44-07-31 Hank Cuts His Debt to Vic

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Vic gets a letter from Sick River Junction, Missouri; it's correspondence from the vacationing Hank Gutstop, who is visiting his brother there. He's sent Vic $8.00, a partial payment for the loans he's taken from Vic.

Sade though, wonders how much money Hank has borrowed over the years - and even Vic doesn't seem to know (edited): {{{HEAR}}}

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I've never kept track of it but in the surviving episodes, I'm guessing Hank asked for a loan about once every twenty or so episodes.  Sometimes it was $2 - sometimes $200.

Trivia:

+ Russell talks about Blue Tooth Johnson bragging on himself. Yet two episodes back, Russell goes on and on about how maginficent his own head is.

+ Sade got a coupon in the mail from the Lazy Hours Pool Hall. This time, it's a "All the Cole Slaw You Can Eat with Every 6th Game of Rotation Pool Next Saturday Evening" coupon.

+ Russell says Blue Tooth gets an enormous thrill out of playing the game of dominoes.

+ Vic accidentally reveals that this $8.00 is the only money Hank ever payed him.

+ At the end of the episode, Vic is upset - maybe even crying - and one of the ways (seemingly) that Vic "gets back" at Sade is by going outside and coming in the front door, which is a Sade no-no.

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44-07-28 Garbage Box Mystery

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Sade notices a monstrous, big chunk of the garbage box is missing. She, Vic and Russell play detective to find out what happened.

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Average episode with few memorable moments but still fine listening fare.

Trivia:

+ Blue Tooth Johnson told Russell that some fellow swallowed an alarm clock and it still kept time. They know this because they x-rayed his stomach.

+ Russell (who obviously reads the newspaper a great deal) read in the news that a fellow trained his adam's apple to keep the beat of music!

+ While doing their detective work, Vic sits down on the grass six different times.

+ We're not sure where, but the Husher family lives very near the Gooks.

+ A four year old girl named Dorthy is mentioned as staying with her grandparents on University Avenue. According to Sade, she pulled up a handful of flowers from Sade's garden at one time and Sade considers her a suspect in the garbage box mystery.

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44-07-27 Vic's Foreign Accent

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY AND BERNARDINE FLYNN

Vic practices a foreign accent on Sade. She immediately smells a rat and begins piecing together (to Vic's embarrassment) why he is doing so. The kids at Consolidated Kitchenware, who hang around the switchboard during the noon hour (and more specifically Lolita di Rienzi) told him he ought to talk with a foreign accent because it goes with his personality.

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You can't fool Sade!  And when she gets "going", she is intimidating!

A great chance for Vic to show off his dialect.

Trivia:

+ Florence Ratfunnel was mentioned for the first time. Her name was mentioned in the paper. She used to live on University Street and she and Sade were "almost chummy." Sade has not seen her in a while. The Ratfunnel's live on Jackson Street now. Her husband is named, Arthur.

+ Mis' Atwool Hoppers was mentioned.

+ Charlie Myers is mentioned. He lives on West Jefferson. There is no alley behind his house.

+ In a missing episode, it appears that Lolita also told Vic that he had "slender feet" "tapering wrists" and a "noble head." Sade makes mention that Russell was also told he had a "noble head" in the previous episode.

Vic (and Sade's) foreign accents (edited): {{{HEAR}}}

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44-07-26 Sade Pleads to See a Movie

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Few things bother Vic more than Gloria Golden. He deplores her films. It seems by the 1940's most every film that comes to the local Bijou and the surrounding theaters all show her films - and only her films.

Sade has heard and read about the current film in the Bijou, Smoldering Teardrops and she wants to go. Vic wants no part of seeing it. Sade keeps asking him.

Meanwhile, Russell has been told by Mildred Tisdel that he should consider a new hairstyle, so he's busy looking at himself in the mirror. After a while of looking at himself, he narcissistically begins telling Vic about his wonderful head features. Eventually, Vic is so sick of listening to Russell that he decides to take Sade to the movies.

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This one may remind you of 40-02-20 Rush's Good Looks.

