Percy Frobisher Pilbeam
Encyclopedia
Percy Frobisher Pilbeam is a fictional character
in the works of P. G. Wodehouse
. A journalist
turned detective
, he is a rather weak and unpleasant man, generally disliked by all. He appears in several novel
s, but is perhaps best known for his involvement with the denizens of Blandings Castle
, in Summer Lightning
(1929) and Heavy Weather
(1933).
led wave, eyes a little too close together, pimples and a shabby-looking moustache
(which is occasionally described as "fungoid"). He has a tendency to dress in rather loud check suits, and a taste for pretty girls. He has an efficient and practical mind, full of pep and vigour.
A member of the "Junior Constitutional Club", and an F.R.Z.S., Pilbeam is also a keen motorcyclist
. His taste for girls is clear in his approval of Miss "Flick" Sheridan, and his adoration and pursuit of Sue Brown (which enrages Ronnie Fish to the extent of running amok
and destroying a restaurant).
Pilbeam has a paralysing fear of pigs, having read once that a pig, on finding a stranger in its sty, will go for him like a tiger
and tear him to ribbons. He has a fondness for champagne, a drink he finds highly useful in priming himself for tense meetings with the nobility.
, at which time he is deputy to Roderick Pyke as editor of Society Spice, but considered a far more capable and trustworthy man by Roderick's father, Lord Tilbury
, head of the Mammoth Publishing Company. Tilbury trusts Pilbeam with many a delicate task, and is rarely disappointed by the young man's work.
After Roderick leaves his father's employ, Pilbeam takes over as head of Society Spice, in which position we hear of him in passing in Sam the Sudden
. He spends some three years there, during which he incurs the wrath of Galahad Threepwood
. He leaves his job, much to Lord Tilbury's indignation, to found the Argus Detective Agency, which he runs from offices in an alley off Beeston Street, in South-West London, telegraphic address "Pilgus Piccy".
He was hired, in the early days of the organisation, to retrieve some compromising letters for Sir Gregory Parsloe-Parsloe, a task he achieved by impersonating a man come to read the gas meter and breaking into a safe. We hear about this later, in Summer Lightning
, when Parsloe-Parsloe hires him once more to steal Galahad Threepwood's scandalous book of reminiscences, just after Lord Emsworth
has called him in to investigate the disappearance of his prize pig, Empress of Blandings
, and Millicent Threepwood has had him tail her fiance Hugo Carmody.
His time at Blandings Castle
is somewhat tense, with Carmody, Galahad and Ronnie Fish holding grudges against him, and he feels entirely out of place and uncomfortable amongst the well-bred, well-dressed Threepwood family and their friends. However, he remains there into the events of Heavy Weather
, when he is once again asked to steal Galahad's book by Parsloe-Parsloe. For a time he has hopes of making a large sum of money from the book, but his hopes are dashed; however, he does get well rewarded, when he agrees to employ Monty Bodkin
in his detective agency.
He reappears in Something Fishy
, published some 24 years later.
, made by the BBC
and partners and broadcast in the United States
by PBS
, Pilbeam was played by David Bamber
.
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...
in the works of 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...
. A journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
turned detective
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
, he is a rather weak and unpleasant man, generally disliked by all. He appears in several novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s, but is perhaps best known for his involvement with the denizens of Blandings Castle
Blandings Castle
Blandings Castle is a recurring fictional location in the stories of British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being the seat of Lord Emsworth , home to many of his family, and setting for numerous tales and adventures, written between 1915 and 1975.The series of stories which take place at the castle,...
, in Summer Lightning
Summer Lightning
Summer Lightning is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United States on 1 July 1929 by Doubleday, Doran, New York, under the title Fish Preferred, and in the United Kingdom on 19 July 1929 by Herbert Jenkins, London...
(1929) and Heavy Weather
Heavy Weather (novel)
Heavy Weather is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United States on July 28, 1933 by Little, Brown and Company, Boston, and in the United Kingdom on August 10, 1933 by Herbert Jenkins, London...
(1933).
