44-06-21 Rishigan Fishigan's Secret

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN, DAVID WHITEHOUSE AND CLARENCE HARTZELL

Real advert, 1944

Uncle Fletcher and Rishigan Fishigan (from Sishigan, Michigan) are goofing off at the Interurban station. The peanut machine (which Uncle Fletcher owns an interest in) takes Fishigan's penny. Fishigan wants his peanuts and so, he rolls up his sleeves in order to shake the peanuts loose.

Once he rolls up his sleeves, Uncle Fletcher is shocked to see a tattoo that revels Rishigan's real name: Jorrigan Corrigan from Borrigan, Oregon. (((HEAR)))

He must tell Vic this dire news!

SCRIPT (page 1) (page 2)

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This episode is great fun the first time around.

Trivia:

+ At the beginning of the program, Russell is silently reading an unnamed Third Lieutenant Stanley book.

+ Sade reads in the newspaper that Harry Bubeck attended a 4 year old's birthday party.

+ Vernon Thompson was mentioned for the first time. He's a clerk at Kleeburger's. Rooster Davis can imitate him well, according to Russell.

+ Uncle Fletcher says numerous times to Vic: "I am your niece's husband" and "I am your husband's niece."

+ Uncle Fletcher says numerous times: "I do not frip, frap, gossip or druel!"

+ To vend peanuts, the peanut machine at the inter-urban station costs a penny.

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44-06-20 No More Pretty Boy

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Sade is stuck between two conversations she cares nothing about: Vic is constantly reading about the exploits of Willis H. Hunk from his Kitchenware Quarterly paper and Russell goes on and on about LeRoy Snow who is happy because he's getting glasses, a mouth brace, his ears taped down and his head shaved (it's a deterrent to having ladies hugging and kissing him.)

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Trivia:

+ Willis H. Wunk was mentioned for the first time. He works for Consolidated Kitchenware (probably not plant #14) and is someone Vic seems to have a lot of respect for, not only because he is smart but Vic seems to think he's witty. He also got hit by a train once, got up and slapped the engineer.

Here's a quote from Hunk: {{{HEAR}}}

+ Dr. Price was mentioned for the first time. Dr. Price is an optometrist who has an office on Washington Street.

+ According to Russell, LeRoy Snow won six "Beautiful Baby" contests as a baby.

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44-06-19 500 Bijou Tickets

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

A complex situation has arisen in the Gook household: Mr. Gumpox found a roll of 500 Bijou tickets in the trashcan of Mr. (Sam) Ferberman, who is the Bijou manager. He offers to sell them to Sade for a penny each.

Vic sees this as dishonest as does Sade but it takes a while to convince Russell of this as his eye are alight with taking the whole sophomore class to the theater as his guest and showing off.

In order not to hurt Mr. Gumpox (who is not dishonest) Sade finally decides she will give Mr. Gumpox five dollars and burn the tickets.

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You wonder if Mr. Gumpox maybe didn't decide himself that this was dishonest for we know from an earlier episode that he never misses a premier at the Bijou. So why would he not keep them for himself unless he knew it would be dishonest to use the tickets?

Trivia:

+ This is the second episode where Homer Heck is mentioned as being Uncle Fletcher's friend who lives in Oklahoma. There seems to be a mixup somewhere for just a few episodes back we learned that there was a Homer Heck who is Vic's friend and a member of the Drowsy Venus Chapter of the lodge. So now, at the Vic and Sade Character website, there are two different Homer Heck entries (local and Oklahoma.)

+ The discarded tickets are adult admission and are worth $125.00.

+ Sade again uses the word "spondulicks" when referring to money.

+ It seems apparent that the Bijou is run by both Sam and Milton Ferberman.

+ At the end of the episode, Sade suggests they play Rummy, a game she generally does not like to play.

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44-06-16 Piercing Blue Eyes

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

At home, Sade catches Vic making odd movements with his face and eyebrows. When she inquires to why he is doing such a thing, he sheepishly admits that he and the kids at the office again had a talk about his eyes.

Although Sade is already onto him and knows what he's going to say, he admits that Lolita di Rienzi told him he had "piercing blue eyes" and Steve Chestbutter told Vic he should accentuate them by using facial and eyebrow movements. Chessbutter also told Vic that if he had eyes like that, he would lower the tone of his voice.

Once the cat is out of the bag, Vic begins practicing both things full tilt, frustrating Sade.

