44-03-29 Letter From Bess Suggests Sade Come Visit

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND  DAVID WHITEHOUSE

A letter from Aunt Bess temporarily sidetracks Vic from a game of indoor horseshoes and then, has him accidentally laughing.  However, instead of blowing up, it only slightly aggravates Sade.

SEE THE SCRIPT (part 1) (part 2)

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Sade usually would take out her frustration on Vic or Rush (or in this case, Russell) but instead, she seems to keep it inside.  Russell was the true instigator anyway.

TRIVIA:

* Walter read in the Freeport paper that the Consolidated Kitchenware plant in Dubuque, Iowa had a fire.  I'll bet Gus Fuss was in a rush.  And talk about your warm lemonade...

* Euncie is still learning the same piano piece ("The Great Colorado Train Robbery Scottish") and trying to do it without looking at the sheet music.

* Russell somehow gets under the davenport, looking for a penny.  The davenport  must be huge.  Bluetooth was also under this davenport in 1939.

* Is it a joke when the Paul Rhymer script tells of a man who was college-educated who's purpose was sharpening razors?  Even though we have oceans of articles on Rhymer, I have yet to even be offered a hint why he was seemingly so fascinated with barbers and razors.

* The letter suggests that Sade come for a visit; Bess all but eliminates Vic and Russell from coming in her wording.  It seems that Sade probably didn't take up her sister on her offer - according to the episodes we know to exist shortly after this aired.

44-07-11 Don't Scrape off the Watts!

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Sade buys a large reading bulb for Vic at a bargain sale. When he tries to clean it's contact points, Sade thinks he's destroying it, makes a fuss and shows just how ignorant she is about anything scientific.

SEE THE SCRIPT (part 1) (part 2)

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A very hard-to-define episode and there's not a lot going on.  In some ways, a bit similar to 34-11-21 Washing Machine on the Blink.

Trivia:

+ Sade confuses "watts" with "witts" and "volts." She thinks the new light bulb she bought might be "a million volts."

+ Sade had to elbow her way to the bulb: {{{HEAR}}}

Download the complete commercial-free, sound-improved episode!

44-04-20 A Letter from Bess - No Card Game

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

Vic, Russ and Uncle Fletcher come home and decide to play cards.  However, they get wind that Sade is home and has a letter from Bess. They quickly hatch a plan so that they won't hurt Sade's feelings and can still get in a few hands of cards.

When the plan begins to go into action, Sade smells a rat and begins looking at the men for signs of guilt. Surely, you know who wins.

SEE THE SCRIPT (part 1) (part 2)

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All Vic and Sade fans know you can't fool Sade.  Vic and Russell surely know better, but that didn't stop them from trying.

This is yet another episode that talks about Euncie practicing the "The Great Colorado Train Robbery Scottish", which would eventually put her in bandages.  Just another of the long-running Paul Rhymer gags that he turned into a ridiculous situation.  I'm almost certain that somewhere in 1944, either Walter's kneecap completely healed up or it exploded.  I assume we will never know.

TRIVIA:

* Uncle Fletcher seems completely out of touch here.  Sometimes, he appears socially aloof, but in this episode, it really seems as though there is a bit of an unknown problem with his brain.

* It would be very interesting to know how many episodes we know of where cards were mentioned.  Also, letters/cards from Bess: this is about the 25th letter/postal card or so that we know that Sade has gotten from Bess.  My crazy math tells me that Sade got a letter from Bess about every two weeks.  That could mean that during the run of the first Series, she may have received/talked about 300 letters or so.  Is that possible?

* Uncle Fletcher tells of Quentin L. Spondle, who changed his wife's name from Leota to Dorothy, against her objections.

37-12-03 Rush Needs Money for Christmas Shopping

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Christmas 1937

Rush has made a Christmas list.  He's whittled it down to the bone.  He's got very little cash to work with.