Trivia:

+ Russell is in the process of stitching up his "indoor baseball."   I have yet to figure out what this means.  Rush also stitched up an indoor baseball in a later episode.

A 1945 pompadour

+ Mildred suggested Russell change his hairstyle to a "pompadour" but Sade insists his hair is not long enough to do this.

+ A newspaper review of the Gloria Golden film called her, "The curly-headed darling of the civilized world."

+ Smelly Clark is older than Russell.

+ Mildred tells Russell that he had a noble head like Julius Caesar.

+ Russell says that he has intelligent eyes, a strong determined nose, sensitive ears, a rich curving chin, a sweet generous mouth, sturdy teeth, delicately-tinted gums and an appealing throat!

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44-07-25 Mr. Donahue Hates Vacations

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Sade has come home after having a talk with Mis' Donahue. She says Mr. Donahue bemoans the fact that is vacation is near. He hates taking a vacation because his railroad schedule (awake at night and sleeping in the daytime) turns his life upside down when he tries to stay awake in the day and sleep at night.

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Not a memorable episode but still, not bad Vic and Sade fare.

Trivia:

+ Russell reads extensively from an unnamed Third Lieutenant Stanley book (more than two and half minutes of airtime.) Other than the mushy stuff with Lady Margaret, the Third Lieutenant has his hands full with two mountain lions, a lizard and head-hunting counterfeiters. His weapon arsenal is impressive: two automatic revolvers, a dagger, a pound of dynamite, a pile of poison, a length of stout twine, a sealed drum of deadly gas, a flask of acid, a basket of [unintelligible], a jar containing a black widow spider and a leather case full of straight-edged razors. (edited): {{{HEAR}}}

+ In the book, Lady Margaret has a solid gold, diamond-studded bottle of smelling salts.

+ Sade says Mr. Donahue hates leisure and prefers to be busy with his hands.

+ Mis' Donahue's parents live in Pontiac, Illinois.

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44-07-24 Robert and Slobert Are Scoundrels!

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Vic is upset!

Honky J. Sponger, the lodge secretary from Chicago, visits Vic briefly at the train depot and asks Vic why Robert and Slobert Hink are out to undermine him and his position on the All-Star Marching Team.

Vic learns the twins have tried hard to bribe Sponger into making them the leaders of the Team, going as far as to give him a barrel of cooking apples, homemade mucilage, a gunny sack of cured hickory nuts and $3.00 in cash to have Vic thrown out of power. They also wrote dozens of letters to lodge headquarters.

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Vic is so angry that he plans on writing the twins a blistering letter.

Trivia:

+ In Russell's baseball game at Tatman's vacant lot, he was playing center field.

+ Sade's feet are aching; she bets that she and Ruthie Stembottom walked 5 miles.

+ A rarity: Vic does not give his usual "hi-dee-hi ho-dee-ho" entrance.

+ Vic has a new straw hat.

+ Sade calls Sponger, "Chunky G. Plunger"... {{{HEAR}}}

+ In episode 44-07-17 Marchin' Plans Disappear, we find out there is trouble between the Hinks and Vic but we have no idea what has happened between them. In this episode, we get a fill-in of at least the gist of what happened; the Hinks invited the entire Marching Team to Hoopston, Illinois for some sort of get together - but Vic wasn't among the invited.

+ Sponger tells Vic that the twins have promised Marching Team improvements, including installing gold teeth (uppers and lowers) in each members' mouths.

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44-07-20 Uncle Fletcher Talks Business

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

Uncle Fletcher, who is staying in Hank Gutstop's Bridal Suit(e) hotel room and caring for his pets, comes over to the Gook house to be big, tell how 'busy' he is and 'talk business' with Vic, who does his best to humor him.

SCRIPT (part 1) (part 2) (part 3)

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One of the funnier moments in this episode is Uncle Fletcher fearing that 'talking business' will puzzle or bewilder Sade and Russell: {{{HEAR}}}

Trivia:

+ Russell reads from a 3rd Lieutenant Stanley book (edited): {{{HEAR}}}

+ When Russell hangs up Uncle Fletcher's hat, Uncle Fletcher didn't have a copper (penny) to give him but cajoles a "thank you" out of him anyway!

