Just William series
Encyclopedia
The William Brown series, better known as the Just William series, is a series of thirty nine books written by English author Richmal Crompton
. The books are based around the mischievous schoolboy William Brown .
Published over a period of almost fifty years, between 1921 and 1970, the series is notable for the fact that the protagonist remains at the same eleven years of age, despite each book being set in the era it was written in. The first book was Just William
, and often the entire series is named after this book. Each book, with the exception of Just William's Luck
, which was a novel, was a collection of short stories.
The series has spawned various television, film, theatre and radio adaptations. It also has a large fan following, with such groups as the Just William Society.
William Brown is an 10 year old mischievous middle class school boy who lives in a village between the fictional towns of Marleigh and Hadley in England
. A number of guesses have been made about where the stories are set. In Pensions for Boys in Sweet William (1936), it is suggested that the village is about 50 miles from London. It has also been suggested (in Margarey Disher's book Growing Up with Just William) that it is situated somewhere around Bromley
. A road sign shown in a Thomas Henry
illustration from "William Gets A Move On" in "William Does His Bit
" reads "London A1", which would place the village north of London.
William often gets into trouble and is the leader of his band of friends, known as The Outlaws, with his best friend Ginger, and his other friends Henry and Douglas. His scruffy mongrel is called Jumble.
A William story often starts when William or the Outlaws set out to do something — put on a play, collect scrap metal for the war effort, look after Violet Elizabeth Bott for example. William always manages to get into trouble with his parents, although he can never see why. Often his well-meaning efforts result in broken windows and hysterics among Mrs. Brown's friends.
Sometimes William can be very moral — he is inspired to tell the truth for the duration of Christmas Day in William's Truthful Christmas (Still William
, 1925) with terrible results:
Current events
The books within this series often reflected current events within the 20th century. William the Conqueror (1926) for example reflects pre-World War I imperialism
, while 1930s books like William The Dictator (1938) dealt with Fascism
and 1940s books like William and the Evacuees (1940) were set against the backdrop of World War II
. Later on, William and the Moon Rocket (1954) and William and the Space Animal (1956) were written during the space race
. Despite the changing events, William and other characters do not age.
magazine and then Happy Mag but after being serialised were printed as books of short stories.
All the William books until William and the Witch published in 1964 were illustrated by Thomas Henry
in ink, with water colour illustrations for the front covers. After Henry's death in 1962, Henry Ford
and Lunt Roberts (who had previously illustrated her Jimmy books) continued in his style.
, being published posthumously in 1970.
The publication dates are for the UK.
Books about the series:
(1940). Directed by Graham Cutts
, and written by Doreen Montgomery
and Ireland Wood
, it starred Richard Lupino
as William Brown and featured Fred Emney
as Mr. Brown, Basil Radford
as Mr. Sidway, Amy Veness
as Mrs. Bott, Iris Hoey
as Mrs. Brown, Roddy McDowall
as Ginger, Norman Robinson as Douglas, Peter Miles
as Henry, David Tree
as Marmaduke Bott, Jenny Laird
as Ethel Brown, Simon Lack as Robert Brown, and Aubrey Mather
as Fletcher.
Just William's Luck and William at the Circus were both released in 1948 and were written and directed by Val Guest
. They starred William Graham as William Brown and featured Garry Marsh
as Mr. Brown, Jane Welsh
as Mrs. Brown, Hugh Cross
as Robert Brown, Kathleen Stuart as Ethel Brown, A.E. Matthews as The Tramp in Just William's Luck and as Minister in William at the Circus, Muriel Aked
as Emily, Maid, Brian Roper as Ginger, Brian Weske
as Henry, James Crabbe as Douglas, Michael Balfour as Jenks in JWL, uncredied in WatC, John Powe as Policeman in JWL, uncredited in WatC.
Just William's Luck also featured Audrey Manning as Violet Elizabeth, Leslie Bradley
as The Boss, Hy Hazell
as Gloria Gail, Patricia Cutts
as Gloria's Secretary, Ivan Hyde as Glazier, Joan Hickson
as Hubert's Mother, Anne Marie as Masseur, Leslie Hazell as Hubert's Gang, Peter Davis as Hubert's Gang, John O'Hara
as Hubert's Gang, Michael Medwin as The Boss's Gang, John Martel
as Johnnie, Ivan Craig
as The Boss's Gang.
William at the Circus also featured Michael Medwin as Reporter, Jon Pertwee
as Superintendent, Peter Butterworth
as ???, and John Martel
as Johnnie.
Programme
, decided to put together a cast for the first Just William radio series, which ran for 2 years on the BBC Light Programme (as a sitcom), beginning in 1946. He found his William in John Clark
, the young actor who had played D'arcy Minor, and Charles Hawtrey
, also from the Will Hay Programme, became Hubert Lane. Gordon McLeod was Mr. Brown, Betty Bowden Mrs. Brown, Harry Locke (later, Michael Allinson
) played Robert and Ethel was Rosamund Barnes. Violet Elizabeth was played by Jacqueline Boyer, who replaced the original, and Ginger by Tony Stockman.
Later, for radio, there was a play, William and the Artist's Model, written in 1956.
The BBC
has produced many recordings of William stories read by Martin Jarvis, originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4
. For many people, Jarvis is the definitive voice of William. His performances of William and Violet Elizabeth Bott are instantly recognisable. See Just William (BBC Radio series)
.
Kenneth Williams read eight stories for Argo in the early 1980s.
music hall circuit, busting house records at most theatres it played due to the thousands of children who got their first taste of theatre from the gallery. The closest it got to the West End was the Granville, Walham Green, owned by Jack Boyer, where it became one of the first plays to be televised by the BBC. John Clark, under contract, had to stick it out to the end, even though his voice had begun to break.
