3. Gally meets Dora. Short scene. ‘Where is Florence?’ Then play the scene with Florence.
10. Here is where there shd be a passing of time and more stuff before Ld E spills beans. Ld E means to tell F abt Jeff but forgets.
Qy. Ld E makes note in bedside book and discovers it later.
YES)
What I need is some sequence which threatens to expose Jeff & is averted and reader thinks all is & well then Ld E spills beans.
X)
Query? Have Gally meet Diana after his scene with Vicky.
*
Aug 3. 1974
Notes for Scenario (ctd)
Try this. Plant in 6 that Jeff has given Freddie his cartoon to take to USA.
Then we play arrival of Jeff up to his first scene with Nicky when nothing happens except Jeff & Nicky seeing Dora and James and bodyguard.
Then telegram arrives from Freddie saying he is over in England and is coming to Blandings.
Gally finds Jeff at sty and tells him this. And says he will go to London and explain situation to Freddie and stop him coming.
Gally returns and tells Jeff and N that all is well and that Freddie has sold cartoon and it is success.
Gally goes off to get a drink with Beach.
Gally meets N and she tells him abt quarrel.
He talks her round — thins will be just before dressing for dinner.
I don’t think I need the locking-out.
Ld E, dressing for dinner, rings for Beach, tells him to send Jeff to him. Jeff arrives and we get the profile and full face stuff. — Jeff.
Meets N. Embraces. Ld E sees them.
Arrival of Brenda must come before this. Show Ld E’s dismay at seeing her and lid is put on his […?…] by Freddie’s telegram.
X)
*
Nov 2. 1974
Sequence
1. Sequence ? ? with Ld E seeing Jeff and V embrace and telling Florence that it is Smith whom V loves, not Jeff.
2. F suspects Smith of being Jeff and phones Dame Winkworth and gets a description of Jeff.
3. F tackles Gally Ø who has to come clean. G tells Vicky about F’s kicking Jeff out. (This gives V the idea of stealing the jewel) . G tells V he will try to egg Ld E to defy Florence. After all, it’s his castle.
4. G tells Ld E F wants to kick Jeff out —his last chance of getting Emp’s portrait painted. Ld E goes to F and throws his weight about. F has to consent to Jeff staying.
Is this right? No. F is resolute abt kicking Jeff out.
O.K.)
5. Brenda arrives.
4. Ld E and F ‘It’s my castle, isn’t it. I’m the Earl of E, aren’t I?
‘Anybody looking at you would think you were a tramp.
‘That is a V. offensive remark.
‘You’ve got two holes in your coat.
3. Φ Florence accuses Gally of bringing Jeff to castle. G. denies it. F. phones Dame D for description of Jeff. Having got it, she goes back to Gally and denounces him. G. then tells Vicky.
O.K.)
Then Brenda arrives next day at tea time and goes straight to Florence’s room, leaving jewel case in hall.
*
Dec 20/74
Sequence
1. G. tells Ld E Florence is kicking Jeff out.
2. F in hammock. She accuses G. and says she has told V she is kicking Jeff out. G. says she can’t because Ld E will not permit it. F caves in.
3. Brenda arrives Δ. B and F. ‘I want to show you my jewels’. Beach sent for. Jewel gone.
Δ P. tells B penniless but wants to marr V. He cd steal your jewel to get money to elope.)
4. V. tells G she stole jewel to prevent Jeff being kicked out.
He says he will hide it in Ld E’s study.
5. Back to B and F. They decide to have Claude search J’s room. B suggests this.
6. Φ J catches Claude. J rushes off to curse F. Brave.
7. F tells B abt J being violent. B says that looks as if he were innocent.
Φ Would it be better if Ld E catches Claude and C explains. Ld E rushes off and curses F., who takes offence and says she’s leaving)
‘It isn’t as if Florence was Connie.
‘No, Connie’s bite spelled death.
‘I’m not afraid of Florence. I once saw her spanked by her nurse for stealing jam.
Qy Make F divorced and her husband wants reconciliation
She says she is going back to him.
If so, make F more attractive in scene with Jeff.)
Query—Should Gally hide jewel in F’s room. Ld E finds it when looking for stamps. Ø He comes to G in hammock. G. says nobody must know that F is a kleptomaniac.
