44-09-19 Vic to be Best Man

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

Uncle Fletcher has dire news for the Gooks and calls Vic to come home from the office early. Upon arrival, Uncle Fletcher tries to give the job of 'best man' of the upcoming wedding of his land lady/Mr. Feedburn to Vic, who wants no part in the wedding ceremony and does not understand why he was dragged home from the office.

Then, Uncle Fletcher really pulls the rabbit out of the hat when he suggests that Mr. Feedburn - who is arriving two weeks prior to the wedding - stay at the Gook house in the interim.

Sade, while not refusing, questions his request in such a way that we know she will eventually refuse.

________________________

Vic and Sade, while trying not to be negative to Uncle Fletcher during his busy time of helping prepare for the wedding, have to be on their guard; for Uncle Fletcher is full of surprises and is trying to brush off some of the responsibilities off on the couple.

Has he bitten off more than he can chew? Why does he care if his land lady gets married? Why did he take oceans of responsibility if he wasn't able to tackle it? Questions better left until another episode because the answers aren't in this one.

Trivia:

+ Russell asks permission to go to the YMCA to watch the fat men play handball; this is the first time I recall either he or Rush asking permission to do that. As a matter of fact, the only things I ever recall the boys needing permission to do anything was for sleeping over at a friend's house and going to the Bijou on a school night (many times.)

+ When Russell arrives at the house, Uncle Fletcher wants Vic, Sade and himself to go to Vic's office at the Consolidated Kitchenware plant so they can be alone. When Vic questions Uncle Fletcher about this asinine suggestion, Sade tells Russell to "Go down cellar." It may not seem that funny to the casual Vic and Sade fan but it struck me as being one of the top 50 or so moments in the show's history; this is because of the way Bernadine Flynn delivers the line (almost a whisper to Russell) and the fact that in a previous episode, Uncle Fletcher tried to shoo Sade and Russell into the cellar to talk business with Vic.

I'm guessing that writer Paul Rhymer was shooed into the cellar in his youth or just has a warped sense of humor. Cellars are no place to congregate and spend time. Imagine the spiders and whatnot down there... Either way, the notion (to me anyway) is hilarious.

Russell, understanding he's "not wanted" during the "big news" suggests, "Why don't I go to the Miller Park lake and jump in? I'd be just about as welcome there..."

+ There are a number of lines in this episode that are funny but only if you have been following the whole "Mis' Keller is getting married" thing. Uncle Fletcher deems it necessary to talk superfluously while speaking about his responsibilities and has been repeating the phrase, "the unbearable alternative" throughout the weeks of this particular storyline. When he says it in this episode, Vic suggests he gets the meme "tattooed to his chest."

+ When talking about the two hotels in town - the Butler House and the Bright Kentucky - Uncle Fletcher says, "One is expensive and one is shabby." While this is true and it's well-known to even the casual Vic and Sade fan that reads Vic and Sade material strewn over the internet (Wikipedia for example.) This is the first time the two hotels have been compared in this exact stereotyping.

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44-09-18 Vic's Greeting Cards

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Vic falls prey to a greeting card seller and buys a stack of them, despite the fact that he has no need or want for the awful things. Sade antagonizes him for spending money foolishly while Russell makes fun by reading the hideous things aloud.

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Not in the least bit funny and the card poetry is so beyond bad that they do not raise a smile; the curiosity with the show may be it's ending, where Russell is soundly castigated by Vic.

Trivia:

+ This the first time we hear of Mis' Gullstone in the surviving series. She is the greeting card seller and some bad cards they are!

+ Vic seems to literally be playing Sade's part when she is victimized by Christmas card sellers.

+ Vic bought a total of 14 cards; they ranged in price from 10 to 15 cents.

+ There is an unusual card about the University of Oklahoma. This card seems to be an inside joke by writer Paul Rhymer on then-director Homer Heck, who apparently (if he's anything like the oft-mentioned Heck on the show) is from Norman. Norman is the home of the university.

As stated above, the show has an odd ending: {{{HEAR}}}

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44-09-15 Sade Helps With Ring

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

Uncle Fletcher drops by the Gook house after getting a letter from Mr. Harry Feedburn (his landlady's fiancé.) Mr. Feedburn has asked Uncle Fletcher to pick out the wedding ring for him because the town of Yellow Jump, North Dakota, has no jewelery store.

Uncle Fletcher, already under considerable strain from several other responsibilities having to do with the wedding - and not being any kind of an expert on jewelery or taste, wants Sade's help in picking out the ring.

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Fun listening for sure but an episode sadly void of memorable lines.

Trivia:

+ Vic begins the episode by reading a newspaper article about Curtis O'Slooner; he taught mathematics in college and is a man of high intellect. (Sade did not want to hear about him.)

+ Uncle Fletcher states that he can understand horses, tractors, peanut vending machines (he can take one apart and put them back together blindfolded) and he can shim up a railroad track and install ankle bolts and solder grips as quick as any man in the business.

