44-05-12 There's No Place Like a Home

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

• A letter from Homer U. McDancey suggests that Vic give marching lessons at various State Homes in 22 different states:
• Alabama State Home For the Nauseated
• Arizona State Home For the Eager
• Colorado State Home For the Bashful
• Connectict State Home For the Affable
• Kentucky State Home For the Suspicious
• Maryland State Home For the Surprised
• Minnesota State Home For the Right-Handed
• Mississippi State Home For the Impersonal
• Missouri State Home For the Tall
• Nebraska State Home For the Nice-Looking
• New Hampshire State Home For the Disgruntled
• North Dakota State Home For the Shy
• Ohio State Home For the Bald
• Ohio State Home For the Obstinate
• Oklahoma State Home For the Mistaken
• Oregon State Home For the Light-Complected
• Pennsylvania State Home For the Reactionary
• South Carolina State Home For the Dainty
• Texas State Home For the Relaxed
• Utah State Home For the Kittenish
• Vermont State Home For the Freckled
• West Virginia State Home For the Argumentative
• (Russell’s Idea): New York State Home For the Antidisestablishmentarianistic 
•   Russell volunteers:
  "…there was a case in Indiana where a fella invented ice cream without any flavor…"  and later:
  "… there was a case in Indiana where a fella liked raw potatoes better than popcorn…" and still later:
  "…there was a case in Indiana where a fella waited for a streetcar 37 hours." - compiled by Barbara Schwarz, edited by Jimbo Mason

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If this were available to us on audio, I can imagine it being one of the very best; at any rate, it would be part of the Vic and Sade storytelling that you can find in articles all over.  At least now the story is out there in print and can be (almost) fully appreciated.

44-03-13 Letter from Stella Klank

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY AND BERNARDINE FLYNN

• Vic is obsessed with dinner, which isn't ready, and Sade wants to read Stella's letter to him to show him it's "inconsequential trash."
• Stella (who lives in Dixon) mentions: Nelson Klunk and Lottie McVirtchel in Marengo; Jeanette and Ocky McMasterson, who own a fake piano, visited.  Mr. Furgleson will travel with Nelson to Sweet Esther, Wisconsin on business.  Ed and Wanda Tretson are moving to Dismal Seepage, Ohio. they used to live in Sick River Junction, where Ed worked as an armed guard at the Missouri Home For the Tall. They're expecting a fourth child in July. Little Donald has been staying with his grandma in Topeka for two weeks.  Fern and Albert Greetch dropped past.  Helen and Butler Chonk are moving to a house out of town.  Butler didn't make a go of the faded overall business.  Helen wants him to go back to giving violin lessons, but music jangles his nerves.
• Sade's afraid if she answers the letter she'll get involved in an  unending exchange of meaningless drivel.  Vic puts aside his hunger pangs long enough to suggest Sade's exchanges with her sister Bess are no more meaningful.  Sade says that's different – sisters.
• Back to the letter: Fist and Isabelle Maloney, Art and Dorothy Koog, Findlay and Bertha Spence are forming a glee club.
• Vic (commenting on a hint of spring in the air): "Little vernal zephyrs perfume the ozone." - compiled by Barbara Schwarz, edited by Jimbo Mason
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Vic stepped on a landmine that didn't explode when he talks about Bess's letters being inconsequential.

As we have learned previously, Sweet Esther is not just a popular destination for lodge members.

The Gooks and Uncle Fletcher know of a handful of armed guards who work for the Missouri Home for the Tall.

The "faded overall business" was a joke then - now faded blue jean products are money-makers.

A simple but funny name mentioned in the letter: Butler Chonk.

According to the book, Vic and Sade on the Radio: A Cultural History of Paul Rhymer's Daytime Series, this episode is dated February 9, 1944.  

44-07-31 Hank Cuts His Debt to Vic

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Vic gets a letter from Sick River Junction, Missouri; it's correspondence from the vacationing Hank Gutstop, who is visiting his brother there. He's sent Vic $8.00, a partial payment for the loans he's taken from Vic.

Sade though, wonders how much money Hank has borrowed over the years - and even Vic doesn't seem to know (edited): {{{HEAR}}}

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I've never kept track of it but in the surviving episodes, I'm guessing Hank asked for a loan about once every twenty or so episodes.  Sometimes it was $2 - sometimes $200.

Trivia:

+ Russell talks about Blue Tooth Johnson bragging on himself. Yet two episodes back, Russell goes on and on about how maginficent his own head is.

+ Sade got a coupon in the mail from the Lazy Hours Pool Hall. This time, it's a "All the Cole Slaw You Can Eat with Every 6th Game of Rotation Pool Next Saturday Evening" coupon.

+ Russell says Blue Tooth gets an enormous thrill out of playing the game of dominoes.

+ Vic accidentally reveals that this $8.00 is the only money Hank ever payed him.

+ At the end of the episode, Vic is upset - maybe even crying - and one of the ways (seemingly) that Vic "gets back" at Sade is by going outside and coming in the front door, which is a Sade no-no.

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44-04-07 The Solo March

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Homer U. McDancey once again suggests to Vic that he be the special Christmas Day guest speaker at the Missouri Home for the Tall in Sick River Junction, Missouri.

Vic is so flattered that he intends on going and giving not only a speech about marching but also a solo march.

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Average episode enhanced greatly by further usage of the Missouri Home for the Tall. The funniest line in the episode is when Russell comments that Uncle Fletcher has a croney that's an armed guard at the Missouri institution!

Trivia:

+ Mis' Neagle, who was not only Rush's freakishly strong Sunday School teacher but also Russell's, can chin herself 23 times.  She was complimented on her muscles, according to Russell.

+ The Missouri Home for the Tall has 700 inmates!  Uncle Fletcher has a cronie that works as an armed guard there.

+ Arthur K. Van Beebunk (not named in this episode but was in an earlier one) was a boyhood chum of Homer U. McDancey.

+ Homer U. McDancey has "lovely" penmanship, according to Sade.

+ Ed Fife was mentioned for the first time. He's a friend of Russell's; he plans on going with the gang down to the YMCA to watch the fat men play handball.

+ Sade refers to events that happened in 44-03-24 The Seven Minute March.  McDancey and Vic had an opportunity to briefly meet and march together.

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44-01-25 Missouri State Home for the Tall

STARRING: ARTY VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Vic has been asked by Homer U. McDancey to give a speech to the inmates at the Missouri State Home for the Tall.

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Since they cannot afford to pay for his trip nor pay him a fee, Vic's going to decline the offer; yet, he gets out Volume 7 in his lodge library and begins to write anyway.

A funny episode. Referring to the tall people as "inmates" is hilarious!

Trivia:

+ The Missouri State Home for the Tall is in Sick River Junction, Missouri.

+ Vic was also once asked to speak to the Ohio Home of the Bald.

+ In Homer U. McDancey's letter to Vic, he refers to Sade as "Sally" and to Russell as "Grizzle."

+ Arthur K. Van Beebunk is the Superintendent for the Missouri Home.

imagined

+ When Vic reads the letter aloud it is very reminiscent of Rush trying to read Aunt Bess's letter in 1939. Here's the first few seconds or so of each (edited):
{{{HEAR}}}

+ In the closing of his letter to Vic, Homer U. McDancey has some Latin words we haven't been privy to before:
spim spittle no crack pot bunk referendum es coaless dum fusterman goom

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