Good)
Or looking for something he dropped (Report of Shrop Agriculture Society) when he was having his row with F. Finds it behind writing desk.
If F is divorced, make husband Amer. millionaire. When Gally tells them to elope, he says husband will give her money. V. says I wrote to him. No answer. G says the letter must have been intercepted by F.
*
Dec 30. 1974
Sequence
1. F & Gally. F. says Jeff is being kicked out.
2. Gally & Ld E. Ld E furious at this.
X. 2A. G. goes to Ems Arms. Meets husband.
3. Brenda arrives. B & F (F. tells abt Jeff and Vicky. B goes to her room.
4. Note: Wd it be better to put G. meeting husband after B’s arrival. G. goes to Ems Arms because he has to be alone, to think, which rules out Beach’s pantry.
See next page)
5. Brenda comes to F, says she left jewel case in hall and jewel is gone.
(See next page
6. V tells G she stole jewel. G. takes it and says he will hide it in Ld E’s study.
7. F wants J’s room searched. B suggests Claude.
8. Ld E goes to J’s room, catches Claude.
9. Ld E to F’s room. He curses F. Husband pops out and dominates Ld E. Reconciliation.
10. Husband tells Gally. G. asks F. to give V money. F refuses. G to hammock to think.
11 . Plus Piper, says he was just going to propose, when M came up with rain coat. G. says Beach has told him M loves maid and says he will keep M away while P proposes.
12. Gally & Murchison. G. back to hammock.
13. Plus Piper. Says he’s engaged. Gally gets him to give Jeff architect job. X painting Piper’s portrait.
14. Gally & Beach. With F gone and Diana marrying Piper and Brenda going (Watch this. Why does B go?) Blandings will soon be all-male again (except for Vicky. Jeff stays on to paint pig.
Note: This is rough, but can easily be polished.
Revised Sequence
1. F & Gally. F says J is being kicked out.
2. Gally goes to Ld E who is furious at F for kicking out his artist and says he is going to tick her off. He does the ticking off off stage and comes back and tells Gally that Jeff is staying on.
3. Brenda arrives.
4. 5 and 6, 7 and 8 of former scenario can stand.
5. Ld E comes to Brenda and F and curses Brenda (who has told Claude to search J’s room) . B says she is leaving. F says if B leaves, I leave. They both leave (next day?).
6. Gally asks F to give V money. She refuses This takes us to 10 of old scenario, with Gally in hammock
and plus Piper.
2A
P.2. ‘F’s stepdaughter Victoria. F. married the American millionaire, J. B. Underwood. He died, and she married a man called Ormsby, who writes plays.
‘I met him once. He was with young Duff. Ø Yes, I believe they are friends. But I was telling you about Victoria. Florence most unwisely etc.
Ø It might be better, if Moresby and Claude are friends, to have Claude not Gally, suggest hiding in F’s suite, which leads up to big scene and reconciliation of F and Moresby.
Brenda just says F and husband are separated. Keep the vegetarian stuff for Gally’s scene with husband at Ems Arms.
*
Jan 9.
1975
Sequence
Φ End on ‘distribute it.’
1. F & Gally. F merely suspects G of having brought Jeff in but can’t prove it. Φ Gally’s meditations.
2. Brenda arrives. F tells her about suspecting Smith is Bennison.
Brenda advises her to ask Dame Daphne.
F does this & comes back and tells B she has told Vicky that Jeff is leaving. Φ
Φ or she goes and tells Gally.)
[deleted in same red as the two marginal notes between 3 and 4]
3. This is B’s room. B rings bell and says she is ringing for Beach as she left her jewel case in hall. ‘There was a necklace I wanted to show you’. Beach brings case.
Necklace has gone. (Or B comes to F and tells her abt necklace)
B says she has necklace to show and goes to fetch it & comes back to say it’s gone)
They send for Beach to tell him abt ‘not leave house’.)
4. Vicky tells Gally she stole necklace. X G takes it and says he will put it in Ld E’s study. Then follows scenario of Jan 16.
5. Back to F & Brenda. Search Jeff’s room.
6. Gally goes to Ld E, says F is getting rid of his artist.
Ld E furious, goes off to Jeff’s room to ask if this is true. Catching Claude, who says Brenda told him to search room.
