Mr. Mulliner is a fictional character from the short stories of P. G. Wodehouse. Mr. Mulliner is a loquacious pub raconteur who, no matter what the topic of conversation, can find an appropriate (if improbable) story about a member of his family to match it.
Like much of Wodehouse's work, the Mr. Mulliner stories were originally written for magazine publication. Thirty-eight of the 43 overall Mulliner stories were originally published between 1926 and 1937. After one brief 1940 anecdote, the final four stories appeared much later, being published between 1958 and 1972.
Overview
Like his fellow Wodehouse character, the Oldest Member, the raconteur Mr. Mulliner can turn any conversation into a "recollection", or funny story. A habitué of the Angler's Restpub, his fellow drinkers are identified only by their beverages. (Mr. Mulliner is a Hot Scotch and Lemon.) Wodehouse revealed in an introduction that he devised Mr. Mulliner after collecting notebooks full of ideas that could not be used because they were too outlandish, until he had the happy notion of a fisherman whose veracity could be doubted.
The tales of Mulliner all involve one of his relations: there are dozens upon dozens of cousins, nieces, and nephews. These include stories about loves lost, found and rekindled; fortunes made and lost; and opportunities grasped or missed. They take place across the globe: Los Angeles's Hollywood and the English Country House are the settings for many.
Two Mulliner stories ("Gala Night" and "The Rise of Minna Nordstrom") are not primarily about one of Mr. Mulliner's relatives. However, in these two cases, Mr. Mulliner states that the stories were told to him by relatives; he is therefore reporting a story told to him by a relation, rather than a story about a relation.
Stories
The Mulliner stories all employ an unusual structure. At the beginning of each story, an unnamed first-person narrator sets the scene at the Angler's Rest pub, describing the conversation at the bar-parlour. This will lead to Mr. Mulliner entering the conversation, generally elaborating on the conversational theme, and remarking that it reminds him of a story involving a relative. Then, no more than a page or two into the story, Mr. Mulliner effectively takes over the narration of the tale, describing the events that befell the relative in question. In the earlier stories, the unnamed first-person narrator returns very briefly to close out the tale back at the Angler's Rest—in later stories, the story ends when Mr. Mulliner has concluded it.
Mr. Mulliner himself is rarely a character in the tales he tells. An exception is the story "George and Alfred", in which Mr. Mulliner tries to help out one of his nephews who has been accused of a crime. In this story, we learn that Mr. Mulliner is a friend of Hollywood studio head Jacob Z. Schnellenhamer, and that he has stayed on Schnellenhamer's yacht while it was cruising the Mediterranean. We also learn that Mr. Mulliner's first name, whatever it may be, is not George.
Little else is revealed of Mulliner's character beyond his large family, his choice of beverage, and his hobby of fishing (which he mentions in one story replaced his earlier hobby of golf). Nevertheless, Mulliner narrates forty-three short stories. Many are collected in the three books, containing nine stories each, which bear his name:
One story -- 1940's "Shock Dogs", which is more of a brief topical conversation than a story -- has never been reprinted or collected in any form outside of its original publication in Punch magazine. [1] It is signed with initials only (P.G.W.) but the Articles and Verse listing in the bound Punch volume CXCVIIJ Jan-June 1940 attributes the story to Wodehouse, P. G. It mentions by name Hitler, Brauchitsch, and Goebbels, which is very unusual for an author who so seldom allowed politics to impinge on his novels and stories.
The World of Mr Mulliner is an omnibus containing 41 of the 43 stories narrated by Mr. Mulliner. It omits "Shock Dogs", and 1937's "Romance at Droitgate Spa", which appears in several other Wodehouse compilations but without the framework of Mr. Mulliner's narration. The World of Mr Mulliner also includes one other story which has a tangential connection to the series: "From a Detective's Notebook" (1959) is narrated by the detective Adrian Mulliner, who had previously been established as one of Mr. Mulliner's innumerable nephews. Strictly speaking, despite its appearance in the Mr. Mulliner omnibus, this tale cannot be considered a Mr. Mulliner story, as Mr. Mulliner does not narrate it, appear in it, and is not actually referenced in it in any way.[2]
Also note that a handful of what were to become "Mr. Mulliner stories" were originally published in magazines without the framework of Mr. Mulliner telling the story in question. (These include three stories about Bobbie Wickham, as well as one about James Rodman.) When revised for book publication, Wodehouse added the Mulliner openings and narration — and it is these revised versions which appear in all Mulliner and Wodehouse anthologies to this day. These revised stories can often be distinguished by Mulliner identifying the prime character of the story as a "distant cousin" (or some other far-flung relation) whose surname is not Mulliner.
