33-08-05 Vic, the Housework Dodger

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND  BILL IDELSON

Sade has plans to varnish the living room floor and needs all of the furniture moved out of the house.  Vic is pre-occupied...

SCRIPT (part 1) (part 2)

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Honestly, not much going on in this one.  The episode does provide a bit of a window into Consolidated Kitchenware, but not much.

TRIVIA:

+ In 1933 (at least) Alvy Trogle worked with Vic in the bookkeeping department of Consolidated Kitchenware.

+ Conrad is a 'new man' who also works with Vic, probably in bookkeeping.

+ The Kitchenware Quarterly goes back to at least 1925.  We know this because Vic found an old copy.

32-07-19 Vic Trapped on the Roof Getting the Newspaper

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

• The newsboy has again thrown the morning paper on the roof. Vic borrows Mis' Fisher's ladder. He must read the speech "Rubbish" (Mr. Ruebush) gave to the Home Builders Club last night. Rush is off playing "mailman" with Squirt, so he can't go up on the roof.  Vic calls the office to let Miss Lutz know he'll be delayed ‘til 9:30.
• Vic goes up on the roof, gets the paper and finds the ladder gone. His feet are burning. Sade figures Rush took the ladder for the "mailman" game.
• Sade hands Vic up a chair, which draws a crowd of onlookers.  The phone rings. Miss Lutz calls to connect Vic to the boss, and she tells Ruebush Vic's on the roof. Sade finds this comical.  Vic starts yelling at the onlookers (including a Mr. Morris).
• The phone is handed to Vic. He tells Ruebush he's on the roof. An onlooker yells, "We know you're on the roof!"    Vic: "G'wan, ya half-wit! Soon's I get down from here I'm gonna…"   Sade: "Vic!  Mr. Ruebush thinks you're callin' him a half-wit!"
• Vic alternates trying to explain the situation to the boss and yelling at the onlookers to go away. - compiled by Barbara Schwarz, edited by Jimbo Mason

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This episode seems to be turning the strongest tide so far from soap opera to comedy.  By reading the notes, it's hard to imagine this being funny (compared to the outrageous Vic and Sade shows that we know now) but in 1932, these slapstick/confusion-type skits were setting the world on fire (and apparently, Vic's feet as well.)

32-07-13 Five Dogs Arrive

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY AND BERNARDINE FLYNN

• Vic has brought home a dog that Mr. Ruebush has bought for him.  
• Mis' Hess over on Virginia Avenue also sent them a dog that morning, a Boston Terrier who's in the kitchen. 
• Sade gets a letter saying the Meadows boy, Victor, is arriving tomorrow.
• They're excited, and they laugh over Mis' Fisher's nosiness.
• Another dog arrives, sent by Emil Croucher.  This is the Croucher who runs the market/butcher shop that we know so well from later episodes.
• Vic admits his secretary, Miss Lutz, intimidated him as he'd never dictated a letter before. He realizes he needs to get up to speed on the job, but when the boss gave him the dog, he used the excuse to get away from Miss Lutz.
• Yet another dog arrives, sent by Stanley Fogarty, the man at the gas station – another Boston Bull.
• Vic practices dictating letters to Sade but stops at the salutation. Sade suggests he write the letters on his shirt-cuffs and read them to Miss Lutz. Vic loves the idea.
• An unknown man pushes another dog in the door and leaves. the dog looks mean, and now, with five dogs in the house, they're a little upset.
• Mis' Fisher snoops around the back door as the five dogs fight in the kitchen. - compiled by Barbara Schwarz, edited by Jimbo Mason

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The Vic we "know" is very rarely intimidated (although he surely has a problem with women intimidating him, think of the many times Sade has done so and remember his fear over Mis' Korkel's football-playing, desk-smashing mother.)  Add in the fact that Vic never talks about his mother or sister (if he has one.)

His new job and new secretary intimidate him.  It's kind of hard to fathom, since we know that Vic goes on to become the head of his lodge and is a big man around town.  Maybe Vic is secretly a misogynist?

Although not specified by Barbara Schwarz, we assume the dogs were a gift for the coming Victor Meadows (Rush.)  Everyone in town seems to have gotten the same idea.  

Mis' Fisher seems like she could really present a problem to the Gooks - IF they were doing something they didn't want her to know about.  But it seems their life is pretty tepid and therefore, Mis' Fisher is worth a laugh rather than being angry about.