+ Hank Gutstop's bridal suite is also known as #1A Mezzanine.

+  From notes left by Barbabra Schwarz, it seems there was a part of the original script that was taken out, probably because of time constraints.

This part is where Fletcher is talking to Russell about his schoolwork:

UNCLE FLETCHER: Cipher out your arithmetic lessons to the best of your ability, solve the various examples correctly on your slate, and the professor won't find it necessary to cuff, cane, or flog you.

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44-07-19 Uncle Fletcher's New Lodging

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

Uncle Fletcher informs his niece Sade that he will be staying at a hotel; she immediately thinks he is there to scare her once again into thinking that he may be moving into the dangerous Bright Kentucky Hotel.

But Hank Gutstop, who is still working for the Butler House Hotel as a house detective, is going on vacation and has asked Uncle Fletcher to stay in his Bridal Suit(e) for a two week period as he has pets that need feeding.

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Uncle Fletcher still feels an important development may be stirring in regards to his landlady, Mis' Keller, and her gentleman friend who resides in Yellow Jump, North Dakota, but it could be two weeks away.

Let's see, two weeks away - the same amount of time as his stay at the Butler House. Is the whole thing with Mis' Keller-getting-married just a trick by Uncle Fletcher to have some kind of puppet string on Sade so she will pay oceans of attention to him?

Trivia:

+ Uncle Fletcher refers to Ruthie Stembottom as "Mis' Whatchamacallit" and "Mis' Whatchamafunny."

+ It is explained in this episode that Russell is away with friends at "the lake."

+ The date of this broadcast was July 19, 1944. That means that Hank Gutstop has had his detective job exactly 155 days or more than 5 months. Go figure!

+ Hank Gutstop has a parakeet, fish and a cat. It's hard to believe the Butler House Hotel would allow pets, especially a cat.

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44-07-18 Fantastic Sale at Yamilton's

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Sade is very excited for she has just gotten home from a huge sale at Yamilton's department store. She proceeds to tell Vic and Russell about every person she saw there and most every item that was ridiculously priced.

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An impressive episode that gives us many new people to explore. This episode is a Bernadine Flynn tour-de-force.

Trivia:

Many new characters make their debut in this episode:

+ Fern McFullerton. She was working as an extra clerk in the Yamilton's Underwear Department due to the high volume of traffic. She may have an unusual foot.

+ Mrs. Roy Tubbler. Sade and Ruthie saw her looking at nightgowns. She confused Vic with Fred and Fred with "Virgil."

+ Mrs. Cunningham and her husband Floyd. Sade saw her at Yamilton's.  Her husband works at the Five and Ten Cent store.

+ Geraldine. She used to live in Mis' Harris' rooming house. No mention is made of her parents and the impression is made that she may be an orphan. She goes to the Urban School, apparently the same school that Russell had once attended... her teacher there is Mis' Cutler, one of Russell's former teachers. She's obviously younger than he is.

+ Ernie Feedsmirk. He was over at the coal scuttles at Yamilton's. He purchased 3 of them!

+ Frida Gateman. She used to belong to the Thimble Club but hasn't attended a meeting in more than a year. She used to be 'snippy' but Sade thinks her husband might have put an end to that.

For more information about the above new people, including a few audio references, see Vic and Sade Characters.

+ Sade went on and on about how funny Ruthie can be. Yet we've been told in a previous episode that Ruthie doesn't "get" jokes.

+ Sade mentions the "Boffo Show."

+ Washrags were on sale at Yamilton's for as little as two for a nickel!

+ Another sale item that caught Sade's attention: 'all the graham crackers you could carry' for fifty cents!

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44-07-17 Marching Plans Disappear

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Vic gets an exciting letter from Honky J. Sponger at lodge headquarters, that proposes a month-long All-Star Marching Band camping trip in Dismal Seepage, Ohio. Such a trip would bring much-needed publicity to the marching team.

Of course, Vic is raring to go, until his family reminds him of the various ailments of other members of the marching team and other things that could go wrong.