+ Uncle Fletcher mentions that he has been saddled with many wedding responsibilities:

Fletcher in a Pepper and Salt suit

Hire the preacher, take the "honeymoon" for the couple to various Illinois locales, be the 'best man',  pick out the ring and he also learns that he must pick out a 'pepper and salt' suit of good quality for Mr. Feedburn.
 
One thing that Uncle Fletcher did not mention as a responsibility was hiring a sight-seeing guide (Rishigan Fishigan) for the honeymooning couple.

+ Uncle Fletcher shows he's either: not paying attention, is nuts, or has hearing problems when he gets it in his mind that Fred and Ruthie Stembottom are expected over at the Gook house.

SEE THE SCRIPT

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44-09-14 Working Out Hank's $20 Indebtedness

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Almost a word-for-word remake of 40-05-06 Working Out Hank's Indebtedness, only with Russell (David Whitehouse) instead of Rush (Bill Idelson.)

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Not a great script originally, it loses even more face with Russell in the lead.

Trivia:

See the earlier version for trivia.

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44-09-13 A Letter from Aunt Bess - Ham Ham

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

As the family sits out on the back porch, Sade informs the boys that she's gotten a letter from her sister Bess Helfer and has Russell read it out loud. He mistakes "ha ha" in the letter with "ham ham." This upsets Sade and then has Vic read the letter out loud. He finds another "ham ham."

Needless to say, Sade is furious and storms into the house. The boys, not wanting to feel the wrath or coldness of Sade, decide to take a walk downtown.

________________________

Sade is mighty touchy when it comes to her precious letters from her sister, who has broken her back to write trash that they already know.

Vic actually knows better than to make fun of the letters - or not listen when the letters are read out loud. You can hear him stepping on tip toes the whole way through the episode. Russell, on the other hand, seems much more reckless than Vic (or even Rush) and plows ahead and says whatever he feels like saying, many times without thinking of the consequences.

I assume Russell knew the letter actually meant "ha ha" but the "ham ham" was just too obvious for him not to point out. His "mistake" though hurts Sade... and I'll never understand why it does - but it DOES.

Vic, on the other hand, just mistook the "ha ha" for "ham ham" and I'm sure while he was walking downtown with Russell, regretted it the whole way there and back. I can imagine him telling Russell to "play along" and appease Sade when it comes to the stupid letters from her sister, no matter how hard it is for him.

While you'll get no argument from me that the episodes with Russell are not as good as the episodes with Rush, there is generally something to enjoy in almost every one. We all can assume this episode would have been even better with Bill Idelson playing the son instead of David Whitehouse but Whitehouse still does an adequate job here. This is a well-written episode that has all the hallmarks of other episodes of this ilk, including the ones where Idelson plays Rush. There's little to complain about in this episode.

Trivia:

+ Sade had a cold. I wonder if her friends brought her "hot soup?"

+ Euncie had been sick with a cold as well.

+ Blue Tooth Johnson's father's had a bad cold as well. This is the first time he's been mentioned in the surviving series.

1939 "Mercury Head" dime

+ Blue Tooth found a 1939 dime. Considering it was found on the street, it probably wasn't in pristine condition. It's value today (depending on the mint mark and condition) would probably range from about $2.00 to about $35.00.

When Russell informs Vic and Sade about the find, Sade asks, "Did he find the owner?"

+ Russell complains that he scratched (up) his knee. Recall he injured himself another time playing baseball.

+ Gus Fuss sent Vic a letter about a month prior where he also wrote "ham ham" instead of "ha ha."

+ Euncie has been learning a new piano solo, Facin' the Barkin' Revolvers of Frank and Jesse James. This piece allows her to scrape her thumb down the white keys and stomp the loud pedal with both feet.

+ For the first time in the surviving episodes, the sound of a slammed back door is heard when Sade storms inside.

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44-09-12 Changing Stembottom's Tires

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

{{{HEAR}}} Sade accepts an invitation for the Gooks to spend the evening at Fred and Ruthie Stembottom's house. The men can work on Fred's car - and Vic will enjoy this (she thinks) for he enjoys tinkering with cars.

True. He enjoys tinkering with cars. But Fred has other things in mind and Sade is oblivious to the thinly-veiled plot that changing tires and shoveling coal out of the back seat of the car (among other things) is not 'tinkering' but hard manual labor!

Vic wants no part of it... but to get out of it, he'll have to make the phone call himself.

___________________

A good episode, certainly in the top 30 or so best episodes.

Vic is incredulous that Sade would accept an invitation of this sort but Sade is so naive that the premise of the situation simply blows right past her.

According to an OTR collecting magazine from the early 1970's, this was the 2,587th episode of the series.

Trivia:

+ This episode was referred to in 41-07-xx Fred's Concrete Partition.

+ In days prior, Fred and Vic had a political discussion that ended in an argument.

