44-04-04 Sade's Job List For Vic and Russell

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND  DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Sade is busy and she's determined that the boys (Vic and Russell) must run some errands.  Though not against her, the men seem bewildered and are at a loss against Sade's no-nonsense approach to the chores.

SEE THE SCRIPT (part 1) (part 2)

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Sade often forces the men to help with chores.  Despite what excuses they may have (remember: "Handmen play fatball"?) they always comply.  The men of the family fear Sade.  Well, everyone but Uncle Fletcher, but he's nowhere to be found in this episode.

Trivia:

* The oddest part of this episode seems to be the picnic at the foundry where Fred works.  When I try to come up with a reason why I deem it odd, I really can't.  So maybe it's not so weird.  :o

* Not that uncommon in 1944: Sade refers to Ted Stembottom as "Fred", (thanks to Uncle Fletcher just a day prior to this episode).  The entire family practically stops calling Fred by his real name as the days continue.

* I never kept track of how often Russell and Rush were excused from class because of "special teacher's meetings".  This happened quite a bit beginning in 1942 and much more frequently in 1944 - increasing as time went on.

38-11-28 Mr. Erickson, Sneaky Collector

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

The Gook's landlord, Mr. Erickson, is annoying the Gooks by storing loads and loads of junk in the cellar, outside and everywhere he can.

SEE SOME DIALOGUE AND THE SYNOPSIS

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While the Gooks are kind of annoyed, they don't seem to be really annoyed, as they will later when we suspect Erickson was up to no good with delaying house fix-ups.  Erickson owns several properties in the neighborhood and he probably bothers those renters as well.

Trivia:

* Mr. Erickson seems to like to hold onto junk.  He puts a variety of items in his hatband, including pins, matches, paperclips and "things he's found in the street".  He also has a collection of shabby suit coats and overalls that are 'stored' at the Gook home.  Sade believes his wife told him to get rid of them and believes he hides them out over at their house.

Erickson item?

* When Sade "talks" like Mr. Erickson in the script, she uses the semi-archaic term, "by Jingo[e]", which is listed in Wikipedia.

* Mr. Erickson not only left a wagon wheel, he left a hitching post as well.  Sade describes it as being made of iron and a "darky boy holdin' out his hand".

* East Grove [Street] was mentioned for the first and only time.  The street is known for it's large houses.

* Rush relays a story told to him by Nicer Scott about freaks from the circus eating in a restaurant.  The story isn't that funny until you begin to imagine Bill Idelson's voice in 1938 telling America this ridiculous tale.

* Sade says, "speaking of little green angels..." (as one would say, "speak of the devil...").  I did a bit of research and could not find the definition in Google Books, Wikipedia, etc.

44-04-10 Back Porch Small Talk

STARRING: BERNARDINE FLYNN AND CLARENCE HARTZELL

Sade and Fletcher are chatting on the back porch on a warm spring day.
Sade's mind is on the beautiful weather, Fletcher's mind is on Virgil L. Guthrie's interesting life.

When they both speak at once, Fletcher says it means "one of us is going to take a trip to Detroit, Michigan." By the end of the episode they're up to nine trips to Detroit, Michigan.

According to Fletcher, Virgil L. Guthrie was a good deal like Ted (Fred) Stembottom: same shape head and same color complexion - married an Independence, Missouri woman 37 years old. When he was 41 years old his papa bought him a violin and hired a stylish music teacher and bought a music rack and had his oldest daughter make him a velvet pad full of sand to rest his chin on, but he couldn't master the instrument for love or money. He tried and sweat and scraped and worried and clawed and bit and yelled and stewed and moaned and... He made the music by hitting himself on the head with the violin and opening and closing his mouth, but it was sort of a hollow sounding, gurgly, coconut shell kind of music, but it caught on with the public. He would pass the hat after 15 or 20 solos and maybe show a profit of 5 or 6 dollars in a single evening - the tragedy was that it damaged his health. He wanted to give good measure for his pay and perform good loud music so that the spectators standing way back in the crowd could hear it, so he hit himself extra hard - his wife had to apply a fresh bandage after every concert. He eventually grew a little simple and childish from hitting himself on the head so much.

