34-09-01 Kickapoo Creek or American Legion Parade?

It's Labor Day weekend and Vic wants the family to enjoy the wildlife and nature of the Kickapoo Creek area, which is outside of town.  Sade is agreeable to this, until she finds out that there is an American Legion Parade being held downtown. 

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The Gooks have been known to spend their holidays off in nature, enjoying the animals and the flora and fauna.  Labor Day, 1934, was no different.

An American Legion parade

While other episodes reveal that Sade seems to be the one who really enjoys these outdoor jaunts (and presumably a picnic lunch was prepared, as well), Vic also seems to like these excursions.  Rush is certainly not against these trips either and probably had plans to take one of his friends along, as has happened in other episodes.

Sade is presented with the opportunity to see a parade, and it is she who becomes parade-happy in this early episode, not Vic!  

The clincher is that Vic somehow gets invited to be in the parade and his demeanor seems to change.  And this could very well be the episode that points to Vic changing his stripes and becoming crazy about parades, marching, regalia, lodges and everything else.

[The gist of this episode is revealed in the book, Vic and Sade on the Radio: A Cultural History of Paul Rhymer's Daytime Series.  The title is one I have given the show purely for identification purposes only.]

36-04-30 Rush – the Cartographer

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Promo map - click to enlarge

• Vic is helping Rush draw a picture map of the city. (Rush refers to teacher – librarian? – Miss Gustman)
• Vic complains The guy yanking the fish out of the Kickapoo Crick is out of proportion.  Rush wants it like that because Hank Gutstop's layin' on the baggage truck, Mis' Fisher leanin' out her front window, an' Mr. Donahue in the cab of his locomotive are all out of proportion.  But they give the picture some punch.
• Rush is to deliver the map to Miss Gustman at the library by seven-thirty.
• Vic starts to fill in street names – Rush says Miss Gustman will do that.
• Sade wants to know what's playing at the picture show, where they intend to go after dropping off the map.  The men are busy and try to satisfy her curiosity with an invented title.  Vic compliments Rush on his ability to draw Mis' Call's chickens.  
• (The phone rings.)  Hank wants Vic to come to his house to play in an indoor horseshoes tournament.  Vic wants to play and creates a story that he can't go to the Bijou with Rush and Sade because of important lodge business.  Rush advises him not to mention Hank's name to Sade.
• Sade recommends protecting the map by wrapping it in newspaper because there's "soft-coal dust smoke in the air."
• Hank is waiting on the line.  Sade wants to know why the phone's off the hook.  She picks up the phone, finds out it is Hank and explains Vic won't be coming to the indoor horseshoe tournament.  Rush is amazed at her deductive powers.  Sade instructs Vic to get his coat. - compiled by Barbara Schwarz, edited by Jimbo Mason

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The map the family describes is a real one; a promotional item given away (or sold) by Proctor and Gamble during this time period.

It's interesting that Hank Gutstop not only (surprisingly) has a house but he has indoor horseshoes.

Mis' Call has chickens; we learn in another episode that Mis' Keller also has chickens and Mis' Harris probably had chickens as she has a chicken coup.

This won't be the last time that Vic tries to lie to Sade,  Of course, it never works!