He's going to Plan B; all he has to do is get the dough from good ole' Gov -- well, make that, get past Sade in order to get it from Gov.  It's not an easy task.

SEE SOME DIALOGUE AND SYNOPSIS

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Rush knows Gov has a soft heart.  The trouble remains; Sade also knows Vic has a soft heart.
 
This episode compares in some ways with this one, a rather odd episode where Rush went to Vic's office to ask for Christmas funds.

That particular episode took place in 1941.  Let's look at the difference in lists between the two episodes:

 We can compare Rush's Christmas lists from 2 years

The price of Vic's gift remained the same.  Poor Vic, always getting the shaft.

Trivia:

* In the story about the imaginary 'Rollo K. Wintersquat' at the institution, Vic suggests he be sent some fudge.  That's not the only time someone locked away and fudge being sent to them are mentioned; Dottie Brainfeeble sent fudge to Martin Jordle, the man whose wife signed a paper and then the next thing he knew, he was in prison for 40 years.

* You wonder how good you can "get in" with a man by buying him a stinky, nickel cigar?

* "Bernardine" is once again mentioned in the script as an homage (you'd think) to  Bernardine Flynn. I'm almost certain that "Bernardine" was mentioned another time as well, but I'll be doggone if I can find the reference.

* Sade recalls Steve Kodunk in Dixon, whose father used to drown him with money.  He'd have a nickel or dime to spend every single recess and the kids would buzz around him like flies.

Hmmm.  You wonder how many kids would be swarming young Mr. Kodunk in 2015?  In the age of iPads and XBox, I'm guessing not a whole lot.

click to enlarge

* It's likely that this story line (or something like it) took place nearly every Christmas on the show.  I believe Rhymer eventually took Sade out of the equation because she's generally a major league frump when it comes to spondulix, plus the shows with just Vic and Rush (that we know about) all turned out to be genuine peachy episodes.  Certainly Rhymer knew
this or you'd think someone told him.

* This episode took place on the road, as did apparently, several other episodes during the latter end of 1937.  This episode was live from Kenosha, Wisconsin.  We are most fortunate (thanks to Barbara Schwartz and the Friends of Vic and Sade) to have an article from the local paper there from December 4, 1937.  The interview probably took place the same day this episode was broadcast.  [Dunno about you, but I love neat stuff like that.]

40-01-25 Uncle Fletcher Sends Seeds

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Sade gets a package in the mail from her Uncle Fletcher.  He's heard she's into gardening and has sent her all kinds of seeds.

SEE SOME DIALOGUE AND THE SYNOPSIS

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What I imagine when I read the above, is Uncle Fletcher doing a dandy, nice thing; sending exotic seeds to his niece and family - but probably putting all the seeds together, where one who didn't know, wouldn't know one seed from the next.

Why did Fletcher send seeds?  Obviously, after hearing about the Gooks having control over a vegetable garden (in an episode just 13 days prior) he sent the seeds.

Trivia:

+ Sade referred to the beef punkles as, "boiling beef".

+ A fictional detective was mentioned, "Firpo Vance."  In other episodes, "Philo Vance" and "Philco Vance" have been mentioned.

+ Found among the seeds: a sewing button, a thumbtack, a pill, bottle-cap, a tooth, a peach pit and an earring.

+ Uncle Fletcher's letter says the seeds include "Common varieties of radishes, onions, spinach, and so forth, many types of rare an' exotic vegetables: the South American semi-poison Hedge Banana, for instance.  Also, the Dismal Swamp Sugar Beet an' the Speckled Snake-Squash.  This latter may be identified by its shape – rather like a human being's thumb-nail."

37-xx-xx Euncie's Learning Piano

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON  

Agnes Peterson

A letter from Sade's sister Bess brings news that her daughter Euncie is learning the piano.