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There's not much of anything funnier in the whole series than the All-Star Marching Team. We all know of Vic's enthusiasm for marching and so when he is shut down from this, you know he has to be heartbroken.

Vic doesn't give a second thought of spending the whole hot month of August in a Chataqua tent, with two people to a cot. He doesn't even seem to think about the money lost from taking a whole month off from Consolidated Kitchenware. Face it: the joys of marching are a drug to Vic.

Trivia:

+ Russell says Smelly Clark and Blue Tooth Johnson were almost in a fist fight. We never do learn what caused the anger between the two but the instigator seems to have been Archie McDuffer, a mean, big kid who was at Tatman's vacant lot.

+ We find that Monroe and Lee Streets intersect somewhere near the vacant lot.

+ Among the events we have missed (due to missing episodes) are Homer U. McDancey is in the hospital for an unspecified ailment; Y.Y. Flirch had his foot broken when a fast passenger train hit him and Robert and Slobert Hink and Vic are on the outs - Vic even went so far as to call them, "crooks."

+ The way Sade talked, E.W. Smith may also be a part of the All-Star Marching Team. He would be the 11th member, but someone could have quit or maybe someone lost their position. Russell makes mention that there are [still] only 10 members of the team.

+ Russell read that Dismal Seepage, Ohio reaches an average high temperature of 115 degrees in August and has 80 mosquitoes per square foot of air.

+ At the end of the episode, a dejected Vic goes over to Ike Kneesuffer's to pass time playing indoor horseshoes. Vic often does this when he is disappointed.

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44-07-14 Sade Short-changed

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Sade goes shopping at Croucher's grocery market and thinks the clerk at the store has short-changed her. She comes home and tries to get Vic to help her sort it out but doesn't know how much money she took with her to begin with.

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Spending money and Sade are a deadly mix.

Trivia:

+ The entire episode takes place as Vic and Russell are between games of Gin Rummy. I feel one of the classic moments of the entire series exists here as when Russell loses, he starts digging through the deck to see how he could have won: {{{HEAR}}}

+ The "lunatic" (Sade's word) cashier at Croucher's was Guthrie Woeman. It's the first time he's been mentioned. He was talking to some girl on the telephone when Sade waited for him to wait on her.

+ Mis' Barbachoke was also mentioned for the first time. She lives on Kelsey Street. She had previously went to the movies with Sade and borrowed 40 cents from her. She paid back 35 cents this very day.

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44-07-13 Uncle Fletcher Miffed with Sade

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

Sade had a bit of a run-in with Uncle Fletcher. He was being pouty and maudlin about his landlady, Mis' Keller who is possibly getting married and moving to Yellow Jump, North Dakota. He had come around to speak to Sade about it, but again, she was busy and after he went on and on, she had put him in his place.

So Uncle Fletcher comes back over to the house and Vic and Russell are home now too. He asks to borrow Vic's atlas and looks up a dozen or more places and the shortest routes to them. Sade sees this as Uncle Fletcher trying to worry her that he may move away, and she supposes he thinks this might frighten her.

However, if you know anything about the show at all, you know that Rule #1 is that you can't fool Sade because she knows exactly what's going on in the other character's heads. Her uncle still makes it known how displeased he is at her by mostly ignoring her and treating her coldly.

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In this current run (July-ish of 1944) we have the opportunity to hear the show almost daily as it happened for almost a month. We have rarely seen Uncle Fletcher act coldly, but this episode shows us that he can be quite sensitive and have his feelings hurt and like Vic, acts a bit like a child when things do not go his way.

Trivia:

+ While doing the dishes, Russell dropped and broke a fancy gravy boat that was given to Sade by her sister Bess. We do not hear Sade chastising him like she did multiple times to Rush, when he broke her precious, antique pickle and olive shoe.

+ Uncle Fletcher adds "honey" when he addresses Vic and Russell in this episode (ie. "Russell honey") but when addressing Sade - which is minimal - he simply calls her by her name.

