37-12-03 Rush Needs Money for Christmas Shopping

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Christmas 1937

Rush has made a Christmas list.  He's whittled it down to the bone.  He's got very little cash to work with.

He's going to Plan B; all he has to do is get the dough from good ole' Gov -- well, make that, get past Sade in order to get it from Gov.  It's not an easy task.

SEE SOME DIALOGUE AND SYNOPSIS

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Rush knows Gov has a soft heart.  The trouble remains; Sade also knows Vic has a soft heart.
 
This episode compares in some ways with this one, a rather odd episode where Rush went to Vic's office to ask for Christmas funds.

That particular episode took place in 1941.  Let's look at the difference in lists between the two episodes:

 We can compare Rush's Christmas lists from 2 years

The price of Vic's gift remained the same.  Poor Vic, always getting the shaft.

Trivia:

* In the story about the imaginary 'Rollo K. Wintersquat' at the institution, Vic suggests he be sent some fudge.  That's not the only time someone locked away and fudge being sent to them are mentioned; Dottie Brainfeeble sent fudge to Martin Jordle, the man whose wife signed a paper and then the next thing he knew, he was in prison for 40 years.

* You wonder how good you can "get in" with a man by buying him a stinky, nickel cigar?

* "Bernardine" is once again mentioned in the script as an homage (you'd think) to  Bernardine Flynn. I'm almost certain that "Bernardine" was mentioned another time as well, but I'll be doggone if I can find the reference.

* Sade recalls Steve Kodunk in Dixon, whose father used to drown him with money.  He'd have a nickel or dime to spend every single recess and the kids would buzz around him like flies.

Hmmm.  You wonder how many kids would be swarming young Mr. Kodunk in 2015?  In the age of iPads and XBox, I'm guessing not a whole lot.

click to enlarge

* It's likely that this story line (or something like it) took place nearly every Christmas on the show.  I believe Rhymer eventually took Sade out of the equation because she's generally a major league frump when it comes to spondulix, plus the shows with just Vic and Rush (that we know about) all turned out to be genuine peachy episodes.  Certainly Rhymer knew
this or you'd think someone told him.

* This episode took place on the road, as did apparently, several other episodes during the latter end of 1937.  This episode was live from Kenosha, Wisconsin.  We are most fortunate (thanks to Barbara Schwartz and the Friends of Vic and Sade) to have an article from the local paper there from December 4, 1937.  The interview probably took place the same day this episode was broadcast.  [Dunno about you, but I love neat stuff like that.]

40-12-26 Gumpox's Traveling Bed

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

There's big-doings at the Bright Kentucky Hotel as Rush, his pals and a
newspaper reporter have been invited by Mr. Gumpox to witness occupied beds traveling down hallways, passing each other!  This is just another of the bizarre things that happen in their crazy world.

SEE THE SCRIPT (part 1) (part 2)

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Yes, it's all true... and Vic and Sade are so enthralled with the story that they allow Rush to be out past 1 a.m.

Sade wants to tell the story to Mis' Donahue, who's bound to laugh out loud.

Trivia:

+ Blue Tooth's real name is William Gazelle Johnson.

+ There's yet another barber (who works at the Butler House Hotel's barbershop) living at the Bright Kentucky: Cunningham.  His bed is prone to take off too, when the long, heavy trains barrel past the run-down eyesore.

+ Mr. Gumpox says that when they are in bed and he passes Cunningham in the hall, they wave at each other and say, ''Ta ta'' and ''Bon voyage'', respectively.

+ According to Sade, it appears that sometime prior to this episode, a train jumped the tracks and plowed into Gumpox's room.  That'd be a fine how-do-you-do, wouldn't it?

+ Though we have heard and read accounts of beds traveling down the halls of the Bright Kentucky, this is the first account we have in script form.

37-04-07 Exciting Information

[All of the following is quoted directly from John T. Hetherington, author of Vic and Sade on the Radio: A Cultural History of Paul Rhymer's Daytime Series, from the article, "Little Gossips"]:

In the April 7, 1937 episode Sade reports on some “exciting information” that she has heard from Mis’ Donahue, who heard it from Mis’ Razorscum, who got it from Mis’ Drummond: Mis’ Drummond bought a “half a ton of little white stones” (p.6). Sade has concluded, through a series of deductions, that Mis’ Drummond is planning to dump them in the Gooks’ backyard until she’s ready to use them to decorate her garden – nearly two months later. Needless to say, Sade’s not pleased about this.