+ One of the most memorable lines in the show's history is in this episode. Sade says (an angry) Vic looks like a "thundercloud"... {{{HEAR}}}

+ While we know that Fred has tricked and has tried to trick Vic into various chores around his house (see here and here) we have apparently missed other episodes where Vic was either tricked or tried to be tricked into mowing Fred's lawn, shingling his roof and even washing out his shirts and socks!

+ Charlie Razorscum has "a junk heap of a car" that Vic likes to tinker with.  Recall that once his heap had to be hauled to Chenoa.

One of the things Vic and Charlie do is mix fuels - a dangerous hobby if there ever was one.

+ The jobs that Fred has in mind for his car: cross-switching (rotating) his tires, scraping the spark plugs, straightening the fenders and get coal and coal dust out of the back seat.

Russell says - and sounds like he knows - that cross-switching comes from Indian (folklore) about a princess...

Removing the coal from the back seat insinuates that Fred steals coal from somewhere in town and puts it in the back seat... Recall, there is a coal mine in town.

+ So that Vic can truly enjoy himself as he slaves over Fred's car, Ruthie has thoughtfully bought a sack of peanuts.

+ Neither Sade not Vic want to call the Stembottoms and back out but Russell readily volunteers to do the dirty deed. Recall that he also volunteered to do another dirty deed, when Mis' Harris' roomer, Mr.Overholt, was needing to be evicted.

Vic calls Fred some names (edited): (((HEAR)))

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44-09-11 Honeymoon Guide

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

Russell [reading]: "3rd Lieutenant Clinton Stanley, his large, square teeth the color of expensive ivory, glittered horsely."

Uncle Fletcher complains that the whole weight of the upcoming wedding of his landlady is on his shoulders. In addtion to everything else he's done, he's consented to be the 'best man' and will also hire a guide for the honeymooning couple: Rishigan Fishigan.

________________________

Vic makes Uncle Fletcher's problems worse by teasing him considerably.

Trivia:

+ Uncle Fletcher refers to the football stadium as the 'football diamond.'

+ Mis' Keller has lived in town 4 years but doesn't know the city well at all. She has never even been to Miller Park, which seems to be the town's biggest attraction.

+ Olive Street was mentioned for the first time.

Russell reads from a 3rd Lieutenant Stanley "story book"... {{{HEAR}}}

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44-09-08 Vic's Business Trip

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Vic gets overly-excited about a business trip to Chicago with Mr. Ruebush.

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Though he gets over-excited, he doesn't act childish and Sade seems to show empathy for him, which is out of character for both. Someone calls for Fat Jackson near the end and neither Vic nor Sade seem upset.

Easily one of the strangest episodes.

Trivia:

+ Sade gossips on the phone to Ruthie Stembottom about Mis' Toopleforth (her first time mentioned) and the fact that she keeps gaining weight.

+ Sade makes plans for the Gooks and the Stembottoms to play "500."

+ Sade mentions the muted silver moonbeam chimes from a couple of episodes back.

+ Sade wants Vic to take an orange, a banana and a washrag on the train trip. He refuses them all.  Why would he?  Uncle Fletcher knows better.

+ Again, some guy calls for Fat Jackson.

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44-09-07 Mysterious Box

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

Uncle Fletcher has picked up a wedding gift that he and Vic have combined resources to buy for Mis' Keller and her husband to-be. But Vic isn't crazy about it and when he finds out that the gift came from Pelter Unbleet, he completely nixes the whole idea.

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This is an episode where things are inferred rather than spelled out. It's never said in the episode that Pelter Unbleet is the reason why Vic doesn't like the gift. Neither it is implied that the gift is ugly or gaudy - however, I certainly imagined it was while I was listening.

Sade's name was also going on the gift and we get the impression from other episodes that perhaps Sade is not thrilled with Unbleet. Did Vic actually think ahead and decide Sade would be unhappy with the gift?

Really, we don't know the answers to any of these...

Trivia:

+ Uncle Fletcher tells the story of George McFulfer who was shot with a revolver. He never recognized his wife Dorothy afterwards. He also had an exciting political life that semi-mirrors that of Eugene Parklow.

George's sister Grace could play the cornet backwards.  (It's safe to say writer Paul Rhymer had a thing for cornets, among other oddities.) You might recall that another of Uncle Fletcher's cronies, Sam McWashjag, could also play the cornet backwards.

+ Mis' Keller's first name is Leiota. Mr. Feedburn's first name is Harry.

+ The gift came in a mother-of-pearl box and contained an album of some sort. The album was a plush pink. Whether it was a photo album or not, we just don't know.

+ Uncle Fletcher toys with Vic about the box making the contents seem invaluable; perhaps Vic was let down when the contents were revealed, thus, he was upset. Again, this is something we just don't know.

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44-09-06 Muted Silver Moonbeam Chimes

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY AND BERNARDINE FLYNN

ping tinkle tinkle ping tinkle

Vic is once again busted by Sade for his extracurricular activities with Lolita di Rienzi and Pom Pom Cordova. While Vic is certainly not fooling around with either woman, he does seem to be around the women often and without Sade's knowledge.