Vic and Sade writer Paul Rhymer shows that he could write punny jokes like Fibber McGee and Molly's Don Quinn or the writers of Abbott and Costello's material if he wanted to, when Uncle Fletcher asks Vic for his book of maps: {{{HEAR}}}

+ Coincidentally (or not) Quinn was quoted as saying that Vic and Sade was his favorite radio show (next to Fibber McGee and Molly.)

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44-07-12 Phone Call from Yellow Jump

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

Uncle Fletcher is very serious when he visits Sade and Vic: he has news that he thinks is very important.

The couple find the news a bit compelling but not enough to make a whole big thing over. Still, they act surprised and try to listen attentively to Uncle Fletcher's revelation. His landlady got a telephone call from her beau in Yellow Jump, North Dakota.

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It seems more and more evident that Uncle Fletcher will soon have to vacate Mis' Keller's rooming house and will wind up in the Bright Kentucky Hotel - much to Sade's chagrin.

Trivia:

+ The "news" Uncle Fletcher had to share was of such a delicate nature that he gave Russell money to go to the movies, so he wouldn't be around the house.

+ Uncle Fletcher called and had Mis' Kneesuffer interrupt Vic's game of indoor horseshoes in Ike Kneesuffer's basement. Vic hurried home.

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44-07-10 A Collection of Personal Treasures

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Vic and Sade are attempting to play a game of checkers but Sade is a horrible player and Vic does the wrong thing by basically calling her a 'halfwit.' It's about that time that Russell comes home to show off a box of treasures he's borrowed.

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Sade never makes an official checker move. It's safe to say that Sade is a horrible game opponent.

Trivia:

+ The box of personal treasures belongs to Emmett Samuelson, his first mention. He's a member of Russell's Sunday School class.

+ Believe it or not, there's a coal mine mentioned in this episode as being at the end of West Jefferson Street. As ridiculous as that may sound, a browse through the internet shows that indeed, Bloomington, Illinois (where Paul Rhymer grew up) has a coal mine!

After basically calling Sade a 'halfwit' and knowing he's dug himself a hole, Vic is self-deprecating: {{{HEAR}}}

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44-07-07 Second Letter from Yellow Jump

STARRING: BERNARDINE FLYNN, DAVID WHITEHOUSE AND CLARENCE HARTZELL

Sade is in a terrible hurry for she has just been reminded of a shopping date with her lady friends downtown. About the time she is about to get ready to straighten the house a bit and get dressed to go, her Uncle Fletcher shows up.

In a story that she doesn't want to hear because she is busy, he tells her that his landlady (Mis' Keller) got a second letter this week from her beau in Yellow Jump, North Dakota. This news seems to assure him that he will have to move into another place and he again has his eye on the Bright Kentucky Hotel as a place to live. Again, Sade tells him this is against her wishes - however, she is in such a hurry that she pretty much gives into him - at least for this episode.

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Sade worries about how Uncle Fletcher will negotiate the railroad tracks and the "Kansas City freight drags creeping up on a person," near where the Bright Kentucky Hotel sits.

Trivia:

+ Sade sets up a meeting with her lady friends at the underwear department of Yamilton's department store - the frequent accidental meeting place for most every other episode.

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44-07-06 Where to Hide the Ritual

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

The lodge is being remodeled and Vic doesn't feel secure about the painters; they may get inquizative and seek out the lodge ritual. So, he brings the ritual home.

At home, he seeks for a place to hide it and can't seem to find a secure place. Meanwhile, Russell and Sade read and write on his ritual, respectively and in the end, it winds up torn in half.

Vic considers suicide!

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The corny lodge ritual means nothing to Russell and Sade but they should know better than to mess with Vic and his lodge - and ESPECIALLY his lodge ritual.

Vic tries to tell a couple of horror stories about people who fooled around and let the ritual loose from their responsibility. He's afraid for his life.

Trivia:

+ Sade is all about baking some goodies in this episode and Hooper Dip seems to be vital to her upside-down cake. Whatever Hooper Dip is, it isn't on the internet and may be an imagined food, like beef punkles or brick mush.