____________

OK, this isn’t the most scintillating gossip; however, there are a couple of things that make this memorable to me. First, there’s the complicated flow of information that Sade must recount to Vic as she tells him what she’s learned. Then there’s the trouble she has trying to share the gossip in the first place. You see, when she arrives home from Mis’ Donahue’s Vic is trying to read the newspaper and Rush is busy trying to persuade him to let him try out a new wrestling hold that Rooster has come up with, a “combination half-nelson an’ belly-jab.” (p.1). At one point as Sade tries to impart her “exciting information” she gets annoyed with Rush, who, unable to entice either Vic or Sade into letting him practice  the hold on them, has taken to trying to practice it on himself. Exasperated, Sade tells him to “go out-doors somewhere an’ choke yourself” (p.4). Given that Sade so rarely lets either Rush or Russell complete a story, I think it appeals to my sense of justice when Sade is confronted with the same problem.

Finally, after trying to follow Sade’s saga of the half-ton of little white stones, Vic turns to Rush:

VIC: You say you had a new wresting hold?

RUSH: You bet. Combination half-nelson an’ belly jab.

VIC: Is it painful?

RUSH: Terrifically so.

VIC: Try it out on me.
(p.10)

That just about says it all! A terrifically painful combination half-nelson an’ belly jab wins out over enduring Sade’s complex chain of gossip and its potential ramifications anytime!

44-07-21 Sade and the Revolver

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

A neighbor gives an old, beat-up revolver to Russell, but before he can play kid games with it, Sade finds it and demands Vic get rid of it, as she is afraid of guns.

However, before the gun is disposed of, Russell takes a couple of stabs at telling stories about how he would react if he were a gunslinger. 

SEE THE SCRIPT (part 1) (part 2)

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This could very well be the best script (at the very least, one of the best) of the Russell-era.

It's not only Russell who doesn't want to get rid of the gun, but you can also tell that Vic wouldn't mind having it stay around either.

However, in every situation in the Vic and Sade series where a gun is involved, Sade becomes worried:

• 36-xx-xx Rabbit Hunting from the Back Porch
• 43-04-12 Dottie's New Dress
• and this one. 

Vic says Russell was "childish" for wanting to play with guns, yet Vic is the "childish" one in the other two episodes listed above (and we know he was extremely childish in the Dottie's New Dress episode.)

In 1944 there was still a world war going on.   We know that not only were men sacrificing their lives for their countries but men, women and children were being senselessly brutalized, bullied, hung, burned, poisoned and otherwise killed for things such as their ethnicity.  And certainly, guns were the number one weapon used in the killing of 60+ million people during World War II.

Vic and Sade writer, Paul Rhymer

There were probably friends of Sade and Vic who had sons that had lost a life in Europe or perhaps Japan when this episode aired - and certainly those listening on their radios knew of someone (probably a handful) who had lost a son during this terrible time in world history.

Today, people are still being innocently slaughtered by crazies with rifles or other handguns and it doesn't even take a war for it to happen.  It happens all too frequently.

Sarah Cole examines the subject of Sade Gook and guns here.

Trivia:

* Mis' Donahue comes to the backdoor in this episode to return the Gook's meat grinder which she had obviously borrowed.  In episode 43-11-29 A Garbage Wagon Pass, Willis Rohrback came over to borrow same.  The Gooks must have a great grinder!

40-08-12 Sade's House is Not the Way She Left It

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON 

Sade's come home from a trip to Carberry and notices the house is surprisingly clean but things are not exactly where they were when she left.

She comes to find out that (mostly) Blue Tooth Johnson made a mess and Rush had to clean it up.  He gets a few things mixed up but for the most part, Sade seems surprised and pleased.

SEE THE SCRIPT

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Vic broke an olive and pickle plate but Sade wasn't in the least bit upset. Fifteen months later, Sade would be very upset when Rush would break her antique pickle and olive shoe and still seething, would even write a poem about it 11 months later to convey her feelings.

40-07-31 Lodge Brothers Ask to Make a Stopover

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON 

Vic has gotten a letter from Robert and Slobert Hink.  They are making a trek from Hoopeston to Peoria (roughly a 70 mile journey) and wish to visit Vic for a couple of days.  They want to go over parade routines and the like.

Sade doesn't like the Hinks' names, much less the Hinks (though she has never met them.)

Vic acts pleasant to Sade so she will feel like a heel.

