Bingo Little
Encyclopedia
Richard P. "Bingo" Little is a recurring fictional character
from the Drones
and the Jeeves
stories of British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse
, being a friend of Jeeves's master Bertie Wooster
and a member of the Drones Club.
. They were born in the same village a few days apart, and went together to preparatory school
(under Rev. Upjohn
), secondary school
at Eton College
, then to the University of Oxford
. Unlike most other members of the Drones Club, Bingo gained a degree "of some sort" as Bertie puts it. Like Bertie, he is a member of the idle rich, as his uncle made a fortune on "Little's Liniment (It Limbers Up the Legs)," and he exists on an allowance; however, due to occasional scrapes with his uncle he is forced to supplement this income by teaching or betting on horse races.
Bingo's most noteworthy character trait is his overwhelming romantic nature, where he is inclined to fall in love at first sight on a regular basis and become highly emotional about his affections. Bertie compares him in The Inimitable Jeeves
to "the hero of a musical comedy who takes the centre of the stage, gathers the boys round him in a circle, and tells them all about his love at the top of his voice." He regularly drags Bertie (and his valet Jeeves by extension) into his pursuits, regularly swaying a reluctant Bertie with the fact that they were at school together.
Objects of his affection have included a waitress named Mabel; Honoria Glossop
, the formidable daughter of Sir Roderick Glossop
; Daphne Braythwayt, a friend of Honoria; Charlotte Corday Rowbotham, a revolutionary; Lady Cynthia Wickhammersley, a family friend of Bertie's; and Mary Burgess, niece of the Rev. Francis Heppenstall. Each of these affairs tends to end with the girl becoming engaged to someone else (frequently after not even noticing Bingo), breaking Bingo's heart for a brief spell before the next girl catches his eye.
After many failed affairs, Bingo eventually married the romance novelist Rosie M. Banks
, an author whose outlook on life happened to work well with his. The union was then blessed with a son, Algernon Aubrey Little. Bingo continued to appear in short stories, both alongside and independently of Bertie Wooster, and usually involving some financial scrape.
Bingo is mentioned in:
Film and television actors
Radio actors
Audiobook actors
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the Drones
Drones Club
The Drones Club is a recurring fictional location in the stories of British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being a gentlemen's club in London. Many of his Jeeves and Blandings Castle stories feature the club or its members....
and the Jeeves
Jeeves
Reginald Jeeves is a fictional character in the short stories and novels of P. G. Wodehouse, being the valet of Bertie Wooster . Created in 1915, Jeeves would continue to appear in Wodehouse's works until his final, completed, novel Aunts Aren't Gentlemen in 1974, making him Wodehouse's most famous...
stories of British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse
P. G. Wodehouse
Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, KBE was an English humorist, whose body of work includes novels, short stories, plays, poems, song lyrics, and numerous pieces of journalism. He enjoyed enormous popular success during a career that lasted more than seventy years and his many writings continue to be...
, being a friend of Jeeves's master Bertie Wooster
Bertie Wooster
Bertram Wilberforce "Bertie" Wooster is a recurring fictional character in the Jeeves novels of British author P. G. Wodehouse. An English gentleman, one of the "idle rich" and a member of the Drones Club, he appears alongside his valet, Jeeves, whose genius manages to extricate Bertie or one of...
and a member of the Drones Club.
Overview
Bingo Little is a longtime friend of Bertie WoosterBertie Wooster
Bertram Wilberforce "Bertie" Wooster is a recurring fictional character in the Jeeves novels of British author P. G. Wodehouse. An English gentleman, one of the "idle rich" and a member of the Drones Club, he appears alongside his valet, Jeeves, whose genius manages to extricate Bertie or one of...
. They were born in the same village a few days apart, and went together to preparatory school
Preparatory school (UK)
In English language usage in the former British Empire, the present-day Commonwealth, a preparatory school is an independent school preparing children up to the age of eleven or thirteen for entry into fee-paying, secondary independent schools, some of which are known as public schools...
(under Rev. Upjohn
Aubrey Upjohn
The Reverend Aubrey Upjohn is a recurring fictional character from the Jeeves and Drones Club stories of British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being the Headmaster at Malvern House Preparatory School during Bertie Wooster's tenure there.-Overview:...
