The Man with Two Left Feet
by P.G. WodehouseGenre: Comedy
Setting:
Format of Original Source: Short Story
Recommended Adaptation Length: 15 Minutes
Candidate for Adaptation? Promising
EXCERPT:
Boil the whole question of old age down, and what it amounts to is that a man is young as long as he can dance without getting lumbago, and, if he cannot dance, he is never young at all. This was the truth that forced itself upon Henry Wallace Mills, as he sat watching his wife moving over the floor in the arms of Sidney Mercer. Even he could see that Minnie danced well. He thrilled at the sight of her gracefulness; and for the first time since his marriage he became introspective. It had never struck him before how much younger Minnie was than himself. When she had signed the paper at the City Hall on the occasion of the purchase of the marriage licence, she had given her age, he remembered now, as twenty-six. It had made no impression on him at the time. Now, however, he perceived clearly that between twenty-six and thirty-five there was a gap of nine years; and a chill sensation came upon him of being old and stodgy.
COMMENTS:
The poor young wife thinks her new husband is cheating on her, but we know better (hint: she really really loves to dance, and he’s the title character). It’s light, naive, dated, slight, but charming. [cf. Paulu DeKock’s story “The Guilty Secret” for the same premise, different secret; is there a double-bill there?]
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