SEE THE SCRIPT

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Anytime the Hinks are involved, fun is on the horizon.   The episode may remind you of 42-01-16 The Hinks Go West which ran about a year and a half later (it's not a remake or even a twist of the script but the episodes are somewhat similar.)

The Hinks have just bought a brand new car (more evidence that they are "rich." )

Greek Junk:

In hoc agricola spittle ad semper adsit puellorum hunc. Dim-wit non-disputandum cabbage et cetera. Cornucopia est divisa ob cabbage bop. Sinus trubble sint huious dum cluck...'

later ...

In sunt bello nomenclature itch. Oppo dingy dum hobo hunc. Adsit amor skittle blot. 

37-03-16 Rush to Have Stranger as a Bed-mate

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON 

The Donahues are having loads of company.  There's not enough room for one of her visitors - the driver.  So Sade offers to put him up over at her house.  More specifically, Rush's bed.

When he finds out about it, Rush doesn't squawk.  But he does get upset that Sade wants him to go to bed before it's even dark so that he won't be making all kinds of noise when he would normally go to bed after 11 pm. This stranger has to get up at 5 am.

This makes Rush feel put out.

SEE THE SCRIPT

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This is a funny script.  I really enjoyed the last few lines, which read like this:

VIC: Good night, Pete.
SADE: Good night.
VIC: I say good night, Pete. [To Sade] Guess he don't care to answer.
SADE: [negative] Uh-uh.
VIC: [Little chuckle]
SADE: [Little chuckle]
VIC: [Bigger chuckle]
SADE: [Bigger chuckle]
VIC: [Little laugh]
SADE: [Little laugh]
RUSH: [Through clenched teeth] That's O.K.

Even though they are just kidding, Vic and Sade laugh at Rush and mock him, making fun of the fact that it's him being put out, not them.

Before being called downstairs to be told the bad news by his mother, Rush said he was upstairs "tapin' a baseball."

I assume this to mean he was fixing a baseball that had it's hide torn off - something I've rarely come across in my life. The fact of the matter is, this probably could only happen to a baseball that had seen a lot of action.

Baseballs weren't cheap in 1937. I'm guessing a baseball might cost as much as fifty cents. As Sade might say, Fifty centses don't grow on trees, Mister Man.

39-05-01 The Donahues Move

The Donahues, leaving a ton of coal in their basement, move away from Virginia Avenue.

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We don't know why, exactly, but we do know the move was short-lived and that the Donahues move back to their old house right next to the Gooks.

We know the date of this episode because it was mentioned in a conversation in episode 39-04-26 Sade's New Luggage.

The title, however, is one made up by me, purely for identification purposes.

37-01-22 Vic is 'Arch' to Old Friend

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON 

Ed Staker, the newly-elected Exalted Little Dipper of the Sleepy Saturn Chapter of the Sacred Stars of the Milky Way in St. Paul, Minnesota, wants Vic to be his best man at his upcoming wedding. But Ed barely knows Vic and in a letter to him, keeps calling him "Arch."

Vic wants to go, but Sade thinks it's ridiculous - he doesn't know Vic well enough to even remember his name.

SEE THE SCRIPT

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If Ed was in the lodge, you wonder if Sade would be so dead set against the trip to Minnesota?

It's mentioned that Vic's best man was a fellow by the name of Harley Eggsocket.

Smelly Clark has given Rush an open invitation to be his best man when he marries and he plans on marrying several different ladies in his lifetime.

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.

44-01-11 Who Spotted the First Robin of Spring?

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND  DAVID WHITEHOUSE

• Russell: "Heine Call's a big fat-headed show-off.  He sweeps his front porch without any shoes on just to impress the American public with what a dead-game sport he is."
• Sade: "…transparent as a horse."
• Sade mentions she'll "go next door and sew and visit with Mis' Donahue awhile."
• Russell is fed up with Heine and refuses to watch him anymore after he takes off his socks to further impress the American public.
• Vic: "Russell, your mother is one mighty sharp customer.  there's no dust on the cuff of her jacket."  
• Vic expects Hank Gutstop, Stacey Yopp, Y.I.I.Y. Skeeber and Rishigan Fishigan to stop by so he can arbitrate their argument about who spotted the first robin of the season.  The person who spots the first robin of the season annually becomes the toast of the town.  For the last few years, Hank has spotted the first robin and has the prestige of the town. - compiled by Barbara Schwarz, edited by Jimbo Mason

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It's not said in the notes but I'd bet the sighting of the first robin is a lodge-thing, rather than a town-thing.  But since the notes don't say...

