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August 16

Czar of all the rushes

"Czar of all the rushes" is a very witty and famous pun on "Tsar of all the Russias". It was apparently coined by Budd Schulberg, but sources differ as to whether he applied it to his film mogul boss Louis B. Mayer, or that redoubtable guardian of public morals Will H. Hays.

I am stunned it appears in none of the three men's articles, or anywhere else on Wikipedia for that matter. Or Wikiquote.

Can we settle exactly when it was originated, and to whom it referred? -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 06:31, 16 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I found the pun used in 1851 in the form "Emperor of all the rushes", in a trashy play the Queen of Frogs, but you're probably not interested in that. I also found Ethel Barrymore called "Empress of all the rushes" by a writer (in 1932) in Silver Screen, but that's just casual punning based on her role in Rasputin, so the meme had not yet taken flight. One source says it was said of Darryl F. Zanuck (without attribution). One from 1939 attributes it to Howard Dietz. [1] But Movie Mirror in 1933 applies it to Irving Thalberg. Another source says the target was Walter C. Mycroft. Card Zero (talk) 08:03, 16 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

This is already looking like a can of very bad worms. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 11:18, 16 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Alexander Woollcott definitely used it in a letter written in 1935, saying it was what they were all calling Noël Coward in Astoria. [2] We could possibly feed the worms to the bullfrog, named Emperor of all the rushes, that won a $100 prize in 1865 for being unusually big and fat. [3] A superb batrachian 15 inches long, two pounds weight, of bright bronze hue. Card Zero (talk) 11:37, 16 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Here, in 1854, someone (I think the Emperor of Russia) is referred to as "the Hotcat of all the Rushes". The pun is apparently irresistible and may have been reinvented again and again. --Lambiam 12:47, 16 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

This source writes that Will Hays was regularly described as "The Czar of All the Rushes". Soon we may have more Emperors/Czars of all the Rushes than Princes of Darkness. --Lambiam 12:59, 16 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]