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Great moment when the telephone rings and Vic says "Telephone's ringin'!" in his low voice: {{{HEAR}}}

Trivia:

+ Mis' Appelrot was born in Hopedale. Her father was an agent for a veternary supply house and thus she lived all over Central Illinois. Her father owned five farms in the county.

+ Fred Stembottom calls and without wavering, both Vic and Sade refer to him as "Ted" - despite a previous episode where Sade exclaimed to Uncle Fletcher and the family that it must not continue.

When the Gooks call him "Ted" though, he doesn't seem to mind.

+ Someone calls with the wrong number; although it's never said who called or who they called for, can't we imagine the call was for Fat Jackson?

Vic, in his deep voice, talks to Ted Stembottom on the telephone: {{{HEAR}}}

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44-06-15 A Letter From Bess - Listen Please

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN, DAVID WHITEHOUSE AND CLARENCE HARTZELL

Sade gets another predictable letter from her sister Bess. She tries to force the family and Uncle Fletcher to listen to it but they have other ideas.

SEE THE SCRIPT (PART 1) (PART 2) 

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While this is your typical "letter from Bess" fare, this one is different because this is the first time we get to hear Russell try to sit through an Aunt Bess letter and Uncle Fletcher hasn't been around in the previous letter readings either (at least not in the surviving epsiodes).

Vic, on the other hand, is a trained veteran and can listen to the boring fare and knows where to fake a chuckle, otherwise, he'd get yelled at by Sade.

Trivia:

+ Uncle Fletcher speaks of Ray Feltcher, who invented the electric toothpick, which was a complete failure. He says people were apprehensive to use it because when you turned it on, it went "jab-jab-jab-jab." Feltcher passed away on February 14, 1902 before he could patent the device. Feltcher used to cut ice with Uncle Fletcher.

+ Bess says in the letter that Euncie is going around barefooted despite the fact that she's almost an adult.

+ In Carberry news, Bess says Fern Doonbelter got married (at last.) She married an older man who's been married previously.

+ Walter has promised Euncie that if she practices the piano for an hour everyday during the summer that he will give her five silver dollars when school starts back. She is trying to memorize the piano piece, The Great Colorado Train Robbery Scottish so that she can play it without the sheet music. Bess says the song is, "Full of sharps and flats and big notes and trash." [She began learning this piece in March of 1944].

+ Surprise! Euncie has a new piano teacher, Mis' Bahcol.

+ This episode does something only one of the surviving previous episodes do - it fades out.

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44-06-14 Deadman's Trick

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN, DAVID WHITEHOUSE AND CLARENCE HARTZELL

Uncle Fletcher comes to visit the Gooks at the noon hour, telling them he is going to work the "Deadman's Trick" at the Inter-uban station, filling in for his friend, Ernie Fadler.
He needs to get some sleep before work and his landlady, Mis' Keller is having callers this day; so he asks Sade if he might take a nap over at the Gook house.

He makes mention that he won't be getting up just until time to work (2 AM) and this bewilders both Vic and Russell when they deduce will be asleep close to 14 hours.

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Trivia:

+ "Deadman's Trick" is 2 AM to 10 AM in the morning.

Vic almost explains how a washing machine works: {{{HEAR}}}

Uncle Fletcher seems especially hard of hearing in this episode: {{{HEAR}}} {{{HEAR}}} {{{HEAR}}}

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44-06-12 Professor Russell - Tutor

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Russell comes home (late for supper) with news that he's been asked by Mis' Tisdel to tutor her daughter Mildred algebra over the summer, three afternoons a week.

He plans to ask for big money to do this; he plans on making Margaret address him as, "Professor"... and plans on getting a switch from the pear tree in her backyard to inflict pain upon her in case she doesn't obey his rules.

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Russell (David Whitehouse) does a fine job with this episode but it's hard not to imagine Bill Idelson as Rush doing the same episode and this being a Vic and Sade classic; still, props to Whitehouse on the job he did here.

This script is a re-used from 1940.

Anyway you slice it, this is a fun episode.

Trivia:

+ Dr. Nixon, from San Antonio, was mentioned by Vic. By the way he and Sade talk, it appears as though Dr. Nixon played a large part in one or more episode that we missed out on due to the stupidty of Proctor and Gamble destroying Vic and Sade episodes.

+ We find out in this episode that the Tisdels live on Kelsey Street.

+ Mis' Wyckle was mentioned for the first time. Her first name is Bertha and she is Margaret's algebra teacher. She mentioned to Mis' Tisdale that Russell would make a good algebra tutor.