The original script had 14 pages, we have 12 of those pages here:

See the partial script (opening) (part 1) (part 2)

XX-XX-XX Fred Stuck in 'Reverse'

Fred and Ruthie Stembottom enjoy showing off their car and taking the Gooks on long drives.  They plan an automobile venture, but Fred's car is stuck in 'reverse.'  No matter, Fred plans on taking the Gooks anyway!

This episode was remembered by a Friends of Vic and Sade alumnus.  The date is unknown and the title was provided by me, purely for identification purposes.

42-12-18 Vic and Dr. Keevy

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Sade tries to sucker Vic to go on a trip to the Bijou (Gloria Golden, ugh!) and also visit Dr. Keevy's office, which has recently been refurnished. In the end though, Vic's well-documented fear of the dentist saves the day.

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

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Until now, we've been under the impression that various Dr. Keevy's office rendezvous with Lolita di Rienzi and Pom Pom Cordova were all Vic's idea.  The script here suggests the original idea for using Keevy's office as a meeting place, belonged to Sade.

+ Gloria Golden and Four-Fisted Frank Fuddleman teamed up on screen for the flick, Kiss Oh Kiss These Lips of Mine, Assistant Trailer-Camp Manager Anderson.

+ Rush mentions the National Safety Council.  It sounds like they may have asked Paul Rhymer to include a PSA... and he double-crossed them:

+ Dr. Keevy's grand furnishings set him back $200. That's about $3000 today!

43-06-04 Helping Russell Adjust

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE 

Sade and Vic discuss Russell, his 'far-away looks' and how he's adjusting to his new life after his parents have died.

SEE THE SCRIPT (part 1) (part 2)

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David Whitehouse

A serious script, especially the first half, before Russell joins the conversation with Sade and Vic. The couple, notably, the more-vocal Sade, reveal their empathy and genuine care (worry/fear?) for the grieving boy's well-being.

Although the script lacks the punch of memorable lines and witty rapport, it strikes me as one of the stronger scripts I have read. While Sade is more expressive about her thoughts on how Russell is coping with his grief, Vic quietly does the same, even suggesting they all go see Gloria Golden (whom Vic doesn't like), obviously thinking that a film might help the youngster escape for an hour or so.

Coping with death is something we have not encountered on the show (unless you count Mr. Gumpox's horses), so these character insights are interesting to explore.

This tender side of Paul Rhymer's writing makes one thoughtful... however, one thing that strikes me immediately after reading the script is the couple think it might be for the best if Russell let go of his feelings, yet, later, how Vic and Sade both cut off Russell at different times when he tries to bring up specific memories of his parents. The 'talking out' of those memories is all a part of the grieving process. In a show known for it's interruption of speech (usually in a humorous way), it doesn't waver here either, as it appears the couple is either trying to protect Russell from his own words or to protect themselves from having to deal with an unfamiliar, uncomfortable situation.

Vic and Sade are loving, caring, nurturing parents, but the fact that Russell is not their own flesh and blood seems to present a wall. Sade badly describes the grief as 'home sickness'

'Home sickness' is a term Rhymer used several times in scripts, early on with Rush and later with the visiting Leland Richards and in-between, with other, minor characters.  Someone should explore the subject more deeply.  I think there's something important Rhymer is trying to tell us that we haven't figured out yet.  It may have something to do with males who cry, a characteristic found in various men around town (Brickmush Man, Gumpox and Mr. Sludge, just to name three).  I'm afraid if we were to probe, we might find Rhymer (or perhaps his father, or both) was completely dominated by some ditzy, irritating female, probably his mother...

44-04-06 Sade Rummy/Russell's Motorcycle

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND  DAVID WHITEHOUSE

For some reason, Vic has chosen Sade for a Rummy partner.  This never goes well, as Sade really doesn't care much about cards (nor the rules of the game).  While the slow game plots along, Russell enters and talks about a "motorcycle" he was given by the neighbor, Mr. Breep.  Sade wants no part of the vehicle.

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

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We know that writer Paul Rhymer would often use the scenario of a card game as backdrop, which would enable him to write a real situation for Sade to gossip in (or in this case, drag the game on and on).  The cards mean nothing to the play, other than it's a running gag that Sade hates to play and yet, does for some reason.


