BS: GBS-Urban legend? Closed for remodelling

Subject: BS: GBS-Urban legend? Closed for remodelling
From: Helen
Date: 29 May 06 - 08:32 AM

My hubby asked me to ask Mudcatters whether anyone knows for sure about the truth of this story. George Bernard Shaw wrote a play called Closed for Remodelling, which, when advertised on posters, tricked the potential audience members into believing that the theatre was closed. This meant that hardly anyone turned up to see the shows.

snopes urban legend site says it is a true story although there is no evidence provided.

The play was supposedly renamed to Heartbreak Hotel.

To me the word "remodelling" sounds too recent for GBS, although I haven't checked my dictionary for the timing of the word's usage. (Heartbreak Hotel sounds a little Elvis-ish, but it would be difficult not to think of Elvis on hearing that title.)

So, erudite 'Catters, do any of you know the truth behind this story? Googling only turned up a couple of references.

Ta!
Helen

Subject: RE: BS: GBS-Urban legend? Closed for remodelling
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 29 May 06 - 10:13 AM

I was actually present at a reading of the play "Prosecute Bill Stickers"...

Subject: RE: BS: GBS-Urban legend? Closed for remodelling
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 29 May 06 - 10:23 AM

Sorry, title was "Bill Stickers will be Prosecuted."

Subject: RE: BS: GBS-Urban legend? Closed for remodelling
From: katlaughing
Date: 29 May 06 - 12:37 PM

Actually, Helen, the link you provided said it was renamed "Heartbreak House" so it might not sound as Elvis-era as thought.:-)

Subject: RE: BS: GBS-Urban legend? Closed for remodelling
From: Amos
Date: 29 May 06 - 02:03 PM

Unfortunately, your antennae were right -- you should have followed the supplementary information link at snopes to this page (http://www.snopes.com/lost/false.htm) which explains the legend is not as presented.

Apparently even the Snopesians have a wicked sense of humor.

A

Subject: RE: BS: GBS-Urban legend? Closed for remodelling
From: alanabit
Date: 29 May 06 - 03:23 PM

Heartbreak House is a brilliant drama about a houseful of people obsessed with their own self made dramas, while the world outside them is moving into war. It is over twenty years since I read it and it still gives me the creeps just to think about it. I can't imagine GBS would not have wanted folks to see it! How do these urban legends all get started?

Subject: RE: BS: GBS-Urban legend? Closed for remodelling
From: TheBigPinkLad
Date: 29 May 06 - 04:43 PM

No backing for the veracity of the Shaw story, but in 1960 when Beyond the Fringe first went to Broadway, the writers/cast were not totally happy with the name. Peter Cook suggested they call it Quite the Best Revue I've Ever Seen: Bernard Levin.

Subject: RE: BS: GBS-Urban legend? Closed for remodelling
From: Helen
Date: 29 May 06 - 05:33 PM

Sorry, "house"/"hotel" - a child of the 50's couldn't be blamed for getting them mixed up, could I? I guess my mind has been Elvised.

I've sent hubby the link page.

For me, the alarm bells rang when there were only a measly few mentions on Google, and when all of them have almost the same wording then you know you are looking at the same information repeated, not re-written, and probably just repeated parrot-fashion.

Thanks everyone.

The play is available for free online download if anyone wants to read it - google it to find out where, or I'll post the link after I get home from work. Thanks, alanabit, for making me want to read it. Funnily enough, I just started reading Nevil Shute's What Happened to the Corbett's which is a "what-if" novel written just prior to WWII about a family and how they cope with blitz bombings, and the real consequences such as loss of power, and increase of disease. (Used by the volunteers in the real bombings which occurred as a sort of manual.) Not the same perspective as GBS, but vaguely/sort of a similar theme from another angle - without the scathing social commentary.

Helen

Subject: RE: BS: GBS-Urban legend? Closed for remodelling
From: Azizi
Date: 29 May 06 - 07:24 PM

"I guess my mind has been Elvised"- that sentence proves that the English language is alive and well, though I can't say the same thing about Elvis himself.

Subject: RE: BS: GBS-Urban legend? Closed for remodelling
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 29 May 06 - 08:07 PM

Remodel appeared in print in 1789- OED

Subject: RE: BS: GBS-Urban legend? Closed for remodelling
From: Helen
Date: 30 May 06 - 06:47 AM

Thanks, Q, but what about "remodelling"? Which was actually spelt "remodeling" on the web page I saw.

Sorry, Azizi, but that was said "tongue in cheek" - just a bit of playful fun with the language. :-)

Helen

Subject: RE: BS: GBS-Urban legend? Closed for remodelling
From: Azizi
Date: 30 May 06 - 02:17 PM

Playful fun with language is one of the reasons I like Mudcat.

And as a nod to another current Mudcat thread, the Google ads for this thread are now "Your Graceland today"-tour Elvis' 14 acre estate located in Memphis" and "Urban Myth-Great Choice, great prices."

Well, that made me smile, and I need all the smiles I can get...

Subject: RE: BS: GBS-Urban legend? Closed for remodelling
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 30 May 06 - 09:56 PM

Elvis Presley Ringtones
Free Hot! True and Poly Ringtones Wallpaper and more for All Mobiles

Elvis sale-all must go
All items now 50% of website price except belts-total clearance sale


!!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: GBS-Urban legend? Closed for remodelling
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 30 May 06 - 10:05 PM

Prostheses to move you

Paul Mccartney


,,,,

Subject: RE: BS: GBS-Urban legend? Closed for remodelling
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 31 May 06 - 05:35 AM

G'day Helen,

"To me the word "remodelling" sounds too recent for GBS, although I haven't checked my dictionary for the timing of the word's usage."

Well, it is actually quite old enought. The OED has:

(My search was on "remodelling" but this under the basic form "remodel":) trans. To model again, reconstruct. (Common in 19th c.)

1789 Gen. Hist. in Ann. Reg. 9/2 That assembly was wholly incompetent to the task of re-modelling the constitution. 1830 Lytton P. Clifford xix, A stray trinket or two—not of sufficient worth to be re-set or re-modelled. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. i. I. 121 From the time when the army was remodelled to the time when it was disbanded. 1879 M. Pattison Milton 46 All traditions were being questioned, and all institutions were to be remodelled.

Regard(les)s,

Bob

Subject: RE: BS: GBS-Urban legend? Closed for remodelling
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 31 May 06 - 08:18 AM

Back to Elvis again... :-)

Subject: RE: BS: GBS-Urban legend? Closed for remodelling
From: Azizi
Date: 31 May 06 - 09:03 AM

Yep. He's still hanging around...




at the bottom of this post.

Subject: RE: BS: GBS-Urban legend? Closed for remodelling
From: GUEST,Mrr
Date: 31 May 06 - 11:06 AM

Back to the thread... Wasn't it Shaw who wrote about the foreign linguist who came to England, saw the marquee advertising "Pygmalion - pronounced success!" - so he went home?

Subject: RE: BS: GBS-Urban legend? Closed for remodelling
From: Helen
Date: 31 May 06 - 05:07 PM

Re: remodelling - I think "refurbishment" might have been a more likely word in this context.

Sorry, I seem to have Elvised this thread as well.

Helen