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44-06-13 Prettiest Eye Contest

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

At Vic's workplace, a "Prettiest Eyes Beauty Contest" was held. Vic expresses to Sade that he tied for first place. Vic then mentions that there was a co-winner and Sade finally drags it out of him that it was Lolita di Rienzi. She is slightly suspicious.

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While we can be sure than Vic is completely innocent, this is not the first episode where Sade has been suspicious of Vic and Lolita. This is a fun episode but it could have been more fun if Sade had gotten mad; here, she is just suspicious.

Trivia:

+ Vic received a blue, "freckled" tie from Gus Fuss at Christmas.

+ Vic's eyes have "purple flakes" and Lolita's eyes are large.

+ Art Van Harvey totally blows a line when talking about Consolidated Kitchenware: (((HEAR)))

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44-06-09 The Lunges are Coming

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Sade gets a last-minute post card in the mail, Herb and Kissy Lunge are coming - tonight! Though she's never met them, they are friends of friends and wants to clean house and make a nice impression.

Meanwhile, a bewildered and sleepy Vic and Russell (Bijou ticket already bought) are forced into manual domestic labors beyond their comprehension.

SCRIPT (part 1) (part 2)

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A few episodes back, Sade was complaining about entertaining people she didn't know, yet here she is doing the exact same thing.

This is one of the funnier episodes in the second half run of the Vic and Sade series.

Trivia:

+ Sade says since the Lunges are coming by car, there's no way to tell if they will be on time.  She still has no idea that miles per hour indicate that miles per hour a car is driving - in other words, it's easy to figure out when you will be at a certain point.  She also had trouble with this in 37-06-04 Sade's Trip to Dwight.

+ I've come to the conclusion that Art Van Harvey (Vic) is _by far_ the best actor in radio history as far as acting "half asleep." In this episode, we get another earful of Vic: {{{HEAR}}}

+ Herb and Kissy Lunge (from Logansport, Indiana) are making their way to Keokuk, Iowa.

Keokuk is famous for being the birthplace of Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) and the city has been mentioned (mostly as a "funny place name") in several TV series.

+ Ed and Margaret McFrogth are also mentioned - they too hail from Logansport, Indiana.

+ Herb works for the government. Kissy's real name is Katherine.

+ The Brick Mush man stops by - apparently to ask permission to use the Gook front porch to change his shoelaces.(Writer Paul Rhymer seems to have a humorous fetish with shoelaces.)

+ Vic manages to "accidentally" call Herb and Kissy Lunge, "Boob and Huggy Lunge."  Twice!

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44-06-07 Elkskin Shoe Laces

STARRING: BERNARDINE FLYNN AND CLARENCE HARTZELL

Sade "plays hooky", sits in the sunshine on the back porch and talks nonsense with Uncle Fletcher. Meanwhile, Mr. Donahue is asleep next door with his window open - don't talk so loud...

Uncle Fletcher touts he must have his shoe laces changed (with elkskin laces) but must go to the shoe repair place to do it..

GARRY MOTTER WRITES:

To me this is one of Uncle Fletcher's finest tirades, and that is saying something.  The episode is masterfully crafted, as the great comedy of it lays in its pacing.  Rhymer has constructed it like the slow movement of a concerto.  It starts out literally in whispers, then gradually progresses to lazy talk about nothing much.  It takes a tense turn when we think we are going to hear about Ernie Sweeler's sad demise, but we are spared that, and it calms down  again.  But this is a feint on Rhymer's part.  Suddenly he throws in the brass and tympani, as Uncle Fletcher takes offense.  He gives us the "A" theme of elk skin shoelaces, and after developing that, introduces the "B" theme of the lacing methodology.  The two themes duke it out a while, then intertwine at Chalfer's shop, where they combine climactically.  Those themes spent, the introductory notes of  Mr. Donahue are recapitulated and all ends calmly, with a little hint of a minor-key ending ("I hope so, too.  I hope so, too").

SEE THE SCRIPT (transcribed by Garry Motter) 

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Very slow and easy Vic and Sade episode; it lacks excitement yet is fun all the same.

Uncle Fletcher seems to have a considerable interest in shoes and especially shoe laces in the series.
 
Trivia:

+ Sade describes the weather as "warm yet it's cool."

+ Ernie Sweeler (from Belividere) was mentioned. He died at age 65.  He used to say, "If someone's got something nice, mention it."

