She says that she must marry Bertie to reward his love for her, but Spode and Jeeves convince her that Bertie came to Totleigh to steal Sir Watkyn Bassett's black amber statuette, not out of love for her. He had performed the same role earlier in his career at Her Majesty's Theatre, London in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical flop Jeeves. Far from gruntled John Turner as Roderick Spode and Hugh Laurie as Bertie Wooster in ITVs Jeeves and Wooster. He slept. 129.241.62.157 (talk) 17:05, 8 December 2010 (UTC)Reply[reply]. I looked like a movie star in my Bruce Oldfield wedding dress, Air pollution exposure can damage the heart within hours, Don't kill the Coronation with trendiness, Ukraine needs equipment to mount its offensive, More households install alarms and doorbell cameras over crime fears, Red Roses show worth in backing the womens game its time for rivals to take note. He perfectly captures the bluster, blather, and preposterous intellectual conceit of the . Bertie : Break his neck, right. When he learned that the broadcasts horrified much of the English public, he recorded no more. He leaves the group after he inherits his title. "[3] Bertie learns how accurate his initial impression of Spode was when Gussie tells him that Spode is the leader of a fascist group called the Saviours of Britain, also known as the Black Shorts. Bitter wind and snow, he writes, in December. But the idea that by honouring their creator, the government would appear to be endorsing an image of Britain as a nation of Woosters and Aunt Agathas is just plain daft. Indeed, about 30 minutes into the second episode of Series 2 ("A Plan for Gussie"), spode is shown rehearsing his stance and gestures in front of a photograph of Benito Mussolini. One aims at the carelessly graceful break over the instep. After the success of his speeches, Spode considers standing for election himself for the House of Commons, which would require him to relinquish his title. Dont you ever stop drinking? Soon after his camp experience, Wodehouse paid dearly for his indomitable high spirits. The books are cozier than cozy mysteries, and, like a mystery, they help take ones mind off real calamities. Wodehouse, and hilariously portrayed in the 1990s TV adaptation starring Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry. Spode is a friend of Sir Watkyn Bassett, being the nephew of Sir Watkyn's fiance Mrs. Wintergreen in The Code of the Woosters, though she is not mentioned again. That chinThose eyesAnd, for the matter of that, that moustache. I dont necessarily read them front to back, but pick them up more as someone would a whiskey-and-soda, or a hymnal. He is an easy-going and kindly man, cut off from public opinion here and with no one to advise him. George Orwell, in his essay In Defence of P.G.Wodehouse, from 1945, concluded, of Wodehouses broadcasts, that the main idea in making them was to keep in touch with his public andthe comedians ruling passionto get a laugh.. In the TV series Jeeves and Wooster, the Black Shorts are portrayed as a tiny group of around a dozen teenage-boys and men. If you will recollect, we are now in Autumn season of mists and mellow fruitfulness., I couldn't have made a better shot, if I had been one of those detectives who see a chap walking along the street and deduce that he is a retired manufacturer of poppet valves named Robinson with rheumatism in one arm, living at Clapham., You cant fling the hands up in a passionate gesture when you are driving a car at fifty miles an hour. It is a matter of the nicest adjustment.Like that?Admirable, sir.I sighed.There are moments, Jeeves, when one asks oneself Do trousers matter?The mood will pass, sir.. That menace can be dispensed with so easily. [2] When he first sees Spode, Bertie describes him: About seven feet in height, and swathed in a plaid ulster which made him look about six feet across, he caught the eye and arrested it. Dont you ever stop drinking? All very genial. Error rating book. In the television series Endeavour (series five episode four "Colours"), there is a reference to "Spode and Webley" being shot as fascists. As Bertie says, "I don't know if you have even seen those pictures in the papers of Dictators with tilted chins and blazing eyes, inflaming the populace with fiery words on the occasion of the opening of a new skittle alley, but that was what he reminded me of. Wodehouse said that there was also a less creditable motive. [6] Spode later inherits a title on the death of his uncle, becoming the seventh Earl of Sidcup. In 1967, Cool Britannia had yet to be invented, but Harold Wilson was just as keen as Mr Blair on painting a picture of these islands as the place where everything was happening, the nation where it was at. Bertie then hits Spode with a vase, but gets grabbed by Spode; Bertie frees himself by burning Spode with a cigarette. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division traveled to Little Rock and Pine Bluff, Arkansas, on April 24 and 25 to continue the Civil Rights Division's tour to engage with stakeholders in underserved communities and reaffirm the department's commitment to protecting the civil rights of all Americans. He has a low opinion of Jeeves's employer Bertie Wooster, whom he believes to be a thief. Bertie and his Aunt Dahlia plan to blackmail Spode with knowledge of "Eulalie" to keep Spode, who is a jewellery expert, from revealing that Aunt Dahlia's pearl necklace is a fake (she pawned the real one to raise money for her magazine, Milady's Boudoir). How utterly hilarious that this was a picture that Our Man in Washington felt he had a mission to "eradicate". Well, Im dashed! get it. Im reading Wodehouse novels every evening now, not because my own life is difficultIm eating a lot of peanut butter, and am healthybut because whenever the impersonal or personal news cycle becomes overwhelming I find that its easier to transition into a night of sleep after a character is described as looking like a bewildered halibut. Later, Spode reappears at the country house to which Wooster has strategically been deployed by his aunt, who is trying to secure funds for Miladys Boudoir, the literary magazine she runs. He is also hit in the eye with a potato at a candidate debate in Much Obliged, Jeeves.