Euncie's deaf piano teacher, Agnes Peterson, who also only has one leg and must put a heavy weight on the loud pedal, must bite the leg of the piano to pick up the vibration, so she can tell if Euncie is playing her piano pieces the correct way!! - compiled by Barbara Schwarz, edited by Jimbo Mason

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Euncie and her piano playing is bizarre. One day I promise to write a piece about this subject, since I am so fond of the piano myself.

This impossible premise is classic Paul Rhymer, and sits somewhere near the top of shows I'd most like to hear.

The date is not known exactly but Agnes Peterson was Euncie's teacher in 1937 according to the letter Vic had stored away from Bess in his jacket pocket.

The title is my own creation; it is used for identification purposes only.

39-05-10 Sade Visits Bess in Carberry

Sade takes a train trip to Carberry to visit her sister and  family, leaving Vic and Rush to fend for themselves.

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We can be sure of this episode because it is stated by Sade in 39-04-26 Sade's New Luggage that she is leaving on a trip to Carberry in less than two weeks.  In episode 39-05-11 The Davis' are Asleep Upstairs, Sade is away.

It is not known when she returned.

The title is one I gave the episode purely for identification purposes.

38-09-08 Rush Goes to Carberry

Rush goes to Carberry by train to visit his Aunt Bess, Uncle Walter and cousin, Euncie.

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We know this to be a fact due to a newspaper article about this very subect (Bill Idelson was actually on a fishing trip in Northern Wisconsin.) There's no data about how long he was away from the show.

The date is probably correct (although it could be a day off) and the title is one I have given the program for identification purposes only.

40-08-12 Sade's House is Not the Way She Left It

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON 

Sade's come home from a trip to Carberry and notices the house is surprisingly clean but things are not exactly where they were when she left.

She comes to find out that (mostly) Blue Tooth Johnson made a mess and Rush had to clean it up.  He gets a few things mixed up but for the most part, Sade seems surprised and pleased.

SEE THE SCRIPT

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Vic broke an olive and pickle plate but Sade wasn't in the least bit upset. Fifteen months later, Sade would be very upset when Rush would break her antique pickle and olive shoe and still seething, would even write a poem about it 11 months later to convey her feelings.

39-02-17 Bess's Letter - the Gumpox Petition

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON 

Mr. Gumpox is thinking of resigning from his position as garbage man in town because he feels he's not being paid enough money. 

But not really. What's he's actually doing is circulating a petition that says the citizens do not want him to quit and don't want the city to accept his resignation.  And if he doesn't get 600 names on the petition, he won't even threaten to resign.

READ THE SCRIPT

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Meanwhile, Sade has another letter from her sister Bess to read to her family; they suggest to her that whenever she has a letter from Bess to read that she gets a chip on her shoulder.

Francis Kleek was mentioned.  He was a very absent-minded fellow from Dixon that used shoe-horns to get his shoes on with and then forgot to take them out.

Gumpox was once dubbed the Grand Old Man of Garbage by the citizens of Dwight and Streator.

Jim Sizemore (Doodlemeister.com) has graciously allowed me to re-post his article about this episode here:


THE GENIUS OF PAUL RHYMER

Paul Rhymer's knack for writing dialogue is nowhere more evident than when a character delivers a telephone monologue. Sometimes it's Vic on the phone curtly dealing with a salesperson or a wrong number, or Rush gabbing with Bluetooth Johnson, Nicer Scott, or another of his buddies from the neighborhood. Most often, though, the telephone monologue falls to Sade when she's home alone taking a break from her domestic duties. The monologue I've chosen as representative is from an undated script, most likely from the early 1940s, since Sade's amiable Uncle Fletcher is featured. Uncle Fletcher joined the show as an on-mike character around that time, and here makes one of his slapstick entrances. When he enters, in the company of Rush, Sade's telephone monologue, or "solo," is transformed into a trio. Actually it's a quartet if you count "Ruthie," on the other end of the telephone line.

