44-04-06 Sade Rummy/Russell's Motorcycle

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND  DAVID WHITEHOUSE

For some reason, Vic has chosen Sade for a Rummy partner.  This never goes well, as Sade really doesn't care much about cards (nor the rules of the game).  While the slow game plots along, Russell enters and talks about a "motorcycle" he was given by the neighbor, Mr. Breep.  Sade wants no part of the vehicle.

SCRIPT (part 1) (part 2) (part 3)

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We know that writer Paul Rhymer would often use the scenario of a card game as backdrop, which would enable him to write a real situation for Sade to gossip in (or in this case, drag the game on and on).  The cards mean nothing to the play, other than it's a running gag that Sade hates to play and yet, does for some reason.


The "motorcycle" here has no motor... so, is it still a "motorcycle"?

TRIVIA:

* A 'Mr. Twentysixler' is said to live in Dixon.  You have to wonder if this is Dwight Twentysixler, who shows up in Series 2.

* "Ted" and Ruthie used to own a motorcycle: took trips to Iowa and Indiana on it.

* Russell had recently purchased a first baseman's mitt (for $1.75).  Rush had a few baseball gloves we knew about as well.

* Sade tells Vic that Mis' Appelrot refers to card suits as "suites".  And she's not wrong: "suites" and "suits" are basically the same word.

44-04-24 Howard, the Runaway

STARRING: BERNARDINE FLYNN AND RUSSELL MILLER

• In the alley behind Graham Street, Howard suddenly bolted – all the way to Seminary Avenue. 
• Russell: "…shrill screaming and high-pitched yells of wild-eyed people."
• Russell: "Howard lost a good many true friends by his rash action."  Mr. Gumpox cried at having been betrayed by his old friend.
• Smelly Clark thinks Howard did it out of boredom, Heine Call thinks he was startled out of an exciting dream. Oyster Krecker thinks he was just blowing off steam.
• Mis' Razorscum thinks he was probably bit by an insect (also Sade's idea).
• Russell resolves to stand by Howard unless and until "it's proven his action was deliberately malicious."
• Russell (about Howard): "He's innocent as the new-mown hay." - compiled by Barbara Schwarz, edited by Jimbo Mason

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Howard is a horse most everyone loves.  But at this point in his life, he was a bit of a dangerous creature.

Two months later, he would knock holes in two garbage boxes, perhaps the product of getting loose and creating helter skelter.

43-12-09 Winter Picnic Plans

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

• B. B. Baugh calls, suggesting a winter picnic.  Vic (at end of call): "Bee bee, bye bye – I mean Bye, bye, B. B."
• Vic tells Sade and Russell they're not invited.
• The picnic's only for the Sweet Esther, Wisconsin crowd.
  B. B. Baugh and Pom Pom Cordova were born there.
• Russell: "I heard of a fella that went to Colorado with the idea of staying an hour and a quarter and ended up staying forty-seven years."  Sade: "Um."  Russell: "That case is on record, and the public is welcome to go to Washington, D. C. and read all the details in the Congressional Record."   Sade: "I guess I'll do that."  Russell (approvingly):  Uh-huh, and you could visit Grant's tomb at the same time."  Vic: "Grant's tomb is in New York."  Russell: "I disagree."  Vic: "O. K."  
• The invited crowd: Sade suggests: Dr. Keevey, Lolita DiRienzi.
• Russell suggests: "Our grocery boy, Irvin, Miss Hammersweet and the girl at the cigar counter."
• Vic says two more who share Sweet Esther as their birthplace have been uncovered: Mis' Harris' roomer, Mr. Breep, and Fern Mudstudy, the girl that plays the piano at the Ten Cent store (born 11-21-1910.)
• Russell lists all eight invitees: "grocery boy Irvin, Fern Mudstudy, Vic, Pom Pom, B. B. Baugh, Morgan Perron, the girl at the cigar counter in the Unity Building, Mis' Harris' roomer, Mr. Breep, and Mis' Olive Hammersweet (Vic's secretary.)
• Sade notes there'll be two musicians there: Pom Pom and Fern.  Vic doubts they'll take a piano out in the woods.
• Russell: "The Chicago & Alton shop employees had an outing at Howton's Lake, and they hauled a piano there on a truck."
• Sade bristles when Vic says "four boys and four girls". Russell says it's 1 boy, 3 men, 3 girls, and a woman.
• Mr. Breep telephone Vic, who suddenly realizes he wasn't born in Sweet Esther, Wisconsin.  He was born in Union Grove, Illinois. - compiled by Barbara Schwarz, edited by Jimbo Mason