), secondary school
Independent school (UK)
An independent school is a school that is not financed through the taxation system by local or national government and is instead funded by private sources, predominantly in the form of tuition charges, gifts and long-term charitable endowments, and so is not subject to the conditions imposed by...
at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, then to the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
. Unlike most other members of the Drones Club, Bingo gained a degree "of some sort" as Bertie puts it. Like Bertie, he is a member of the idle rich, as his uncle made a fortune on "Little's Liniment (It Limbers Up the Legs)," and he exists on an allowance; however, due to occasional scrapes with his uncle he is forced to supplement this income by teaching or betting on horse races.
Bingo's most noteworthy character trait is his overwhelming romantic nature, where he is inclined to fall in love at first sight on a regular basis and become highly emotional about his affections. Bertie compares him in The Inimitable Jeeves
The Inimitable Jeeves
The Inimitable Jeeves is a semi-novel collecting Jeeves stories by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom by Herbert Jenkins, London, on May 17, 1923, and in the United States by George H...
to "the hero of a musical comedy who takes the centre of the stage, gathers the boys round him in a circle, and tells them all about his love at the top of his voice." He regularly drags Bertie (and his valet Jeeves by extension) into his pursuits, regularly swaying a reluctant Bertie with the fact that they were at school together.
Objects of his affection have included a waitress named Mabel; Honoria Glossop
Honoria Glossop
Honoria Glossop is a particularly formidable female from the Jeeves stories by P. G. Wodehouse. She is of a rather muscular, sporty temperament, and as such remains unattached...
, the formidable daughter of Sir Roderick Glossop
Roderick Glossop
Sir Roderick Glossop is a recurring fictional character in the comic novels of P. G. Wodehouse.Sometimes referred to as "the noted nerve specialist" or "the loony doctor", he is the most famous practitioner of psychiatry in Wodehouse's works, appearing in several Wooster-Jeeves stories and one...
; Daphne Braythwayt, a friend of Honoria; Charlotte Corday Rowbotham, a revolutionary; Lady Cynthia Wickhammersley, a family friend of Bertie's; and Mary Burgess, niece of the Rev. Francis Heppenstall. Each of these affairs tends to end with the girl becoming engaged to someone else (frequently after not even noticing Bingo), breaking Bingo's heart for a brief spell before the next girl catches his eye.
After many failed affairs, Bingo eventually married the romance novelist Rosie M. Banks
Rosie M. Banks
Rosie M. Banks is a recurring fictional character in the Jeeves and Drones Club stories of British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being a romance novelist and the wife of Bingo Little. Suggested real-life models for this character include prolific early twentieth-century female romance novelists...
, an author whose outlook on life happened to work well with his. The union was then blessed with a son, Algernon Aubrey Little. Bingo continued to appear in short stories, both alongside and independently of Bertie Wooster, and usually involving some financial scrape.
Stories
Bingo is featured in the following short stories:- in The Inimitable JeevesThe Inimitable JeevesThe Inimitable Jeeves is a semi-novel collecting Jeeves stories by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom by Herbert Jenkins, London, on May 17, 1923, and in the United States by George H...
(1923)- "Jeeves in the SpringtimeJeeves in the Springtime"Jeeves in the Springtime" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse. It was first published in the December 1921 edition of Strand Magazine in two parts, "Jeeves Exerts the Old Cerebellum" and "No Wedding Bells for Bingo", and appeared in the same format when first published in a book, The Inimitable...
" (1921) - "Scoring Off Jeeves" (1922)
- "Comrade BingoComrade Bingo"Comrade Bingo" is a comic story by P. G. Wodehouse. It is part of the "Bertie Wooster" series.-Plot:Richard "Bingo" Little falls in love with the daughter of a left-wing, probably, communist or socialist leader called Charlotte Corday Rowbotham...
" (1922) - "The Great Sermon HandicapThe Great Sermon Handicap"The Great Sermon Handicap" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse. It was first published in the June 1922 edition of Strand Magazine, and saw its first book publication in The Inimitable Jeeves in 1923...
" (1922) - "The Purity of the Turf" (1922)
- "The Metropolitan Touch" (1922)
- "Bingo and the Little Woman" (1922)
- "Jeeves in the Springtime
- in Carry on, JeevesCarry on, JeevesCarry on, Jeeves is a collection of ten short stories by P. G. Wodehouse. It was first published in the United Kingdom on 9 October 1925 by Herbert Jenkins, London, and in the United States on October 7, 1927 by George H. Doran, New York...
