let Jeeves get rid of the purple socks. However, the liftman thanks Bertie for the purple socks, which Jeeves gave him.

Background

Ask Dad was the initial title of a 1918 musical comedy later retitled Oh, My Dear! , which Wodehouse collaborated on with Guy Bolton and Louis Hirsch. After its first night out of town, the musical's title was changed to Oh, My Dear! for its opening at the Princess Theatre.^[4] Five of the musical's songs were published under Ask Dad wrappers before being republished as part of the music of the renamed musical.^[5]

Publication history

Though all short stories in The Inimitable Jeeves were published in the Strand, "Jeeves and the Chump Cyril" is the only short story in the collection that was first published in the U.S., and in the Saturday Evening Post. While it is the first story included in The Inimitable Jeeves by date of original publication, it is included as the ninth and tenth chapters of the collection.^[6]

The story was illustrated by Grant T. Reynard in the Saturday Evening Post, and by Alfred Leete in the Strand.^[7]

Adaptations

Television

This story was adapted into part of the Jeeves and Wooster episode "Introduction on Broadway", the third episode of the third series, which first aired in the UK on 12 April 1992.^[8] There are some differences in plot, including:

In the episode, Aunt Agatha's letter of introduction specifies that Cyril should not be introduced to people involved with theatre; Cyril tears up the letter before Bertie can read it. Bertie does not hear about Cyril until Cyril is in prison. Aunt Agatha does not send another message, and Bertie only finds out her wishes when she actually visits him in America.
George does not go with Bertie and Jeeves to the police station in the episode; instead, Cyril says he enjoys theatre, and Bertie offers to introduce him to George.
In the episode, Cyril only has one line in the show. The show is titled Ask Dad! rather than Ask Dad. Cyril goes on the show on a national tour, and Bertie tags along.
Unlike the original story, the show makes it clear that Jeeves did tell young Blumenfield to say Cyril has a face like a fish.
In the episode, Blumenfield learns that Cyril attacked his son, and fires him before he can perform; while Aunt Agatha is in the audience, Bertie has to take over for Cyril for the part, and on stage, he freezes and delivers his line incorrectly, after which the play is renamed Where is the Fire?.

Radio

This story, along with the rest of The Inimitable Jeeves, was adapted into a radio drama in 1973 as part of the series What Ho! Jeeves starring Michael Hordern as Jeeves and Richard Briers as Bertie Wooster.^[9]

Related Research Articles

Jeeves is a fictional character in a series of comedic short stories and novels by English author P. G. Wodehouse. Jeeves is the highly competent valet of a wealthy and idle young Londoner named Bertie Wooster. First appearing in print in 1915, Jeeves continued to feature in Wodehouse's work until his last completed novel Aunts Aren't Gentlemen in 1974, a span of 60 years.

Agatha Gregson, née Wooster, later Lady Worplesdon, is a recurring fictional character in the Jeeves stories of the British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being best known as Bertie Wooster's Aunt Agatha. Haughty and overbearing, Aunt Agatha wants Bertie to marry a wife she finds suitable, though she never manages to get Bertie married, thanks to Jeeves's interference.

Bertram Wilberforce Wooster is a fictional character in the comedic Jeeves stories created by British author P. G. Wodehouse. An amiable English gentleman and one of the "idle rich", Bertie appears alongside his valet, Jeeves, whose intelligence manages to save Bertie or one of his friends from numerous awkward situations. Bertie Wooster and Jeeves have been described as "one of the great comic double-acts of all time".

Honoria Glossop is a recurring fictional character in the Jeeves stories by English comic writer P. G. Wodehouse. Athletic as well as scholarly, she is a formidable young lady and one of the women whom Bertie Wooster reluctantly becomes engaged to.

<i>The Inimitable Jeeves</i> 1923 short story collection by P. G. Wodehouse

The Inimitable Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse was the first of the Jeeves novels, although not originally conceived as a single narrative, being assembled from a number of short stories featuring the same characters. The book was first published in the United Kingdom by Herbert Jenkins, London, on 17 May 1923 and in the United States by George H. Doran, New York, on 28 September 1923, under the title Jeeves.

Sir Roderick Glossop is a recurring fictional character in the comic novels and short stories of P. G. Wodehouse. Sometimes referred to as a "nerve specialist" or a "loony doctor", he is a prominent practitioner of psychiatry in Wodehouse's works, appearing in several Jeeves stories and in one Blandings Castle story.

"Comrade Bingo" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in The Strand Magazine in London in May 1922, and in Cosmopolitan in New York that same month. The story was also included in the 1923 collection The Inimitable Jeeves as two separate chapters, "Comrade Bingo" and "Bingo Has a Bad Goodwood".

"Extricating Young Gussie" is a short story by the British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse. It was first published in the United States in the 18 September 1915 issue of The Saturday Evening Post and in the United Kingdom in the January 1916 edition of The Strand Magazine. It was included in the collection The Man with Two Left Feet (1917).

"Introduction on Broadway" is the third episode of the third series of the 1990s British comedy television series Jeeves and Wooster. It is also called "Cyril And The Broadway Musical". It first aired in the UK on 12 April 1992 on ITV.

"Aunt Agatha Takes the Count" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in The Strand Magazine in London in April 1922, and then in Cosmopolitan in New York in October 1922. The story was also included in the 1923 collection The Inimitable Jeeves as two separate chapters, "Aunt Agatha Speaks Her Mind" and "Pearls Mean Tears".