[16]. Like Mosley, Spode inherited a title upon the death of a relative; unlike Mosley, who inherited his baronetcy in 1928 (which entitled him to be called Sir) before forming his fascist group, Spode did not inherit his earldom (which made him Lord Sidcup) until after forming his group. That meanness and cruelty so often accompany an inability to understand comedy. He quickly starts to think of Bertie as a thief, believing that Bertie was trying to steal Sir Watkyn's umbrella and also the silver cow-creamer from a shop. He quickly starts to think of Bertie as a thief, believing that Bertie was trying to steal Sir Watkyn's umbrella and also the silver cow-creamer from a shop. That Putin is so clearly overcompensating. "[4], Like Bertie, Spode had been educated at Oxford; during his time there, he once stole a policeman's helmet. Spode is also secretly a coward. Spode is also blackmailed into taking the blame for the theft of Constable Oates's helmet. He gets to be so addicted to his own oratory and the cheers of the crowd that he decides the House of Lords isn't a big enough stage for him & he must disclaim his peerage & stand for the Commons. [12], In Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves, which takes place at Totleigh Towers, Spode is as protective of Madeline as ever and threatens to break Bertie's neck when he thinks that he has caused Madeline to cry (she was shedding a tear because she thought Bertie was lovesick and could not stay away from her). Madeline accepts Spode's proposal. Roderick Spode, 7th Earl of Sidcup, often known as Spode or Lord Sidcup, is a recurring fictional character in the Jeeves novels of English comic writer P. G. Wodehouse. We had a couple of the books in our houseRight Ho, Jeeves and Joy in the Morningand I read them dutifully, more bemused than amused. You will recall how my Aunt Agathas McIntosh niffed to heaven while enjoying my hospitality. Met cook and congratulated him on todays soup, he writes. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. He perfectly captures the bluster, blather, and preposterous intellectual conceit of the interwar aspiring dictator. [5] While the leader of the Black Shorts, he is also secretly a designer of ladies' underclothing, being the proprietor of Eulalie Soeurs of Bond Street. But when I say 'cow', don't go running away with the idea of some decent, self-respecting cudster such as you may observe loading grass into itself in the nearest meadow. My own was to buy a villa in Le Touquet on the coast of France and stay there till the Germans came along., Wodehouse didnt do the broadcasts in exchange for being released. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except for material where copyright is reserved by a party other than FEE. [14], Although Spode regularly threatens to harm others, he is generally the one who gets injured. Sometimes Wooster dresses garishlyin a scarlet cummerbund, for example. He is also hit in the eye with a potato at a candidate debate in Much Obliged, Jeeves.[16]. Harold Pinker steps forward to protect Gussie, and after Spode hits Pinker on the nose, Pinker, an expert boxer, knocks him out. But although there was nothing in the least bit political about the five radio broadcasts that Wodehouse made from Berlin, the great man's persecutors felt it to be treachery enough that he had co-operated with the recordings in the first place. by the popliteal unpleasantness. ". Prior to this moment of hideous embarrassment, Wodehouse had. The crucial scene comes just over halfway through, after Bertie and his friend Gussie Fink-Nottle have endured 100 or so pages of intolerable bullying from the would-be fascist dictator Roderick Spode. I couldnt have made a better shot, if I had been one of those detectives who see a chap walking along the street and deduce that he is a retired manufacturer of poppet valves named Robinson with rheumatism in one arm, living at Clapham. Lurking about is Roderick Spode, a disturbingly large and ill-tempered man, friend to Sir Watkyn and an admirer of Madeline's who is deeply jealous of Gussie. Its a book where perfect quotes fly off the page as frequently as the incomparable Aunt Dahlia smashes up mantelpiece ornaments. Mosley himself started as a Mussolini admirer, and was influenced by Hitler as the 1930's went on. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. But wouldnt that feeling fade? : 21: The Plot Thickens", "Classic Serial: The Code of The Woosters", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Roderick_Spode&oldid=1150150913, Fascist politician and designer of ladies' lingerie, later Earl of Sidcup, This page was last edited on 16 April 2023, at 16:01. Like Mosley, Spode inherited a title upon the death of a relative; unlike Mosley, who inherited his baronetcy in 1928 (which entitled him to be called Sir) before forming his fascist group, Spode did not inherit his earldom (which made him Lord Sidcup) until after forming his group. Spode is a large and intimidating figure, with a powerful, square face. Spode, who does not want his followers to learn about his career as a designer of ladies' lingerie, is forced not to bother Bertie or Gussie. They comprise the small, but enthusiastic, audience to whom Spode makes loud, dramatic speeches in which he announces bizarre statements of policy, such as giving each citizen at birth a British-made bicycle and umbrella . Wodehouse was four months shy. Wikipedia:WikiProject Fictional characters, Template:WikiProject Fictional characters, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Roderick_Spode&oldid=587296941, WikiProject Fictional characters articles, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 22 December 2013, at 23:26. Wodehouse was the third of four children born to a British colonial administrator and his wife, who were based in Hong Kong. These are not difficult modernist tomes. Not aunts., Its an extraordinary thingevery time I see you, you appear to be recovering from some debauch. As well as a moral failure, the ascendency of cruel rightwing demagogues is a sense of humour failure. I frequently mentioned it to you. Yes, sir. And this one is even riper. '", I could see that, if not actually disgruntled, he was far from being gruntled., I mean, imagine how some unfortunate Master Criminal would feel, on coming down to do a murder at the old Grange, if he found that not only was Sherlock Holmes putting in the weekend there, but Hercule Poirot, as well." We could argue all day about the shades of grey, but when the question is as black and white as the fight against fascism, I would be mighty glad to link arms with someone with such a strong sense of fair play, such generous kindness, and so much warm feeling for his fellow humans. Bertie : Do butterflies do that? What the Voice of the People is saying is: 'Look at that frightful ass Spode, swanking about in footer bags! . [12], In Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves, which takes place at Totleigh Towers, Spode is as protective of Madeline as ever and threatens to break Bertie's neck when he thinks that he has caused Madeline to cry (she was shedding a tear because she thought Bertie was lovesick and could not stay away from her). However, the blackmail plan is unsuccessful, because, as Spode tells Aunt Dahlia, he has sold Eulalie Soeurs. He was speaking of the forty-eight weeks between 1940 and 1941 that he spent in a series of German-run civil-internment camps. He was introverted, and, with the exception of schoolboy camaraderie, preferred to be at home, working. U.S. Attorney Jonathan Ross for the . In this conversation. Declining the offer, he shared a cell with sixty-three others. They are trolls. There are several confused engagements, a plot to steal a police helmet, a lover of newts studying how to make bold speeches, a mustachioed Fascist named Roderick Spode. Its back opened on a hinge. There is a strong liberal spirit running through the whole series. A few weeks later, Connor delivered a BBC broadcast, following the nine-oclock news. Spode is a man whom Wooster describes as appearing as if Nature had intended to make a gorilla, and had changed its mind at the last moment. It seems that by the time he started ordering uniforms for his followers, there were no more shirts left. Roderick Spode, as played by John Turner in the television series, List of P. G. Wodehouse characters in the Jeeves stories, "Jeeves, Lyrics To The 'Lost' Songs: Eulalie", "Jeeves, Lyrics To The 'Lost' Songs: SPODE", "What Ho, Jeeves! It is hard to know where to begin to explain what a crass judgment that was. He is desperate to keep this a secret, believing this profession to be incompatible with the career ambitions of an aspiring dictator. That is what makes his work timeless, and why it will endure long after the Swinging Sixties and Cool Britannia are forgotten. [5] While the leader of the Black Shorts, he is also secretly a designer of ladies' underclothing, being the proprietor of Eulalie Soeurs of Bond Street. Gussie leaves Madeline for Emerald, and Spode proposes to Madeline. He was nearly sixty when he was released. After the success of his speeches, Spode considers standing for election himself for the House of Commons, which would require him to relinquish his title. A large and intimidating figure, Spode is protective of Madeline Bassett to an extreme degree and is a threat to anyone who appears to have wronged her, particularly Gussie Fink-Nottle. And in their private lives, they are just like everyone else: they arent demigods or elites or superior in any sense. I am on potato peeling fatigue. A club acquaintance of Tom Travers, he becomes seventh Earl of Sidcup on the death of his uncle in Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit, exits Eulalie Soeurs, and some time thereafter disbands the Black Shorts. What the Voice of the People is saying is: 'Look at that frightful ass Spode swanking about in footer bags! The trouble with you, Spode, is that just because you have succeeded in inducing a handful of half-wits to disfigure the London scene by going about in black shorts, you think you're someone. There are lots of political fools. Like all great comedy, his books contain flashes of insight into the human condition that keep us laughing. Bertie says in Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves that before Spode succeeded to his title, he had been "one of those Dictators who were fairly common at one time in the metropolis", but "he gave it up when he became Lord Sidcup". He lost nearly sixty pounds. After being elevated to the peerage, he sells Eulalie