TV series called William was broadcast. The 1962 series starred Dennis Waterman
as William. In 1963 he was replaced by Denis Gilmore. It also featured Howard Lever as Robert, Christopher Witty as Ginger, Kaplan Kaye as Henry, Carlo Cura as Douglas and Gillian Gostling as Violet Elizabeth. Cast taken from the April 20th 1963 episode Radio Times
, "William and the sleeping Major", Major Goff being played by Roger Maxwell.
series called Just William was made starring Adrian Dannatt
as William, and featuring Stephen Wilmot as Henry, Diana Fairfax as Mrs. Brown, Hugh Cross
as Mr. Brown, Stacy Dorning
as Ethel Brown, Bonnie Langford
as Violet Elizabeth Bott and Diana Dors
as Mrs. Bott.
Information from here
Series one
Series two
Christmas Special:
broadcast another series also called Just William. Written by Allan Baker and directed by David Giles, it starred Oliver Rokison as William, and featured Jonathan Hirst as Ginger, Alastair Weller (credited as Alistair Weller) as Douglas, Polly Adams
as Mrs. Brown, David Horovitch
as Mr. Brown, Ben Pullen as Robert Brown, Naomi Allisstone as Ellen the maid, and Olivia Hallinan
as Susie Chambers.
of Just William. The episodes were written by Men Behaving Badly
writer Simon Nye
and broadcast in 2010 starring Daniel Roche
(Ben in Outnumbered
) who plays William and newcomer Robert A Foster who plays Henry, the series was narrated by Martin Jarvis.
The first episode was broadcast on 28 December with a further three episodes on consecutive days that week. They were:
magazine from April to October 1977, adapted by Angus Allan and drawn by Arthur Ranson, to tie in to the ITV series being broadcast at that time.
where William suspects a Jewish shop owner of dishonesty and forms a mob to evict him. ("Nasty" was William's mispronunciation of Nazi.) This story was written in 1935 before the Second World War, and was probably meant as parody
or was simply naïve as anti-semitism was not especially frowned upon much back then. Indeed many other children's stories and magazines, like Hergé's
The Adventures of Tintin
, contained mildly racist or other material controversial to today's world.
This story appeared in all the 20 impressions of "William the Detective" published by George Newnes (1935–1967), and in all the editions brought out by Armada in the 1970s. It was in 1986, in the edition brought out by Macmillan Children's Books, that this story was first omitted. Richmal Crompton's biographer, Mary Cadogan, wrote that both Richmal Crompton's literary executor — her niece Richmal Ashbee — and her publisher Macmillan "unhesitatingly decided to drop this episode [William and the Nasties] completely from new editions of the book." [Mary Cadogan, Richmal Crompton — The Woman behind "Just William" pp. 117–18]
----
Richmal Crompton
Richmal Crompton Lamburn was a British writer, most famous for her Just William humorous short stories and books.-Life:...
. The books are based around the mischievous schoolboy William Brown .
Published over a period of almost fifty years, between 1921 and 1970, the series is notable for the fact that the protagonist remains at the same eleven years of age, despite each book being set in the era it was written in. The first book was Just William
Just William
Just William is the first book of children's short stories about the young school boy William Brown, written by Richmal Crompton, and published in 1922. The book was the first in the series of William Brown books which was the basis for numerous television series, films and radio adaptations...
, and often the entire series is named after this book. Each book, with the exception of Just William's Luck
Just William's Luck
This page is about the novel. For the film see Just William's Luck .Just William's Luck was a novel in the Just William series by Richmal Crompton. It was the only novel in the series, the rest being books of short stories...
, which was a novel, was a collection of short stories.
The series has spawned various television, film, theatre and radio adaptations. It also has a large fan following, with such groups as the Just William Society.
Synopsis of the Series
Characters and SettingWilliam Brown is an 10 year old mischievous middle class school boy who lives in a village between the fictional towns of Marleigh and Hadley in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. A number of guesses have been made about where the stories are set. In Pensions for Boys in Sweet William (1936), it is suggested that the village is about 50 miles from London. It has also been suggested (in Margarey Disher's book Growing Up with Just William) that it is situated somewhere around Bromley
Bromley
Bromley is a large suburban town in south east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Bromley. It was historically a market town, and prior to 1963 was in the county of Kent and formed the administrative centre of the Municipal Borough of Bromley...
. A road sign shown in a Thomas Henry
Thomas Henry
Thomas Henry was an English illustrator, best remembered for his illustrations of Richmal Crompton's William books.-Biography:...
illustration from "William Gets A Move On" in "William Does His Bit
William Does His Bit
William Does His Bit is the 23rd book of children's short stories in the Just William series by Richmal Crompton.This book contains 10 stories...
" reads "London A1", which would place the village north of London.
William often gets into trouble and is the leader of his band of friends, known as The Outlaws, with his best friend Ginger, and his other friends Henry and Douglas. His scruffy mongrel is called Jumble.
A William story often starts when William or the Outlaws set out to do something — put on a play, collect scrap metal for the war effort, look after Violet Elizabeth Bott for example. William always manages to get into trouble with his parents, although he can never see why. Often his well-meaning efforts result in broken windows and hysterics among Mrs. Brown's friends.
Sometimes William can be very moral — he is inspired to tell the truth for the duration of Christmas Day in William's Truthful Christmas (Still William
Still William
Still - William is the fifth book in the Just William series by Richmal Crompton. It was first published in 1925.-The Stories:*The Bishop's Handkerchief There is a craze for silk handkerchiefs in the village, and William will stop at nothing to get one.*Henri Learns the Language A young Frenchman...