ANNOUNCER: Well, sir, it's early afternoon as we enter the small house half-way up in the next block now, and here in the living room we find Mr. Victor Gook all by herself. Mrs. Gook is at the telephone conversing with her close friend and confidante Mrs. Frederick Stembottom. Listen:

SADE (to phone): I didn't take you away from anything, did I, lady? Well, ish, I haven't really got anything to say now that I've called you. (giggles) Yes . . . well, what happened I went like a house a-fire all morning long and done nine million jobs around the house and then got dinner and pitched in on my upstairs the minute the boys left for the office an' school, and finally did quit and wash and put on a clean apron and then discovered I'd been on the go so much I couldn't settle down. (laughs) You know how that is lady. Person gets theirself all keyed up and they hafta slow down gradual or the boiler explodes. (laughs) Yes . . . so I telephoned you. Hey, maybe that's not very complimentary. (loud lady laugh) No, but you appreciate how I mean, Ruthie. Sure. Yes, isn't it a quiet afternoon. One of them hushedy-hushedy afternoons where a person sits and listens to pins dropping. Little bit ago I was out on the back porch shaking my mop and ‘way off in the distance somewhere I heard some fella say giddap to his horse and I bet twenty-five cents he was clear away over on Chestnut Street and that's eight hundred miles from here if it's an inch. Yeah . . . you run inta real still afternoons every so often. Like Sunday kinda. I was sayin' to . . . say, lady, hang on a second, I think I heard my kitchen door. (calls) Hello? Groceries? You, Irving?

RUSH (off): Hi, Mom.

FLETCHER (off): Afternoon, Sadie honey.

SADE (calls, in some surprise): Well—hello. (to phone) Uncle Fletcher and Rush just walked in, Ruthie. I can't imagine what Rush's doing home from school. (crash in the kitchen) Oh, my goodness. (calls) What happened?

FLETCHER (cheerfully, off) Fell down.

SADE (calls sharply) Who fell down?

RUSH (off, cheerfully): We both fell down.

SADE (not loud): Oh, for mercy's sake. (to phone) What, Ruthie? No, we don't need to hang up. There's no reason why we hafta cut our conversation short just because . . . huh?

RUSH (approaching): Uncle Fletcher tripped on his shoelace, Mom.

FLETCHER (approaching, cheerfully): No broken bones, Sadie, Honey, no broken bones.

SADE (to phone): Well whatever you say, lady. Seems like a shame though. I take you away from whatever you're doing and just because my family busts in we hafta cut short our . . . (giggles) . . . well, ish.

RUSH (coming up): Principal called a special teachers' meeting, Mom.

FLETCHER (coming up): Using the telephone, are you, Sadie?

SADE (to phone) No, you needn't bother to call back, Ruthie.

FLETCHER (gently): Mama's using the telephone, Rush. I'd stop my titters, whimpers, and guffaws.

RUSH (amused): O. K.

FLETCHER (sententiously) When the older folks is using the telephone it's always best to let up on the titters, whimpers and guffaws.

RUSH (chuckling): I'm letting up on ‘em.

FLETCHER: You're a good boy.

SADE (to phone): Well, all righty, Ruthie, whatever you say. Dandy. Fine.

FLETCHER (to Rush, sententiously) There was a little boy in Detroit Michigan neglected to let up on his titters, whimpers and guffaws while Momma was using the telephone and he disappeared and all they ever found was one of his tiny patent leather booties, the tassel singed at the bottom.

RUSH (chuckles): I'll remember that.

FLETCHER (gently): Yes—it teaches us a lesson.

