Eric Malpass
Encyclopedia
Eric Lawson Malpass was an English novelist noted for his humorous and witty descriptions of rural family life, in particular that of his creation, the extended
Pentecost family. However, Malpass also wrote historical fiction
, ranging in scope from the late Middle Ages
to Edwardian England. Malpass acquired his most devoted readership on the Continent, particularly in Germany
, where most of his books were translated.
Born in Derby
and educated at King Henry VIII School, Coventry
, Malpass, while writing in his spare time, worked in a bank before becoming, in 1947, an employee at the BBC
. After his initial successes, especially with Morning's at Seven, he turned to writing full-time. Married with one son, two granddaughters and five great grandchildren, he lived in Long Eaton
, Derbyshire
until five years before his death when he moved to Bishop's Waltham
in Hampshire
.
Other humorous novels:
The Shakespeare Trilogy:
Other novels with historical background:
All his novels were republished in 2001 by House of Stratus.
Extended family
The term extended family has several distinct meanings. In modern Western cultures dominated by nuclear family constructs, it has come to be used generically to refer to grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins, whether they live together within the same household or not. However, it may also refer...
Pentecost family. However, Malpass also wrote historical fiction
Historical fiction
Historical fiction tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional...
, ranging in scope from the late Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
to Edwardian England. Malpass acquired his most devoted readership on the Continent, particularly in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, where most of his books were translated.
Born in Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
and educated at King Henry VIII School, Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, Malpass, while writing in his spare time, worked in a bank before becoming, in 1947, an employee at the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
. After his initial successes, especially with Morning's at Seven, he turned to writing full-time. Married with one son, two granddaughters and five great grandchildren, he lived in Long Eaton
Long Eaton
Long Eaton is a town in Derbyshire, England. It lies just north of the River Trent about southwest of Nottingham and is part of the Nottingham Urban Area...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
until five years before his death when he moved to Bishop's Waltham
Bishop's Waltham
Bishop's Waltham is a small town in Hampshire, England situated at the head of the River Hamble. It is home to the ruins of Bishop's Waltham Palace, an English Heritage monument.-History:...
in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
.
Novels
Tales from the Pentecost Family:- Morning's at Seven (London: HeinemannHeinemann (book publisher)Heinemann is a UK publishing house founded by William Heinemann in Covent Garden, London in 1890. On William Heinemann's death in 1920 a majority stake was purchased by U.S. publisher Doubleday. It was later acquired by commemorate Thomas Tilling in 1961...
, 19651965 in literatureThe year 1965 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-New books:*Lloyd Alexander - The Black Cauldron*J. G. Ballard - The Drought*Ray Bradbury - The Vintage Bradbury*John Brunner...
) - At the Height of the Moon (London: Heinemann, 19671967 in literatureThe year 1967 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Influential science fiction anthology Dangerous Visions published.*Cecil Day-Lewis is selected as the new Poet Laureate of the UK.-New books:...
) - Fortinbras Has Escaped (London: Pan BooksPan BooksPan Books is an imprint which first became active in the 1940s and is now part of the British-based Macmillan Publishers owned by German publishers, Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group....
, 19701970 in literatureThe year 1970 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* Deliverance by American poet James Dickey published...
) - The Long Long Dances (London: Corgi, 19781978 in literatureThe year 1978 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*The Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year, a humorous award given annually to books with unusual titles is created. The first winner was Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Nude...
) - Summer Awakening (London: Corgi, 19781978 in literatureThe year 1978 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*The Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year, a humorous award given annually to books with unusual titles is created. The first winner was Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Nude...
) - EvensongEvensongThe term evensong can refer to the following:* Evening Prayer , the Anglican liturgy of Evening Prayer, especially so called when it is sung...
(1982) - Pig-in-the-Middle (1989)
Other humorous novels:
- Beefy Jones (LondonLondonLondon 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...