+ Bert Chalfer owns and runs Chalfer's Shoe Repair on West Washington Street; he and his store are mentioned for the first time; the map has been changed to reflect this. 

+ Elkskin shoe laces are replaceable only with strength and years of practice and take two solid hours of work to replace.

+ Morgan Perrin of Downer's Grove was mentioned. He came up with a fancy knot (the Cincinnati overhand triple lock) and was uncle to Homer Heck (probably the Oklahoma Homer Heck.)

+ The word "delicious" is used 4 times in this episode, none of those times was food being described.

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44-06-02 Mr. Chinbunny Wants to Smoke Cigars - Russell

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Almost a complete word-for-word match for 40-06-02 Teaching Cigar Smoking to Chinbunny.

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Russell is no Rush.

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44-05-30 Lolita di Rienzi Compliments Vic

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Lolita di Rienzi suggests to Vic that he write a series of articles or even a book about his recent experiences on his trip to the Midwest with Mr. Ruebush.

Although the things that happen to him are quite routine, the impetus of Lolita's suggestion has him in very good spirits. Of course that ends quickly enough once he's home and begins to tell Sade and Russell, who rib him into leaving the house.

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Vic once took a trip where he wrote a long article about it; the newspaper editor Ed Greefer was not at all impressed.

Trivia:

+ Vic's lunch hour at work is over at 1:00; we certainly have assumed that but now we know.

+ "Old Man" Chieferson was seen in the neighborhood. He lives on Oakland Avenue now but apparently used to live on Virginia Avenue or thereabouts. He has a daughter named Louise McDermott.

+ Lolita works in the boxing department of Consolidated Kitchenware.

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44-05-01 Lodge Holiday Visits

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

In a letter from lodge headquarters, Vic is alerted of a lodge idea that could save him money if he takes a trip somewhere; he and his family would be the guest of a lodge brother in another town.

But the hospitality is reciprocal and there's almost 50 people that Vic knows of that ar headed his way in the coming Summer. Sade tells Vic to squash any ideas of her entertaining unknown lodge brothers.

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Fun episode with some really strange people making the trips with the lodge members, such as a straw boss, a dentist, a secretary, a music teacher, an errand boy, a milkman, a barber and a janitor.

Trivia:

+ Sade got another postal card from the Lazy Hours Pool Parlor; coupon is good for a free saucer of cole slaw with every third game played.

+ Russell got another card from his Sunday School teacher. Seems that whenever Russell (or for that matter, Rush) would act conspicuous at Sunday School, Mis' Neagle would send them an "I missed you at Sunday School last week" postal card.

+ Sade says that beef punkles take four hours to cook.

+ Charlie Razorscum is clowning around inside of his house; Russell is most amused by him.

+ One of the lodge members mentioned in Vic's letter has the first name of "Rose."

+ The list of all the out of town lodge members is listed in the Sacred Stars of the Milky Way section of the blog.

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44-04-19 B.B. Baugh and the New Dentist

STARRING: ARTY VAN HARVEY, BERNRADINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Vic must sit down and have a man-to-man talk with B.B. Baugh, who is exploiting members of the Drowsy Venus Chapter of the Sacred Stars of the Milky Way.

It seems Baugh has hired a bus to travel to Partlow, Illinois and has signed up several members of the Drowsy Venus Chapter to have a tooth pulled by his brother, who is a dentist there. Having a new dental practice, Baugh wants to have his brother start off on the right foot; lodge members would pay $5 to have a tooth extracted, whether they need one extracted or not.

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This episode provides a wealth of information about previously unkown lodge members. The original sound file sounded terrible; I can gladly tell you that now it sounds a great deal better - but still, it's far from perfect.

Trivia:

+ We find out that B.B. Baugh is a barber at the Bright Kentucky Hotel. It's amazing how many barbers that hotel has!

+ As of this episode, the Drowsy Venus Chapter has 50 members, not including Vic Gook.

+ In addition to the other 'irons in the fire' we know B.B. Baugh is involved in, we find out he owns the cole slaw concession at the Lazy Hours Pool Parlor.

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44-04-07 The Solo March

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Homer U. McDancey once again suggests to Vic that he be the special Christmas Day guest speaker at the Missouri Home for the Tall in Sick River Junction, Missouri.

Vic is so flattered that he intends on going and giving not only a speech about marching but also a solo march.