+ Vic tried to tell the story of Sky Brother Harlow N. Footy of East Botchfield, Ohio. He confided a lodge ritual to his sweetheart in 1914 and in 24 hours, he was seized out of bed by six men.

+ In another lodge ritual horror story, Vic says six men were shot to death in Upper Slump, North Dakota.

+ Russell divulged bits and pieces of the ritual, including: "Be it known", "Skull and crossbones of immortality" and "This little band of glorified souls."

+ Sade uses the word, "bosh" twice where she would usually say, "ish."

+ Mis' Appelrot calls and gives a recipe to Sade and she seems to be pleased she called. What gives?

At the end of the original program, the organist played this little humorous ditty: {{{HEAR}}}

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44-07-05 Visiting Dignitaries

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

After finding a telegram from Honky J. Sponger (lodge headquarters) that had been sent hours earlier to his secretary, Vic rushes home from work to gather his lodge regalia and try and learn a speech from Volume 3 of his lodge library.

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The avid Vic and Sade listener will find many parallels with this episode and 39-01-02 Lodge Regalia Out On Loan, except, in the latter episode, his regalia wasn't at home but lent out to several people.

Trivia:

+ We find out that as of this date (July 5, 1944), Sade is 36 years old. In reality, actress Bernadine Flynn was closer to 42 years old in this episode, having been born January 2, 1904.

However, in this episode, Sade's birthday is August 20th and she was already 34 years old in 1934, meaning she would have been born in 1900 instead of 1904.  Who knows?

+ The Volume 3 official lodge greeting for a dignitary:
Oh lemon-colored messenger from celestial galaxies, oh sweet-fingered zither player from the skies, let the hem of your garment touch my flesh. Scream defiance to the yellow stars and kick your heels in savage delight. Crush a crazy moon between your great white teeth and roll your eyes at the Milky Way. Stop little brother, while the red...

The above is different from the official lodge greeting for a dignitary in Volume 7 of the lodge library, which you may recall:

Oh little frenzied brother of mine, bring your clutching hand and listen for the call of the golden oriole as the maiden stands by the splashing pool as the mischevious tarantella...

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44-07-04 Sade Plays Rummy

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Vic and Russell are playing Rummy when Sade enters the house and wants to play with them.

Once given her "tickets" she begins to gossip, drop cards and rearrange the cards into colors and never does play, frustrating her opponents.

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This is neither the first nor the second episode where Sade delays a card game with her antics.

Trivia:

+ Before the "game" started, Sade was outside tending to flowers (her 'Panther's Blood.')

+ Sade saw Mr. Sludge and he was "washing his shoes." She also noticed he was sun-burned. She says he got it from standing in from of the dime store (Five and Teen Cent store) looking in the window for an hour. Some items in the window: combs, pencils, fancy face powder boxes, sheet music, hair pins and framed pictures of Gloria Golden.  (((HEAR)))

+ Sade mentions Mr. Scalder from Dixon, whose wife Elizabeth left him after he made wild hand gestures at her.

+ Sade recounts a game played by "Ted" Stembottom down at the foundry where the loser gets hit in the head with a sledgehammer. It may be called "Beefsteak:" {{{HEAR}}}

+ Sade says Fred is very impatient with Ruthie when they play cards.

+ Mis' Keller may move to North Dakota if she gets married and Sade is worried Uncle Fletcher will move to the Bright Kentucky Hotel, which worries her because he's have to negotiate the train tracks often.

+ Someone called again for Fat Jackson.

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44-06-30 Russell Stays with Milton Welch

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Russell has been invited to spend the night over at Milton Welch's house. Sade realizes how dirty and unprepared he is and insists he go take a bath and take a suitcase with him.
Meanwhile, sleepy Vic tries to get Sade to go upstairs to prepare for bedtime arrival.

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Run-of-the-mill episode.

Trivia:

+ Milton's older sister is Harlene. She is the secretary to Mr. Downer at the bank. She lives at the Welch home.

+ Miss Stormer is also mentioned living at the Welch house. She works in the hat department at Yamilton's.

