44-04-13 The Gooks Await News of Fletcher's Visitors

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

• Uncle Fletcher is excited because he's expecting three visitors (Roy Dejectedly from Dixon, Howard Honeycrutch from Belvidere, and Dwight Twentysixler from Dismal Seepage, Ohio) all at the same time, all having made their plans independent of the others.   
• Mis' Keller calls Sade to say Fletcher's on his way over and to warn Sade that he's extremely excited.
• When he arrives, everyone expects him to spill the beans immediately, but he's acting calm and collected as if nothing's new.  They continue to anticipate his announcement will eventually arrive as an eruption.



Enigmatic

• Fletcher reveals "it's considered good luck to use your shoe to wipe mashed potatoes off your chin." - compiled by Barbara Schwarz, edited by Jimbo Mason

___________________

This running gag of Roy Dejectedly coming for a visit finally ends; it began on December 21, 1943.  There are at least four known episodes that deal with the visit and I imagine there are more than we don't know about.  One of the things I enjoy about the show (and would enjoy more if we had the full run of audio) is these very long running jokes, of which there are many.

Dwight Twentysixler is a big name in the Series 2 and 3 but he's small potatoes in this original run of shows.  He's my favorite "real character" in the other two series but I think if he had been expanded in this original run - with the same attributes - he'd have been as noteworthy as Hank Gutstop or Mr. Gumpox.

Twentysixler has great 'ridiculous characteristics' - something that Rhymer gave some characters and not others.  The more ridiculous and the more talked about, the better.  After all, it's hard to remember a guy when he's only mentioned once.

Fletcher is not excited when he arrives at the Gook house - this is another Rhymer joke.  Fletcher should be jumping up and down but the tempered Fletcher only confounds the Gooks and the audience.

44-01-24 - Vic is Sleeping On the Couch

STARRING: BERNARDINE FLYNN, DAVID WHITEHOUSE AND CLARENCE HARTZELL 

The milk wagon is driven by a horse named "Clifton" and Uncle Fletcher claims he knows horse like the back of his hand.

Uncle Fletcher is over at the Gook house and was a guest for supper. He and Russell sit around after supper telling stories while Vic lays on the davenport sleeping and having bad dreams.

________________________

Sade is mad at Vic for sleeping while the Gooks have Uncle Fletcher over as company. And one could say that Vic's bad dreams are a payback for lying there and being a bad host.

Vic (played by Art Van Harvey) does a great job at 'waking up' - and it's just funny. Have a listen (edited): {{{HEAR}}}

Trivia:

+ Uncle Fletcher tells the story of Ed Fungleman who changed his name a bunch of times. He built up a flourishing business buying and selling dead fish. He married a Philadelphia woman who was 24 years old (he was 26) and he made all of her clothes. Sang a tenor solo for 15 cents. He died at age 88.

+ Uncle Fletcher oils his shoes!

+ Howard Honeycrutch was briefly mentioned.

+ Someone knocked a chunk out of Sade's olive and pickle shoe; she eyes Russell but he never confesses. Recall in an earlier episode, Rush is senselessly berated by Sade for accidently breaking an antique pickle and olive shoe.

+ Uncle Fletcher is going to do later half of the milk delivery route the next morning.

Seems that Emmett Fadler's (Ernie Fadler's brother) wife is having her adenoids removed and he wants to watch. The route is Oakland Avenue to Mercer and includes Washington and Florence streets.

Recall that Raymond Belcher Beirman was a milk wagon driver in an earlier episode.

+ Uncle Fletcher tells the story of Clifton Hosterflitch who married a Winona, Minnesota woman 21 years old (he was 24.) He tried to teach a bicycle how to kick. (He may have done so too, his story is interrupted by a Vic nightmare.)

+ Lombard (Oyster Cracker's cousin) lives in Galena, Illinois. We can suppose he is vacationing in town with Oyster Cracker over a period of time though as Russell seems to talk about him in every episode.

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