As in the past, it's once again music that brings the three in contact. And just as in the past episodes, Vic is subjected to embarrassment and slight ridicule by his wife.

Is Sade jealous?  Does she pretend to be jealous?  These are things we can only guess at for there is no way for us to know.

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This one unfolds pretty much like the others where Vic teams up with "the kids" at work - and there are no surprises here - the odd musical instrument (muted silver moonbeam chimes) being the one exception.

There's quite a bit of new information about the town in this episode and I always enjoy expanding my encyclopedia of characters, buildings, map, etc.

I can't imagine for the life of me that Sade is really jealous of the two young ladies.  Vic is just too goofy to be taken seriously by any female, it would seem to me.  Sure, he has charm at times and from everything we have heard, he's good looking and has pretty eyes and wrists, etc.  But come on, who would fall for Vic (aside from Sade?) 

Trivia:

+ We find out that the town Vic and Sade live in has a bus system. We never knew this before this episode. Sade and Mis' Trogle are taking the bus to Oakland Avenue to visit Mis' Schill. This is the first time she's been mentioned. Since she lives on Oakland Avenue, we can assume her husband makes a lot of money, since the street is referred to in previous episodes as being one of the more expensive neighborhoods.

+ Shoe laces are mentioned again. Specifically, brown shoe laces. This is at least the second time Sade mentioned brown shoe laces at Emson's shoe store. Careful listening to the series will provide enough mention of shoe laces to literally choke Billy Patterson.

+ Herder's music store was mentioned for the first time. It's owned by Mr. Herder and it's the first time he's been mentioned in the surviving series.

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44-09-05 Sade's Debtors

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY AND BERNARDINE FLYNN

Sade tries to figure out who owes her money and how much.  She gets Vic to help.

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In another episode, Russell and Vic talk about Sade being tight-fisted. While she's not selfish, she certainly proves in this episode that she keeps track every penny owed to her.

This episode is full of interesting trivia.

Trivia:

spondulicks

+ Mr. Croucher (ie. Croucher's grocery store) is actually a butcher. Croucher's grocery is probably a butcher shop that also sells other items. 

+ The cost of a single brick of mush costs ten cents. The Brick Mush man adds three cents to each brick for "tax," yet the money goes into his pocket. The Brick Mush man is called, "shrewd" by Sade but it's pretty obvious that he's actually a crook.

+ Mis' Call is the kind of person who doesn't want anyone to owe her anything and doesn't want to owe anyone anything.

+ Mis' Donahue likes pecans on her chocolate ice cream.

+ Mis' Otto and her young son Clarence were mentioned for the first time. Clarence is obviously Cracky's younger brother.

+ Sade uses the word 'spondulicks' twice in this episode, making the 5th and 6th times in the surviving series.

+ The owner of Kleeburger's is Mr, Kleeburger and this was the first time he was mentioned by name.

+ Sade and Mis' Heddles made a bet about which side of the street a house was on. The house in question was an odd number address. Sade said she won the bet because odd numbers are always on the right (that's incorrect, they are on the left) - however, they were probably going down the street "the wrong way" meaning everything was backwards. Either way, the bet was only for a penny!

This episode confirms that Mis' Heddles is a member of the Thimble Club.

+ The Greek has a weighing machine outside his confectionery.

+ Russell wears neckties to school.

+ Sade is owed a total of $9.82 by her friends; $9 of which is owed to her by Ruthie Stembottom, who is afraid to pay up because her husband Fred will notice the large amount.

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44-09-04 Out of Town Wedding Guests

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND CLARENCE HARTZELL

Although no wedding date has not been announced, Mis' Keller has granted the Gooks and Uncle Fletcher the opportunity to invite two guests each to the future wedding. Sade envisions inviting Fred and Ruthie Stembottom and Uncle Fletcher originally had planned on inviting Pelter Unbleet and Y.I.I.Y. Skeeber.

But Uncle Fletcher realizes that out of town guests would garner more newspaper respect and prompts Vic and Sade to invite H.K. Fleeber, who he recalls "lives in the geographic center of the United States" (Grovelman, South Carolina) and Virgil Skeesh of Sick River Junction, Missouri (the home of the Missouri State Home for the Tall.) Uncle Fletcher changes his mind and decides his guests will be Roy Dejectedly and Dwight Twentysixler.

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The courtship of Mis' Keller is one part of the series where we get to hear what happened from it's beginnings to it's fruition.  Just imagine all the other events we have missed thanks to the idiots at Proctor and Gamble who needlessly threw away so many episodes.

Trivia:

+ There's scuttle that the Razorscums might be moving to Peoria.

+ When originally told they could invite two guests to the wedding, Vic jokes that one of the people he will invite in Homer Heck of Norman Oklahoma.

+ This is the first episode that Virgil Skeesh has been mentioned. He may have had a larger role in one or more previous missing shows (as a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure he did.) We can assume he's a tall person confined to the Missouri State Home of the Tall.

