Classic Wodehouse Illustrations, Part 10: The Great Sermon Handicap

[wotwotleigh.livejournal.com]

Today I have another story illustrated by Mills and Skidmore! "The Great Sermon Handicap" is not one of my favorite stories, but it does feature some of my favorite illustrations (by Mills, anyway).



Let's start with a delightful crowd scene by Mills:



I love the details: Bingo sitting across the table with his hands folded in front of him, boggling at Cynthia; the young blonde servant (a butler? a footman? I'm afraid I don't know my categories that well) walking by in the background with his nose in the air; the stuffy older folks at the far end of the table.

There's actually a lot of overlap in this one in terms of which scenes are illustrated. Skidmore also shows Cynthia chatting with Bertie, but omits most of the detail:



Sheesh, they both look depressed! And Cynthia looks very much like a young version of Skidmore's Aunt Agatha, even down to the beauty mark.

I really could do an entire post of just images of people bothering Bertie while he's trying to sleep:



Perfect! Bertie just looks so incredibly put out. Notice the length of the paper that Bingo's poem is written on. XD

Skidmore's take on the same scene:



Skidmore's aged, crestfallen Bertie just doesn't look right snuggled up in bed in striped pyjamas. It's kind of jarring. Also, Bingo looks about half Bertie's age.

I love, love, love this one:


Somehow it just captures Bertie's exuberance and innocence so well. Even the monocle works here.

Basically the same scene (or the immediate prelude) by Skidmore:



What . . . what is Bertie doing with his hand? Flashing a gang sign? Giving the old fella the mano pantea? Hmm.

Here's the final scene illustrated by Mills, who decided to forgo the actual sermonizing:



So that's what it looks like when a gasper slips from nerveless fingers!

Finally, a sermon scene from Skidmore:



I must confess, I am fond of the facial hair.

Other entries:
"Comrade Bingo"
"Bertie Changes His Mind"
"Leave It to Jeeves"
Right Ho, Jeeves
"The Delayed Exit of Claude and Eustace"
"Aunt Agatha Takes the Count"
"Jeeves in the Springtime"
"Scoring Off Jeeves" and "Sir Roderick Comes to Lunch"
"Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest"

Comments

[wotwotleigh.livejournal.com]

Haha, I love how you and Kurage_no_hone have both come up with alternative explanations for who our mysterious blond is.

That monocle is dashed persistent, isn't it?

Even Leete's fugly Bertie at least has some life in him.

Exactly! He may look like a mutant, but at least he has a personality. XD

My theory is that Angry!Jeeves still hasn't gotten over that cummerbund. He's permanently scarred.