7. Ld E and F & Brenda. Both women say they will leave.
8. Ld E goes to Gally in hammock. Tells him women are leaving.
9. Then it is all as in scenario of Dec 30. All this shd happen in one afternoon.
[5—9 crossed out]
If Jeff is Beach’s nephew
Reader learns this for first time when Beach tells Gally that (?) Smith has arrived.
Florence learns it just before the big scene. She sacks Beach and then Ld E comes and raises hell.
Good)
How does F learn it? Qy. Does Daphne tell her?
‘You surely didn’t employ him without recommendation?’ Daphne says he had excellent one. She forgets from whom. Later she says it was Sebastian Beach Φ.
(She phoned)
Φ ‘He must be someone you know. He wrote from Blandings Castle.
*
OK)
2)
Jan 16/75
Sequence
1. Brenda tells Claude to search Jeff’s room.
2. Cut to Ld E and Gally. I want to get them both to Jeff’s room. How? Φ
3. Φ Ld E is looking for Jeff. He goes to hammock and asks G if he has seen him. G says ‘Perhaps he is in his room’. They go together there, hear crash and go in and find Claude.
4. Claude says Brenda told him search J’s room—She thinks he has stolen her necklace. Ld E furious and goes off to tackle Brenda. Gally stays and talks to Claude. Have Gally do the stuff about meek men. Plus Ld E, says he has ticked Brenda off and is now going to tackle Florence. Φ (G must have told him that F. has kicked J out.) They leave, leaving Claude stunned.
Φ Have stuff about Ld E not being afraid of F. Nothing to Connie.)
5. They go to F’s suite. Brenda is there. F. says Ld E has grossly insulted Brenda, who will leave unless Ld E apologizes. Ld E refuses, and F says she will be leaving this afternoon. Exit Ld E with G. G. praises Ld E.
1)
OK to end of page 84. End with F. [… musing].
Brenda arrives. F. phones Daphne. Having got the identification, she goes to Gally as written from p. 85 and ending with p. 88. Then as above, starting with Ld E and G going to Jeff’s room. (But wait. Gally is agitated. He must tell Ld E Jeff has been fired.
P. 85. F exits.
Gally tells Ld E that Jeff has been fired by F. Ld E furious. I’ll tick F. off (Use Connie’s bite). They asked Claude. Ld E is even more furious with Brenda, a guest, than with F. He says he is going to find Brenda and give her hell. G says aren’t you going to see F? ‘Later, when I’ve crushed Brenda. —Ld E.
*
SCENARIO. Jan 19. 1975
Ch 1. Aziz, with possibly a mention of the bracelet.
Ch 2. Aziz.
Ch 3. Gally and Vicky unchanged.
In scene between Gally and Florence cut all that about Jeff’s father.
F’s objection to Jeff is his lack of money. F’s husband is planted [ ]. She tells G he is weak.
Ch 4. Aziz, but can be improved.
Ch 5. Aziz, but Jeff’s name ought to be familiar to Gally.
This is where it should be planted that J’s father, the actor, and Gally were pals.
Ch 6. Aziz, but can be improved.
Ch 7. On page 33 Beach tells Gally Jeff is his nephew. His brother took the name of Bennison for the stage. Beach is agitated, Gally calm.
I shall have to think about the uncle-nephew situation.
Ch 8. Aziz.
Ch 9. Aziz.
Ch 10. Aziz.
Ch 11. Aziz.
Ch 12. Page 67. If Beach is scared of being found out to be Jeff’s uncle, he would not be laughing. Jeff must hear the rumble of Gally’s voice.
Ch 13. Aziz.
Ch 14. Aziz up to end of Page 82.
Ch 15. Aziz to end of Page 84, where Florence must be left suspecting Gally but realizing that she has no proof.
ALL THE ABOVE SEEMS STRAIGHT
Ch 16. Brenda arrives. Florence tells her about suspecting Jeff but having no proof. Brenda advises her to apply to Dame Daphne. She does so and gets identification. She then goes to Gally and we play the scene p 86 to 88.