So we can assume that Hank was missing in the previous episode (dated the day before) that he was off on a robin-spotting expedition.

Sade leaves to go next door - it's a sure thing she doesn't want to hang around the coming "Bright Kentucky" crowd.

Russell simply does not like Heinie and we have other episodes to prove this (here and here.)

43-11-24 Vic Brings Home A High-Crown Cowboy Hat

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Vic arrives home. Sade and Russell had both seen him approaching as they talked, but he enters without the parcel he had been carrying. Sade immediately inquires if he bought a hat. They discuss the fact that there have been no recent disputes about hats, and they're probably due for one.

Tom Mix - popular man

Vic tells Sade (and a nosy Russell) how the hats are popular in Dismal Seepage, Ohio... and Sade tells him (while walking out on him) to take the hat back to Kleeburgers. 

SEE THE SCRIPT (part 1) (part 2)

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When you see 'hat' in the title, you know what's about to take place at the small house halfway up the next block.  Audiences in 1943 knew what was about to take place too, provided they'd been listening a while.

Why does Vic even bring the hats to the house?  Why not keep the hats at Ike's house?  Leave one at work and one at the lodge?  Why does he torment himself?  Perhaps he lacked the love of his mother as a child and yearns to be idled by Sade's nagging voice?

Have you noticed that as time goes by in the series, the wide-brimmed hats have suddenly become cowboy hats?  Vic can't resist buying hats with larger and larger brims.  Did we miss Vic purchasing a sombrero?  I wouldn't be surprised.

We see that Russell is stitching up an indoor baseball.  I've made note of it before but I have yet to figure out what an "indoor baseball" is.  Both Rush and Russell have stitching duties with theirs, in various episodes.  Vic and Sade expert Louie Johnson suggests a soft baseball of some sort.

41-xx-xx How Neighbor Ladies Greet Each Other When on the Outs

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Over a "game" of Rummy, Sade chronicles the neighborhood ladies' friendships with each other.

SEE THE SCRIPT

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The friendships go something like this:

click to enlarge

Rush gets upset with Sade because while she's "playing" cards, she's not actually playing any cards.  I'm quite sure it upsets Vic also but since Rush is already making it known that Sade's holding up the game, he bites his lip.

40-08-28 Uncle Fletcher Speaks

STARRING: BERNARDINE FLYNN, BILL IDELSON AND CLARENCE HARTZELL

Clarence Hartzell

The arrival of Uncle Fletcher on Vic and Sade must have been almost freaky.  Imagine listening to the show for so many years (by the time this episode aired, it had been on the air more than eight years) and suddenly you are introduced to perhaps the strongest character in the history of radio plays.

Actor Clarence Harztell would play the part of Sade's Uncle Fletcher.  When he was on the radio, especially his first three years as the character, the shows were outstanding, with memorable moments abounding.

This episode has him simply being himself - and that's a handful for Sade and Rush to handle.

SEE SOME DIALOGUE AND THE SYNOPSIS

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Out of all of the audio episodes that are missing, this one might be the one we wish we had.  Hartzell must have played his Uncle Fletcher character to it's zenith in this episode, or it certainly seems to read that way when you see all the goofy things he says and does in the partial script and synopsis.  Hartzell had just been hired and Bill Idelson and Bernardine Flynn pulled hard for him to be on the show. You almost feel like this was a time when the cast knew that 'radio magic' was taking place.  That being, of course, those moments we hear that seem to resonate forever.

One thing for sure, he likes popcorn.

Trivia:

+ Uncle Fletcher gets up at 5 AM each morning and the Gooks seem to say they don't get up until 8 AM.

+ It doesn't stop there - Fletcher enjoys conversing with himself to 'clear the cobwebs' in the early early hours.

+ There are few things funnier than Uncle Fletcher hanging up on a telephone caller.  It happens in this episode to Ruthie.

+ Fletcher made a mess of the kitchen faucets, yard, swing, Mis' Donahue's flower garden, house... and no telling what else.