SADE (to phone): All righty then, Ruthie lady, we'll leave it like that. You bet. All righty, Ruthie. You betty, lady. Goodbye. (hangs up)

The Last Word

Even before Uncle Fletcher and Rush enter in this example, Sade's monologue—through Rhymer's word choices and emphasis, including pauses, giggles and laughs—becomes a dialogue. It really is a solo, of course, but written so skillfully that we can almost hear her duet with Ruthie on the other end of the line. clip2Rhymer, by his example—assuming we're interested enough to pay attention—is teaching us how to write humorous dialogue even when what he presents appears, at first, to be a monologue. As with the example above, all his lessons are subtle. If we want what he has to teach us, we have to dig it out. After all, Rhymer's purpose in "Vic and Sade" is not to conduct a writing craft class, he simply want's to entertain us. But sometimes it does seem that he also intends to instruct us directly, as in the following excerpt from a 1939 script. As we join the Gook family this time, Sade is explaining to Vic that she has been asked by Mr. Gumpox, the garbage man, to circulate a petition in the neighborhood. Seems he's unhappy with his rate of pay and will consider staying on the job only if Sade can get six hundred signatures, which he assumes will influence the city to give him a raise.

SADE: Let's see. I think I can remember most of that petition. "We, the undersigned, being in sane mind an' sound body, do hereby command, request, an' implore that Francis Gumpox be retained by the city. As homeowners with a passionate love for a beautiful town in which to live we feel that this community could never stand to lose the services of Francis Gumpox, who knows and loves garbage like no other man on earth."

VIC (laughs): Oh, for gosh sakes, does that guy . . .
SADE: Wait a second, I left out a word. "Who knows and loves garbage disposal like no other man on earth."

VIC (chuckles): Thunder.

SADE (giggles): The other word sounds funny . . . "knows an' loves garbage like no other man on earth."

VIC (chuckles): It all sounds funny.

--  Jim Sizemore Doodlemesiter.com  © 2013 Jim Sizemore

38-12-16 Rooster Davis' New Spectacles

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON 

While the Gooks wait for the noontime meat to get done,  Rush says that Rooster Davis came to school this day, wearing glasses.  That's not a big deal.

What is a big deal is how the glasses were attached to him.  Not by hooks around his ears, but by a very long black ribbon (more than 6 feet long) that was attached to a brooch with fake diamonds!

SEE THE SCRIPT

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The script begins with an unusual letter from Bess; this one goes into a bit of detail about Walter's kneecap and Bess even makes a joke, saying his kneecap has "gone off the reservation" - that is, his kneecap is on the "warpath."

For Bess, who doesn't make jokes (despite her literary "ha ha's")  that was a fairly special joke.

Horse!

RUSH: I could eat a fried horse, harness an' all.

and then later...

RUSH: I'll be delighted to make it plain as a horse. 

and then later... 

RUSH: I'll be delighted to make it plain as a horse why Rooster's glasses threw a bomb-shell that hit civilization. 

37-xx-xx Schoolmate Phones Sade from Bus Station at 4:20 AM

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON 

The Gooks receive a phone call at 4:20 in the morning.  It's Sade's old chum Myrtle Frummer from Dixon (now living in Michigan.)  She is on a bus trip and the bus made a stop and so she thought she'd call Sade.

The whole family (and their neighbor, Mr. Donahue, who sees the lights on and comes over, thinking the worst) are bewildered by the call.

SEE THE SCRIPT

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Myrtle is a scatterbrain, but was only trying to be thoughtful. 

Haven't we all had a situation similar to this in our lives?

44-05-18 Euncie's Piano Accident

STARRING: BERNARDINE FLYNN, DAVID WHITEHOUSE AND CLARENCE HARTZELL&

Sade arrives home bearing bad news: her niece Euncie has badly injured herself while practicing the piano! Russell seems interested in this news but Uncle Fletcher may or may not understand the importance of the situation.

SEE THE SCRIPT (part 1) (part 2)

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Uncle Fletcher has something on his shoe and between his teeth - and feels that Sade needs to chill out!  At least, that's probably the way he feels.  It's hard to pinpoint Fletcher's motives and fragile emotions in 1944, as he's been known to use them against Sade in order to get attention.  Who knows?

