40-11-11 Uncle Fletcher Arrives In Town

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Vic and Rush are walking down the alley towards home. As they near the house, they see Sade on the porch with lots of items – an indication that Uncle Fletcher has arrived back in town.  His stuff is there, but no one knows where he is (none of the neighbors saw him arrive).

They enjoy looking at the odd items he's dropped off, including a square football made by Jackson Sisters Manufacturing Co. of Topeka, Kansas.

Sade feels responsible for her unique uncle and worries and wonders about his every move when he's not around.

They wonder why there are three full warm cups of coffee among the items...  They also wonder why the items were left at the Gook house and not at the rooming house over on Kelsey Street (a very short distance away) where Fletcher will be living. 

Vic spots the garbage wagon delivering Uncle Fletcher. In spite of the apprehension, everyone's pleased to see him arrive.

SEE SOME DIALOGUE AND THE SYNOPSIS

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As stated previously, Uncle Fletcher comes and goes during his first year on the show. I suspect because Art Van Harvey was ill and then would get better - causing the necessity for Clarence Hartzell at times and then no need for him at all at other times. This also sets his character up to be 'flighty' in nature.

I don't understand why there are three cups of coffee.  This seems to be a major punchline of the episode but I am totally missing the point.  The only (totally Rhymeresque) explanation seems to be: coffee for Fletcher, a cup for Mr. Gumpox (who drove Fletcher to the Virginia Avenue house) and coffee for Howard, Gumpox's horse.  Many times, Rhymer set up a joke and never gave the punchline, leaving us to come up with our own explanation.

Trivia:

+ This script synopsis/part of the script uses the word potatoe that Vic and Sade enthusiast/FOVS member Louie Johnson pointed out was commonly misspelled in the Barbara Schwarz material; but he isn't sure if the mistake is Paul Rhymer's or Schwarz's (or Schwarz's "helper", if there was one).  The Xerox of scripts show dozens/hundreds of misspellings.  So we do know Mr. Rhymer was not a genius in that department...

+ The following may not be classic or funny, but it sounds just like Rush:

Rush: Russell Duncan can turn a flip-flop.  Turns a flip-flop on the slightest pretext.  I wouldn't be surprised but what it's easy to turn flip-flops if a guy could get up his nerve and try it once.  That's the big trouble.  An individual is scared to attempt their first flip-flop.  Why, take my case.  I've stood in our backyard hours at a time tryin' to force myself to try it.  But, by George, I'm always haunted by the fear that I'll fracture my neck.  Once a guy breaks the ice though, he's all set. Easy as rollin' off a log.  Russell Duncan'll stroll up to ya on the public street an' turn three or four flip-flops an'...