39-09-29 Two Tons of Coal #5

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Before reading this, even if you have heard/read it before, I strongly suggest you check out 39-07-05 Two Tons of Coal #1, 39-08-16 Two Tons of Coal #2 , 39-08-25 Two Tons of Coal #3 and 39-08-29 Two Tons of Coal #4

• Vic and Rush are about to start a game of cards, but Sade returns home from shopping and announces that  Mr. and Mis' Donahue are going to move back to Mulberry Street to the same house they used to live in.  Vic and Rush are stunned by this news.
• They each explode with, "I'm not gonna move that coal again!"  
• Sade thinks they should care about their good neighbors moving away, not about moving a little coal.
• Vic and Rush firmly state they're through carrying coal.
• Sade alters her statement to allow that the Donahues are only thinking about moving.  Vic tells her to write herself a note that he'll run away to Alaska before he moves any more coal.  Sade: (laughing) "I haven't said anything about coal."  Vic: "You've exhibited wise restraint.  Keep up the good work.  Continue not to say anything about coal."
• Rush asks if the Donahues intend to continually move back and forth between Virginia Avenue and Mulberry Street for the rest of their lives.
• Vic suggests "a distinct insane note in these proceedings.  He thinks they'd be better off living in a dray wagon."
• Sade points out all the positives leading the Donahues to consider the move again.  Vic is still incensed about the coal.  
• Sade can't see the need to move the coal again since it's already in the Gooks' cellar. Rush wonders where this rumor began.  Sade knows only that Mis' Trogle heard it from Miss Leepman.
• Vic sarcastically suggests that maybe another farewell party will be in order.
• Sade goes off to fix supper, and Vic and Rush pick up the cards, amazed at the unexpected unpleasant turns life suddenly presents. - compiled by Barbara Schwarz, edited by Jimbo Mason

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Imagine it being 1939 and you are faithfully listening to Vic and Sade.  It's the end of September and by now you have heard Two Tons of Coal, parts 1-4, which began way back on July 5th.

You turn on the radio to hear the show and to your surprise, you realize once again, the crazy Donahues could be moving again and oh, that coal!

We only have one audio file to listen to concerning this story.  But the one file we have shows just how much the boys don't want to move the coal - and that was just the first episode.  Imagine the thespian howls used by Art Van Harvey and young Billy Idelson to suggest to the audience the outright silliness, pain and frustration in once again being faced with moving two tons of coal from basement to basement.

I am pleased as a peach to present these parts of scripts to you but I don't think for one minute that they in any way express what Vic and Rush lamented to the probable-howling audience. In my imagination, parts 4 and 5 of this story might be some of the funniest radio we have never heard.

39-08-29 Two Tons of Coal #4

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

'Ma' Donahue?

Mr. Erickson doesn't want to lose Mr. and Mis' Donahue as tenants, so he's agreed to fix up their house, including the coal room.

Therefore, the Donahue's coal room needs to be completely cleaned out; this, of course, means the two ton pile of coal must be moved.  So, Mis' Donahue is giving the coal back to the Gooks as a gift.  

(Insert panther screams here)
 
SEE SOME DIALOGUE AND THE SYNOPSIS

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Move the coal again?

Sade acts like coal was expensive.  I've looked and couldn't find the price of a ton of coal in 1939.  But I did find that the price for a ton of coal today is about $25.

I think a reasonable, liberal estimate is that in 1939, 1 ton of coal might be $5 delivered.  Perhaps $8-10 dollars for 2 tons, delivered.

Also remember, there was a coal mine and a coal company in the town they lived in, so prices were probably pretty cheap.  (And this would be a pre-war year as well.)

At any rate, $8-10 dollars would save a lot of work.

Trivia:

+ The only other time we know of where Sade escaped the men by going upstairs for solitude was when they wrote silly letters to Walter in 39-xx-xx Letter To Walter.

39-08-25 Two Tons of Coal #3

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

As we learned in 39-08-16 Two Tons of Coal #2, Mr. and Mis' Donahue are
moving back, and Sade feels that it's only fair to return the coal they previously gave to the Gooks when they moved out.  She expects Vic and Rush to do the job the next day.  Rush protests that she should have been given more notice.  Vic tries to appeal to Sade's common sense.

Again?

Rush suggests having two tons of coal delivered to the Donahues at the Gooks' expense. Vic loves this idea. Sade won't hear of it. Sade counters with, "Mis' Donahue would never accept new coal."  Yeah, whatever, Sade.

SEE SOME DIALOGUE AND THE SYNOPSIS

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Rush complains that he and Vic should have been given more notice about moving the coal; the fact is, they were given nine days notice.

It doesn't appear that the Gooks and Donahues ever played "500" before 1939.  As a matter of fact, the couples weren't really that social at all, at least that we know about.  The social aspect of the Gooks and Donahues probably revolved around the ladies on their back porches ringing out their mops.  And the Thimble Club.

In my opinion, the reference to Billy Patterson in this episode is the very best of the lot.