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Average episode enhanced greatly by further usage of the Missouri Home for the Tall. The funniest line in the episode is when Russell comments that Uncle Fletcher has a croney that's an armed guard at the Missouri institution!

Trivia:

+ Mis' Neagle, who was not only Rush's freakishly strong Sunday School teacher but also Russell's, can chin herself 23 times.  She was complimented on her muscles, according to Russell.

+ The Missouri Home for the Tall has 700 inmates!  Uncle Fletcher has a cronie that works as an armed guard there.

+ Arthur K. Van Beebunk (not named in this episode but was in an earlier one) was a boyhood chum of Homer U. McDancey.

+ Homer U. McDancey has "lovely" penmanship, according to Sade.

+ Ed Fife was mentioned for the first time. He's a friend of Russell's; he plans on going with the gang down to the YMCA to watch the fat men play handball.

+ Sade refers to events that happened in 44-03-24 The Seven Minute March.  McDancey and Vic had an opportunity to briefly meet and march together.

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44-04-05 Hyena Grease

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, DAVID WHITEHOUSE AND CLARENCE HARTZELL

{{{HEAR}}} Fletcher Rush was a character of many enthusiasms: touring the town with Mr. Gumpox on his garbage wagon, watching trains at the Interurban Station, popping popcorn, reminiscing about his remarkable collection of even more remarkable acquaintances, stingyberry jam, and Hyena Grease: a malodorous concoction for "smearing on your shoes." Whether it is intended as a polish, a water-proofer; or what type of shoes it is meant to be smeared on is never made clear. But, whatever it is, it's the finest one in the entire civilized world!

In this episode, Uncle Fletcher (Clarence Hartzell) is in a state of nervous agitation. His friend Roy Dejectedly has unexpectedly entrusted to him the formula for this wonder of the age, and he has no safe place to secure it. The scientific laboratories in the region would give their right arm to lay their hands on the unpatented process. In his distress, he turns to his nephew-in-law Vic Gook (Art Van Harvey), in hopes he will protect this precious document in his safety deposit vault. As Russell (I believe David Whitehouse) witnesses the transfer, Uncle Fletcher places in Vic's care the formula for Hyena Grease, with solemnity worthy of the plans for the Norden Bombsight.

Of course, Vic takes the proceedings about as seriously as the listeners do. He and Russell exchange some sly remarks between themselves; but, though they have little respect for his trivial formula, they have great respect and affection for Uncle Fletcher. For his sake, they honor his concern, and play along as Vic agrees to put the slip of paper in his little safe deposit box at the bank.

Whether Hyena Grease is a preparation we would want anywhere near our shoes is debatable, but those who agree to take care of that formula are decidedly the finest in the entire… civilized … world!

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Vic and Sade fan Sarah Cole provided the above paragraphs as a special guest to The Crazy World of Vic and Sade.

Trivia:

art by Dave Duckert

+ Russell says Oyster Cracker and Blue Tooth Johnson almost got into a fight earlier.

+ Heinie Call takes violin lessons.

+ Roy Dejectedly is from Cordova but Uncle Fletcher says the Hyena Grease formula was sent in the mail from Dixon.

+ The hidden formula for Hyena Grease: turpentine, creosote, lamp black and tractor oil mixed with Hyena Grease.

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44-04-03 Ted Stembottom

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN, DAVID WHITEHOUSE AND CLARENCE HARTZELL

The Gooks have noticed they've gotten into the "bad" habit of referring to Fred Stembottom as "Ted" Stembottom; "Ted" is the name that Uncle Fletcher has been calling him.

Fred doesn't even seem to care that Uncle Fletcher calls him "Ted" as mention is made over the months that Uncle Fletcher has met up with Fred on the street and they exchanged pleasentries.

However, Sade is afraid her or her family will slip up and use the name on Fred sometime when they are together playing cards and she does not want to be put in that embarrassing situation. So when Uncle Fletcher comes over, she sits down and has a stern talk with him, which he listens to but seems to ignore.

The episode ends with Fred calling about ice cream and Sade and Vic use the name "Ted" again in reference to him.

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Uncle Fletcher has been referring to Fred as Ted since this surviving episode.

Trivia:

+ Here's a new one... listen to Sade: {{{HEAR}}}

+ Uncle Fletcher is filling in as a ticket taker as a Bijou. The regular ticket taker is Ray Fadler, brother of Ernie Fadler and Emmett Fadler.

+ Sutter Street is mentioned for the first time. There's a hardware store there.

