A Damsel in Distress (novel)
Encyclopedia
A Damsel in Distress is a novel
by P. G. Wodehouse
, first published in the United States
on 4 October 1919 by George H. Doran, New York
, and in the United Kingdom
by Herbert Jenkins
, London
, on 17 October 1919. It had previously been serialised in The Saturday Evening Post
, between May and June that year.
Golf
-loving American composer
George Bevan falls in love with a mysterious young lady who takes refuge in his taxicab
one day; when he tracks her down to a romantic rural manor, mistaken identity leads to all manner of brouhaha...
The story was made into a silent, black-and-white
movie in 1919. In 1928 Wodehouse collaborated with Ian Hay
in adapting the book for the stage: Hay, Wodehouse and A. A. Milne
invested in the production, about which Wodehouse said "I don't think we shall lose our money, as Ian has done an awfully good job.". The play, which opened at the New Theatre, London, on 13 August 1928, had a successful run of 234 performances.
Wodehouse was involved in adapting the novel as a musical
in 1937.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by P. G. Wodehouse
P. G. Wodehouse
Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, KBE was an English humorist, whose body of work includes novels, short stories, plays, poems, song lyrics, and numerous pieces of journalism. He enjoyed enormous popular success during a career that lasted more than seventy years and his many writings continue to be...
, first published in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on 4 October 1919 by George H. Doran, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
by Herbert Jenkins
Barrie & Jenkins
Barrie & Jenkins was a small British publishing house that was formed in 1964 from the merger of "Herbert Jenkins" and "Barrie & Rockcliffe". One of their most notable authors was P. G...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, on 17 October 1919. It had previously been serialised in The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post is a bimonthly American magazine. It was published weekly under this title from 1897 until 1969, and quarterly and then bimonthly from 1971.-History:...
, between May and June that year.
Golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
-loving American composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
George Bevan falls in love with a mysterious young lady who takes refuge in his taxicab
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
one day; when he tracks her down to a romantic rural manor, mistaken identity leads to all manner of brouhaha...
The story was made into a silent, black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
movie in 1919. In 1928 Wodehouse collaborated with Ian Hay
John Hay Beith
Major General John Hay Beith, CBE , from Edinburgh, Scotland, was a schoolmaster and soldier, and, under the pen name Ian Hay, a novelist and playwright.-Background:...
in adapting the book for the stage: Hay, Wodehouse and A. A. Milne
A. A. Milne
Alan Alexander Milne was an English author, best known for his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh and for various children's poems. Milne was a noted writer, primarily as a playwright, before the huge success of Pooh overshadowed all his previous work.-Biography:A. A...
invested in the production, about which Wodehouse said "I don't think we shall lose our money, as Ian has done an awfully good job.". The play, which opened at the New Theatre, London, on 13 August 1928, had a successful run of 234 performances.
Wodehouse was involved in adapting the novel as a musical
A Damsel in Distress (film)
A Damsel in Distress is a 1937 English-themed Hollywood musical comedy film starring Fred Astaire, Joan Fontaine, George Burns, and Gracie Allen. With a screenplay by P. G...
in 1937.
External links
- An analysis of the book, with annotated text, synopsis, lists of characters and locations, and selected quotes
- The Russian Wodehouse Society's page, with numerous book covers and a list of characters
- Free eBook of A Damsel in Distress at Project GutenbergProject GutenbergProject Gutenberg is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks". Founded in 1971 by Michael S. Hart, it is the oldest digital library. Most of the items in its collection are the full texts of public domain books...
- The 1919 movie at the IMDB
- The 1937 musical at the IMDB