The "motorcycle" here has no motor... so, is it still a "motorcycle"?

TRIVIA:

* A 'Mr. Twentysixler' is said to live in Dixon.  You have to wonder if this is Dwight Twentysixler, who shows up in Series 2.

* "Ted" and Ruthie used to own a motorcycle: took trips to Iowa and Indiana on it.

* Russell had recently purchased a first baseman's mitt (for $1.75).  Rush had a few baseball gloves we knew about as well.

* Sade tells Vic that Mis' Appelrot refers to card suits as "suites".  And she's not wrong: "suites" and "suits" are basically the same word.

38-01-10 Hawaiian Islands Itinerary

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNADINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

The Sacred Stars of the Milky Way have set a date for the members and their wives to go to Hawaii.  It's years away; but that does not stop Vic from writing down the proposed  itinerary.

Doing this sets off Sade and then Rush, who tease Vic so badly that he sets off for Ike Kneesuffer's basement for a game of indoor horseshoes!

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Trivia:

+ The lodge Hawaii trip must have been really big news because it was spoken about in other episodes; roughly a year earlier, Sade and Ruthie were trying to discuss the trip at a Thimble Club meeting, only to be shot down by Mis' Appelrot.

 + Rush is reading a Third Lieutenant Stanley novel but he neither reads aloud nor tells the title.  The only bit we get out of it is that there is danger afoot involving a 15' rattlesnake.

+ Sade's Daily Little Love Story must have been extra exciting this day as she goes on and on about the adventures involved, much like Rush does when he explains his adventure books. It also appears as though Vic sometimes reads the story (remember, this is early 1938) when he reads the paper.

+ This is the episode where Sade says: "As far as I'm concerned, the Hawaiian Islands might just as well be out in the Pacific Ocean."  (Bernardine Flynn had spoken about that line in an interview from the 1970's). ((HEAR))

+ Vic affectionately refers to Rush as: "sewer gas."

+ We find out that Consolidated Kitchenware has a plant in Cheyenne, Wyoming.  A new character is mentioned, George Frothmurder, who works there.

+ This episode resides somewhere in script form, but I don't have the script. But I can point you to a re-creation:

American Radio Theater's re-creation

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.)

44-05-05 Rish Fish's Short Career

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND RUSSELL MILLER

Almost the very same story as 39-06-21 Hank's Job Royal Throne Barbershop, except Rishigan Fishigan gets the job instead of Hank Gutstop and Russell Miller is in the episode instead of Rush.

SEE THE SCRIPT  (part 1) (part 2)

32-12-13 Rush Teaches Solitaire Rummy

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON 

The boys are sorry that they convince Sade to play cards as she holds up the game (completely); meanwhile, Vic gets mad at Sade because she's such a ninny, only Rush thinks they are joking - pretending to be like the Flemmings (who always fight when they play cards.)

SEE THE SCRIPT

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Run of the mill or below average Paul Rhymer script; it's notable because it mentions the Stembottoms playing cards (apparently) before the days of "500." Also, the Stembottoms are made out to not get along when they play cards.

This script is from 1932, the first year of the show.

By the way, it seems to me that Rush knows that Gov and Sade are actually fighting but it's his talking about other fighting couples that cools them off.

xx-xx-xx Fred's Lawn-mowing Scheme

Under the pretense of "500", Fred Stembottom tries to trick Vic into help mow his lawn.

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Mentioned in the episode, 44-09-12 Changing Stembottom's Tires.

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

44-09-08 Fred and Vic Argue Politics

September 1944

In episode 44-09-12 Changing Stembottom's Tires, Sade refers to an argument that Vic and Fred Stembottom had while playing "500."

The argument was about "Democrats and Republicans."

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Sade refers to the argument as having happened on the previous Friday, which was September 8.

38-08-24 Looking Forward to a Ride in Stembottom's Machine

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON 

The Gooks are all dressed up and waiting for Fred and Ruthie Stembottom to drop by in their car and take them on a journey to near-by towns.

There will be the ritual ice-cream cone buying, (although there is a possibility of getting 'new flavors' orange or pineapple), the same route and the same talky-talk, no doubt.