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Strange doings.  Take a long look at the list of folks on the picnic... look up some particulars at the Character site. There is a definite theme with the picnic - the people's names, their occupations and where they come from are all important. 

Trivia:

+ Fern Mudstudy will later be mentioned in an episode and her description will be nearly identical.

41-01-16 Rush – Hot Soup Delivery Boy

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

• Vic and Sade discuss Rush's need for new clothes.
• Rush arrives and announces he has a problem – he's got a job: deliver a bowl of hot soup to a sick lady way out on Armstrong Avenue.  How does he get it there without spilling it?  Mis' Harris is paying him a dime to deliver the soup to Mis' Weekley at 1926 West Armstrong Avenue.
• Rush ponders possible delivery methods, and Sade reminds him the soup's getting cold.  She suggests using the street car.  Rush says he'd still have to walk eleven blocks to get to and from the street-car.  Also, the street-car costs seven cents, which would cut his profit to three cents.
• Vic suggests having Mis' Weekley meet him halfway – bring a napkin and spoon to the corner of Morris Avenue and Jefferson Street.  
• Rush regrets having accepted the job.  Usually, Mis' Harris' roomers do the deliveries, but only Mr. Breep was home, and she doesn't trust him – thinks he'll just put the soup in his auto radiator.
• Vic recalls a fella in Dixon that used to put hot soup on his mustache to make it look rich and glossy: "the girls admired his silky mustache to such an extent that several of ‘em committed suicide and…"
• Vic suggests Rush pour the soup over his clothes, speed over on his bike, wring out his clothes in a bowl, and present the soup to Mis' Weekley with his "best compliments and the sincere hope that she enjoys a rapid recovery."
• Sade suggests taking it to Mis' Childers in that neighborhood and have her re-heat the soup.  Rush says it'll still take too long – and all for a doggone dime.
• Vic suggests dumping the soup. Wash the bowl, fasten it to the bike, ride out to the west side, buy a can of soup at the grocery, have Mis' Childers heat it, pour it in the bowl, and saunter around the corner to Mis' Weekley.  Rush focuses on the cut into his profits. Sade says: put the soup in her tin bucket with the tight-fitting lid, wash the bowl, ride to Mis' Childers', have it re-heated and deliver it.  Everyone agrees that's the best solution. - compiled by Barbara Schwarz, edited by Jimbo Mason

SEE THE PARTIAL DIALOGUE AND SYNOPSIS

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This seems like a job for the Thermos. The Thermos bottle was invented in 1892 but it appears that the Gooks either haven't heard of these or don't have one. Seems like it's the perfect solution.

40-09-17 Uncle Fletcher Unexpectedly Departs

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Uncle Fletcher has suddenly decided to go back to Dixon.  He found out Mr. Breep is driving that way and can ride with him and save the train fare.

SEE SOME DIALOGUE AND THE SYNOPSIS

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This episode essentially boils down to 'saying good-bye'.  I believe Uncle Fletcher will miss the Gooks and they will miss him.  He doesn't like the whole 'saying goodbye' business.  This is why he has chosen to leave on the spur of the moment.

Trivia:

+ Uncle Fletcher tells a story about Walter M. Veefy: Was at the train depot, waiting for his train to leave and kissed his grandma goodbye... he kept waiting for the train to leave and he waited all afternoon and kept kissing his grandma.

+ Uncle Fletcher also tells the story about Veefy's brothers drowning in various rivers, which he told again (slightly different) 11 months after this episode aired.