+ This is also the first episode where Dwight Twentysixler is mentioned. He hails from Dismal Seepage, Ohio.

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44-09-01 Arranging the Honeymoon

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND CLARENCE HARTZELL

We missed it (in a missing episode) but it appears as though Uncle Fletcher's landlady, Mis' Keller, has finally been proposed to and has accepted a marriage invitation from the fellow from Yellow Jump, North Dakota (whose name, we find out, is Mr. Feedburn.)

Meanwhile Uncle Fletcher claims he's been running himself ragged, making train reservations - but not for the happy couple - for himself. He's going to go on a trip so the honeymooning couple can have the house to themselves. He's taking the honeymoon for them!

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The reason for the couple not going on the honeymoon is because Mis' Keller is afraid to leave the 100 chickens she owns and that they both suffer from train sickness.

Trivia:

+ Vic had been playing indoor horseshoes and had beaten Ike Kneesuffer and Charlie Razorscum. In every episode where we've heard the outcome of the indoor horseshoes, Vic has always been the winner or was ahead when he dragged away for some duty at his house.


+ Just as in a previous episode, Uncle Fletcher says "pow pow" instead of "pow-wow."

+ One of the cities that Uncle Fletcher tried to make a train reservation for was Illiopis, Illinois. In the year 2000 census, less than 1000 people lived there.

+ The honeymoon couple plan to see the sites of the town. One of the sites mentioned was the football stadium. This is the first mention that the town had a stadium or a football team.

+ Uncle Fletcher nonchalantly mentions that he will be able to keep his room at Mis' Keller's house. After all of the stress and strain Sade has gone through about Uncle Fletcher possibly moving to the train-busy area of the Bright Kentucky Hotel, he simply casually mentions this.

In the gloom... {{{HEAR}}}

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44-08-16 A Dandy Picture of Vic

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Vic is going to be featured once again in the Kitchenware Quarterly. Vic says they botched his picture and bio in the current issue (a missing episode?) but they have apologized and plan on making up for it in the next issue. He's at the house seeking the perfect photo to send in.

Meanwhile, Sade is expecting company and wants the house spotless. She's handed Russell a dust cloth but he seems reluctant to actually do any work.  The two stories go back and forth.

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Not-so-memorable episode but fun none-the-less.

In the end, the best photo of himself that Vic can find is one where's hanging upside-down from a tree. He'll send that in and ask them to print it upside-down.

Trivia:

+ It's Mis' Brighton and her brother Willard that are coming over to see Sade.  Mis' Brighton is a particular housekeeper, according to Sade and this is why she is so set on having the house being perfect.

+ Despite the fact that Hank Gutstop is gainfully employed and has been for months, Russell attempts to tell Vic that he saw Hank at the Illinois Central depot (and though he is interrupted and we never hear the whole story, we might suspect that Russell saw him asleep there; Sade has seen him asleep there often.)

+ When Vic starts to go through the photos in the window seat, he finds there are seven photos of himself wearing women's hats. There's another of him sitting in Sade's lap.

+ Among the other photos is Steve Chestbutter riding a bicycle. There's another with Vic and Ike Kneesuffer and someone named I. H. Zee. Still another photo of Vic, Charlie Razorscum and Ike sleeping on a roof. Finally, there's a photo of Vic sitting on the garbage box.

+ Russell has to be barked at for dusting while sitting and then another time while laying on his back!

+ Kind of odd... the Brick Mush man calls and wants to know if they are in need of any brick mush.  In another episode where cleaning was also the priority (44-06-09 The Lunges are Coming) the Brick Mush man makes himself quite conspicuous, ringing the doorbell and asking if he can change his shoelaces on the Gook front porch.  Makes you wonder about writer Paul Rhymer's thought process...

Russell thinks Uncle Fletcher might be at the house - taking a vacation from a vacation from a vacation: {{{HEAR}}}

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44-08-15 Vacation from a Vacation

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

Still at the Gook house recovering from his two week "job" in Hank Gutstop's bridal suite, Uncle Fletcher begins to get underfoot. Sade, normally one to take just about anything from Uncle Fletcher and return a smile, seems to be getting sick of him; well maybe it's not quite that bad but she is starting to wince a bit at him being around all the time and interfering with whatever she is doing. And the weather is hot...

Uncle Fletcher doesn't seem to faze Vic (probably because he can just go to Ike Kneesuffer's house anytime to rid himself of Uncle Fletcher.)

Uncle Fletcher explains he is going to go home. For a day. Just one day. He'll return. He just needs a vacation from his vacation.

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What you read above is the whole story. This episode is devoid of any important trivia. The situation involving Uncle Fletcher's stay is the center and the outside of the episode.

This is episode is one you are likely to forget as there are no funny lines or memorable stories.

Trivia:

+ Muskegon, Michigan (mentioned by Uncle Fletcher as having a population of "several million") currently has a population of less than 50,000. I could find no population statistics for anything prior to 1989; I suspect in 1944 it may have had 15-20,000 people.