Sade defends Fred and Ruthie as Vic and Rush complain about wearing nice clothes and joke and criticize Fred's slow driving and his other on-the-road faults.

SEE THE SCRIPT

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Sade won't let her men get away with criticizing the Stembottoms.  Ruthie is her pal 'til the end.

This is a rather slow-paced script but it has a certain charm.  It may remind you of 39-10-06 Double Feature in Hopewood, for it does share a similarity (although they aren't going to see any movies.)

43-03-05 Fred's Dead Storage Car

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Fred Stembottom (under the sugary pretense of "500") wants Vic to come over and help him dismantle his dead storage car.

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Trivia:

+ Fred wants to remove the engine from the car; imagine how mad Vic is in this one (sadly, that's all we can do -- imagine, as this episode is one we will never likely hear, despite the fact that the disc exists somewhere [see notes below.])

+ Fred wrote a song for the engine-removal, called, "Dead Storage Blues."  

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.)

40-06-12 Fred's Tire Troubles

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Somehow, Fred Stembottom has all four of his tires blowout at once.  He's made history.

Meanwhile, Blue Tooth Johnson has taught Rush some new stuff to say, including: "Cross my heart and hope to die, eat a banana and holler hi!  Your Uncle George is full of prunes, the rest of your relations are crazy as loons!"

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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.)

41-xx-xx Sade and Ruthie Mail Each Other Five Dollars

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY AND BERNARDINE FLYNN 

There's deep confusion between Sade and Ruthie Stembottom over their recent muddled shopping money.

Ruthie, feeling bad about the whole thing and in order to set confusion aside and make things right between the ladies, mails Sade a five dollar bill.  She spends the episode explaining the money confusion to Vic (who acts like he cares but we know he could really care less) and explaining to him that she also sent Ruthie five dollars in the mail.

SEE THE SCRIPT

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Vic has the solution for the ladies but they never take his advice: use your own money to pay for your own items.  As simple as this sounds, the ladies simply cannot resist doing otherwise.

The ladies (plus Mis' Trogle) bought gum drops, a spool of thread and weighed themselves on the penny weighing machine.

+ Rush is at the YMCA watching the fat men play handball.

+ Raymond Belcher Beirman is mentioned again here but Vic uses his name as a figure of speech rather than referring to a real person.  Beirman must be a very mystical figure if we take him literally.

40-06-21 Hank's Job - Royal Throne Barbershop

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON 

Vic is excited.  He's just gotten off the telephone with his pal, Hank Gutstop, who informs him that he's gotten a new job at the Royal Throne 25 Cent Barbershop.

He procured the job by coming up with ideas to help improve business, plus he knows so many fellows in town that Ed Holvey, the shop owner, decided to give him a job.

But Hank, who has a bad history with holding a job, may not last the whole afternoon...

MIS' CROWE SAYS:
Hank has a new job as a publicity manager for the Royal Throne Barbershop. Vic shares some of his ideas.

Hank has stumbled upon yet another job opportunity that will benefit him more than it will benefit his employers (free room and board, free lunch, and free haircuts included), but he can’t even hang onto that for a whole episode. Vic’s unending faith in him, given his employment history, is touching. Hank’s ideas are intriguing, but I’m not sure how well they’d actually work. Free lunch in a barbershop seems a little unsanitary. I’m worried you’d end up with hair clippings in your sandwich.
I’m always struck by this little moment in this episode:

SADE: I had quite a little conversation with Mis’ Eapers today.
VIC: How’s she?
SADE: All right. Little leaner than she was, I thought.
VIC: How’s TJ?
SADE: I never asked after TJ. Kinda afraid to, don’t ya know. After he was in jail those four times a person anymore kinda hates to inquire. Might make it embarrassin’.

"Vic and Sade" is full of little details like this — just passing comments that help add depth to the fictional community. Often they’re humorous or idyllic, but not always. Small towns all have those little things that everybody knows about but are too afraid, embarrassed, or polite to talk about. This moment always feels a little jarring to me because Vic and Sade talk about things like this so seldom. It’s also jarring because of the actors’ line readings — it’s the kind of thing that could have been played for laughs or not, depending on how the actors read it, and it is definitely not a humorous read (because Vic and Sade wouldn’t joke about this kind of thing). Listen to Vic’s voice, low and serious and sounding as if he’s anticipating bad news, when he asks "How’s TJ?", and Sade’s concerned tone as she answers. Notice, also, that she waits until Rush is out of the room before she even brings this subject up. Much like Rhymer’s rare and oblique references to World War II, this reference reminds you that darkness exists in Vic and Sade’s world — it just stays in the background, in other people’s lives. It’s these little details that add verisimilitude to "Vic and Sade" and make it the great portrayal of life that it is.

