43-12-03 One Soggy Garbage Wagon Pass

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

• Sade mentions having seen Pom Pom Cordova on North Mason Street.
• Sade: I'm envious as a horse.
• Sade: Mis' Keller's niece in Saint Louis: Adelle Garroway, maiden name is Dwyer.
• Fletcher: "I'll – tell – you – why – I – stopped – by.  I wouldn't give a copper for a fella that couldn't squeeze out a snicker now and again."  
• Uncle Fletcher can't remember why he stopped by.
• Vic: "Perhaps you stopped by to unscramble some eggs but stubbed your toe and you commenced to cry and the piano teacher that lives under the porch borrowed a nickel and…"
• Fletcher: "A cousin of Roy Dejectedly's claimed he could unscramble eggs.  I'm not sayin' it's a fact this cousin of Roy Dejectedly's could unscramble eggs. I'm sayin' he claimed he could unscramble eggs."  
• Uncle Fletcher remembers why he stopped by – in reference to the garbage wagon pass given to him by "Mary" (Mayor) Greetcham.  He never told Gumpox about the pass, thinking it might not sit right with him. That afternoon while Fletcher was riding Gumpox, it started raining.  So he crawled in the back of the wagon with the garbage and pulled a tarpaulin over himself, which Gumpox frowns on.  Vic wonders if it was hot back there, and Fletcher admits that it was.  Gumpox thinks if he has to get wet, Fletcher should, too.  So Fletcher flashed his official pass at Gumpox.  Gumpox looked at it for maybe ten minutes and it turned into a soggy, gooey mess.  Fletcher wants to know from Vic if "Mary" Greetcham would replace the pass, and Vic assures him it won't be a problem. - compiled by Barbara Schwarz, edited by Jimbo Mason

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Riding on the wagon with Gumpox and being near Howard are very important to Fletcher.  It's a big part of his social life, not to mention that he has a love for horses.  The garbage pass is one of the most important things in Uncle Fletcher's life.   But it's apparent from this and another episode that writer Paul Rhymer tries to make it clear to us, is that Fletcher doesn't like to get wet.  He doesn't mind a potato peel getting on him, the obvious smell of the refuse or getting dirty in general.  But by golly, if the rains come, he's going to jump in the back with the trash and hide under the tarp.  Hiding under the tarp can create steam, which Fletcher doesn't like.  He and water must not get along.

Unscramble an egg?   Nicer Scott once claimed he could unfry an egg.

35-02-28 Lodge Robe Arrives

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

• Vic wants to show off his Big Dipper robe for public ceremonies. Rush wants to go off and play; Vic would prefer that he stay and admire the robe.
• A phone call from Hank Gutstop reveals that Hank has received his Little Dipper robe, too.  The two want to show them off around town and resolve to speak later. Maybe a lodge member has died or is getting married and they could attend as officials...
• (Vic mentions the Sacred Stars' Slippery Saturn chapter of Oshkosh, Wisconsin)
• Rush mentions Bulldog Drummond and was earlier hurling slurs at him.
• Rush refers to Dirty Johnson on Mason Street.  He has a sick horse.  Vic mentions Dirty is a sky-brother.  Vernon Alberts' dad is a veterinarian. Rush says he not only doctors animals, he doctors Vernon too.  Rush calls up Vernon, asking for help.
• Vic wants Rush's opinion on the robe...

Rush: Naturally, you look funny. 'Peculiar' is a better word.

Vic: "An angel looks peculiar, doesn't he?" 

Rush: "Ya mean because he's got wings an' wears no pants an'…"

• Sade arrives and admires the robe. Vic's pleased.  He begins looking through the paper for a suitable wedding or funeral to attend in his robe.  Sade says she wouldn't have the nerve to wear it where people would see her.  She points out funerals aren't held at night.
• Vic learns ol' man Weepman's funeral was yesterday – a missed opportunity.  Sade volunteers: "Mr. Thrawley on Osade Street is terrible sick."
• Vic reads of a dedication of an office building in Peoria.  Rush says if Vic wore "that fancy overcoat" on the train the conductor would throw him right out on the vestibule.  Vic reads Mr. & Mrs. Floyd Leakley at 1102 S. Clinton are christening their baby that evening, but he doesn't know them.
• Vernon calls with the news that Dirty Johnson's horse has died. Vic then calls Hank to arrange to honor the horse, with each wearing their new robes.  - compiled by Barbara Schwarz, edited by Jimbo Mason 
  

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Vic is so excited to show off his new Exalted Big Dipper robe that he'll go just about anywhere...  He settles for a horse's funeral - and you can image the sparse few in attendance to admire him.