Character
Pilbeam is a rather slimy-looking man, with shiny black hair in a marcelMarcel
Marcel may refer to:* Marcel , a novel by Erwin Mortier* Marcel , people with the given name Marcel* Marcel, California, in Kern County* Marcel , a German entry for Eurovision 1963People with surname Marcel:...
led wave, eyes a little too close together, pimples and a shabby-looking moustache
Moustache
A moustache is facial hair grown on the outer surface of the upper lip. It may or may not be accompanied by a type of beard, a facial hair style grown and cropped to cover most of the lower half of the face.-Etymology:...
(which is occasionally described as "fungoid"). He has a tendency to dress in rather loud check suits, and a taste for pretty girls. He has an efficient and practical mind, full of pep and vigour.
A member of the "Junior Constitutional Club", and an F.R.Z.S., Pilbeam is also a keen motorcyclist
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
. His taste for girls is clear in his approval of Miss "Flick" Sheridan, and his adoration and pursuit of Sue Brown (which enrages Ronnie Fish to the extent of running amok
Running amok
Running amok, sometimes referred to as simply amok is a term for a killing spree perpetrated by an individual out of rage or resentment over perceived mistreatment....
and destroying a restaurant).
Pilbeam has a paralysing fear of pigs, having read once that a pig, on finding a stranger in its sty, will go for him like a tiger
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
and tear him to ribbons. He has a fondness for champagne, a drink he finds highly useful in priming himself for tense meetings with the nobility.
Appearances
- Bill the ConquerorBill the ConquerorBill the Conqueror is a novel by P.G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on November 14, 1924 by Methuen & Co., London, and in the United States on February 20, 1925 by George H. Doran, New York, the story having previously been serialised in the Saturday Evening Post from May 24 to...
(1924) - in which Lord Tilbury first employs him as a snoop - Sam the SuddenSam the SuddenSam the Sudden is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on 15 October 1925 by Methuen, London, and in the United States on 6 November 1925 by George H. Doran, New York, under the title Sam in the Suburbs...
(1925) (U.S. title: Sam in the Suburbs) - in which he is mentioned only in passing - Summer LightningSummer LightningSummer Lightning is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United States on 1 July 1929 by Doubleday, Doran, New York, under the title Fish Preferred, and in the United Kingdom on 19 July 1929 by Herbert Jenkins, London...
(1929) (US title: Fish Preferred) - in which he visits Blandings CastleBlandings CastleBlandings Castle is a recurring fictional location in the stories of British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being the seat of Lord Emsworth , home to many of his family, and setting for numerous tales and adventures, written between 1915 and 1975.The series of stories which take place at the castle,... - Heavy WeatherHeavy Weather (novel)Heavy Weather is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United States on July 28, 1933 by Little, Brown and Company, Boston, and in the United Kingdom on August 10, 1933 by Herbert Jenkins, London...
(1933) - in which he is still at Blandings - Something FishySomething FishySomething Fishy is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on January 18, 1957 by Herbert Jenkins, London and in the United States on January 28, 1957 by Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York, under the title The Butler Did It....
(1957) (US title: The Butler Did It) - in which his agency is again employed - Frozen AssetsFrozen AssetsFrozen Assets is a novel by P.G. Wodehouse, first published in the United States on July 14, 1964 by Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York under the title Biffen's Millions, and in the United Kingdom on August 14, 1964 by Herbert Jenkins, London....
(1964)- in which he is re-employed by Lord Tilbury.
Career
Pilbeam is introduced in Bill the ConquerorBill the Conqueror
Bill the Conqueror is a novel by P.G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on November 14, 1924 by Methuen & Co., London, and in the United States on February 20, 1925 by George H. Doran, New York, the story having previously been serialised in the Saturday Evening Post from May 24 to...
, at which time he is deputy to Roderick Pyke as editor of Society Spice, but considered a far more capable and trustworthy man by Roderick's father, Lord Tilbury
George Alexander Pyke, Lord Tilbury
George Alexander Pyke, Lord Tilbury is a recurring fictional character in the stories of British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse. Pyke is a publishing magnate, the founder and owner of the Mammoth Publishing Company. Outside his business, he has a passion for pigs and is the owner of a prize pig...