SEE THE SCRIPT (transcribed by Lydia Crowe)

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Trivia:

+ Rush infers that Hank once had a job selling homemade candy.

+ Some of Hank's barbershop ideas include:

• Free lunch - there was no talk of what this may constitute.
• Improving the appearance of the barbershop - no details were given
• Every 50th haircut free - Rush worked it out that it may take three years to get a free haircut.

+ Ed Holvey is always sleeping in the barber chair.  Rush says he lives there - Hank had plans to live there too (also sleeping a barber chair) as part of his payment.

+ Mr. Sludge came home crying again this day.

+ The barbershop is a hot place, according to Rush - no breeze can get in there.

+ Jim Skooner at the Butler House hotel barbershop is Vic's regular barber.

+ Sade called the shop 'dirty' and 'dingy.'

Perhaps it's a joke but a look at Google and "royal throne" brings up as many toilet references as royalty references.

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

44-04-08 'Red' Stembottom

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

• After supper Uncle Fletcher mentions he ran into "Red" Stembottom and Sade goes into a rage, forbidding him to change the man's name again.  
• Uncle Fletcher tells the story about Walter M. Veefy.  The story is a familiar one:   Drowned in the Missouri River.  Had another brother that drowned in the Ohio River.  Had another brother drown in the Mississippi River and still another brother who didn't get drowned at all.  [The problem is, he's already told this story (different rivers) about the same man, in 1941.  There have been several times where he told the same story and had a different man committing the ridiculous act(s) but I believe this is the only known time where told the same story twice about the same man.  And three years apart, to boot. - J.M.]
• Uncle Fletcher gives out the basic ingredients for Hyena Grease again in this episode.  This is at least the thrid time he's done so.
• At the end of the episode - and in fear of his life - Fletcher relents and refers not to "Red" or "Ted" but to "Fred" Stembottom. - compiled by Barbara Schwarz, edited by Jimbo Mason

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It's pretty safe to say that Fletcher is obsessed with Hyena Grease.  Either it works just as well as he says it does or he believes it will be a real moneymaker.

The fact that Fletcher knows Fred's real name and calls him by it at the end should clue us all in that he uses the senile and deaf act only to get/demand attention.

The episode where Fletcher told the Veefy story about the drownings was also the first episode we know about where he called Fred by the name "Ted."  My guess is this is a Rhymer homage to himself - or at the very least, he was looking at an old script to see why he ever decided to name Fred "Ted" - saw the Veefy story and had Fletcher tell it again. 

43-12-30 Trial Visit Trial Visit

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

This could be Roy...

• Fletcher has stopped by to announce that Roy Dejectedly will visit  him one night next week rather than next month.  He's also going to visit with Parker Gibbs in Dismal Seepage, Ohio one night.  The idea is that Roy will then decide where he'd rather spend a week next month.  He'll test the beds and meals provided in both places and then make a decision.  Sade is outraged at this rudeness. - compiled by Barbara Schwarz, edited by Jimbo Mason

SEE THE SCRIPT (part 1) (part 2)

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No one ever accused Sade of liking Roy Dejectedly; as a matter of fact, she probably doesn't like him.  The occurrences in this episode may be the impetus of that.  He's plain rude.

Trivia:

+ Russell talks about climbing into a barrel of Bibles... Rush, also talked about the same thing. (See: 40-03-25 Smelly Clark's Big Date) and on other occasions as well.

+ Uncle Fletcher threatens to get a switch and thrash Russell. Times have sure changed...

+ Vic was in the cellar polishing his lodge sword.

+  When I was a kid growing up in Texas, when someone talked at the same time you did and was saying the same thing you were saying, we called that a 'jinx.'  And whoever said it was a jinx first made the other person buy them a cream soda.