32-07-25 Vic Runs Into Mike Towers

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

• Vic isn't eating breakfast, worried he'll run into Mike Towers, and he can't afford to be in a street brawl.  Rush thought he was arranging something wonderful. Mike phones again and threatens Vic.
• This came about because Vic has bragged to Rush that he defeated Jack Johnson in Mexico City, using his Tornado Twist Uppercut and the Jumping Jab.
• Rush's beauty contest is still on and Vernilla's dad, Mr. Lincoln-Washington is involved.  He's the Great God Pan of the Royal Dragons of the Moonlit Universe lodge, and he sports a uniform of purple cloth, gold braid and 60 to 70 buttons.  Vernilla's costume will be fashioned from that.
• Sade's worried about a potential fight and takes Rush aside to explain that Gov's no prize-fighter – he tells such stories to entertain him and instill family pride.  Rush is disillusioned, thinking Vic's a coward.  Sade tells of how Vic beat up a drunk who was bothering her when they were   dating, and Rush understands Vic doesn't fight for the sake of fighting, but will fight when necessary.
• Vic arrives home with a cut lip, head cut from falling on a curb, and two black eyes. He couldn't reason with Mike. Sade wants to involve the police. Vic says Mike's in the hospital. Rush lets out a wild yell.
• Rush: "Yowsa!  Hey, Mom, yell!  We got a champ! Yowsa!" Sade laughs in spite of herself.  - compiled by Barbara Schwarz, edited by Jimbo Mason

___________________ 

This episode is a continuation of the previous episode.

Jack Johnson was the focus of one of filmmaker Ken Burns' films: Unforgivable Blackness, which I have seen.  Johnson wasn't an angel but was a victim of racism by the boxing world.  Certainly an interesting study if you ever get a chance to view it; it's occasionally on PBS.

It's fun to see a mention of another lodge on the show that isn't involved with the Sacred Stars of the Milky Way.

32-07-23 Miss Keno and Kid Gook

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

• Rush wants to enter Sade in the Miss Keno beauty pageant.  The pageant was a combined idea of Rush and his new friend, Link Lincoln-Washington.
• Sade thinks she'll look a silly old woman next to all the pretty young girls.  Vic tells her she'll be as, "Pretty as Vernilla, the colored candidate."
• They assure her she's prettier than Marcella Noonan, 17, Sidney Call, 17, Sissy Cooper, 18, and Vernilla Lincoln-Washington, 16, sister of Link.
• Rush thinks Sade is about 20 years old.  Sade tells him she's 33 years old and it would be foolish to enter such a contest. She suggests he ought to back Sidney Call in the pageant.
• Vic rushes in, furious because Rush has posted his picture all over  town, and it's labeled "Kid Gook, the Wild Tiger of the Ring will box all comers  at the grand opening of the Happy Hour lemonade stand at the corner of Franklin and Virginia Avenues."  
• Rush tells Vic he's trying to arrange for him to fight Mike Towers, the railroad bully. Vic's relieved Mike didn't accept, but then Mike phones and says he's going to "get" Vic. Rush saw him breaking coal with his bare hands and bragged about Vic's skills.  That changed Mike's mind. Vic groans.  - compiled by Barbara Schwarz, edited by Jimbo Mason

___________________

This was probably a very funny episode, it's a shame we can't hear this one.

It's not explained what Keno is.  After much research, I have found that Keno was often a game played between features at the movie theater.  Therefore, we can assume the beauty contest took place at the theater between films.  (That seems like a lot of trouble to go to for kids to arrange...)

Franklin Avenue isn't mentioned in the episodes we have audio for.

According to Barbara Schwarz, this episode ran on a Saturday.