, 1925) with terrible results:
Current events
The books within this series often reflected current events within the 20th century. William the Conqueror (1926) for example reflects pre-World War I imperialism
Imperialism
Imperialism, as defined by Dictionary of Human Geography, is "the creation and/or maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationships, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination." The imperialism of the last 500 years,...
, while 1930s books like William The Dictator (1938) dealt with Fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
and 1940s books like William and the Evacuees (1940) were set against the backdrop of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Later on, William and the Moon Rocket (1954) and William and the Space Animal (1956) were written during the space race
Space Race
The Space Race was a mid-to-late 20th century competition between the Soviet Union and the United States for supremacy in space exploration. Between 1957 and 1975, Cold War rivalry between the two nations focused on attaining firsts in space exploration, which were seen as necessary for national...
. Despite the changing events, William and other characters do not age.
Characters
- William Brown - The main character in the series, an eleven year old middle class schoolboy. He is the leader of The Outlaws and the sworn enemy of Hubert Lane. He is confident and strong-willed. He doesn't care about his personal hygiene or appearance, to his family's dismay. He loves to play Indians, Pirates or Spies with his friends, as well as reading action stories. He is fond of sweets and soft drinks. His imagination and love of adventure are constantly at play, getting him into trouble.
- Ginger Flowerdew/Merridew - William's best friend and member of The Outlaws. "Ginger" is a nickname derived from the colour of his hair: We never learn his real first name, though his surname is either Flowerdew or Merridew (one of the author's many inconsistencies). He has an elder brother called Hector, who is Robert's friend. The Just William stories often involve only William and Ginger, leaving out the other Outlaws.
- Henry - One of William's friends and a member of The Outlaws. He is considered well-read and well-informed. He has a baby sister, with whom he is perpetually warring.
- Douglas - One of William's friends and a member of The Outlaws. He is the most prudent and discreet of the group. He has an elder brother, George, Robert's friend.
- Jumble - William's scruffy mongrel, a mixture of many breeds.
- Margaret or Mary Brown - William's long suffering mother. Despite innumerable disappointments, she never loses faith in William. Mrs Brown's first name is Margaret in William Again, 2, but Mary in Just William's Luck, 17, William - the Explorer, 5, and William's Treasure Trove, 5.
- John Brown - William's father, often vexed by William's troublesome behaviour, but is often giving subtle hints that he agrees with his son by rewarding him with money. Some of the stories also suggest that Mr Brown was very much like William in his youth.
- Ethel Brown - William's elder sister, a pretty redhead who is incredibly popular among the local adolescent males in the village. Ethel is variously aged in the stories between 17 and 21. William himself can never understand why people are attracted to her because she is usually quite mean to him. Ethel does, however, have quite a soft spot for William; she is genuinely distressed when she believes him to be sick, though William is often faking it.
- Robert Brown - William's grown-up brother who is infatuated by a succession of girls, each of whom he swears is "the most beautiful girl in the world" until he moves on to the next. Robert's age (like Ethel's) varies between stories: He is sometimes as young as 17 and sometimes as old as 22 (though in the novel Just William's Luck he confirms his age as 21). He is a hopeless romantic whose world view is colored by the heroic novels he reads. He is also something of a "social climber", eager to impress his friends and family with his worldly knowledge and important acquaintances. Several of the stories involve Robert attempting to impress a girl, but irritated and embarrassed by William in the process.
- Violet Elizabeth Bott - The lisping spoiled daughter of the local nouveau riche millionaire, Mr. Bott, who forces the reluctant Outlaws to allow her to join them on their adventures, by her effective threat: "I'll thcream and thcream and thcream 'till I'm thick".
- Mr. & Mrs. Bott - Introduced early in the series as new inhabitants to the village, Mr. and Mrs. Bott are a nouveau richeNouveau richeThe nouveau riche , or new money, comprise those who have acquired considerable wealth within their own generation...
millionaire couple who spoil their daughter Violet Elizabeth. Mr. Bott made his millions by patenting and selling "Bott's Digestive Sauce" (allegedly made from squashed beetles). While Mr. Bott is fairly easy-going, his wife is a social climber, eager to impress high-society people with her wealth. Despite being figures of fun, the Botts are often represented sympathetically. Perhaps because of their lower-class origins, they take William and his friends more seriously than do most adults. - Joan Clive/Crewe/Parfitt - The girl next door. Younger than William, she is his uncritical admirer, whom he will go to some efforts to impress. She is sometimes described a member of The Outlaws, and sometimes an "Outlaw-ally". Joan has three surnames throughout the series; it is Clive first, then Crewe, then Parfit, before reverting back to Clive. She also changes in physical appearance, Joan Clive had blue eyes and bright golden curls whereas Joans Crewe and Parfitt had dark eyes, dark curly hair and a dimpled complexion. Crewe turns to Parfitt after Joan's absence then subsequent return to the village after her London home is bombed, so it is possible her mother has been widowed (or, rather unlikely, divorced) and remarried. However, in William Meets the Professor (William and the Tramp) she has inexplicably reverted to Clive.
- Hubert Lane - William's chief rival in the village for popularity among boys. He is opposite in character to William, being greedy, underhand, vindictive and spoiled. He is obese and loves to eat. His gang (the "Hubert Lanites") remains loyal to him mostly on account of his excessive pocket money, which he uses to buy cream cakes and other luxuries for his supporters. He almost always comes off worse in confrontations with William.
- Bertie Franks - A leading member of the Hubert Lanites, usually Hubert's lieutenant, though in William the Gangster he sets up as a gang leader in his own right. Like Hubert, he is fat and spoiled.
- Oswald Franks - Bertie Franks's elder brother, friend of Robert's. He is pretty much like Bertie.
- Mrs. Lane - Hubert's mother, who began with having great faith in a William-Hubert friendly, but spoils and supports Hubert to a ridiculous extent.