34-12-03 The Coal-man Makes a Delivery

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Sade has some minor trouble with a foul-mouth coal delivery man.  She tells Vic, who, in anger, reasons he will confront the man the next time he sees him.

Seconds later, Vic finds out the guy is back -- and he confronts him alright, but not in an angry sort of way.

SEE SOME DIALOGUE AND THE SYNOPSIS

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A coal delivery wagon

Though Vic did somehow get into a fight (and won) with Mike Towers that once, we all know Vic is not a fighter. While he gets angry, it's a childish anger and he's not really made up of the stuff it takes to fist fight with any kind of success.

Basically, the coal-man looks to be a bruiser. And though he let loose a slurry of cussing, Vic would wisely rather give the guy expensive cigars then try and paste him one upside the snoot.

Trivia:

+ Even in 1934, Vic and Buller were probably eating at the Blue Room of the Butler House hotel.

33-04-26 Vic Fixes Sade's Iron

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNADINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

• Sade's after Vic to fix her iron.  She thinks Rush plays with it because it's shiny and it's electric.  "Anything that runs by electricity just gets Rush.  The other day he was foolin' around the wash-machine and…"

• Sade explains to Vic: It turns on all right.  That's what's broke about it. When you turn it on, it shoots out electricity. 

  Vic: G'wan.  

  Sade: It does.  A blue puff of ‘lectricity.  Goes whoosh.

  Vic: Don't worry about me.  I usta give Thomas A. Edison lessons about electricity.

• Vic is surprised that Sade's description of the iron's behavior is accurate.
• (Sade refers to Rush being over in Franklin Park with Freeman, refers to Miller's Department store bargain sale, refers to Mis' Fisher seeing a fella on Washington Street.)
• Sade continues to do the dishes, notices the lights are out over on Mason Street.
• (Sade refers to Celia's husband working at the power plant, refers to Sara Kephart.)
• Rush arrives and begins to assist Vic.  Sade won't even touch one of the washers Vic's removed from the iron, fearing she'll get a shock.  Vic and Rush see this as comical.  Sade notices Rush has torn his pants.  He had a coaster-wagon accident and his bottom is scratched up.  Sade sets about to apply first-aid.
• Vic tells of J. K. Hodburner: "fell off a bobsled and skinned himself. Couldn't sit down.  That happened twenty-seven years ago, The eleventh of this coming May, an' he's been standing up ever since. He was too proud to lay down." 
• Vic reassembles the iron, turns it on and blows a fuse.  - compiled by Barbara Schwarz, edited by Jimbo Mason

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Since we can "see" into the future, we know Vic is pathetic at fixing anything electrical or mechanical.  Perhaps this is the episode where Sade begins to also see this and wises up to the fact that Vic should not be fixing things.

40-01-02 Painted Portrait of Big Dipper

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

 

Vic gets mail from the Sacred Stars of the Milky Way headquarters in Chicago, They are offering a hand-painted portrait from famous artist Albert N. Blush to any member for $50.00. Sade smells a lodge scam.

Meanwhile, Rush is busy trying to tell the story of Smelly Clark, Eunice Raypole and "The most dramatic moment of his entire career" (edited): {{{HEAR}}}

MIS' CROWE SAYS:
Vic tries to talk Sade into letting him spend $50 on a painted portrait and Rush tells a story.

Vic tries a new strategy with Sade here — pretending that he doesn’t really want what Lodge Headquarters is offering (although he obviously does) and seeing if Sade will be convinced of the offer’s merits through a casual discussion. It doesn’t work very well.

Although the matter of the painted portrait of the Exalted Big Dipper gives the title to this episode, it’s really about the most dramatic moment of Rush’s career. He has to tell the story in bits and pieces, but he gets the whole thing out, and it’s…well, it’s one of those moments in Vic and Sade that I can’t really do justice to with words. You’ll just have to listen/read.

SEE THE SCRIPT (transcribed by Lydia Crowe)

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When Vic reads the letter from Chicago, Sade suspects a lodge money scheme, something that seems all too frequent to the avid Vic and Sade listener. Although in this particular case, it doesn't really seem harmful at all - perhaps even beneficial. But there will be no convincing Sade.

After hearing Rush's story, Sade seemed to show some sympathy for Smelly Clark.

Trivia:

+ Albert N. Blush is a portrait painter in Chicago.

+ H.X. Slime is mentioned. He is an Exalted Big Dipper of the Naughty Narcissist Chapter. He has had is portrait painted by Blush.

+ Kleeburgers sent another bill for $2.00.

+ Mason Street is mentioned for the first time. It connects to West Monroe Street.

+ Eunice Raypole is mentioned for the first time. Smelly likes her.

+ The hammer that hit Smelly probably weighed 6 pounds, by a Rush estimation.

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