44-08-08 Russell in Charge of Howard

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Mr. Gumpox is traveling to St. Louis for a couple of days and has asked Russell to take care of his horse Howard while he's away.

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I can only imagine the excitement of being able to be 14 years old in 1944 and be asked to take care of a horse. Russell has plans to take advantage of the situation, including riding him around town, which Sade warns might get him bit.

Trivia:

+ Vic and Sade are playing Rummy; it takes more than a minute and a half for Sade to make her first play. She seems confused about the rules of the game, despite the fact she's played the game many times. She says she's afraid she has confused the rules with rules of other card games.

+ Sade says that the Thimble Club ladies sometimes play (the card game of) Flinch.

+ Mr. Gumpox has relations in St. Louis.

+ Howard has a sister named "Marie." Marie was not mentioned among Howard's other relatives in the earlier episode, 41-01-21 Demise of Bernice. This seems like a definite continuity issue. (However, it seems show writer Paul Rhymer threw continuity out the window of the show anyway after Bill Idelson went into the Navy.)

This error seems larger than the others though, since the earlier episode is probably one of the best-loved of all surviving episodes.

+ Marie pulls a coal wagon for the Herman Davis Company. The Herman Davis Company (first time mentioned) is obviously the name of the coal mine which was mentioned in 44-07-10 Collection of Personal Treasures.

+ We find out more about Howard in this episode: he's a very gentle horse, is very intelligent and has a delicate constitution. Vic called him a "noble animal."

+ Russell has plans on riding Howard to the coal mine to visit his sister, Marie and also plans on riding to Mildred Tisdel's house as Mildred wants to show off to the neighbors.

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