- Mr. Marks/Markson - The headmaster of William's school, known to William and his friends as "Ole Markie". He is early middle-aged, and has a sensitive personality which he does his best not to show when he is at work. He gets on well with his older pupils, but dislikes younger and more disruptive ones like William.
- Mr. French - The most frequently mentioned of William's teachers, he is usually an antagonist.
- Victor Jameson - The leader of another gang of boys. Victor's gang generally supports William's, though they occasionally argue with them. Victor is often involved in fights against the Lanites and in audiences of Outlaw productions. Has an elder brother, Jameson Jameson, who plays a similar role as Robert.
- Jimmy Moore A solid, dependable youth of Ethel's peer group. Her fall back beau when more glamorous suitors let her down.
- Arabella Simpkin - A strong-willed, witty girl who acts as an antagonist for the Outlaws, generally disrupting their activities by disputing their leadership.
- Archie Mannister - An absent-minded young artist, besotted with Ethel and on more-or-less friendly terms with William. He appears more in the later books.
Publication and Illustrations
The series was first serialised in HomeHome
A home is a place of residence or refuge. When it refers to a building, it is usually a place in which an individual or a family can rest and store personal property. Most modern-day households contain sanitary facilities and a means of preparing food. Animals have their own homes as well, either...
magazine and then Happy Mag but after being serialised were printed as books of short stories.
All the William books until William and the Witch published in 1964 were illustrated by Thomas Henry
Thomas Henry
Thomas Henry was an English illustrator, best remembered for his illustrations of Richmal Crompton's William books.-Biography:...
in ink, with water colour illustrations for the front covers. After Henry's death in 1962, Henry Ford
Henry Ford (illustrator)
Henry Chapman Ford was an American illustrator born in Livonia, New York. He studied art in Paris and Florence late in the 1850s. During the Civil War he was a soldier assigned to prepare illustrations of interest to the military...
and Lunt Roberts (who had previously illustrated her Jimmy books) continued in his style.
List of books
Crompton continued to write William books right up until her death with the last, William the LawlessWilliam the Lawless
William the Lawless was the last story collection in the William Books series. It was published posthumously in 1970 following the death of the author, Richmal Crompton, in 1969....
, being published posthumously in 1970.
The publication dates are for the UK.
- 1. Just WilliamJust WilliamJust William is the first book of children's short stories about the young school boy William Brown, written by Richmal Crompton, and published in 1922. The book was the first in the series of William Brown books which was the basis for numerous television series, films and radio adaptations...
, 1922 - 2. More WilliamMore WilliamMore William is the second William collection in the much acclaimed Just William series by Richmal Crompton. It is a sequel to the book Just William...
, 1922 - 3. William Again, 1923
- 4. William The Fourth, 1924
- 5. Still WilliamStill WilliamStill - William is the fifth book in the Just William series by Richmal Crompton. It was first published in 1925.-The Stories:*The Bishop's Handkerchief There is a craze for silk handkerchiefs in the village, and William will stop at nothing to get one.*Henri Learns the Language A young Frenchman...
, 1925 - 6. William the Conqueror, 1926
- 7. William the OutlawWilliam the OutlawWilliam - The Outlaw is the seventh book in the Just William series by Richmal Crompton. It was first published in 1927.-The Stories:*William - The Outlaw The Outlaws receive an unwanted lecture on geology....
, 1927 - 8. William In TroubleWilliam In TroubleWilliam In Trouble is a book in the Just William series by Richmal Crompton. The book contains 10 short stories. It was first published in 1927.-William and the Early Romans:...
, 1927 - 9. William the GoodWilliam the Good (short story collection)William the Good is the ninth book in the Just William series of books by Richmal Crompton. It was first published in 1926.-Short stories:...
, 1928 - 10. William, 1929
- 11. William The Bad, 1930
- 12. William's Happy Days, 1930
- 13. William's Crowded HoursWilliam's Crowded HoursWilliam's Crowded Hours is the thirteenth book in the Just William series by Richmal Crompton. It was first published in 1931.-The Stories:*William and the Spy*The Plan That Failed*William and the Young Man...
, 1931 - 14. William The PirateWilliam the PirateWilliam the Pirate is the fourteenth book in the Just William series by Richmal Crompton. It was first published in 1932. It contains eleven short-stories, one of which features the odious "Anthony Martin" who is often cited as a parody of A.A...
, 1932 - 15. William The Rebel, 1933
- 16. William The Gangster, 1934
- 17. William The DetectiveWilliam The DetectiveWilliam - The Detective is a book in the Just William series by Richmal Crompton published in 1935. The book contains ten short stories, though it originally contained eleven: The eleventh, entitled William and the Nasties was removed from the book later on because, though ultimately anti-Nazi, it...
, 1935 - 18. Sweet WilliamSweet William (story collection)Sweet William is the eighteenth short story collection in the Just William series by Richmal Crompton. The book contains 10 short stories and was first published in 1936...
, 1936 - 19. William The Showman, 1937
- 20. William The DictatorWilliam the DictatorWilliam — The Dictator is the 20th book of children's short stories in the Just William series by Richmal Crompton.This book contains 10 stories...
, 1938 - 21. William and Air Raid PrecautionsWilliam and Air Raid PrecautionsWilliam and Air Raid Precautions is the 21st book of children's short stories in the Just William series by Richmal Crompton.-Short stories:#William and A.R.P.#William's Good-Bye Present#William's Day Off#Portrait of William#William the Dog Trainer...
, 1939 (also published as William's Bad Resolutions, 1956) - 22. William and the Evacuees, 1940 (also published as William and the Film Star, 1956)
- 23. William Does His BitWilliam Does His BitWilliam Does His Bit is the 23rd book of children's short stories in the Just William series by Richmal Crompton.This book contains 10 stories...
