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.

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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!

35-02-22 Vic's Dinner Invitation to Mr. Buller

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

We're delicious!

Mis' Brighton and Mis' Chilly are expected to visit Sade this noon.  Sade has baked some "dainty, little white cakes" (with the obvious help of Crisco) for the ladies and makes it clear to Vic and Rush that they can only have the leftovers.

Vic announces he will dine lightly.  He's ordered beef punkles and Limber-schwartz cheese from Mr. Croucher, which he intends to cook and feed to Mr. Buller this eve in the kitchen while Sade entertains in the living room. However, Sade's concerned about the strong odors from the cheese. She suggests to Vic that he move his dinner to the Butler House Hotel.

Vic announces he'll cook in the basement.  Sade's not happy about this.  But Mis' Brighton calls apologetically, wanting to postpone her visit until next week.  She and Mis' Chilly heard about Croucher's special.  Beef punkles and Limber-schwartz cheese are Mis' Chilly's favorite foods!  Sade tells them to come ahead.  When she calls Croucher's to order more beef punkles and cheese, she finds they are sold out, so she offers to allow Vic to feed Mr. Buller the "dainty little white cakes" and she can feed the beef punkles and cheese to her lady friends.

SCRIPT (Part 1) (Part 2)

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TRIVIA:

* We previously knew that Miss Kinney was Rush's Latin teacher in High School, but we find out (suspect, anyway) here that she was also a teacher at his Junior High.

Vernon (imagined)

* Vernon Alberts is a character I would like to know a lot more about.  We have very little to go on, but oddly, his father doctors him.  It appears as though he was only in episodes when Rush was in Junior High School; however, we know his father was a veterinarian and the young boy seems to take his cue from that.  Everything we know about this kid is animal-related -- and not in a good way.

* Wanting to "eat light", Vic was planning on eating "bread and milk for lunch.  (This could be cornbread and buttermilk...).

* Mis' Chilly is Mis' Brighton's sister-in-law.

* Mis' Drummond's first name is Ida.  "Bulldog" is her son; he was a nemesis of Rush during the first few years of the show.  The Drummond's never move (they are around in the 'Russell years') but for some reason, Bulldog is never mentioned in the later (post-1938) scripts/audio.

* Vic comments that Mr. Buller "just about goes mad" over Limber-schwartz cheese and beef punkles.  And you know, who doesn't?  According to Vic, he and Buller plan to eat the deli delights for an hour-and-a-half.

* It is inferred in the script that beef punkles give off a stinky odor when they cook, as the word "offended" is used in relation to the guests having to smell the odor, not to mention "horrible reek"; even uncooked it "smells terrible" (Rush).   As a matter of fact, it smells so bad, Sade instructs Rush to put Vic and Buller's food outside on the porch! And, much like Stingyberry Jam, it is said the punkles "crawl" all over the house (certainly a knock on it's odor).

* The cheese doesn't smell good either.  We get a glimpse into Rush's child activities when he talks about the smell of the slaughterhouse.  You can just see those young scallywags wandering down there for fun and amusement.

* Dan Quayle = doofus, right?  This script, and many others, show that writer Paul Rhymer often misspelled 'potato' with an 'e'; either that, or the 'e' was commonplace and acceptable in the Midwest at one time.  Yet, Quayle (from neighboring Indiana) is an "idiot" and Rhymer is a "genius".

44-08-09 Mr. Gumpox Has Lost His Dentures

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

The garbage man, Mr. Gumpox has lost his upper plate of dentures and asks those in the neighborhood if they wouldn't mind looking for them near their house. Sade is out looking for them when Vic and Russell arrive.

The plot is an excuse for the family to gab about the neighbors and on the subject of teeth, in general.

SEE THE SCRIPT

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The premise used here would be most unusual for most shows but somehow you don't feel it's one bit out of the norm for Vic and Sade.

This episode also introduces us to some University Street neighbors we never knew existed before now, although we never find out exactly where they live.

Trivia:

+ At the beginning of the show, we find that Vic and Russell have just gotten back from the Bijou. There's a couple of odd things about this; firstly, Vic says he had to play hooky from work that afternoon to be able to go, making us know it was a weekday. Why then, wasn't Russell in school? Did he play hooky as well?

Another thing, we know that Vic hates Gloria Golden films. However, he explains why he went to the theater this day: A) he got to miss the last few hours of work; B) the theater was cool and it's obviously a warm, August day and C) we don't know it was a Gloria Golden film the boys saw.

We never find out the name of the movie the boys see at the Bijou but Hector Harwood was one of the stars in the film (though Gloria Golden is never mentioned we do find out it was a love story...)

Russell reminisces about older films and film stars he remembers: Gilmore Griswold in The Four Gun Cattle Thief and Wild Western Dynamite. He also recalls Bill Bleatman in The Cavalier Cowboy and I Hate You.

+ Sade has a variety of flower in her flower garden with the name, "Panther Blood" (not found on the internet, so we can assume it's made up.)

+ Vic and Russell talk about Sade before they ever reach her and both agree she's "close-fisted" - that is - she's a tightwad. I had never been given that impression in the previous episodes.

+ Mr. Gumpox's upper plate of false teeth cost over $100. According to this site, the current price for such is anywhere from $300 to $600.

+ Wallace Avenue is mentioned for the first time and it seems apparent that it lies to the west of where the Gooks live. Mr. Gumpox's garbage route begins at Kelsey Street and ends at Wallace Avenue. We don't know how large of an area that is.

+ Mis' Corkle is mentioned for the first time. She lives somewhere in the Gook's neighborhood - probably on University Street. She probably has a young son named Curtis.

+ Mis' Snyder is mentioned for the first time and also lives in the Gook's neighborhood, probably on University Street.  It's very possible that she is the wife of Grandpa Snyder.

+ Mis' Drummond is mentioned for the first time; her son is named Artie. They probably also live on University Street.

+ While the family is looking for Mr. Gumpox's teeth, Vic picks up a cigar butt and asks, "Is this them?"

+ Mis' Razorscum looks out her window as the neighbors in alleyway behind the Gook house search for the missing dentures. She does not help with the search and instead of ridiculing her or saying something nasty, Sade just says, "That's not like her."

+ The dentures are finally found by Mr. Overholt.

+ The script was a repeat from the days when Rush was doing the show since there is a script that shows Rush in it instead of Russell.

Vic is being silly: {{{HEAR}}}

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