+ The Gooks have a cistern in their back yard. It's used to catch rainwater. This probably tells us that the house is probably pretty old.

+ Russell is at the YMCA to watch the fat men play handball.

+ Uncle Fletcher had broken stuff (accidentally) in the house "all day long" according to Sade. 

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44-08-14 Uncle Fletcher - Rest Extended

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

Maudlin Uncle Fletcher needs more time to rest up from staying the two weeks in the bridal suite.

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A worthy candidate for one of the funniest of all Vic and Sade episodes, Uncle Fletcher is in top form. He tells two ridiculous stories (something he hadn't done for a very long stretch of the program) and they are some of his very best.

Trivia:

+ The Summer of 1944 had Vic wearing a straw hat to and from work.

+ Mis' Keller's rooming house is three blocks away from the Gook house - however, we aren't told the street nor direction. I've always assumed it was to the south of the Vic house.

+ Instead of saying "pow wow" (as in a meeting,) Uncle Fletcher says, "pow pow."

+ One time, Uncle Fletcher calls Vic, "Vickie honey."  It will be the first of many times he will use this phrase over the next  dozen or so episodes.

+ Vic tries numerous times to tell Sade something about Ike Kneesuffer and the Thimble Club but we never find out what that is. A clever trick by writer Paul Rhymer; connecting two unlikely partners together with some important information - yet never divulging what's actually going on, instead, teasing us over and over again.

+ Uncle Fletcher tells the story of Ray Baltgraw, from Norman Oklahoma. He learned to ride a tricycle at age 24. At age 30, he tackled the two wheeler. At age 48, he tackled the unicycle. At age 63, he attempted to ride a bicycle without any wheels!

In perhaps the funniest of all Uncle Fletcher stories, he tells the story of Baltgraw's friend, Art McFropp, who once mistook a saucer of dynamite for breakfast food and lost his sense of hearing.

+ In this episode (and the previous one,) Uncle Fletcher wants to make popcorn. Making popcorn involves building a fire, something quite unlikely in the hot month of August.

Art McFropp... {{{HEAR}}}

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44-08-11 Uncle Fletcher Rests Body and Brain

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

After staying in Hank Gutstop's bridal suite for two weeks and attending to the duties of feeding Hank's pets, Uncle Fletcher asks if he can stay over at the Gook house to rest up.

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Uncle Fletcher silently exaggerates how important his job was and how much work it all entailed.

Trivia:

+ Sade says that Uncle Fletcher had to feed Hank Gutstop's puppy while he was away. But no puppy was mentioned in a previous episode that gave the details involving Hank's vacation; the animals mentioned were a parakeet, a fish and a cat.

+ The announcer says both Vic and Russell were over at Ike Kneesuffer's house playing indoor horseshoes. I'm pretty sure this is the first time it's been mentioned that either Russell or Rush played horseshoes at Ike's.  Rush though had friends that played indoor horseshoes at their respective houses.  Must have been a neighborhood thing.

+ Uncle Fletcher asks Sade if Russell is afraid to go upstairs alone!

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44-08-10 Sade Struggles with a Letter

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Sade has a hard time finding the right words to inform Laurastine and Robert that the Gooks cannot attend a Thanksgiving dinner invitation to Washington D.C.

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The letter plot is mostly a backdrop for Russell to talk about Smelly Clark's new high-dollar lifestyle.

Trivia:

+ It's revealed that Sade begins her letters to her sister Bess Helfer the same way Bess writes to the Gooks: "Dear Sister and All."

+ Laurastine is a former teacher of English and Sade says, "She loves to criticize."

+ Robert got a government job and so that's why they moved to D.C.

+ Sade's first letter draft to Laurastine asks how she liked the Democrat and Republican conventions (Sade, hates anything to do with the government - wonder why she would even bother to ask...)  Harry Truman was the Democratic nominee and Thomas Dewey was the Republican.

+ Smelly Clark bought Russell a banana split. By August of 1944 (the month of this episode) ice cream production in the U.S. was cut to 75% of what would be normal production. Milk solids in ice cream would also be cut 65%, meaning the ice cream would be taking on more ice than cream.

+ Sade says: '''til who owned the cat.''

+ Smelly is still working at his uncle's barbershop in Towanda. He is 15 years old now. His sideburns are being groomed to "cut across his cheekbones." He's got a fancy vest made of silk and embroidered below the watch pocket and it is "hot stuff." He's wearing pointed shoes that are 3 sizes too large in order to look older. He's also purchased a derby hat but the kids in his neighborhood tease him about it. His own father threw the hat on the house roof.

+ Sade signed her letter to Laurastine with "Sadie."

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44-08-09 Mr. Gumpox Has Lost His Dentures

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

The garbage man, Mr. Gumpox has lost his upper plate of dentures and asks those in the neighborhood if they wouldn't mind looking for them near their house. Sade is out looking for them when Vic and Russell arrive.