, 1941 - 24. William Carries OnWilliam Carries OnWilliam Carries On is the twenty-fourth book in the Just William series by Richmal Crompton. It was first published in 1942.-The Stories:*Too Many Cooks*William And The Bomb*William's Midsummer Eve...
, 1942 - 25. William and the Brains TrustWilliam and The Brains TrustWilliam And The Brains Trust is the twenty-fifth book in the Just William series by Richmal Crompton. It was first published in 1945. It was republished as a paperback under the title "William the Hero."-Stories:...
, 1945 - 26. Just William's LuckJust William's LuckThis page is about the novel. For the film see Just William's Luck .Just William's Luck was a novel in the Just William series by Richmal Crompton. It was the only novel in the series, the rest being books of short stories...
, 1948 - 27. William — the Bold, 1950
- 28. William and the Tramp, 1952
- 29. William and the Moon Rocket, 1954
- 30. William and the Space Animal, 1956
- 31. William's Television ShowWilliam's Television ShowWilliam's Television Show was a book in the Just William series by Richmal Crompton. It was first published in 1958, and contained six short stories, far fewer than most books in the series.-The Stories:*William on the Trail...
, 1958 - 32. William the Explorer, 1960
- 33. William's Treasure Trove, 1962
- 34. William and the Witch, 1964
- 35. William and the Pop Singers, 1965
- 36 William the Ancient Briton, 1965 (Contains stories all featured in other books)
- 37. William and the Masked RangerWilliam and the Masked RangerWilliam and the Masked Ranger is a book of short stories in the Just William series by Richmal Crompton. It was first published in 1966.-The Stories:*William and the Masked Ranger*William's Summer Holiday...
, 1966 - 38. William the Superman, 1968
- 39. William the LawlessWilliam the LawlessWilliam the Lawless was the last story collection in the William Books series. It was published posthumously in 1970 following the death of the author, Richmal Crompton, in 1969....
, 1970 - 40 What's Wrong with Civilizashun and Other Important Ritings, 1990
Books about the series:
- Just William Through the Ages by Mary Cadogan, 1995
- Growing Up With Just William
Films
Several films were made based on the books. The first of these is Just WilliamJust William (1940 film)
Just William is a 1940 British comedy film directed by Graham Cutts and starring Richard Lupino, Fred Emney and Basil Radford. It is based on the Just William series of books by Richmal Crompton.-Cast:* Richard Lupino - William Brown...
(1940). Directed by Graham Cutts
Graham Cutts
Graham Cutts was a British film director who was one of the leading British directors in the 1920s. His fellow director A. V. Bramble believed that Gainsborough Pictures had been built on the back of his work. His daughter was actress Patricia Cutts...
, and written by Doreen Montgomery
Doreen Montgomery
Doreen Montgomery was a British screenwriter. Working for Gainsborough Pictures, her early credits include Just William , The Man in Grey , Fanny by Gaslight and While I Live . Television credits include Dr...
and Ireland Wood
Ireland Wood
Ireland Wood is a small residential area in north-west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is approximately to the north west of Leeds city centre. The original planning for Ireland Wood began in 1950....
, it starred Richard Lupino
Richard Lupino
Richard Lupino , was an American film, stage and television actor, of British parentage, part of the theatrical Lupino family, led to prominence by Lupino Lane....
as William Brown and featured Fred Emney
Fred Emney
Frederick Arthur Round "Fred" Emney was an English character actor and comedian.Emney was born in Lancashire, the son of Blanche and Fred Emney , a music hall entertainer. His uncle was the actor Arthur Williams. Emney junior grew up in London.He made his film debut in 1935, having previously...
as Mr. Brown, Basil Radford
Basil Radford
Basil Radford was an English character actor who featured in many British films of the 1930s and 1940s. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and made his first stage appearance in July 1924...
as Mr. Sidway, Amy Veness
Amy Veness
Amy Veness was a British film actress. She played the role of Grandma Huggett in The Huggetts Trilogy.-Selected filmography:* Please Help Emily * Let Me Explain, Dear * A Southern Maid...
as Mrs. Bott, Iris Hoey
Iris Hoey
Iris Hoey was a British actress in the first half of the twentieth century, both on stage and in movies. She married twice, first to Max Leeds, then the actor Cyril Raymond but divorced on both occasions....
as Mrs. Brown, Roddy McDowall
Roddy McDowall
Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude "Roddy" McDowall was an English actor and photographer. His film roles included Cornelius and Caesar in the Planet of the Apes film series...
as Ginger, Norman Robinson as Douglas, Peter Miles
Peter Miles
Peter Miles is a British actor. He has played many television roles including several different characters in Z-Cars and Doctor Who. His other television work has included Survivors, The Sweeney, Dixon of Dock Green, Moonbase 3, Poldark and Bergerac.In the science fiction series Blake's 7 he played...
as Henry, David Tree
David Tree
David Tree was an English stage and screen actor from a distinguished theatrical family whose career in the 1930s included roles in numerous stage presentations as well as in thirteen films produced between 1937 and 1941, among which were 1939's Goodbye Mr...
as Marmaduke Bott, Jenny Laird
Jenny Laird
Jenny Laird was a British film and television actress.-Selected filmography:* Passenger to London * Black Eyes * Just William * The Lamp Still Burns...
as Ethel Brown, Simon Lack as Robert Brown, and Aubrey Mather
Aubrey Mather
Aubrey Mather was an English character actor.Mather began his career on the stage in 1905. He debuted in London in Brewster's Millions in 1909 and on Broadway ten years later in Luck of the Navy. He eventually branched out to films, starting with Young Woodley in 1930...
as Fletcher.