Soeurs. Wodehouse had a rarer trait, too: a capacity for remaining interested and curious, even in a setting of deprivation. . The statist Left and the statist Right play off each other, creating a false binary that draws people into their squabble. Some of the family finance (on the Mitford side rather than Mosley's) came from the ownership of 'The Lady', a publication which continues to this day. Sometimes the stakes are even higher: Anatole, the master chef, is being hired away from Aunt Dahlia. It's quite impossible that the man who had invented Sir Roderick Spode in 1938 was prey to any covert sympathy for fascism. The snail was on the wing and the lark on the thorn - or, rather, the other way around - and God was in His heaven and all right with the world. One sensed the absence of the bonhomous note. . Having taught Wodehouse for a few years, Ive discovered that most students have never heard of him. After being hit by a potato at a lively candidate debate, Spode changes his mind about standing for Parliament and decides to retain his title, leading to a reconciliation between him and Madeline. Camp was really great fun, the English comic novelist P.G.Wodehouse wrote to an old school friend. How about when you are asleep?, But when I say 'cow', dont go running away with the idea of some decent, self-respecting cudster such as you may observe loading grass into itself in the nearest meadow., I dont mind people talking rot in my presence, but it must not be utter rot., She was standing by the barometer, which, if it had had an ounce of sense in its head, would have been pointing to 'Stormy' instead of 'Set Fair, a chap who's supposed to stop chaps pinching things from chaps having a chap come along and pinch something from him., Scotties are smelly, even the best of them. Wodehouse, and hilariously portrayed in the 1990s TV adaptation starring Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry. In the 1990s television series, Jeeves and Wooster, he is . Aunt Dahlia ends up using a cosh she found on the ground to knock out Spode, which allows her to retrieve her fake necklace from a safe in order to hide it so it cannot be appraised. (modern). He is horrified. It can be the hardest thing in the world to remember this in the midst of political upheaval and antagonisms. I no longer think so. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. A large and intimidating figure, Spode is protective of Madeline Bassett to an extreme degree and is a threat to anyone who appears to have wronged her, particularly Gussie Fink-Nottle. Very few English people heard the broadcasts when they first aired. When Bertie Wooster rebukes Spode in The Code of the Woosters (1938), he mocks Spode's black shorts, calling them "footer bags" (football shorts): "It is about time", I proceeded, "that some public-spirited person came along and told you where you got off. Did you ever in your puff see such a perfect perisher?'"[19]. . One thinksif one has been reading a lot of Wodehouseof those ducks elegantly moving across the water, as their duck feet paddle furiously, unseen below the surface. Like Seinfeld, Jeeves and Wooster was about nothing but managed compelling cultural commentary that shaped the way a generation saw the world around them. Bertie does not learn the true meaning of "Eulalie" until the end of the story. This should also give a more consistent style and cover age (as copied from the small articles, you'll see quite a disparity between them) - Just zis Guy, you know? [2] Bertie immediately thinks of Spode as "the Dictator" even before he learns of Spode's political ambitions. While interned, he kept a journal. and you imagine it is the Voice of the People. One of the many tragedies of our times is that we have taken so many perfect perishers so seriously instead of laughing them off the stage. As Bertie says, "I don't know if you have even seen those pictures in the papers of Dictators with tilted chins and blazing eyes, inflaming the populace with fiery words on the occasion of the opening of a new skittle alley, but that was what he reminded me of. [13], In Much Obliged, Jeeves, which takes place at Brinkley Court, Spode has been invited by Bertie's Aunt Dahlia to Brinkley for his skills as an orator. His idea, if he doesn't get knocked on the head with a bottle in one of the frequent brawls in which his followers indulge, is to make himself Dictator. Oh, how I wish that Wodehouse was still around to paint a pen-portrait of that frightful ass Sir Patrick, swanking about in his pin-stripes as he plotted to eradicate the Empress of Blandings. Wodehouse, and hilariously portrayed in the 1990s TV adaptation starring Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry. Its like Holmes and Watson, but no one ever gets murdered; no one even goes hungry. Wooster gets into tangles. It called Wodehouse a traitor to England, and again claimed that he had engaged in a quid pro quo for his early release. I thought that people, hearing the talks, would admire me for having kept cheerful under difficult conditions but I think I can say that what chiefly led me to make the talks was gratitude. Later, Wodehouse wrote to the editor of The Saturday Evening Post that he didnt understand why the broadcasts were seen to be callous: Mine simply flippant cheerful attitude of all British prisoners. And, if he should ask why? He was separated from his wife. Apart from anything else, Sir Patrick's memo was extraordinarily insulting to Americans. They are just dudes who are exploiting public curiosity and fear to gain attention and power.
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