, head of the Mammoth Publishing Company. Tilbury trusts Pilbeam with many a delicate task, and is rarely disappointed by the young man's work.
After Roderick leaves his father's employ, Pilbeam takes over as head of Society Spice, in which position we hear of him in passing in Sam the Sudden
Sam the Sudden
Sam the Sudden is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on 15 October 1925 by Methuen, London, and in the United States on 6 November 1925 by George H. Doran, New York, under the title Sam in the Suburbs...
. He spends some three years there, during which he incurs the wrath of Galahad Threepwood
Galahad Threepwood
The Honourable Galahad "Gally" Threepwood is a fictional character in the Blandings stories by P. G. Wodehouse. Lord Emsworth's younger brother, a lifelong bachelor, Gally was, according to Beach, the Blandings butler, "somewhat wild as a young man"...
. He leaves his job, much to Lord Tilbury's indignation, to found the Argus Detective Agency, which he runs from offices in an alley off Beeston Street, in South-West London, telegraphic address "Pilgus Piccy".
He was hired, in the early days of the organisation, to retrieve some compromising letters for Sir Gregory Parsloe-Parsloe, a task he achieved by impersonating a man come to read the gas meter and breaking into a safe. We hear about this later, in Summer Lightning
Summer Lightning
Summer Lightning is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United States on 1 July 1929 by Doubleday, Doran, New York, under the title Fish Preferred, and in the United Kingdom on 19 July 1929 by Herbert Jenkins, London...
, when Parsloe-Parsloe hires him once more to steal Galahad Threepwood's scandalous book of reminiscences, just after Lord Emsworth
Lord Emsworth
Clarence Threepwood, 9th Earl of Emsworth, or Lord Emsworth, is a recurring fictional character in the Blandings stories by British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse. He is the amiable and somewhat absent-minded head of the large Threepwood family...
has called him in to investigate the disappearance of his prize pig, Empress of Blandings
Empress of Blandings
Empress of Blandings is a fictional pig, featured in many of the Blandings Castle novels and stories by P. G. Wodehouse. Owned by the doting Lord Emsworth, the Empress is an enormous black Berkshire sow, who wins many prizes in the "Fat Pigs" class at the local Shropshire Agricultural Show, and is...
, and Millicent Threepwood has had him tail her fiance Hugo Carmody.
His time at Blandings Castle
Blandings Castle
Blandings Castle is a recurring fictional location in the stories of British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being the seat of Lord Emsworth , home to many of his family, and setting for numerous tales and adventures, written between 1915 and 1975.The series of stories which take place at the castle,...
is somewhat tense, with Carmody, Galahad and Ronnie Fish holding grudges against him, and he feels entirely out of place and uncomfortable amongst the well-bred, well-dressed Threepwood family and their friends. However, he remains there into the events of Heavy Weather
Heavy Weather (novel)
Heavy Weather is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United States on July 28, 1933 by Little, Brown and Company, Boston, and in the United Kingdom on August 10, 1933 by Herbert Jenkins, London...
, when he is once again asked to steal Galahad's book by Parsloe-Parsloe. For a time he has hopes of making a large sum of money from the book, but his hopes are dashed; however, he does get well rewarded, when he agrees to employ Monty Bodkin
Monty Bodkin
Montague "Monty" Bodkin is a recurring fictional character in three novels of English comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being a wealthy young member of the Drones Club, tall, slender and lissom, well-dressed, well-spoken, impeccably polite, and generally in some kind of romantic trouble.-Stories:Monty...
in his detective agency.
He reappears in Something Fishy
Something Fishy
Something Fishy is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on January 18, 1957 by Herbert Jenkins, London and in the United States on January 28, 1957 by Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York, under the title The Butler Did It....
, published some 24 years later.
Television
In a 1995 adaptation of Heavy WeatherHeavy Weather (novel)
Heavy Weather is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United States on July 28, 1933 by Little, Brown and Company, Boston, and in the United Kingdom on August 10, 1933 by Herbert Jenkins, London...
, made by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and partners and broadcast in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
, Pilbeam was played by David Bamber
David Bamber
David James Bamber is an English actor, known for his television and theatre work. He is an Associate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.-Early years:...
.