It's funny to see Russell taking on the role of Vic here in 1944. By the time 1944 came around, Vic would playfully 'mess' with Fletcher as you could tell that both were getting under each other's collar. And note here that Russell (at age 14, I believe) acts totally different than Rush would have. Rush would never really have been irritated by Sade's uncle, but it's obvious that Russell feels he's being put 'down cellar' - something Fletcher never hesitated to say to and about him many times in these later episodes. There's no real animosity; both seem to go their merry way after the slight battles.

TRIVIA:

* Say what? Uncle Fletcher discusses Satchelbreffer trees: "Satchelbreffer Penobscot Spoon-Pine is largely grown in southeastern part of western North Dakota. The Pulp-head tribe of Dish-face Indians use it for making tuckels, goolies, spawtchers, and grelps. A tuckel is a gourd used for bawbaw, neepo, dorbrix, and powl." Later, he claims: "Bawbaw is a smashed cornmeal mixed with rainwater and salted down with Gumflower seeds – it's fed to babies."

* The piano piece Euncie hurt herself playing ("The Great Colorado Train Robbery Scottish") was also mentioned in March and June of '44 (in other words, a letter from Bess mentioned the piano piece at least 3 of 4 months. It's likely we are missing other episodes that talk about this complicated piano piece). This accident broke a bone, caused a bruise and initiated shock... (shock - aka acute stress disorder, may include these symptoms, according to Wikipedia:  numbing; emotional detachment; muteness; derealization; depersonalization; psychogenic amnesia; continued re-experiencing of the event via thoughts, dreams, and flashbacks; and avoidance of any stimulation that reminds them of the event. During this time, they must have symptoms of anxiety, and significant impairment in at least one essential area of functioning. Symptoms last for a minimum of 2 days, and a maximum of 4 weeks, and occur within 4 weeks of the event.)

The incidents involving Euncie and the piano are really worth taking a look at, because like all Paul Rhymer plot pieces, they seem to get more bizarre as time goes by.  Euncie is roughly 15-16 years of age and Rhymer is literally crushing her bones!

* Fletcher mentions Oscar McSpilcher's son Harry fell off of a piano and all he broke was his shoestring.

* Bess' letter mentions Mis' Bahcol, Euncie's music teacher, who said, "A person really needs 15 fingers to really execute the selections the way they really should be executed."

Some of the notes here came directly from Barbara Schwartz

40-08-13 Little Carberry Gossips

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Now that Sade has settled in back home, she tells all the gossip she got while she was in Carberry, much to the boys' dismay.

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The transcription disc for this episode survived but was either sold to Radio Spirits in the 1970's or was donated to the Library of Congress. (That might mean that we may never hear this episode.)

40-08-07 Meals for Bachelors

Sade is out of town visiting her sister in Carberry.  Meanwhile, Vic and Rush must make due for their own lunches.

Rush visits Vic at his office (it's quite rare for an episode to take place any place other than the living room or the porches.)

Vic gives Rush a dollar which he can use to purchase all kinds of things at the school cafeteria.

Meanwhile, Vic is going to have his favorites: beef punkles and Limberschwartz cheese.

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This is at least the second time Vic has made beef punkles and Limberschwartz cheese.

[This an existing episode which hasn't been released by the transcription disk owner yet.]

44-03-13 Letter from Stella Klank

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY AND BERNARDINE FLYNN

• Vic is obsessed with dinner, which isn't ready, and Sade wants to read Stella's letter to him to show him it's "inconsequential trash."
• Stella (who lives in Dixon) mentions: Nelson Klunk and Lottie McVirtchel in Marengo; Jeanette and Ocky McMasterson, who own a fake piano, visited.  Mr. Furgleson will travel with Nelson to Sweet Esther, Wisconsin on business.  Ed and Wanda Tretson are moving to Dismal Seepage, Ohio. they used to live in Sick River Junction, where Ed worked as an armed guard at the Missouri Home For the Tall. They're expecting a fourth child in July. Little Donald has been staying with his grandma in Topeka for two weeks.  Fern and Albert Greetch dropped past.  Helen and Butler Chonk are moving to a house out of town.  Butler didn't make a go of the faded overall business.  Helen wants him to go back to giving violin lessons, but music jangles his nerves.
• Sade's afraid if she answers the letter she'll get involved in an  unending exchange of meaningless drivel.  Vic puts aside his hunger pangs long enough to suggest Sade's exchanges with her sister Bess are no more meaningful.  Sade says that's different – sisters.
• Back to the letter: Fist and Isabelle Maloney, Art and Dorothy Koog, Findlay and Bertha Spence are forming a glee club.
• Vic (commenting on a hint of spring in the air): "Little vernal zephyrs perfume the ozone." - compiled by Barbara Schwarz, edited by Jimbo Mason
  ____________________