+ Hyena Grease is mentioned by name as something Uncle Fletcher uses to oil his shoes.

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44-03-20 Mysterious Skulkers

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN, DAVID WHITEHOUSE AND CLARENCE HARTZELL

Sade notices three skulkers in the backyard. They turn out to be Uncle Fletcher and two of his friends.

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One of the rare Vic and Sade episodes that really goes nowhere; that's not to say it's a horrible episode as it's not but neither is it great. Very, very little going on in this one.

Trivia:

+ Roy Dejectedly and Pelter Unbleet both lived in Philadelphia in the year 1909 - yet they did not know each other.

+ It's inferred that Sade probably doesn't like Roy Dejectedly and she's never met Pelter Unbleet.

+ Unbleet is also a handyman along with his duties as the janitor for the Bright Kentucky Hotel.

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44-03-17 Vic's Cancelled Trip

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNADINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Vic is disappointed when his proposed trip to Sweet Esther, Wisconsin falls through.

Hoping to spend some quality time with his friend Homer U. McDancey is Sweet Esther, nothing seems to go right for Vic. First of all, McDancey's stop in Sweet Esther would only be a five minute layover as he rushes to another train station three blocks away to catch another train to the East Coast.

Another problem exists in that in order for Vic to go to Sweet Esther, he'd have to take a total of 5 different trains to get there.

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Not a funny episode but certainly an entertaining one. A question occurs to me though, is that Vic should have known about the difficulties of getting to Sweet Esther as he had planned on going once before (of course it's possible that trip got ruined too - we'll probably never know because Proctor and Gamble threw away so many episodes.)

Slyly, Russell Miller sort of takes on the role of Uncle Fletcher in this episode, being a slightly annoying background piece for Vic and Sade while complaining about something in his tooth.

Trivia:

+ Russell suggests that Blue Tooth Johnson is trying to be deceitful because he traded a bicylce pump for a doghouse - yet he has no dog.

+ Russell says that Blue Tooth "gets a sensation" when pouring water down his neck."

+ The highest-level of lodge brother to date is mentioned in this episode: Honky J. Sponger of Chicago is a Sublime Sky Brother Imperial Sacred Stars of the Milky Way.  Although the title seems lofty, it's more or less a combined business manager, publicity agent and general secretary. Sponger wanted a picture of McDancey and Vic marching together during their visits to Sweet Esther but even that's impossible because McDancey has to almost run three blocks to catch his connecting train and the street near the railway station is currently being torn up.

Train route to Sweet Esther

+ In order for Vic to take a train trip to Sweet Esther, Wisconsin, Vic would have to go first to Peoria, change trains and then head to Galesburg, Illinois - change trains and go to Sycamore, Illinois - change trains and go to Dubuque, Iowa and then finally catch a train that goes to Sweet Esther (a fictional city.)

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44-03-07 Hank Gutstop's Proposition

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN, DAVID WHITEHOUSE AND CLARENCE HARTZELL 

Hank Gutstop's job as a house detective is still intact - but Hank is finding it hard to keep the job for the simple fact there are no criminals or skalawags to apprehend.

He has an idea though: have Uncle Fletcher come in the hotel twice a day in disguises and then he can throw him out. This way he'll have something to write down on his daily worksheet.

When Uncle Fletcher tries to run this by Sade, she is totally against it and Uncle Fletcher meekly goes away.

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Hard to believe Hank still has a job!
 
Trivia:

+ Hank has had his job at the Butler House Hotel three weeks as of this episode.

+ B.B. Baugh and Uncle Fletcher own a peanut vending machine at the Interurban streetcar station, Recall that Uncle Fletcher is probably wealthy.

+ Uncle Fletcher sometimes works as the substitute ticket ticker at the Bijou.

+ We found out earlier that Uncle Fletcher also substitutes on a milk wagon route. We find that the name of the milk company is the "Snow and Palmer Dairy."

+ Uncle Fletcher sometimes holds the red flag for the street gangs around the neighborhood when they tear up the streets.

+ Uncle Fletcher says he substitutes for "Kelly Landis" at the gas station when he goes to lunch. I believe this may be a mistake as there is a Kelly Morse who runs the gas station that Uncle Fletcher has mentioned before. We'll assume "Landis" is Kelly's middle name.

+ In this episode, Uncle Fletcher says, "bridal suit" instead of "bridal suite" and also insists that he's Sade's niece.