Just William's Luck and William at the Circus were both released in 1948 and were written and directed by Val Guest
Val Guest
Val Guest was a British film director, best known for his science-fiction films for Hammer Film Productions in the 1950s, but who also enjoyed a long, varied and active career in the film industry from the early 1930s up until the early 1980s.-Early life and career:He was born Valmond Maurice...
. They starred William Graham as William Brown and featured Garry Marsh
Garry Marsh
Garry Marsh was a British film actor. Marsh began acting on the stage at the age of fifteen. He started off in films as a leading man but later became a character actor playing self-important roles.-Filmography:* Long Odds...
as Mr. Brown, Jane Welsh
Jane Welsh
-Selected filmography:* The Bells * The Missing Rembrandt * Whispering Tongues * Little Dolly Daydream * Bell-Bottom George * Just William's Luck * William Comes to Town...
as Mrs. Brown, Hugh Cross
Hugh Cross
-Selected filmography:* Just William's Luck * William Comes to Town * Warning to Wantons * Seven Days to Noon * Svengali * The Court Martial of Major Keller...
as Robert Brown, Kathleen Stuart as Ethel Brown, A.E. Matthews as The Tramp in Just William's Luck and as Minister in William at the Circus, Muriel Aked
Muriel Aked
Muriel Aked was a British film actress. She was a student at Liverpool Repertory Theatre for six months but left to do war work. She made her screen debut in 1920 in A Sister to Assist 'Er...
as Emily, Maid, Brian Roper as Ginger, Brian Weske
Brian Weske
-Selected filmography:* Medal for the General * Quiet Weekend * Fame is the Spur * Just William's Luck * William Comes to Town * Brandy for the Parson * Jazz Boat * On the Fiddle...
as Henry, James Crabbe as Douglas, Michael Balfour as Jenks in JWL, uncredied in WatC, John Powe as Policeman in JWL, uncredited in WatC.
Just William's Luck also featured Audrey Manning as Violet Elizabeth, Leslie Bradley
Leslie Bradley
-Selected filmography:* The Way of Youth * Holiday's End * Atlantic Ferry * The Young Mr. Pitt * Time Flies * Candlelight in Algeria * Slaves of Babylon * The Iron Glove...
as The Boss, Hy Hazell
Hy Hazell
Hy Hazell was a British film actress. She was born as Hyacinth Hazel O'Higgins.-Selected filmography:* Meet Me at Dawn * Paper Orchid * The Lady Craved Excitement...
as Gloria Gail, Patricia Cutts
Patricia Cutts
Patricia Cutts was an English film and television actress.-Biography:Born in London, Cutts was the daughter of the writer-director Graham Cutts. Her first roles were small parts in American films such as I Was a Male War Bride and The Man Who Loved Redheads and the television shows Alfred...
as Gloria's Secretary, Ivan Hyde as Glazier, Joan Hickson
Joan Hickson
Joan Hickson OBE was an English actress of theatre, film and television, famed for playing Agatha Christie's Miss Marple in the television series Miss Marple.- Wivenhoe :...
as Hubert's Mother, Anne Marie as Masseur, Leslie Hazell as Hubert's Gang, Peter Davis as Hubert's Gang, John O'Hara
John O'Hara
John Henry O'Hara was an American writer. He initially became known for his short stories and later became a best-selling novelist whose works include Appointment in Samarra and BUtterfield 8. He was particularly known for an uncannily accurate ear for dialogue...
as Hubert's Gang, Michael Medwin as The Boss's Gang, John Martel
John Martel
This article is about John Martel the attorney. For the pirate captain, see John Martel .John Martel is an American lawyer and novelist....
as Johnnie, Ivan Craig
Ivan Craig
Ivan Craig was a British actor, the son of Dr. Eric S. Craig and Dorothy Gertrude Meldrum.From 1940 to 1945 he was married to Lillian Davies, later Princess Lilian of Sweden....
as The Boss's Gang.
William at the Circus also featured Michael Medwin as Reporter, Jon Pertwee
Jon Pertwee
John Devon Roland Pertwee , was an English actor. Pertwee is best known for his role in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, in which he played the third incarnation of the Doctor from 1970 to 1974, and as the title character in the series Worzel Gummidge...
as Superintendent, Peter Butterworth
Peter Butterworth
Peter William Shorrocks Butterworth was an English comedy actor and comedian, best known for his appearances in the Carry On series of films. He was also a regular on children's television and radio and appeared in seven early episodes of Doctor Who in 1965 as the 'The Meddling Monk'...
as ???, and John Martel
John Martel
This article is about John Martel the attorney. For the pirate captain, see John Martel .John Martel is an American lawyer and novelist....
as Johnnie.
Radio
Alick Hayes, the BBC radio producer of The Will HayWill Hay
William Thomson "Will" Hay was an English comedian, actor, film director and amateur astronomer.-Early life:He was born in Stockton-on-Tees, in north east England, to William R...
Programme
Radio programming
Radio programming is the Broadcast programming of a Radio format or content that is organized for Commercial broadcasting and Public broadcasting radio stations....
, decided to put together a cast for the first Just William radio series, which ran for 2 years on the BBC Light Programme (as a sitcom), beginning in 1946. He found his William in John Clark
John Clark (actor/director)
Ivan John Clark is an English actor, director, producer, and writer with British, American and Canadian citizenship. He is also known as the ex-husband of actress Lynn Redgrave, to whom he was married for 33 years.-Early career:...
, the young actor who had played D'arcy Minor, and Charles Hawtrey
Charles Hawtrey (film actor)
George Frederick Joffre Hartree , known as Charles Hawtrey, was an English comedy actor and musician.Beginning at a young age as a boy soprano, he made several records before moving on to the radio...