The plot is an excuse for the family to gab about the neighbors and on the subject of teeth, in general.

SEE THE SCRIPT

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The premise used here would be most unusual for most shows but somehow you don't feel it's one bit out of the norm for Vic and Sade.

This episode also introduces us to some University Street neighbors we never knew existed before now, although we never find out exactly where they live.

Trivia:

+ At the beginning of the show, we find that Vic and Russell have just gotten back from the Bijou. There's a couple of odd things about this; firstly, Vic says he had to play hooky from work that afternoon to be able to go, making us know it was a weekday. Why then, wasn't Russell in school? Did he play hooky as well?

Another thing, we know that Vic hates Gloria Golden films. However, he explains why he went to the theater this day: A) he got to miss the last few hours of work; B) the theater was cool and it's obviously a warm, August day and C) we don't know it was a Gloria Golden film the boys saw.

We never find out the name of the movie the boys see at the Bijou but Hector Harwood was one of the stars in the film (though Gloria Golden is never mentioned we do find out it was a love story...)

Russell reminisces about older films and film stars he remembers: Gilmore Griswold in The Four Gun Cattle Thief and Wild Western Dynamite. He also recalls Bill Bleatman in The Cavalier Cowboy and I Hate You.

+ Sade has a variety of flower in her flower garden with the name, "Panther Blood" (not found on the internet, so we can assume it's made up.)

+ Vic and Russell talk about Sade before they ever reach her and both agree she's "close-fisted" - that is - she's a tightwad. I had never been given that impression in the previous episodes.

+ Mr. Gumpox's upper plate of false teeth cost over $100. According to this site, the current price for such is anywhere from $300 to $600.

+ Wallace Avenue is mentioned for the first time and it seems apparent that it lies to the west of where the Gooks live. Mr. Gumpox's garbage route begins at Kelsey Street and ends at Wallace Avenue. We don't know how large of an area that is.

+ Mis' Corkle is mentioned for the first time. She lives somewhere in the Gook's neighborhood - probably on University Street. She probably has a young son named Curtis.

+ Mis' Snyder is mentioned for the first time and also lives in the Gook's neighborhood, probably on University Street.  It's very possible that she is the wife of Grandpa Snyder.

+ Mis' Drummond is mentioned for the first time; her son is named Artie. They probably also live on University Street.

+ While the family is looking for Mr. Gumpox's teeth, Vic picks up a cigar butt and asks, "Is this them?"

+ Mis' Razorscum looks out her window as the neighbors in alleyway behind the Gook house search for the missing dentures. She does not help with the search and instead of ridiculing her or saying something nasty, Sade just says, "That's not like her."

+ The dentures are finally found by Mr. Overholt.

+ The script was a repeat from the days when Rush was doing the show since there is a script that shows Rush in it instead of Russell.

Vic is being silly: {{{HEAR}}}

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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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44-08-07 No Dinner Today

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Sade has a dress to make and instructions in her head that she doesn't want to lose so she purposely fails to make lunch for Vic and Russell, who are forced to fend for themselves.

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An amusing bit of radio, although not among the best of Vic and Sade.

Trivia:

+ Sade is trying to make a wool crepe dress with drop shoulders.

+ Neither Vic nor Russell like Portuguese Lima Bean soup and the sardines in the pantry is missing it's "key." Russell makes a joke that very few will "get" when he refers to George P. Thurston not even being able to open the can. Thurston was a leading British naval architect in the first half of the 20th century.

The Gooks also have milk, but neither want to drink any.

Wool crepe dress pattern circa 1945

+ In this episode, Vic says that he can't cook but in 39-06-05 Y.Y. Flirch Tries to Phone Vic he claims he would like to - and has plans to - cook a steak.

+ Sade is in the living room while the boys are in the kitchen for the majority of the episode.

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44-08-04 Vic is Boss for a Day

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Vic's bosses, Mr. Ruebush and Mr. Clooney are headed to Chicago and Vic tells the family that he's been put in charge of Plant Number 14 for the following day. But Sade asks some questions and the next thing you know, the real story comes out that Vic is going to be using Mr. Ruebush's office only because his own office is being worked on by carpenters.

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Sade almost always knocks Vic down a notch. She may not be trying to hurt his feelings but she does anyway.

Trivia:

+ Russell mentions Art Flooper, Bernie Jeffers and Kyle McSmall. These are probably boys Russell knows from school.

+ Mr. Clooney was mentioned for the first time. He's probably the man at Consolidated Kitchenware who is directly under Mr. Ruebush.

+ Sade had gone shopping and Yamilton's had a sale on washrags - a dozen for a dollar. Sade didn't buy any.

+ Sade went shopping with Mis' Appelrot. It's amazing how their relationship has changed over the last half year or so of the program. The last time we have evidence of Mis' Appelrot not being nice is February of 1944, whe she inferred that Ruthie Stembottom is short (in stature.) That's six months of Mis' Appelrot and Sade getting along.