+ Hank Gutstop had to throw William S. McFelters out of the Butler House Hotel lobby just so he could have something to write down on his daily worksheet. McFelters has been a resident of the hotel for 35 years. He was quite upset after the incident as it took the hotel management an hour and half to calm him down afterwards.  (edited): {{{HEAR}}}

At the end of the episode, Uncle Fletcher once again speaks about oiling his shoes.

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44-03-01 Hank Gutstop Throws a Party

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

According to Vic, two weeks ago prior to this episode, Hank Gutstop had gotten a job as the house detective at the Butler House Hotel. The hotel even has agreed to put him up for free - giving him the luxurious bridal suite to boot. With his new-found wealth, he's invited Vic and five other friends to dine with him in his hotel room.

In this episode, an excited Vic tells Sade and Russell about his expectations for the evening dinner party.

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In the history of the surviving episodes, this is the first in which we learn that Hank has gotten any kind of job that lasted more than a day. Will it continue?

Trivia:

+ Sade says that Hank had come over to the house (in a missing episode?) dressed in a duck-billed cap and checkered vest (like Sherlock Holmes.)

+ Russell infers that he enjoys macaroni and cheese.

+ Sade used the word, 'spondulicks' once again - that's the 4th time in the surviving episodes.

+ For a time prior to this episode, Hank was living at the Bright Kentucky Hotel.

+ The other people invited to the dinner party: B.B. Baugh, Stacey Yopp, Y.I.I.Y. Skeeber, Rishigan Fishigan and the previously unknown Pelter Unbleet, who is the janitor of the Bright Kentucky Hotel.

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44-02-25 History of Plant Number Fourteen

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Vic is asked by company headquarters to write a vivid and colorful, 3000 word article about the history of Consolidate Kitchenware Plant Number Fourteen. But Vic finds he has no grasp on how many words 3000 really are. Russell provides imaginative support.

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Not a bad episode but it's severely hampered by terrible sound - although my improved version is likely to make you realize that *I really do* work on and try to fix these sound files (compare it to others floating around the internet.)

Trivia:

+ Vic mentions that Plant Number Fourteen is in the county of McClean, Illinois. Indeed, the city of Bloomington is in this county.

+ It was in 1910 that Plant Fourteen began to become a reality.

+ Edward Puttman is mentioned as a worker at Vic's job who fell off of a chair and broke his leg.

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44-02-04 Sleepers Beware - Russell

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Vic and Russell draw a mustache on Mr. Sludge, who is sleeping on the Gook davenport.

Almost a word-for-word remake of 40-09-xx Mr. Sludge Grows A Mustache; some of the names have been changed but more or less exactly the same script.

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This one is not even close to being as good as it's predecessor. The difference between Rush and Russell shows up here very clearly.

If you take Vic and Sade literally (and here at The Crazy World of Vic and Sade please know that I do), then you can take the imagined world and throw it out the window. This is an episode I'd like to ignore but for the purposes of this website I cannot.

Trivia:

Some of the differences between the two episodes:

first episode: Rush says Leland Richards is kind-hearted.
this episode: Russell says Blue Tooth Johnson is big-hearted.

first episode: Vic does an imitation of Uncle Fletcher
this episode: no imitation

Happy Hooligan

first episode: Rush’s physiology teacher at school is Mis’ Shay.
this episode: Russell's physiology teacher is Mis' Funnelson.

this episode: Vic says -- "How about the sweet, little newborn shoots, sleepin' just below the sod; who are waiting for February to close it's wintry doors so they can greet April with their embry fire?"
this episode: Raymond Surrells drew a picture of Happy Hooligan (a comic strip character)

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44-02-03 Sixty Pairs of Pants

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Heinie Call brags that his grandmother in LaCrosse, Wisconsin had sixty pairs of pants she keeps for him. Heinie then makes Russell mad by telling Russell he's sure he's never had sixty pairs of pants in his life.

Rusell comes home and amid a very slow Rummy game between Vic and Sade, asks them to sign a piece of paper stating him owning sixty pairs of pants in his lifetime.

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Slow episode - not one of them better ones. The "sixty pairs of pants" is an intriguing premise but there's kind of letdown when you hear the episode is not really "moving" anywhere.

Trivia:

+ Mis' Appelrot inferred that Ruthie Stembottom is short. We already know Ruthie has tiny feet, so she probably is short!

+ Russell doesn't get along with Heinie Call and it appears as though they have had trouble in the recent past.