Vic stepped on a landmine that didn't explode when he talks about Bess's letters being inconsequential.

As we have learned previously, Sweet Esther is not just a popular destination for lodge members.

The Gooks and Uncle Fletcher know of a handful of armed guards who work for the Missouri Home for the Tall.

The "faded overall business" was a joke then - now faded blue jean products are money-makers.

A simple but funny name mentioned in the letter: Butler Chonk.

According to the book, Vic and Sade on the Radio: A Cultural History of Paul Rhymer's Daytime Series, this episode is dated February 9, 1944.  

44-01-06 Letter To Walter (another version)

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND  DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Sade gets to thinking about her sister Bess in Carberry, (yes, another letter), which leads her to prod Vic to write Walter.  Vic has nothing to say to Walter, so he writes him about stuff he had found in the newspaper.

Sade gets upset and goes to bed early, which is the kiss of death in the Gook household.

SEE THE SCRIPT (part 1) (part 2) (part 3)

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Though this script idea is very similar to this one, it is quite different.  Rush was in the previous version, and got Vic in trouble with Sade.  This episode sports Russell, who is more interested in talking about Oyster Krecker's cousin Lombard than anything else.  Both versions have pretty much the same ending.

Sade thinks Vic can write Walter just like he writes his pals in the lodge, but she fails to realize that he dislikes his brother-in-law, for all kinds of reasons that are never expressed on the program, only implied.  Vic would never come right out and tell Sade that Walter is a fat-head.  Doing so would only anger and hurt her.  Instead, he just ignores Walter - and ignores thinking about him too, it seems, or at least as little as possible. 

When he is prodded to write him, he remembers (perhaps) that in the first version of this episode, Sade told him:

SADE: Put down a little chatty talky-talk.

VIC: Such as what? 

SADE: Oh... "Business is fine... I suppose you read in the newspaper about this, that, and the other thing. Looks like big doin's in Washington, D.C. with Congress making different laws..." You know...

Though she didn't tell him to copy from the newspaper (he did this in both letters), Vic has such a poor relationship with Walter that basically, this is all he can find to say to him.  It's like talking about the weather with a stranger, something I know that I am prone to do in that situation where I am almost forced into talking to someone I don't know.  Vic doesn't know Walter - and doesn't want to, either!

Sade mentions he should rattle off lodge trash to Walter, but Vic seems to think that lodge business should stay in the lodge.  Lodge secrets, no matter how small and insignificant, are still lodge secrets.  And he is the Exalted Big Dipper, after all.  Will Sade never learn?

Trivia:

+ Writer Paul Rhymer does a very interesting thing here; he has Russell use the word proffering, a 12th century word that pretty much means to offer.  He seemed to enjoy using archaic words in his scripts.

+ Cousin Lombard is a fellow I'd like to know a whole lot more about.

+ The letter to Walter:

"Dear Walter, How is every little thing with you?  We're all first-rate. Harry Murchison and family of 818 West Chestnut Street is moving to Fiendish, Indiana the first of next month.  His brother Clifford is the proprietor of a large shoe store in that city, and a partnership is to be set up.  Mr. & Mrs. Murchison and their two beautiful little girls, Elizabeth and Dorothy, have many friends in this community who will be sad to see them leave.  Mr. Murchison will be remembered as solo-trombonist with the Sewage Disposal Workers' Semi-Classical Silver Cornet Band.  The best wishes of hundreds of local people will accompany the Murchisons to their new home.  Well, Walter, I guess that's all for this time.  Yours truly, Vic."