Jack Dempsey

+ Mis' Appelrot seems to be a very aggressive shopper, since Sade described her a "lion running through a jungle" for her ability to plow through the women who were shopping.  Sade compared Mis' Appelrot to "Ralph Dempsey." (She actually meant Jack Dempsey, the former heavyweight champ who last fought in 1919.)

+ Ike Kneesuffer is in a higher position at the plant than Vic.

+ Mis' Holloway is now Mr. Ruebush's secretary - in an earlier episode, his secretary was Mis' Holland.

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44-08-03 Sunday School Alumni Reunion

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

When an old friend of Russell's pays him a visit, he realizes how much things have changed in two years and sees how much he has grown.

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This episode has the same theme as 39-12-xx Rush Is Getting On In Years but it's not taken from the same script.

Trivia:

+ At the beginning of the episode, the announcer refers to Fred Stembottom as "Ted."

Razor ad, August 1944

+ The friend who came for a visit is Fat Johnson. He and his family moved to Quincy, Illinois two years back. He used to be quite hefty but has lost a lot of weight. He was not only close friends with Russell but also Rooster Davis.

+ Russell used to belong to the "Blue Light Sunday School" class. They called themselves "The Warriors of the Right" and the class consisted of Russell, Rooster Davis, Allen "Fat" Johnson, Smelly Clark, Mildred Tisdel, Oyster Krecker, Eunice Raypole and Lester "L.W." Trout.

+ Lester Trout now goes by the monicker of "L.W." because it sounds more business-like. At age 16, he can be found behind the counter selling magazines and candy in the Chicago-Alton depot.

+ We find out that Smelly Clark has 2 gold teeth. He shaves every 5th Sunday and carries his razor in his hip pocket.

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44-08-02 Sade Asks Vic to Evict Mr. Overholt

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

{{{HEAR}}}
Mis' Harris wants to evict her roomer, Mr. Overholt. Sade, knowing Mis' Harris has a "heart as soft as butter," promises her she'll get Vic to get rid of him.

Vic of course, wants no part of the dirty deed. Finally, after much pleading by Sade, he agrees to do it. Then, Mis' Harris calls, crying, saying there's no need for Vic to do the deed - she's allowing him to stay.

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This episode is greatly enhanced by Russell, who sticks his nose right into the situation - even volunteering himself to go over and evict the roomer!

Trivia:

+ Mis' Harris is a widow.

+ This is the first time Mr. Overholt has been mentioned. He has spent 15 years as a roomer at Mis' Harris' rooming house. He likes to take his easy chair and put it on her roof and sit in it (in his bathrobe) overlooking University Avenue. He's been complaining about Mis' Harris' food. Like Mr. Sludge, a fellow roomer, he cries a lot.

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44-08-01 Rotten Old Overshoes

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Russell is about to go meet up with friends and help redecorate his Sunday School. However, it's very wet outside and Russell has no overshoes since his others were thrown away because they had fallen apart.

Never fear, Vic's old overshoes are available. Once Russell spies them though, he realizes he'd be made the butt of "universal derision" and chooses instead to spend his money on a taxi cab and bum a ride home afterwards.

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A rather unusual story for Vic and Sade as few crazy things are happening or talked about. Yet who hasn't been in a similar situation?

Hand-me-downs can be embarrassing and Russell is at the age where "universal derision" can be scarring and harmful to one's pride.  (It must be noted however that in 1944, few people were getting new clothes.  This is why Vic shows no sympathy for Rush in an early episode when he complains about his mother picking out school clothes for him at various stores; very few children found themsleves lucky enough to have new anythings during the war.)

Trivia:

+ Vic looks at the breakfast table and notices there's no sugar and Sade gets it and puts it on the table.

While sugar was indeed rationed, you could still buy 5 pounds of sugar every 4 months with your rationing book in 1944. By this time, the Axis submarines in the Caribbean (the main cause of sugar having to be rationed) was easing quite a bit. Another reason to ration, of course, was so the United States could continue to provide a great deal of sugar to the Allies overseas.

+ The Gooks have a 'fruit room.' A fruit room is simply a room that is meant to hold fruits and vegetables, mostly preserves (canned fresh fruits and vegetables.)  We know all of their bedrooms are upstairs and that they have a cellar where the washing machine resides - meaning the main floor of the house consists of a kitchen, a living room and a fruit room. It's never been revealed that they ever ate in a dining room but many times we know they ate at the kitchen table.

+ The Gooks had oatmeal for breakfast this day.

1944 ad

+ Sade talks of Mis' McDrash from Dixon. She's a lady Sade knew who was always in a better humor when it rained. Sade's sister Bess Helfer said is was because "it eased her rheumatism." Bess read where a "big, pelting rain [did wonders for rheumatism.]" Yet we know (and they knew then) that wet weather generally has the opposite effect on people.

+ Russell says the taxi cab ride to his Sunday School will cost 25 cents. The initial starting taxicab fare in 2012 ranges anywhere from 8 to 13 times that amount.

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