+ Heinie Call has airplane pictures.

+ Sade spends the entire episode trying to make one move in the Rummy game with Vic.

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44-01-25 Missouri State Home for the Tall

STARRING: ARTY VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Vic has been asked by Homer U. McDancey to give a speech to the inmates at the Missouri State Home for the Tall.

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Since they cannot afford to pay for his trip nor pay him a fee, Vic's going to decline the offer; yet, he gets out Volume 7 in his lodge library and begins to write anyway.

A funny episode. Referring to the tall people as "inmates" is hilarious!

Trivia:

+ The Missouri State Home for the Tall is in Sick River Junction, Missouri.

+ Vic was also once asked to speak to the Ohio Home of the Bald.

+ In Homer U. McDancey's letter to Vic, he refers to Sade as "Sally" and to Russell as "Grizzle."

+ Arthur K. Van Beebunk is the Superintendent for the Missouri Home.

imagined

+ When Vic reads the letter aloud it is very reminiscent of Rush trying to read Aunt Bess's letter in 1939. Here's the first few seconds or so of each (edited):
{{{HEAR}}}

+ In the closing of his letter to Vic, Homer U. McDancey has some Latin words we haven't been privy to before:
spim spittle no crack pot bunk referendum es coaless dum fusterman goom

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44-01-24 - Vic is Sleeping On the Couch

STARRING: BERNARDINE FLYNN, DAVID WHITEHOUSE AND CLARENCE HARTZELL 

The milk wagon is driven by a horse named "Clifton" and Uncle Fletcher claims he knows horse like the back of his hand.

Uncle Fletcher is over at the Gook house and was a guest for supper. He and Russell sit around after supper telling stories while Vic lays on the davenport sleeping and having bad dreams.

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Sade is mad at Vic for sleeping while the Gooks have Uncle Fletcher over as company. And one could say that Vic's bad dreams are a payback for lying there and being a bad host.

Vic (played by Art Van Harvey) does a great job at 'waking up' - and it's just funny. Have a listen (edited): {{{HEAR}}}

Trivia:

+ Uncle Fletcher tells the story of Ed Fungleman who changed his name a bunch of times. He built up a flourishing business buying and selling dead fish. He married a Philadelphia woman who was 24 years old (he was 26) and he made all of her clothes. Sang a tenor solo for 15 cents. He died at age 88.

+ Uncle Fletcher oils his shoes!

+ Howard Honeycrutch was briefly mentioned.

+ Someone knocked a chunk out of Sade's olive and pickle shoe; she eyes Russell but he never confesses. Recall in an earlier episode, Rush is senselessly berated by Sade for accidently breaking an antique pickle and olive shoe.

+ Uncle Fletcher is going to do later half of the milk delivery route the next morning.

Seems that Emmett Fadler's (Ernie Fadler's brother) wife is having her adenoids removed and he wants to watch. The route is Oakland Avenue to Mercer and includes Washington and Florence streets.

Recall that Raymond Belcher Beirman was a milk wagon driver in an earlier episode.

+ Uncle Fletcher tells the story of Clifton Hosterflitch who married a Winona, Minnesota woman 21 years old (he was 24.) He tried to teach a bicycle how to kick. (He may have done so too, his story is interrupted by a Vic nightmare.)

+ Lombard (Oyster Cracker's cousin) lives in Galena, Illinois. We can suppose he is vacationing in town with Oyster Cracker over a period of time though as Russell seems to talk about him in every episode.

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43-12-27 Invoice Preparations

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE 

Vic is busy trying to get some invoices done and Russell is home making life miserable for him.

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Few things will disturb your math worse than a fierce rabbit.

A re-working of the 39-09-06 Office Invoices script and this version is actually much better.

Trivia:

+ An uncle bought Heinie Call a rabbit: {{{HEAR}}}

+ Russell contends he is 14 years old and has blue eyes. No one on the show seems to have any other color of eyes than blue.

+ Vic uses the following nicknames on Russell in this episode: Dr. Sleech, Sam, Roscoe and George - all nicknames Vic used on Rush in prior episodes. To make matters more obvious that Russell is a "pseudo-Rush," Russell talks to a woman (Mis' Whippon) on the phone who knew him when he was a baby.

+ When Mis' Brighton comes to visit at the end of the episode, she brings her son Williard with her.  Recall that in a previous episode Sade referred to Willard as a "close, comfortable friend."

P.Q. Ribber's take on this episode (((hear)))

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