Sade says August has a chill... I doubt it.  Low 70's or upper 60's for night time lows (Northern Illinois) do not require lighting the heater.

You ever just get the feeling that Sade takes every opportunity to make Vic's life miserable when she can?

39-08-16 Two Tons of Coal #2

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Dog gone the dog gone luck!

Sade has surprising news that the Donahues, their former next door neighbors, who had moved away just about a month prior, are moving back into their old house.

Rush realizes that he and Vic will be stuck moving back the two tons of coal that they were "gifted" with and Vic knows the boys will also be forced to help the Donahues move furniture.

SEE SOME DIALOGUE AND THE SYNOPSIS

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Of course the men will scream like panthers!  Maybe Rush can come up with a better excuse than his "overalls are wrinkled" -- the flimsy excuse he used when he first had to move the large pile of coal.

Trivia:

+ Nicer Scott is up his old, narcissistic tricks - this time, claiming he's "The Most Popular Youngster on Virginia Avenue". Four months prior to this episode, Nicer extended his popularity farther than his street by claiming to have over 2 billion acquaintances.

+ Here's a bit of trivia you may have read before but forgotten:  Vic enjoys playing golf now and then.  It's mentioned in this script that he had a date with Mr. Buller to play at the end of the week.  Let's hope Vic wasn't asked to catch Buller's clubs from a fast passenger train...

+ It turns out that reason the Donahues moved back was they simply missed their neighbors.  (Never mind the fact that Mulberry Street is less than a mile away).

39-04-07 Mixmaster Beats a Strong Personality

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Mr. Personality?

(Special contest script: promoting The advantages of having a MixMaster to make great food with Crisco.)

Sade now has her new MixMaster, and raves about it.  Meanwhile, Vic was complimented by his Chicago boss, Mr. Buller, and was told that he has a 'strong personality' and does his best to impress his family with the news, but no one really seems to care.

SEE SOME DIALOGUE AND THE SYNOPSIS

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The Sunbeam MixMaster and Crisco promotion was still going on as of this script.  Not every script during this time involved the MixMaster but it's my guess that several do.  This script was done in a way that doesn't seem like a commercial.  As a matter of fact, it seems to fit in nicely.  Kudos to Paul Rhymer.

While Sade is raving about all she can make with the MixMaster, it occurs to me that she really wasn't mentioned in the shows as much of a cook. She did cook beef punkles and brick mush of course, and once she made 'Hooper Dip' and 'upside-down cake', but not much else.  She entices Vic and Rush in this episode with mentions of mashed potatoes and chocolate pudding.

Trivia:

+ According to Rush, off-and-on-crush Mildred Tisdel has a strong personality.  (By the way, if Rush doesn't have a strong personality, I'll eat a horse.)

+ The script suggests that the hype about the MixMaster might have been going on a month prior.

39-03-10 Sade – A Slick Operator

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Sneaky Sade finds a way to purchase a Sunbeam Mixmaster, a product being promoted by the show's sponsor, Crisco.

SEE SOME DIALOGUE AND THE SYNOPSIS (part 1) (part 2)

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The Sunbeam Mixmaster and Crisco teamed up on an advertising campaign in March of 1939. I cannot find any of those ads on the internet.  What I
did find though was that the Mixmaster probably did save a lot of time - if you were inclined to do things such as buff your silver. Yes, this mixer had an attachment to buff your silver. It also had an attachment to sharpen your knives and open cans. There were attachments to help you make mixed drinks, grind your own meat, and many other applications.

This is not the earliest date in which we have heard about Third Lieutenant Stanley.  He first showed up in the surviving material in January of 1939.

In case you didn't catch it when reading above, Sade cleverly used a penny and amplified it quietly to the enormous sum she was seeking from Vic.

Trivia:

+  If you haven't already figured it out, this was a special contest script: promoting the advantages of having a Sunbeam Mixmaster to make great food with Crisco.

+ Here's a list of all the kids Rush got a chance to name off before Vic stopped him:  Wendell Scott, Keith Vines, Ross Anderson, Lyle Roll, Lester Nafziger, Charley Neece, Everett Ireland, Harry Bliss, Ed Smoler, Bill Moore, Tom Keefer, Sam Sunkman, Millard White, Emory Jackson, Cecil Koker, Clyde Schnepp, Orval Lesters, Ellis Prossman, Joe Greel, Dwight Montgomery, Edmund Klin, Arch Cunningham, Robert Miller, Osbert Reynolds, Harry Ives, Walter Sneed and Franklin Obee.