: Longmans, Green & Co.LongmanLongman was a publishing company founded in London, England in 1724. It is now an imprint of Pearson Education.-Beginnings:The Longman company was founded by Thomas Longman , the son of Ezekiel Longman , a gentleman of Bristol. Thomas was apprenticed in 1716 to John Osborn, a London bookseller, and...
, 19571957 in literatureThe year 1957 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* Lawrence Durrell publishes the first volume of The Alexandria Quartet. The final of the four volumes will be published in 1960....
) - Oh My Darling DaughterOh My Darling DaughterOh My Darling Daughter is a humorous coming-of-age novel by Eric Malpass first published in 1970. Set in the fictitious Derbyshire village of Shepherd's Delight during Harold Wilson's first term as Prime Minister , Oh My Darling Daughter is about the Kembles, a well-to-do, conservative and...
(London: Eyre & SpottiswoodeEyre & SpottiswoodeEyre & Spottiswoode, Ltd. was the London based printing firm that was the King's Printer, and subsequently, after April 1929, a publisher of the same name...
, 19701970 in literatureThe year 1970 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* Deliverance by American poet James Dickey published...
) - Familie Limmerick (1971)
The Shakespeare Trilogy:
- Part I: Sweet Will (London: MacmillanMacmillan PublishersMacmillan Publishers Ltd, also known as The Macmillan Group, is a privately held international publishing company owned by Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. It has offices in 41 countries worldwide and operates in more than thirty others.-History:...
, 19731973 in literatureThe year 1973 in literature involved several significant events and the writing of many notable books.-Events:*September 25 - The funeral of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda becomes a focus for protests against the new government of Augusto Pinochet...
) - Part II: The Cleopatra Boy (London: Macmillan, 19741974 in literatureThe year 1974 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*The Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics is founded by Allen Ginsberg and Anne Waldman.-New books:*Richard Adams - Shardik*Kingsley Amis - Ending Up...
) - Part III: A House of Women (London: Macmillan, 19751975 in literatureThe year 1975 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* August 12 — with the 20-year time limit stipulated by Thomas Mann at his death having expired, sealed packets containing 32 of the author's notebooks were opened in Zurich, Switzerland.* Writing under the...
)
Other novels with historical background:
- The Wind Brings Up the Rain (London: Heinemann, 19781978 in literatureThe year 1978 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*The Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year, a humorous award given annually to books with unusual titles is created. The first winner was Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Nude...
) - The Raising of Lazarus Pike (1980)
- The Lamplight and the Stars (London: HamlynHamlyn (publishers)Hamlyn is a UK publishing company founded by Paul Hamlyn in 1950 with an initial investment of £350. His desire was to create "fine books with the common touch" which remains the foundation of its commercial success...
, 19851985 in literatureThe year 1985 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-New books:*Isaac Asimov - Robots and Empire*Margaret Atwood - The Handmaid's Tale*Jean M. Auel - The Mammoth Hunters*Iain Banks - Walking on Glass...
) - Of Human Frailty (a biographical novel of Thomas CranmerThomas CranmerThomas Cranmer was a leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I. He helped build a favourable case for Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon which resulted in the separation of the English Church from...
) (London: Robert HaleRobert HaleRobert Hale may refer to:* Robert Hale , physician of Beverly, Massachusetts* Robert Beverly Hale , art writer and curator* Robert F. Hale , Under Secretary of Defense and Assistant Secretary of the Air Force...
, 19861986 in literatureThe year 1986 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Michael Grade. Controller of BBC One, axes plans to televise Ian Curteis's The Falklands Play.-New books:*Kingsley Amis - The Old Devils...
)
All his novels were republished in 2001 by House of Stratus.
Filmed versions
Malpass's books have never been filmed in his native England. Rather, it was mainly in Germany again where his success story continued on the big screen.- Morgens um sieben ist die Welt noch in Ordnung (In the Morning at Seven the World Is Still in Order) (West GermanyWest GermanyWest Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, 19681968 in filmThe year 1968 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* October 30 - The film The Lion in Winter, starring Katharine Hepburn, debuts.* November 1 - The MPAA's film rating system is introduced.-Top grossing films :- Awards :...