44-03-20 Mysterious Skulkers

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN, DAVID WHITEHOUSE AND CLARENCE HARTZELL

Sade notices three skulkers in the backyard. They turn out to be Uncle Fletcher and two of his friends.

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One of the rare Vic and Sade episodes that really goes nowhere; that's not to say it's a horrible episode as it's not but neither is it great. Very, very little going on in this one.

Trivia:

+ Roy Dejectedly and Pelter Unbleet both lived in Philadelphia in the year 1909 - yet they did not know each other.

+ It's inferred that Sade probably doesn't like Roy Dejectedly and she's never met Pelter Unbleet.

+ Unbleet is also a handyman along with his duties as the janitor for the Bright Kentucky Hotel.

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41-05-16 Uncle Fletcher's Door Stop Plan

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Uncle Fletcher has an idea: use 4 foot pieces of railroad track as doorstops.

Though they will weigh 440 pounds each, they will be covered with velvet and have an embroidered saying on it:

I'm only a piece of heavy steel,
A product of the forge.
I'll hold your door either open or closed,
Step up and call me 'George.'

MIS' CROWE SAYS:
Uncle Fletcher has an idea for a unique one-of-a-kind gift and Sade wants to put a stop to it.
I love this episode, especially Sade’s horror, and Rush’s/Vic’s/Paul Rhymer’s bizarre idea of what constitutes a bright saying that might be embroidered on a pillow. It makes sense that Fletcher would have this notion, since he used to be a railroad worker and still spends quite a lot of time hanging around railroad stations. I wonder if he had permission to make off with these railroad tracks in the first place. 

I don’t have much else to say about this episode except that if I knew how to get four-foot lengths of railroad tracks, this would be a great handmade gag gift for some people in my family. I wonder if my Mazda can carry 440 pounds…

SEE THE SCRIPT (transcription by Lydia Crowe)

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Though Sade worries that such a gift would create a problem for the four families he plans on distributing the rails to, Vic seems to think it won't be a problem because there will be no way of him ever moving the 4 rails (a combined weight of 1760 pounds).

Though spoken of a lot in this episode, Uncle Fletcher isn't in the episode at all!

Trivia:

 + Rush mentions bright sayings found on pillows:

• Welcome to Galena, Illinois 
• Conductor, get off of my foot! 
• Stop making them goo-goo eyes 
• Every cloud has a silver lining 
• Ouch! Your dog-gone dog bit me on the leg again!

+ Vic mentions other witty sayings that perhaps could be embroidered on the door stops:

Your cousin is a halfwit,
Your brother is a slob.
I think I'll quit the section gang
And get another job. 

and

The night is dark and stormy,
The rain is comin' down.
I'll button up my....

+ Rush quotes Uncle Fletcher: {{{HEAR}}}

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41-04-04 Dinner Invitation Withdrawn

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNADINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

The Gooks are invited at the last minute to a big meal over at Mis' Harris' rooming house only to be uninvited again before they can leave the house.

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Though there was total confusion, I don't see how Mis' Harris can univite the Gooks.

Episode is loads of fun for listening to Vic complain about having to remove his easy slippers and put on a suit.

Trivia:

+ Mr. Breep was mentioned for the first time. He's a roomer at Mis' Harris' house and is also (probably) a lawyer.

+ Dinner at the Harris house was to include steak, biscuits, ice cream "and all the tasty trimmings."

+ Rush inquired whether Mis' Harris would be making "trick mashed potatoes that look like rice" - I wander what he was talking about?

+ The Gook meal included meat (beef punkles?), potatoes, raisin bread, pickles, olives and watermelon.

+ The easy slippers that Vic was wearing had tassels and Indian heads on them; he had gotten them from his in-laws, Bess and Walter Helfer.

+ Before they are about to leave, Sade wants to make sure the front door is locked. There was a time when middle America did not bother to lock their doors but by early April 1941 (the time of this episode), Americans were being rounded up in Germany and Italy, spies were being spotted all over the globe and the world was becoming a smaller, more crime-ridden place.

