I'm reading Deadfolk. The main character, Royston Blake,
drinks with his mates at the Paul Pry. On first reading
Larry's message, I thought Charlie must be an Erle Stanley
Gardner fan, but I guess he's actually reflecting the
popularity of another Paul Pry, from the play of the same
name by John Poole. Apparently it's a fairly common name for
pubs. Is that right, Charlie?
Most likely Gardner was a Poole fan. Is his Paul Pry an idle,
meddlesome fellow who does a lot of eavesdropping?
"Paul Pry An idle, meddlesome fellow, who has no occupation
of his own, and is always interfering with other folk's
business. (John Poole: Paul Pry, a comedy.) The original was
Thomas Hill."
http://www.bootlegbooks.com/Reference/PhraseAndFable/data/951.html
"John Liston was the leading comic actor of the first half of
the 19th century. In 1825, with 20 years of experience behind
him, he created his masterpiece character, Paul Pry, in John
Poole's farce of the same name. Pry is a man consumed with
curiosity, an interfering busybody unable to mind his own
business. With his striped trousers, hessian boots, tail coat
and top hat, Liston moulded Pry into a uniquely endearing
character. Most memorble was the umbrella that Pry
conveniently left behind everywhere he went so that he would
have an excuse to return and eavesdrop."
<
http://www.peopleplayuk.org.uk/collections/object.php?object_id=672>
At 10:29 PM 18/10/2004 -0500, Larry Newton wrote:
>I've read a number of Cool & Lam books and I like
each and every one. If you get a chance, you should also read
Gardner's other non-Mason characters. He's written a bunch of
others (Lester Leith, Ed Jenkins, Paul Pry, etc.) both before
and after the Mason stuff was written.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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