40-01-20 Rush's Good Looks - Anabel Hemstreet

Rush tells his parents and friends on the phone that Anabel Hemstreet says he's not such a bad-looking boy.

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If this sounds familar to episode 40-02-20 Rush's Good Looks, that's because it's almost exactly the same, except, this episode came first and there's no talk of deja-vu.

And in the 40-02-20 episode, the Gooks talk hauntingly of this episode with the added twist that in the latter episode, they discuss deja-vu (without actually mentioning the term.)

The similarities between the two episodes are uncanny:

• In both episodes, Rush chats up his "good looks" to anyone who will listen.
• In both episodes, it's Anabel Hemstreet who instigates the Rush-is-good-looking talk.
• In both episodes, the Gooks and the Stembottoms make plans to play "500."
• In both episodes, Rush is sent to the store to purchase ice cream (which is a rarity, as Fred is usually the one to insist on purchasing the treat - as a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure these are the only three episodes in the existing data where the Gooks purchase the ice cream.)
• In both episodes, Fred has to pump up tires before the Stembottoms can come over.

We know the date is correct because it is mentioned twice in 40-02-20 Rush's Good Looks that these events had taken place a month ago.

The title is one I have given for identification purposes only (however, if I had the power to change things, I would change the 40-02-20 episode to something like Rush's Good Looks - Deja-vu.)

44-04-12 Russell, the Reluctant Knight

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND  DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Russell's been invited to a party at a friend of Anabel Hemstreet. He's agreed to escort Annabelle, but feels no need to be a gallant gentleman, since he feels like he is doing her a favor. When Blue Tooth invites him to the YMCA, he thinks he can get Heinie Call to do the escorting for him. Vic and Sade find him callous.

SCRIPT (part 1) (part 2)

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This is a remake of a script very similar to this (date unknown) where Bill Idelson plays the part of Rush.  In this episode, Russell has plans to have Heinie escort Miss Hemstreet; we know very clearly that Heinie is Russell's sworn enemy.  One has to wonder if Bulldog Drummond or Nicer Scott might have been Rush's choice to replace him in the earlier production?

This play seems a wee bit out of character for Rush but certainly seems in line for Russell, who often seems to tiptoe the alley between respectability and anarchy.

Trivia:

+ The Hemstreets lives on Oakland Avenue between Mercer Avenue and Douglas Streets.  This is a high class area of the neighborhood and a dozen or so blocks from the Gook house.

+ Russell referred to Annabelle's friend (the one having the birthday) as "some baboon".

+ Champion bowlers who will appear at the YMCA: Red Donaldson and Curly McFormer.

44-02-10 Mr. Donahue's Grudge Against Mr. Gumpox

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Russell explains to Vic and Sade that Mr. Gumpox, the garbage collector, feels that Mr. Donahue doesn't much care for him.

There's a bounty of evidence to back up this theory, including new allegations that the friendly man-next-door throws hot coal into Gumpox's window in the middle of the night, scaring the poor man to death (man, he's got it tough in that crazy hotel!)

SEE THE SCRIPT (part 1) (part 2)

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Sade, not knowing if 'Pa' Donahue is a coal chunker or not, does not accept the accusations.  After all, his wife and she are arms-around-
the-neck chummy.  However, prior incidents of blowing of kisses was misinterpreted and the fact that Donahue's lunch was once eaten by Howard (because of Donahue's own carelessness), can't really be blamed on Gumpox.  By all accounts, Gumpox is a nice, generous, sensitive (albeit somewhat narcissistic) man - that everyone likes - except Mr. Donahue and perhaps, Vic.

Trivia:

+ The family discuss the fellows in town who cry a lot.  Who cries the most?  The Brick Mush man, followed by Messrs Sludge, Gumpox and - a surprise - Erickson, the Gooks' landlord.  This is the first we have heard of Erickson's emotional outbursts.

+ This may be first time Leland Richards has been mentioned since he stayed with the Gooks and became 'homesick' about a year prior to this episode.  He appears to at least be an acquaintance of Russell.

+ Both 40-01-19 Gumpox's Horse Eats Donahue's Lunch and 40-06-24 Mr. Gumpox Blows Kisses were mentioned in this episode.

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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40-04-04 Rush Must Make a Call on a Girl

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON 

Rush is going to go over to Anabel Hemstreet's house to help her with her algebra.  His friends are all ribbing him about this, since his friends are at that age when this sort of thing happens -- even though Rush doesn't really seem that interested in Anabel.

Recall though, she did go on and on about his good looks a few episodes back... Also recall that just three episodes back, Rush ended the episode by saying he was gonna find himself a girl.

The kicker is, Sade has promised a bucket of candy to Harold Skimple, a kid who lives 'right on the way' to Anabel's house.  Rush wants no part in the candy because his friends will think he's taking the candy to Anabel.

To top it off, Sade and Vic decide they will go to the Trogels to play cards; Rush thinks his chums will discern that Rush's parents are going "on the date" with Rush!

MIS' CROWE SAYS:
Rush is on his way to Anabel Hemstreet’s house to assist her with algebra study. Of course, his friends are not going to let this go easily. 