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40-07-04 Mr. Sludge Calls His Mother

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Mr. Sludge needs to make a long distance call to his mother and sisters but since two of roomers at the Harris house are home, Sludge feels quite embarrassed and thinks they might ridicule him. He asks Sade if he can make the call from their home. Sade agrees.

This sets it up for Rush and Vic to mock the man as they stay in the kitchen while he is in the living room.

MIS' CROWE SAYS:
Once a mama’s boy, always a mama’s boy.

I probably spend more time than I ought to thinking about the psychology of Mr. Sludge. I think he’s such an intriguing character, not just for the way he acts but for how others respond to him. I think we see Sade at her moral best when she is interacting with childish characters like Mr. Sludge and Ruthie Stembottom. She’s not always terribly kind and forgiving to her own family (who should know better than to act so foolish), but she has a soft spot for lost souls on the outside.

SADE: It’s not your place to make fun! Remember, you’re just a little boy, and Mr. Sludge is a grown man.

SADE: It’s not smart to laugh at people. Not the least bit smart.
VIC: [chuckling] No, but a guy forty-three years old…
SADE: I guess a guy forty-three years old can have feelins! […]

SADE: […] All his life he’s been babied and coddled. His mother and sister idolized him. Why, up until he was twenty years old, nobody’d ever said a mean word to him. It was a shock to learn there was meanness in the world. That’s why he cries.  […]

SADE: I don’t think it’s our place to criticize. He can’t help the way he feels. I’m sorry for him and glad to do all the favors I can. It’s cruel to laugh at a poor fella that’s blue and miserable.

I notice that she approaches Mr. Sludge in the same way she approaches Ruthie. She acknowledges that yes, perhaps what they are upset about might seem childish and foolish to us — but people’s feelings are their feelings and they can’t help what they feel and it’s our job to help them without judging them. Sade has no patience with people who are disingenuous and deceptive, like the oily Mr. Erickson, or flaky and manipulative, like Hank Gutstop — but any innocent who gets battered by the meanness of the world has a place under her wing. She’s always had an overwhelming maternal instinct, and it’s not just Rush who falls under her protection.

We find out a little more about Sludge’s background in this episode, like the following:

SADE: He got peachy marks in school, I know. Mis’ Harris’ was tellin’ me he’s got all his report cards stuck in the mirror of his dresser. Wonderful marks. Arithmetic a hundred, geography a hundred, history a hundred…everything a hundred. Shows he’s no ninny.

This is an old trope, the idea that kids who do well in school never make it in the real world. The truth is a lot more complicated than that, and in fact, good marks in school are still a predictor of later success — but Mr. Sludge is a fictional example of a real phenomenon taken to the extreme. Recent research shows that gifted children who are routinely given praise and feedback that focuses on how smart they are (rather than how hard-working they are or how they never give up) often suffer from low self-esteem and low perceptions of self-efficacy. They are more likely to give up when something is difficult — their self-worth is hung up on adults telling them they’re smart, and they don’t want to risk losing that status as a “smart kid.” Sometimes the wake-up call doesn’t come until they take difficult classes in college, or enter the workforce, but a childhood of everything being easy for you in school can lead to a rude awakening later on. This must be at least part of Sludge’s problem, although I’m sure he has social anxiety, too. The guy’s obviously got a lot of issues, and I have to agree with Sade that Vic’s being kind of a jerk about him. But it’s not Vic’s fault, really — he’s probably got some emotional repression himself…

SEE THE SCRIPT (transcribed by Lydia Crowe)

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Sade again shows a lot of sympathy for Mr. Sludge while the boys have no use for him.

Trivia:

+ No surprise: Mr. Sludge was crying when he asked Sade if he could use the telephone.

+ Just as in a previous episode, Mr. Sludge got his feelings hurt at the Five and Dime. The incident this time was about the very petty difference in price over licorice buttons candy. [Note, in that previous episode the store was called the, "Five and Ten."  We can/will assume they are the same store.]

+ Rush obviously plays first base when he plays baseball because he has a first baseman's glove. It may have looked something like this:


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