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44-06-29 War Bond Visitor

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

Vic, Uncle Fletcher and Russell are all expecting company. But Sade puts the kabosh on their visitations by explaining that Mis' Ogelsby is coming over. Although it's oddly never said in this episode, Mis' Ogelsby is obviously the War Bond salesman for that part of the block/street/area the Gooks live in.

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While not a propaganda piece as other radio programs like the Fibber McGee and Molly or Burns and Allen's forays into the subject, this episode simply uses the premise of Mis' Ogelsby coming over as a time that the family should listen closely to what the War Bond seller has to say. Cleverly done and the point made - without the propaganda - and without even mentioning it was a War Bond saleslady.  As a matter of fact, I might not have known she was a War Bond saleslady if not for the title provided with the audio episode.

Trivia:

+ Mis Ogelsby was mentioned for the first time. We can assume she lives in the Gook neighborhood since she is the War Bond seller for the area in which the Gooks live. She is going door-to-door selling the bonds.

+ Russell mentions Oyster Cracker's cousin Lombard again.

+ Uncle Fletcher goes on and on about Ernie McDisher of Clinton, Iowa. He liked to skulk around the Mississippi River. He and his wife, Velma Scoffburgle-McDisher live in a boxcar. Velma is cousin to Pelter Unbleet.

Ernie used to find arrowheads, strawberries, four-leaf clovers, bicycle sprocket wheels and catfish. He once cut open a catfish and found a dme, which he made into a watchfob. {{{HEAR}}}

+ Uncle Fletcher says Pelter Unbleet may have found a way to remove the smell from Hyena Grease.

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44-06-28 A Letter from Mr. Buller

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

Vic gets a letter from Mr. Buller that appears to be full of wonderful, exciting news. Vic wants Russell to read the letter. As he reads, signs that he might have a cold show up during the reading. Sade keeps interrupting Russell and we never find out what's going on with Mr. Buller.

SCRIPT (page 1) (page 2) (page 3)

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The material here is neither strong nor funny but it's still quality stuff. The joke Paul Rhymer presents us with is the entire episode is about the letter which we get repeated bits of, over and over (a long-time Rhymer trick) yet we never hear the whole thing.

Sade, who puts the kabosh on the letter to begin with, is miffed when Vic leaves the room with the letter; she may never know what it says!

Trivia:

+ There is a rocking chair and a telephone in the Gook kitchen.

+Sade says Grandpa Goggler (from Dixon) tipped his hat to a lady and fell over, [and became] a rigid corpse. The very same thing happened to Ollie Sorgut, another acquaintance of Sade's from Dixon.

+ Eisenminger was mentioned for the first time. Sade says he was seriously injured from sitting on a pencil.

+ It appears that Pelter Unbleet is now is the Hyena Grease business with Uncle Fletcher.

Russell tries to read the letter (edited): {{{HEAR}}}

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44-06-27 Uncle Fletcher Gets a Job Offer

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

Uncle Fletcher informs Vic and Russell that he's been offered the job of playing piano at the Five and Ten Cent store.

However, Uncle Fletcher does not know how to play the piano (all except Ding Dong Dell, Pussy's in the Well.) But Harry Expaw, the store's manager, insits that's okay because he'll wrap up Uncle Fletcher's hand as if it is injured.

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In 1944, there existed something you see very rarely these days called "morals." It used to be immmoral to decieve someone - even by pretending to be able to play the piano yet unable to because of a bandage on your hand.

Times have certainly changed. In my mind, I often like to compare Uncle Fletcher to Lady Gaga to prove to myself how times have changed. Try it yourself.

Trivia:

+ Uncle Fletcher wanted to buy "polished copper ox bolts" at the five and ten cent store.

+ Uncle Fletcher explains Harry Expaw as a good man but one who is also shrewd.

+ Uncle Fletcher meanders about Pueblo Indians whose warriors would succumb to a nervous condition; the remedy involved fire, rain, ashes and popcorn!

+ Uncle Fletcher says the only song he knows is Ding Dong Dell Pussy's in the Well. But according to Wikipedia, the song is actually called, Ding Dong Bell. It's not a song I am familiar with but it sounds like this: {{{HEAR}}}

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44-06-26 Thimble Club Bazaar

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Sade has left a note for Vic and Russell; she wants the boys to do yard work while she is gone.