, also from the Will Hay Programme, became Hubert Lane. Gordon McLeod was Mr. Brown, Betty Bowden Mrs. Brown, Harry Locke (later, Michael Allinson
Michael Allinson
Michael Allinson was an English stage and film actor.-Biography:...
) played Robert and Ethel was Rosamund Barnes. Violet Elizabeth was played by Jacqueline Boyer, who replaced the original, and Ginger by Tony Stockman.
Later, for radio, there was a play, William and the Artist's Model, written in 1956.
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...
has produced many recordings of William stories read by Martin Jarvis, originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
. For many people, Jarvis is the definitive voice of William. His performances of William and Violet Elizabeth Bott are instantly recognisable. See Just William (BBC Radio series)
Just William (BBC Radio series)
Just William is a 1990s BBC Radio series based on the Just William series of books by Richmal Crompton. They are spoken by Martin Jarvis and have become one of the most well known adaptations of the books. The series has been released on Cassette and CD....
.
Kenneth Williams read eight stories for Argo in the early 1980s.
Theatre
As was often the case with popular radio shows, there was a big push to put it on the stage, where audiences could get to actually put a face to the famous voices, and the actors could get to earn decent money after the frugal pay checks offered by the BBC - William was paid 4 guineas a show, standard pay for juveniles back then, one line or star, didn't matter. And so it was that the 1947 radio series of Just William found a new life in a stage production, written by Alick Hayes and Richmal Crompton, produced by Violet Elizabeth's father Jack Boyer, opening in Birmingham, and for the next 2 years toured the British Isles on the Moss EmpireEdward Moss
Sir Horace Edward Commitment Moss was a British theatre impresario and the founder chairman of the Moss Empires Ltd theatre combine which he created in the 1890s after first joining forces with Richard Thornton of Newcastle and later with Oswald Stoll then operating in Wales...
music hall circuit, busting house records at most theatres it played due to the thousands of children who got their first taste of theatre from the gallery. The closest it got to the West End was the Granville, Walham Green, owned by Jack Boyer, where it became one of the first plays to be televised by the BBC. John Clark, under contract, had to stick it out to the end, even though his voice had begun to break.
1960s series
In 1962 and 1963 a BBCBBC
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...
TV series called William was broadcast. The 1962 series starred Dennis Waterman
Dennis Waterman
Dennis Waterman is a British actor and singer, best known for his tough-guy roles in television series including The Sweeney, Minder and New Tricks.-Early life:...
as William. In 1963 he was replaced by Denis Gilmore. It also featured Howard Lever as Robert, Christopher Witty as Ginger, Kaplan Kaye as Henry, Carlo Cura as Douglas and Gillian Gostling as Violet Elizabeth. Cast taken from the April 20th 1963 episode Radio Times
Radio Times
Radio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title...
, "William and the sleeping Major", Major Goff being played by Roger Maxwell.
1970s series
In 1976, an ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
series called Just William was made starring Adrian Dannatt
Adrian Dannatt
Adrian Dannatt is the son of architect Trevor Dannatt, he was educated at St Chad's College, Durham University. Before arriving at university he had previously been the child star of the London Weekend Television series Just William , based on the novels of author Richmal Crompton...
as William, and featuring Stephen Wilmot as Henry, Diana Fairfax as Mrs. Brown, Hugh Cross
Hugh Cross
-Selected filmography:* Just William's Luck * William Comes to Town * Warning to Wantons * Seven Days to Noon * Svengali * The Court Martial of Major Keller...
as Mr. Brown, Stacy Dorning
Stacy Dorning
Stacy Dorning is an English actress, best known for appearing in the second series of The Adventures of Black Beauty . She also appeared in Just William and Keep It in the Family . She is the elder daughter of actors Robert Dorning and Honor Shepherd, and older sister of actress Kate...
as Ethel Brown, Bonnie Langford
Bonnie Langford
Bonita Melody Lysette "Bonnie" Langford is an English actress, dancer and entertainer. She came to prominence as a child star in the early 1970s then she subsequently became a companion of Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy's Doctor Who and has appeared on stage in various musicals such as Peter Pan:...
as Violet Elizabeth Bott and Diana Dors
Diana Dors
Diana Dors was an English actress, born Diana Mary Fluck in Swindon, Wiltshire. Considered the English equivalent of the blonde bombshells of Hollywood, Dors described herself as: "The only sex symbol Britain has produced since Lady Godiva."-Early life:Diana Mary Fluck was born in Swindon,...
as Mrs. Bott.
Episodes
Information from here
Series one
- William and the Begging Letter Episode: #1.1–6 February 1977
- William the Great Actor Episode: #1.2–13 February 1977
- The Outlaws and the Tramp Episode: #1.3–20 February 1977
- The Sweetest Little Girl in White Episode: #1.4–27 February 1977
- William and the Badminton Racket Episode: #1.5–6 March 1977
- A Little Interlude Episode: #1.6–13 March 1977
- William and the Prize Pig Episode: #1.7–20 March 1977
- William and the Wonderful Present Episode: #1.8–27 March 1977
- William the Matchmaker Episode: #1.9–3 April 1977
- Waste Paper Wanted Episode: #1.10–10 April 1977
- Only Just in Time Episode: #1.11–17 April 1977
- William and the Sleeping Major Episode: #1.12–24 April 1977
- William Clears the Slums Episode: #1.13–1 May 1977
Series two
- William's Lucky Day Episode: #2.1–23 October 1977
- The Great Detective Episode: #2.2–30 October 1977
- Violet Elizabeth Wins Episode: #2.3–6 November 1977
- William Holds the Stage Episode: #2.4–13 November 1977
- William the Philanthropist Episode: #2.5–20 November 1977
- It All Began with the Typewriter Episode: #2.6–27 November 1977
- A Rescue Party Episode: #2.7–4 December 1977
- William Finds a Job Episode: #2.8–11 December 1977
- Parrots for Ethel Episode: #2.9–18 December 1977
- William at the Garden Party Episode: #2.10–1 January 1978
- Two Good Turns" Episode: #2.11–8 January 1978
- Finding a School for William Episode: #2.12–15 January 1978
- William and the Tramp Episode: #2.13–22 January 1978
Christmas Special:
- William's Worst Christmas - 24 December 1977
1990s series
In 1994, the BBCBBC
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...