Known relatives
Forebears:
A Sieur de Moulinières "came over with the Conqueror", presumably in 1066.
A Mulliner "once received the thanks of his Sovereign for services rendered on the field of Crecy". (The Battle of Crecy occurred in 1346.)
Grandmother:
Unnamed. Died in the late 19th century. It is this grandmother who made William (below) pledge to not drink until he turned 21—or 41, William can't quite remember which.
Uncles:
William Mulliner, a businessman; a survivor of the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. ("The Story of William")
Aunts:
Myrtle Banks, married William
Brothers:
Wilfred Mulliner, a chemist and inventor of various creams, lotions, and tonics, known in the trade as Mulliner's Magic Marvels. Featured mainly in A Slice of Life (short story) he also has a cameo role (Rev. Augustine Mulliner reads a letter from him) in Mulliner's Buck-U-Uppo, where the tonic Buck-U-Uppo is introduced. Wilfred marries Angela Purdue, the ward of Sir Jasper ffinch-ffarrowmere (with two small f's) and they have two sons, Percival who goes to a prep school in Sussex and Ferdinand who attends Eton College.
Lancelot Mulliner, an artist, Edward's son; a portrait painter in Bott St, London. Brought up by his uncle Theodore. ("The Story of Webster", "Cats Will Be Cats")
Mervyn Mulliner, a son of a Mr Mulliner's cousin, being a chump. ("The Knightly Quest of Mervyn")
Anselm Mulliner, a curate, Rupert's younger son ("Anselm Gets His Chance")
(unnamed older brother of Anselm)
First cousin, once removed, by marriage:
Gladys Bingley, married Lancelot
Distant cousins:
James Rodman, mystery novelist
Agnes Flack, championship golfer and "daughter of a distant cousin"
Frederick Fitch-Fitch, prospective antique shop owner
Montrose Mulliner, Assistant Director of the Perfecto-Zizzbaum Motion Picture Corp. of Hollywood ("Monkey Business")
Wilmot Mulliner, a "nodder" at Perfecto-Zizzbaum ("The Nodder", "The Juice of an Orange")
(unnamed), a young second cousin who has left his wife and is filing papers of divorce ("The Ordeal of Osbert Mulliner")
Distant cousins by marriage:
Sidney George McMurdo, insurance executive and scratch golfer; marries Agnes
Angela Purvis, conjurer's assistant; marries Frederick
Rosalie Beamish, marries Montrose
Mabel Potter, a private secretary and ex-bird imitator in Vaudeville; marries Wilmot
Nephews:
Note that Mr. Mulliner has three nephews named George, all different people.
George Mulliner, a stammerer and crossword puzzle enthusiast, being in love with Susan Blake. ("The Truth About George")
Ferdinand Mulliner, studying at Eton (older son of Wilfred and Angela).
Percival Mulliner, at preparatory school in Sussex (younger son of Wilfred and Angela).
Augustine Mulliner, being a meek curate who eventually rose to become vicar of Walsingford-below-Chiveney-on-Thames thanks to the Buck-U-Uppo tonic invented by Wilfred Mulliner. (Mulliner's Buck-U-Uppo, "The Bishop's Move", "Gala Night")
(name unknown), a student at Harchester, younger brother of Augustine.
Lancelot Bassington Mulliner, an aspiring poet. ("Came the Dawn")
Osbert Mulliner, a rich jade collector. ("The Ordeal of Osbert Mulliner")
Frederick Mulliner, brother of Dr. George. ("Portrait of a Disciplinarian")
Dr. George Mulliner, brother of Frederick.