39-11-xx Easy Slipper and Storage Space Season

Dialogue only:

Sade: Had about fourteen conversations about Christmas an' the mail man brought three letters about Christmas.  Willie, will ya run out in the dining room an' bring what's on top of the buffet?

Rush: Sure.

Sade: (To Vic) Golly, how time flies.  Christmases pile up on top of each other like oysters.  (Giggles) Well, the easy slipper season's started.

Vic: Has it?

Sade: Bess asks what size easy slipper you take in her letter an' so does Dottie Brainfeeble.

Vic: Every year Bess asks what size easy slipper I take.  Why don't she make a note of it on her cuff?

Sade: (Lightly) Oh, well.

Rush: (Coming up) No mail today for me, huh, mom?

Sade: Guess not.  (To Vic) Say, an' the storage space season has started.

Vic: Storage space season?

Sade: People wantin' storage space for their Christmas presents.

Vic: Oh.  Um.

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When Sade speaks of "storage space season" - one of the things she is probably talking about is Mr. Erickson's request to store stuff over at their house, which he did 

The date is guesstimated. The title is one I made up for identification purposes only.

39-12-28 A Vic and Sade Christmas Show

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Rush realizes he has no money to spend on friends and relatives for Christmas, so he devises a plan: switch his savings account over to a checking account and write checks for Christmas.  He and Blue Tooth Johnson have decided that adults will not cash the checks ($25 each!) thinking it to be a ridiculous amount, therefore, no money will ever change hands.

As for friends his age, he will send the checks to their parents, who will not cash the checks, thinking either it's bogus or inappropriate.

SEE THE SCRIPT (This is a pdf file - please give it a minute to load)

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I've never thought about it until now but Rush's scheme to get a hold of his savings account is very much like Vic trying to get a wide-brimmed hat!

This appears to be the first episode for Vic after his first stint with heart trouble and long lay-off.  They let him out of the hospital in time for Christmas, it seems.  Or since "Vic" only uttered one line, perhaps it was another actor.

Though this may have not been him, it does appear that he was around the next day (Christmas.)

36-xx-xx Vic Reviews a Vacation Week with Bess and Walter in Carberry

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY AND BERNARDINE FLYNN

Vic has a two week vacation coming his way and wants to spend it with Bess, relaxing and enjoying himself.  Proving himself to be unselfish, he talks to Sade about the vacation and before she can even ask, has resigned himself to spending a week of his vacation in Carberry with her sister,

Vic is very honest and upfront with her and explains that - though he is resigned to go to Carberry - he knows exactly what will happen - he will go and be bored to death.  He explains to her what his days are like there.  The picture he paints is a sad one.

Sade finally understands what Vic goes through in Carberry and apologizes for wanting to drag him there.

SEE THE SCRIPT

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This is quite an unusual Vic and Sade episode, I might go as far as to say, this is the most unusual episode of the whole lot that we are privy to see or hear.  This is kind of a sad episode where Vic talks about how hard he works all year and then the vacation comes and half of that vacation he sacrifices for Sade.  He is willing to do so and do it without complaint.  Still, when he tells truthfully what he does while he is in Carberry and how boring his days are, Sade can't help but realize just how miserable she makes it for him.

Jean Shepard, who wrote the forward to Vic and Sade: The Best Plays of Paul Rhymer,  wrote that this episode was the best "short story touching on smothering boredom, yet natural concern we feel in the presence of close relatives."

The really bad part of this episode is that Bess and Walter Helfer are somehow named "Hemstreet" in this episode, which may not bother anyone but me - but to me, it's an absolute travesty. Enough of a travesty that I will note it but will also ignore it.