Ch 17. I haven’t quite decided on the order in which events come, but I will put down a tentative sequence. I think that after leaving Gaily Florence go to Brenda and tell her what has happened. Brenda is distrait. She says about theft of her necklace, from jewel case left in hail. ‘You can’t let this man leave house. He’s got my necklace.’
Ch 18. Vicky tells Gally she stole necklace to prevent Jeff leaving house. Have them consulting Beach as to whether this in only for murder. Gally says he will put necklace in Lord E’s study.
Ch 19. Φ C. Lord consults Beach as to where people in tec stories hide things. On top of [?wardrobe?]
Continue the scene between Brenda and Florence. Florence says Jeff must have stolen necklace. They decide that Jeff’s room must be searched. By whom? Brenda suggests Claude. Claude sent for. Φ
Ch 20. Gally goes to Ld E. Tells him that Florence has fired Jeff. Ld E furious. Ld E says he will go and see Jeff and assure him that he won’t have to leave. Where is Jeff? he is probably in his room. ‘When you have a job like painting the Empress, you have to do a lot of deep thinking.’ They go to Jeff’s room. As they reach it, they hear a crash from inside. Ld E thinks Jeff may have met with an accident. They go in and find Claude. Gally is stern with Claude. He makes him confess why he is there. He says Brenda told him to search the room for stolen necklace. Ld E furious at this slur on Jeff, rushes off to tackle Brenda. Gally is left to talk to Claude. Tells him he must expect this sort of thing at Blandings. Use the stuff about meek men?
Ld E returns, says he has properly ticked Brenda off. And, now, he says, to tick Florence off for firing Jeff. Claude left, stunned.
Ch 21. They go to F’s suite, Gally with Ld E to render moral support. Brenda is there. (No, I don’t think she need be). F. says Ld E has grossly insulted Brenda. (Yes, I think the scene wd play better without Brenda) . F says Unless Ld E apologizes, Brenda will leave, and if B leaves she, F, will leave. Ld E refuses to apologize and F says she will leave tomorrow morning.
+ X from cupboard. He ticks Ld E off for wanting pig in gallery)
The meek men stuff might fit. They go out together, G praising Ld E. The meek men stuff might fit in better here.
Ch 22. Gally goes to his hammock. Plus Piper, who says he was just going to propose when Murchison came up with rain coat, saying the sky looked threatening. G says Beach has told him that Murch loves maid, and he will keep him away while Piper proposes.
G goes off to tackle Murch. Succeeds. Goes back to hammock. Plus Piper says he is engaged. G gets h
im to give Jeff job of painting his portrait, — and you know hundreds of rich people, you can recommend Jeff to them. P agrees. Ø Ø + Ld E with necklace. —Ld E.
G sees car draw up at door. Florence comes out and stands waiting for Brenda. G. goes to her, tells her that Piper has given Jeff portrait job for princely sum, all his pals in Cabinet will have their portraits painted by Jeff for princely sum, Ld E will pay him highly for Empress and Beach will add his bit as a wedding present. ? Beach is J’s uncle. ? F gets into car without a word.
End with Gally chatting with Beach.
THE END
*
At a very early stage, perhaps back in 1973, Wodehouse felt he had two conflicting novels jostling towards Blandings to be born. In the next sequence of our transcription, which Wodehouse has headed “Novel A” we see the exciting possibility of Bertie Wooster, Jeeves and Stiffy Byng turning up to set the plots at the castle.
*
NOVEL A
Start :— Probably the best account of the fire at X Hall, which is about a mile from Blandings Castle, was in the X, with which is incorporated etc. For some reason the Times, the etc and the other national newspapers did not cover it, but the X did it proud.
Lord E read it while breakfasting. Felt that X, the owner of the Hall, whom he disliked, had been asking for something like this for years.
Lady X tells him they must take X and Co in.
Not using the fire (or possibly using it) try this
1. Hero and heroine engaged. They have a row. (What about?)
2. To keep hero from leaving house, heroine steals necklace. (Whose?)
3. Investigations start. Heroine fears she will be found with necklace. (Why?)
4. She gives it to someone to hide. (Who? Her brother?)
See below)
5. Reconciliation. Heroine asks brother (G) to return necklace. He refuses. (Why? Could make big comic character, Eg a playwright, who wants to keep necklace to finance his play.
Blanding Castle Omnibus Page 339