Archibald Mulliner, son of Sir Sholto and Lady Wilhelmina, who does a masterful impression of a hen laying an egg; a member of the Drones Club and a sock collector. Engaged to Aurelia Cammarleigh. ("The Reverent Wooing of Archibald", "Archibald and the Masses", "The Code of the Mulliners"; mentioned in "The Fat of the Land")
Ignatius Mulliner, portrait painter and ukulele player. ("The Man Who Gave Up Smoking")
Mordred Mulliner, a poet and an accidental pyromaniac. ("The Fiery Wooing of Mordred")
Adrian Mulliner, a private detective who possesses a sinister smile. ("The Smile That Wins", "From a Detective's Notebook")
Sacheverall Mulliner, a very timid man who suffers from Headmaster Phobia. ("The Voice From the Past")
Eustace Mulliner, attached to the British Embassy in Switzerland. ("Open House")
Egbert Mulliner, assistant editor of 'The Weekly Booklover'. (Best Seller)
Cyril Mulliner, interior decorator and avid reader of mystery novels. (Strychnine in the Soup)
Bulstrode Mulliner (son of Joseph Mulliner), screenwriter in Hollywood. ("The Castaways")
Brancepeth Mulliner, an artist in search of a character. ("Buried Treasure")
Augustus Mulliner, in love with Hermione Brimble. ("The Right Approach")
Reginald Mulliner, inheritor of a substantial sum of money ("Big Business")
George Mulliner, screenwriter in Hollywood, identical twin of Alfred ("George and Alfred")
Alfred Mulliner, professional conjurer known as the Great Alfredo, identical twin of George ("George and Alfred")
Nephews by marriage:
Aubrey Bassinger, married Charlotte
Nieces:
Charlotte Mulliner, a poet writing "Vignettes in Verse". ("The Unpleasantness at Bludleigh Court")
Nieces by marriage:
Aurelia Cammerleigh, married Archibald
Annabella Spockett-Sprockett, married Mordred
Hermione Rossiter, married Ignatius
Mabel Petherick-Soames, married Osbert
Evangeline Pembury, novelist, married Egbert (Best Seller)
Amelia Bassett, married Cyril
Jane, married Augustine
Hermione Brimble, married Augustus
Jane Oliphant, married Frederick
Lady Millicent Shipton-Bellinger, married Adrian
Muriel Branksome, married Sacheverell
Susan Blake, married George (her fellow crossword puzzle enthusiast)
Nature of relationship uncertain:
Theophilus Mulliner, the bishop of Bognor ("The Right Approach")
US: This Week, 27 September 1936 (as "Hidden Treasure")
"Romance at Droitgate Spa"
Early version published without Mr. Mulliner framework
US: Saturday Evening Post, 20 February 1937
UK: Strand, August 1937
Subsequently, rewritten. First -- and ONLY -- appearance as a Mr. Mulliner story in the 1937 US-only book The Crime Wave at Blandings. All further appearances of this story revert to the pre-Mulliner version. Not collected in The World of Mr. Mulliner.
Subsequently, rewritten. First appearance as a Mr. Mulliner story in the 1972 book The World of Mr. Mulliner
Adaptations
Fourteen Mulliner stories were adapted for television as part of the 1974–1978 television series Wodehouse Playhouse, though Mr Mulliner himself only appeared in the pilot episode. In the episode, "The Reverent Wooing of Archibald", Mr Mulliner was portrayed by William Mervyn.[3]
Richard Griffiths starred as Mr Mulliner in a series of radio adaptations of the stories, including six episodes in 2002 under the title Meet Mr Mulliner and four episodes in 2004 under the title More Mr Mulliner. The series aired on BBC Radio 4.[4]
^McIlvaine (1990), pp. 115–116, B5. In the first edition of The World of Mr Mulliner, the 40 main stories vary between 11 and 20 pages in length. "Another Christmas Carol" is not more than 5 pages long, and "From a Detective's Notebook" is not more than 4 pages long.
Garrison, Daniel H. (1989). Who's Who in Wodehouse. New York: International Polygonics, Ltd. ISBN1-55882-054-X.
Kuzmenko, Michel (The Russian Wodehouse Society) (29 July 2007). "Wodehouse books". Bibliography. Retrieved 25 September 2007.
McIlvaine, Eileen; Sherby, Louise S.; Heineman, James H. (1990). P. G. Wodehouse: A Comprehensive Bibliography and Checklist. New York: James H. Heineman Inc. ISBN978-0-87008-125-5.