(1925)- "Clustering Round Young Bingo" (1925)
- in Very Good, JeevesVery Good, JeevesVery Good, Jeeves is a collection of eleven short stories by P. G. Wodehouse, all featuring Jeeves and Bertie Wooster. It was first published in the United States on 20 June 1930 by Doubleday, Doran, New York, and in the United Kingdom on 4 July 1930 by Herbert Jenkins, London...
(1930)- "Jeeves and the Impending Doom" (1926)
- "Jeeves and the Old School Chum" (1930)
- in Eggs, Beans and Crumpets (1940)
- "All's Well with Bingo" (1937)
- "Bingo and the Peke Crisis" (1937)
- "The Editor Regrets" (1939)
- "Sonny Boy" (1939)
- in A Few Quick OnesA Few Quick OnesA Few Quick Ones is a collection of ten short stories by P. G. Wodehouse. It was first published in the United States on 13 April 1959 by Simon & Schuster, New York, and in the United Kingdom on 26 June 1959 by Herbert Jenkins, London....
(1959)- "The Word in Season" (1940)
- "Leave It to Algy" (1954, rewrite of "The Ordeal of Bingo Little")
- in Nothing SeriousNothing Serious (short stories)Nothing Serious is a collection of ten short stories by P. G. Wodehouse. It was first published in the United Kingdom on 21 July 1950 by Herbert Jenkins, London, and in the United States on 24 May 1951 by Doubleday & Co., New York.-Overview:...
(1950)- "The Shadow Passes" (1950)
- in Plum PiePlum PiePlum Pie is a collection of nine short stories by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on September 22, 1966 by Herbert Jenkins, London, and in the United States on December 1, 1967 by Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York....
(1966)- "Bingo Bans the Bomb" (1965)
- "Stylish Stouts" (1965, also recycled as "The Great Fat Uncle Contest")
Bingo is mentioned in:
- "Bramley Is So Bracing" (1939) – Widgeon short story, collected in Nothing Serious (1950)
- Joy in the MorningJoy in the Morning (1946 novel)Joy in the Morning is a novel by P.G. Wodehouse, first published in the United States on August 22, 1946 by Doubleday & Co., New York, and in the United Kingdom on June 2, 1947 by Herbert Jenkins, London...
(1946) – Jeeves novel (chap. XVI) - The Mating Season (1949) – Jeeves novel
Actors
By chronological order on the first item of each sub-section:Film and television actors
- John AldertonJohn AldertonJohn Alderton is an English actor who is best known for his roles in Upstairs, Downstairs, Thomas & Sarah and Please Sir!. Alderton has often starred alongside his wife, Pauline Collins.-Early life:...
in the 1975–1978 BBC TV series Wodehouse PlayhouseWodehouse PlayhouseWodehouse Playhouse is a British television comedy series based on the short stories of P. G. Wodehouse. From 1975 to 1978, three series were made, with twenty half-hour episodes altogether in the entire series.-Overview:P. G...
, season 3, episode 5 (1978) - Derek NimmoDerek NimmoDerek Robert Nimmo was an English character actor. He was particularly associated with upper-class "silly-ass" roles, and clerical roles.-Career:...
in the 1965–1967 BBC OneBBC OneBBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
series The World of Wooster - In the 1990–1993 ITV series Jeeves and WoosterJeeves and Wooster-External links:*—An episode guide to the series, including information about which episodes were adapted from which Wodehouse stories.*—Episode guides, screenshots and quotes from the four series....
:- Michael SiberryMichael SiberryMichael Siberry is an Australian stage and screen actor. He most recently starred as King Arthur in the National Tour of Monty Python's Spamalot. In September 2008, he assumed the role of King Arthur on Broadway....
, season 1, episode 1 and 3, season 2, episode 6 - Pip TorrensPip TorrensPip Torrens is an English actor.He was born in Bromley, Kent, England. He studied English Literature at Trinity College, Cambridge...
, season 3, episode 6, season 4, episode 3
- Michael Siberry
- Don StephensonDon StephensonDon Stephenson in Chattanooga, Tennessee is an American actor, and director. He is a graduate of Hixson High School in Chattanooga and the University of Tennessee. He has numerous credits on both television and in Broadway plays. He starred as Leo Bloom in the Tony Award winning Broadway...
in the 2001 film/TV recording of the musical By JeevesBy JeevesBy Jeeves, originally Jeeves, is a 1975/1996 musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Alan Ayckbourn, based on the novels of P. G. Wodehouse....
Radio actors
Audiobook actors