The actor fell in love with stories about ‘silly asses in spats and monocles’ as a teenager. Fifty years after the author’s death, he celebrates his comic genius
If I were to say that the defining characteristic of PG Wodehouse was his professionalism, that might make him sound rather dull. The man himself, who knew just what was expected of authors, was used to having to apologise for a childhood that was “as normal as rice pudding” and a life that consisted of little more than “sitting in front of the typewriter and cursing a bit”.
But 50 years on from his death at 93, manuscript on lap, his reputation soars as high as ever.