Rush and Anabel have an interesting relationship. Anabel doesn’t think Rush is so terrible-lookin’, remember, and Rush works pretty hard to make sure that the whole world knows that Anabel has said this. Later on, in the episode Freedom — Last Day of School, Sade informs Rush that there’s a girl on the phone for him. Rush, with a pleased air, says “Well, well, well…Anabel Hemstreet!” and then seems disappointed when it’s only Eunice Raypole. Still, Rush claims not to be interested in her. I’m pretty sure that he is, but finds it hard to admit this to himself. After all, in his circle of acquaintances, people don’t have girls. 

Poor Rush gets an awful burden sprung on him with this telltale bucket of candy, but he’s obviously so distressed that he’s not thinking straight. PUT THE BUCKET OF CANDY IN A BAG, MAN. Problem solved.

SEE THE SCRIPT (transcribed by Lydia Crowe)

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I used to hate it when at age 12 and I was interested in girls. My older brother would razz and embarrass me. I even socked him in the face once. I'm sure Rush did his share of socking his friends as well after this episode.

Trivia:

+ Sade mentions going to the Bijou to see the picture show but Vic calls Gloria Golden a "fathead."

+ Mis' Harris told Sade that her roomer, Mr. Sludge (whom Vic called a "slob") came home crying after seeing the new Gloria Golden picture.

+ Anabel lives on West Jefferson Street.

+ Almost every 'regular friend' that Rush has was mentioned as waiting for him on the curb: Leland Richards, Smelly Clark, Blue Tooth Johnson, Milton Welch, Heinie Call, Willis Rohrback, Rooster Davis, Leroy Snow and even Nicer Scott.

Vic mocks men who cry: {{{HEAR}}}

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40-02-20 Rush's Good Looks

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON 

Rush thinks he's good-looking, because Anabel Hemstreet "has been talking mighty free" about Rush's good looks at school.

It's deja vu

While Rush is full of himself in this episode, the strange twist is that the entire family is going through a terrific deja vu but that phrase, "deja-vu" is never uttered; instead, the family keeps piling on items that happened exactly the same way before.

The episode is much shorter (about half-length) than usual and we never find out the ending.

MIS' CROWE SAYS:
Rush’s good looks could beat out Leland Richards’ good looks any day.

The insightful Sarah Cole points out [below] that Paul Rhymer comments on the shared experience of the human psyche here by having the characters talk all about experiencing deja vu, without knowing the proper name for the phenomenon. I would like to add that at the end of the episode, Rush employs a tactical social maneuver that didn’t even have a name until 2011 — the humblebrag. “I want to brag about myself but I don’t want to seem like I’m bragging so I’m going to veil it in a self-pitying complaint.” Although Macmillan Dictionary argues that the humblebrag “is a product of the social media revolution,” this episode shows that Rush, a 14-year-old in 1940, was no stranger to this form of human vanity, and Leland Richards finds himself on the receiving end of a very blatant humblebrag indeed.

This episode is incomplete. I’m guessing some kind of technical malfunction must have occurred during the recording because the organist hops in right after it cuts out and improvises quite beautifully for a while in order to fill the dead air. I do love that organ music…wish we had the rest of this one, though, because it’s a funny one, just like any episode concerning Rush and his high school problems. It’s also strangely jarring to come into a Vic and Sade episode in the middle because Paul Rhymer was such a structured writer — the scripts are arranged almost like musical compositions, as Gary Motter has observed. Repeating gags or phrases within an episode (“Somebody knock me over with a feather,” “I will not sign,” “Shall we jump?”) tend to come in threes or fives, distributed evenly throughout the ten minutes, like a refrain, with each instance building upon the material that came before it. I’m guessing Rush talked about his “good ol’ skull” and his “creamy complexion” three to four other times in the minutes of tape that we didn’t get to hear.

 SEE THE SCRIPT (transcribed by Lydia Crowe)

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I would really like to know the turn of events in the last half of the show. Whatever it was would certainly play in with the deja-vu the family is having and I can envision it also having to do with Anabel.... but I wasn't blessed with Paul Rhymer's brain so I suppose I will never know.

Trivia:

+ Sade says she has that feeling (deja vu) at Thimble Club meetings.

+ Anabel Hemstreet is mentioned for the first time in the surviving audio.

DEJA-VU
One of the aspects of Paul Rhymer's domestic descriptions I've appreciated has been his candor. For instance, in the episode about the wheels within wheels at the local high school, Rush lets drop he has a butter-filching friend, and that one of the teachers has a physically abusive wife. Uncle Fletcher regularly refers to acquaintances who face uncomfortable personal problems. The situations are mentioned, not to be shocking, but because, unhappily, they are part of the human condition. The members of the Gook family trust each other enough to confide such sensitive information. In this episode, Sade mentions an odd experience she has had: that of feeling as if she has lived through an incident before. Although the revelation is not shocking, it could have led to suspicions of mental instability, if told to the wrong person. As it is, Sade describes her sense of deja-vu without comment or criticism. I wonder how many of her listeners would have felt comfortable enough with their intimates to make such a confession.

Another interesting thing about Vic and Sade's naturalness is its historical accuracy. Because it is a contemporary description of life in central Illinois during the 1930s and '40s, modern listeners can hear the sort of things that was on the minds of their great-grandparents. We often find out that the problems we face today aren't all that different from the ones they faced; or conditions we think no other generation has had to confront, are, in fact, as old as the human psyche. Only the name is new. Sade may never have heard the words "deja- vu," but her description is evidence that the phenomenon is not a recent development. - SARAH COLE

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