"Scoring off Jeeves" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, that features a young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in The Strand Magazine in London in February 1922, and then in Cosmopolitan in New York in March 1922. The story was also included in the 1923 collection The Inimitable Jeeves as two separate chapters, "The Pride of the Woosters Is Wounded" and "The Hero's Reward".

"Sir Roderick Comes to Lunch" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in The Strand Magazine in London in March 1922, and then in Cosmopolitan in New York in April 1922. The story was also included in the 1923 collection The Inimitable Jeeves as two separate chapters, "Introducing Claude and Eustace" and "Sir Roderick Comes to Lunch".

"The Delayed Exit of Claude and Eustace" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in The Strand Magazine in London in October 1922, and then in Cosmopolitan in New York in November 1922. The story was also included in the 1923 collection The Inimitable Jeeves.

"Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in the Saturday Evening Post in the United States in December 1916, and in The Strand Magazine in the United Kingdom in March 1917. The story was also included in the 1925 collection Carry On, Jeeves.

"Without the Option" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in the Saturday Evening Post in the United States in June 1925, and in The Strand Magazine in the United Kingdom in July 1925. The story was also included in the 1925 collection Carry On, Jeeves.

"Jeeves and the Impending Doom" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in The Strand Magazine in the United Kingdom in December 1926, and in Liberty in the United States in January 1927. The story was also included as the first story in the 1930 collection Very Good, Jeeves.

"Episode of the Dog McIntosh" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in The Strand Magazine as "Jeeves and the Dog McIntosh" in the United Kingdom in October 1929, and in Cosmopolitan as "The Borrowed Dog" in the United States that same month. The story was also included as the fifth story in the 1930 collection Very Good, Jeeves.

"The Love that Purifies" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in The Strand Magazine in the United Kingdom in November 1929, and in Cosmopolitan in the United States that same month, as "Jeeves and the Love that Purifies". The story was also included as the eighth story in the 1930 collection Very Good, Jeeves.

"Indian Summer of an Uncle" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in The Strand Magazine in the United Kingdom in March 1930, and in Cosmopolitan in the United States that same month. The story was also included as the tenth story in the 1930 collection Very Good, Jeeves.

References

Notes

↑ Wodehouse, P. G. (August 1918). "Jeeves and the Chump Cyril". The Strand Magazine . 56 (332): 126–134.
↑ Cawthorne (2013), p. 51.
↑ Wodehouse (2008) [1923], chapter 10, p. 102.
↑ McCrum, Robert (2004). Wodehouse: A Life . New York: W. W. Norton & Company Ltd. p. 141. ISBN 0-393-05159-5.
↑ Ring, Tony; Jaggard, Geoffrey (1999). Wodehouse in Woostershire. Chippenham: Porpoise Books. pp. 13–14. ISBN 1-870-304-19-5.
↑ Cawthorne (2013), p. 51.
↑ McIlvaine (1990), p. 156, D59.33, and p. 183, D133.60.
↑ "Jeeves and Wooster Series 3, Episode 3". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
↑ "What Ho, Jeeves!: Part 4: The Startling Dressiness of a Lift Attendant". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 19 November 2017.

Sources

Cawthorne, Nigel (2013). A Brief Guide to Jeeves and Wooster. London: Constable & Robinson. ISBN 978-1-78033-824-8.
McIlvaine, Eileen; Sherby, Louise S.; Heineman, James H. (1990). P. G. Wodehouse: A Comprehensive Bibliography and Checklist. New York: James H. Heineman Inc. ISBN 978-0-87008-125-5.
Wodehouse, Pelham Grenville (2008) [1923]. The Inimitable Jeeves (Reprinted ed.). London: Arrow Books. ISBN 978-0099513681.

External links

Wodehouse, P. G. (August 1918). "Jeeves and the Chump Cyril". The Strand Magazine . 56 (332): 126–134.
The Russian Wodehouse Society's page, with numerous book covers and lists of characters

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] Wodehouse, P. G. (August 1918). "Jeeves and the Chump Cyril". The Strand Magazine . 56 (332): 126–134.

[2] Cawthorne (2013), p. 51.

[3] Wodehouse (2008) [1923], chapter 10, p. 102.

[4] McCrum, Robert (2004). Wodehouse: A Life . New York: W. W. Norton & Company Ltd. p. 141. ISBN 0-393-05159-5.

[5] Ring, Tony; Jaggard, Geoffrey (1999). Wodehouse in Woostershire. Chippenham: Porpoise Books. pp. 13–14. ISBN 1-870-304-19-5.

[6] Cawthorne (2013), p. 51.

[7] McIlvaine (1990), p. 156, D59.33, and p. 183, D133.60.

[8] "Jeeves and Wooster Series 3, Episode 3". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 5 November 2017.

[9] "What Ho, Jeeves!: Part 4: The Startling Dressiness of a Lift Attendant". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 19 November 2017.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

v t e The Inimitable Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse
"Jeeves in the Springtime" "Aunt Agatha Takes the Count" "Scoring off Jeeves" "Sir Roderick Comes to Lunch" "Jeeves and the Chump Cyril" "Comrade Bingo" "The Great Sermon Handicap" "The Purity of the Turf" "The Metropolitan Touch" "The Delayed Exit of Claude and Eustace" "Bingo and the Little Woman"
The Inimitable Jeeves Carry On, Jeeves Very Good, Jeeves Thank You, Jeeves Right Ho, Jeeves The Code of the Woosters Joy in the Morning The Mating Season Ring for Jeeves Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit Jeeves in the Offing Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves Much Obliged, Jeeves Aunts Aren't Gentlemen