) — directed by Kurt HoffmannKurt HoffmannKurt Hoffmann was a German film director. He directed 48 films between 1938 and 1971. His film The Marriage of Mr. Mississippi was entered into the 11th Berlin International Film Festival.-Selected filmography:...
, starring Archibald Eser (as seven year old Gaylord Pentecost), Gerlinde LockerGerlinde LockerGerlinde Locker is an Austrian actress.-Selected filmography:* Auch ich war nur ein mittelmäßiger Schüler *Derrick - Season 8, Episode 8: "Prozente" -External links:*...
, Werner HinzWerner HinzWerner Hinz was a German film actor. He appeared in 70 films between 1935 and 1984.-Selected filmography:* Die Buntkarierten * No Greater Love * The Last Witness...
, Agnes WindeckAgnes WindeckAgnes Windeck was a German theatre and film actress. She appeared in 55 films between 1939 and 1973.She was born in Hamburg and started her career at the Deutsches Schauspielhaus. She later worked as a teacher at the drama school of the Deutsches Theater in Berlin...
and Diana KörnerDiana KörnerDiana Körner is a German actress. She is probably best known outside Germany for her brief character in Stanley Kubrick's period film Barry Lyndon.-Selected filmography:...
; music by James LastJames LastJames Last is a German composer and big band leader. His "happy music" made his numerous albums best-sellers in Germany and the United Kingdom. His composition, "Happy Heart", became an international success in interpretations by Andy Williams and Petula Clark...
; based on Morning's at Seven - Wenn süß das Mondlicht auf den Hügeln schläft (When Sweet Moonlight Is Sleeping in the Hills) (West Germany, 19691969 in filmThe year 1969 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* Last year for prize giving at the Venice Film Festival until it is revived in 1980...
) — a sequelSequelA sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to the 1968 movie; directed by Wolfgang LiebeneinerWolfgang LiebeneinerWolfgang Georg Louis Liebeneiner was a German actor, film director and theater director.He was born in Liebau in Prussian Silesia. In 1928, he was taught by Otto Falckenberg, the director of the Munich Kammerspiele, in acting and directing...
, with more or less the same cast; based on At the Height of the Moon - Als Mutter streikte (When Mother Went On Strike) (West Germany, 19741974 in filmThe year 1974 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*February 7 - Blazing Saddles is released in the USA.*August 7 - Peter Wolf, lead singer of The J...
) — directed by Eberhard Schröder, starring Johanna MatzJohanna Matz-Selected filmography:* Season in Salzburg * The White Horse Inn * The Life and Loves of Mozart * Ingrid - Die Geschichte eines Fotomodells * Trees Are Blooming in Vienna * Tales from the Vienna Woods...
, Gila von WeitershausenGila von WeitershausenBaroness Gila von Weitershausen is a German actress. Born in Trebnitz, , Lower Silesia, Germany into an aristocratic family, she has three brothers and two sister and is the great-granddaughter of Georg Graf von Hertling....
, Gaby DohmGaby Dohm-Selected filmography:* When Mother Went on Strike * The Serpent's Egg * Doktor Faustus * Rosenstrasse -External links:...
and Elisabeth FlickenschildtElisabeth FlickenschildtElisabeth Ida Marie Flickenschildt was a German actress, producer and author. She appeared in dozens of German language films and television productions from 1935 to 1976...
; based on Oh My Darling Daughter - Mon ami Gaylord (FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, 19791979 in filmThe year 1979 in film involved some significant events.- Major events :* March 5 - Production begins on Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.* May 25 - Alien, a landmark of the science fiction genre, is released....
) — a six-part mini-series directed by Pierre Goutas, also based on Morning's at Seven.