But Vic has contentions with the note, saying the word "boys" refers only to Russell and not him.

When Sade comes home, Russell is bound to tell on Vic and get him in trouble but Sade is so excited about working at a Thimble Club bazaar that his tattling goes unheeded.

SCRIPT (part 1) (part 2) (part 3)

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Fun episode where the gist of the episode ("the boys") is quickly swept away by Sade changing the subject.  Russell goes out of his way to squeal on Vic, but to no avail.

Trivia:

+ At the Thimble Club bazaar, they are going to sell clothes, candy, cake and knickknacks.

+ The Thimble Club has rented a vacant building on Center Street, across from the Courthouse.  We also learn The Greek's Confectionery is across the street from the courthouse.

+ Vic's argument that "boys" did not refer to him was smashed while Sade talked to he and Russell as she used the same word 4 times in reference to to the two.

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44-06-23 Lodge Telescope

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Vic has settled down with a new lodge catalog. He's exploring the probability of purchasing a telescope; after all, he's the Exalted Big Dipper of the Sacred Stars of the Milky Way.

Sade, however, is having none of it. Along with a set of astronomy books, Vic is planning on spending well over $30. When pleading doesn't work, she simply hijacks his catalog so that he can't buy stuff out of it.

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In the past, Sade has begged Vic not to buy lodge 'junk' - at times, almost crying. $35 was a lot of money in 1944 at the height of the war, so who can blame her?

Trivia:

+ Ida Morrison was mentioned. Her oldest daughter married a man from Peoria. He used to ride a unicycle to work!

+ Until told in this episode, Sade had no idea what a telescope was.

+ Mr. Chinbunny is an amateur astronomer and meteorologist, according to Russell.

+ The cheapest telescope the lodge catalog was $11 while the books cost considerably more ($23.80.) A cheap telescope these days would cost about $150. Here's an ad (on the right) for a 10x telescope (1944, Popular Mechanics) for just under a dollar!

+ Vic is all messed up in this episode. He is under the impression that Ursa Major is a planet (it's a

art by Dave Duckert

constellation); he also says there is a Northern Hemisphere constellation of a "lady washing her feet" - which is totally wrong as there is no such thing.

+ Sade calls lodge founder R.J. Konk, "T.L. Punk."

+ This episode fades out with Vic quoting Latin furiously at Sade.

+ Art Van Harvey blows his lines twice when mentioning the Drowsy Venus Chapter. The first time he says it, he actually says: "Lazy Venus Chapter of the Sacred Stars of the Milky Way." But the topper comes the second time when he says: "I am the Exalted Big Dipper of the Lazy Venus Chapter of the Safety Stars of the Milky Way!" {{{HEAR}}}

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44-06-22 Gaggle of June Christmas Card Sellers

It's June and Sade is besieged by a bevy of people trying to sell her Christmas cards.

She comes up with the perfect solution to it all. She goes and gets her own set printed and will offer to sell those to her hounders!

SCRIPT (page 1) (page 2)

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 It's June - so you know what that's time for in the world of Vic and Sade!

*Great* ending in this one - one of the best.

Trivia:

+ Russell is writing Blue Tooth Johnson an insulting letter - for amusement.

+ Mis' Freely is mentioned for the first time. She is selling Christmas cards and Sade went shopping to avoid having to deal with her. However, she has added enticement when you buy cards from her: a free cup and saucer.

+ Sade's sister Bess Helfer is selling Christmas cards for her church again.

+ Mr. Erickson, Mis' Elders and Mis' Harris are all selling cards. Mis' Harris' enticement is your choice of a free lemonade stirrer or a map of Montana with each two dozen cards ordered.

+ The girls in Russell's Sunday School class made their own Christmas cards and are selling them.

+ Sade suspected Hank Gutstop of selling cards but we find out from Vic that wasn't the case.

+ Miller Printing Company is mentioned for the first time.

+ The original ending had the organist playing "Jingle Bells" (this is a June episode.).

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