broadcast another series also called Just William. Written by Allan Baker and directed by David Giles, it starred Oliver Rokison as William, and featured Jonathan Hirst as Ginger, Alastair Weller (credited as Alistair Weller) as Douglas, Polly Adams
Polly Adams
Polly Adams is an English actress best known for her work on the stage both in England and in the United States, and for her portrayal of Mrs. Brown on the television series Just William. She made her Broadway debut in the critically acclaimed 1975 revival of London Assurance as Grace Harkaway...
as Mrs. Brown, David Horovitch
David Horovitch
David Horovitch is an English actor best known for playing the character of Inspector Slack in Miss Marple.-Life and career:...
as Mr. Brown, Ben Pullen as Robert Brown, Naomi Allisstone as Ellen the maid, and Olivia Hallinan
Olivia Hallinan
Olivia Hallinan is an English actress best known for her role as Laura Timmins in the BBC TV series Lark Rise to Candleford and also as Kim in the critically acclaimed Sugar Rush. She also starred as Ellie in Girls in Love....
as Susie Chambers.
2010s series
In July, 2009, it was announced that the BBC were working on a new seriesJust William (2010 TV serial)
Just William is a television serial first broadcast on BBC One in December 2010. The serial is based on the Just William series of books by Richmal Crompton. This latest adaptation is written by Simon Nye. It is the first adaption of the books since a children's television series in the 1990s. The...
of Just William. The episodes were written by Men Behaving Badly
Men Behaving Badly
Men Behaving Badly is a British comedy that was created and written by Simon Nye. It follows the lives of Gary Strang and his flatmates, Dermot Povey and Tony Smart It was first broadcast on ITV in 1992...
writer Simon Nye
Simon Nye
Simon Nye is an English comic television writer, best known for creating the hit sitcom Men Behaving Badly, writing all of the four ITV Panto, co-writing the 2006 film Flushed Away, co-writing Reggie Perrin and creating the latest adaption of William Brown in the Just William CBBC...
and broadcast in 2010 starring Daniel Roche
Daniel Roche (actor)
Daniel Peter Roche is an English child actor. He is best known for playing Ben in the BBC One sitcom Outnumbered.-Life:...
(Ben in Outnumbered
Outnumbered
Outnumbered is a British sitcom. Airing on BBC One since 2007, it stars Hugh Dennis and Claire Skinner as a father and mother outnumbered by their three children...
) who plays William and newcomer Robert A Foster who plays Henry, the series was narrated by Martin Jarvis.
The first episode was broadcast on 28 December with a further three episodes on consecutive days that week. They were:
- The Sweet Little Girl in White
- Parrots for Ethel
- The School Report
- William Holds the Stage
Comics
A Just William comic strip appeared in Look-inLook-in
Look-in was a long running children's magazine centred around ITV's television programmes in the United Kingdom, and subtitled "The Junior TVTimes". It ran from 9 January 1971 to 12 March 1994...
magazine from April to October 1977, adapted by Angus Allan and drawn by Arthur Ranson, to tie in to the ITV series being broadcast at that time.
Controversy
William has been criticised by the RSPCA for stories where he is cruel to animals. For example, in one story he paints his dog blue as a circus exhibit. In another he has a competition to see how many rats his dog can kill in a certain time. Some stories have been removed from modern publication, such as William and the Nasties from William The DetectiveWilliam The Detective
William - The Detective is a book in the Just William series by Richmal Crompton published in 1935. The book contains ten short stories, though it originally contained eleven: The eleventh, entitled William and the Nasties was removed from the book later on because, though ultimately anti-Nazi, it...
where William suspects a Jewish shop owner of dishonesty and forms a mob to evict him. ("Nasty" was William's mispronunciation of Nazi.) This story was written in 1935 before the Second World War, and was probably meant as parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
or was simply naïve as anti-semitism was not especially frowned upon much back then. Indeed many other children's stories and magazines, like Hergé's
Hergé
Georges Prosper Remi , better known by the pen name Hergé, was a Belgian comics writer and artist. His best known and most substantial work is the 23 completed comic books in The Adventures of Tintin series, which he wrote and illustrated from 1929 until his death in 1983, although he was also...
The Adventures of Tintin
The Adventures of Tintin
The Adventures of Tintin is a series of classic comic books created by Belgian artist , who wrote under the pen name of Hergé...
, contained mildly racist or other material controversial to today's world.
This story appeared in all the 20 impressions of "William the Detective" published by George Newnes (1935–1967), and in all the editions brought out by Armada in the 1970s. It was in 1986, in the edition brought out by Macmillan Children's Books, that this story was first omitted. Richmal Crompton's biographer, Mary Cadogan, wrote that both Richmal Crompton's literary executor — her niece Richmal Ashbee — and her publisher Macmillan "unhesitatingly decided to drop this episode [William and the Nasties] completely from new editions of the book." [Mary Cadogan, Richmal Crompton — The Woman behind "Just William" pp. 117–18]
External links
- Just William Society
- Just William fan site
- BBC7 - Just William
- BBC - BBC Shop
- Costumes of English Literary Characters: William Brown
- British Film Institute Screen Online - 1977 series
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