41-09-09 Vic Gets Gift "Rap" Again

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

The gang at work has elected Vic to buy a gift for Mr. Ruebush at Christmas. While he and Sade discuss possible gifts to buy, Rush is busy in the background, almost constanly using the telphone to collect debts that will allow him to buy Defense Savings Stamps.

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This is sort of an unusual episode.

For one thing, Rush is there the whole episode but the action seems to be taking place around him.

For another thing, this seems to be some sort of propaganda episode for Defense Savings Stamps.

Even though this episode took place about three months prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor (and thus the Declaration of War against the Japanese), the United States began selling Defense Savings Stamps in May of 1941 to help support the production of military equipment, most of it for the British Allies and the Lend-Lease deal.

Some stamps could be had for as little as a dime.

The photograph on the left shows that less a week after this episode aired it was, "Defense Week."

It was common for radio shows to be used for government propaganda purposes - although as a rule, it seems that Paul Rhymer and his Vic and and Sade program were not usually a part of such campaigns.

Trivia:

From 41-08-26 Uncle Fletcher the Protector

+ Sade mentions that Vic had went on a trip with Mr. Ruebush. This seems to imply that perhaps the recent Art Van Harvey vacation could have been (and probably was) explained away using that excuse.

+ Mr. Ruebush likes candy.

+ The Thimble Club (with Sade as one of the committee members) bought Defense Savings Stamps.

+ Cracky Otto is described as wearing a skull cap (a beanie, most probably) and tennis shoes.

+ Sade suggests (jokingly) that she and Vic should sit in the basement in the evenings in order to elude phone calls for Rush.

+ Here's a list of the gifts Sade suggests that Vic buy for Mr. Ruebush for Christmas:

• easy slippers 
• pipes 
• cigars
• valice (luggage) 
• handkerchiefs 
• candy 
• chair 
• footstool 
• umbrella holder 
• picture 

+ Rush calls several friends in this episode and that provides us with a list of telephone numbers that we haven't known before this episode:

• Smelly Clark (#2457-J) 
• Vernon Peggles (#2596-W) 
• Arnold Shipley (#7329-L)
• LeRoy Snow (#6509-R) 
• Heinie Call (#5542-L)

I love it when Vic gets frustrated when the telephone rings. His expression can't be beaten!: {{{HEAR}}}

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40-xx-xx Ice Cream and Salted Peanuts at Midnight

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY AND BILL IDELSON

Rush gets home late at night and Vic wants to know why.  Seems that Rush and few of his friends have been invited to eat the salted nuts and ice cream that will be left over from the party at the Husher house.

The party isn't quite over, so Rush drops by the house to inform Vic (at 11:20 at night) while his friends are out in the Gook yard, skulking around.

Vic, reluctant at first, lets Rush skulk about a bit longer.  Vic will wait for Rush to get back because the faces, noses and tongues in the windows have frightened him.

MIS' CROWE SAYS:
A carnival atmosphere descends upon Virginia Avenue as Rush and his friends await free snacks at midnight. Vic is disturbed by the turn of events.

This is an old favorite of mine, as I love anything involving Rush’s goofy friends, and Vic’s reaction to the situation lets us see him much more jumpy and on-edge than he usually is. As in “The Davises are Asleep Upstairs,” Vic proves himself to be a little helpless against Rush and his friends when Sade is not around. He is highly flustered by all these people skulking in his yard in the darkness, but he also can’t bring himself to ruin Rush’s summer vacation fun. I doubt he believes himself capable of going up against 12 teenagers anyway.

I wonder what the scene was like at Mr. and Mis’ Husher’s when all 12 boys barged into their kitchen in the middle of the night…

 SEE THE SCRIPT (transcribed by Lydia Crowe)

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Sade is not in this episode but if she would have been, she would have no doubt reminded Rush that, "Ice cream gives nightmares."

Vic and Sade do not like Rush's friends skulking around. Recall a previous episode, where Rush's friends were out in the yard late at night, spooking Vic and Sade.

What's Sade doing? {{{HEAR}}}

+ The kids skulking in the yard are: Blue Tooth Johnson, Smelly Clark, Rooster Davis, Heinie Call, Willis Rohrback, Nicer Scott, LeRoy Snow, Leland Richards, Milton Welch and two new friends to the surviving audio series: Arnold Shipley and Cracky Otto.

+ Arnold Shipley lives on East Emerson Street. Rush owes him 6 cents but Arnold would "call it even" if he could be allowed to enjoy the ice cream and salted nuts with the gang.

+ This is the first time East Emerson is mentioned. There's already been a SOUTH Emerson Street mentioned; one wonders how there could be an EAST Emerson?

+ Rush claims that Willis Rohrback always flattens his nose against windows when he looks in them. Claims that it gives a "pleasent sensation." Rush also claims that Leland Richards presses his tongue against windows.

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