38-07-26 Vic and the Husher's Baby

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Sade chastises Vic for his social no-no of not complimenting the Husher's baby on his way home from work.
SEE SOME DIALOGUE AND THE SYNOPSIS 

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The baby in this episode is (Little) Charlie Husher, who we "see" throughout the audio episodes.  When we see him next, he's three years old later in 1938 and in 1941 as well(!); in 1943, he's magically six years old.

It's funny how times have changed.  In 1938, people you barely knew would get offended if you didn't talk to their baby; today if you take the time to talk to a kid (especially in the grocery store) their mother gives you a dirty look as if you are trying to molest their child.  I guess I really can't say I blame the mothers, as the world is full of weird people.

Sade talks like Mr. Husher wouldn't know Ike Kneesuffer; I think the two have already met.  We don't know exactly where the Hushers live, but it's probably just around the corner on Kelsey Street.  We don't know exactly where the Kneesuffers live either but I have always imagined them living on Kelsey as well.  They could live right next door to each other or across the street.  At any rate, it's a good bet they know each other.

Trivia:

+ Rush was at Seymour's vacant lot in this episode.

+ Mis' Husher's first name is Edna.

40-xx-xx Ice Cream and Salted Peanuts at Midnight

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY AND BILL IDELSON

Rush gets home late at night and Vic wants to know why.  Seems that Rush and few of his friends have been invited to eat the salted nuts and ice cream that will be left over from the party at the Husher house.

The party isn't quite over, so Rush drops by the house to inform Vic (at 11:20 at night) while his friends are out in the Gook yard, skulking around.

Vic, reluctant at first, lets Rush skulk about a bit longer.  Vic will wait for Rush to get back because the faces, noses and tongues in the windows have frightened him.

MIS' CROWE SAYS:
A carnival atmosphere descends upon Virginia Avenue as Rush and his friends await free snacks at midnight. Vic is disturbed by the turn of events.

This is an old favorite of mine, as I love anything involving Rush’s goofy friends, and Vic’s reaction to the situation lets us see him much more jumpy and on-edge than he usually is. As in “The Davises are Asleep Upstairs,” Vic proves himself to be a little helpless against Rush and his friends when Sade is not around. He is highly flustered by all these people skulking in his yard in the darkness, but he also can’t bring himself to ruin Rush’s summer vacation fun. I doubt he believes himself capable of going up against 12 teenagers anyway.

I wonder what the scene was like at Mr. and Mis’ Husher’s when all 12 boys barged into their kitchen in the middle of the night…

 SEE THE SCRIPT (transcribed by Lydia Crowe)

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Sade is not in this episode but if she would have been, she would have no doubt reminded Rush that, "Ice cream gives nightmares."

Vic and Sade do not like Rush's friends skulking around. Recall a previous episode, where Rush's friends were out in the yard late at night, spooking Vic and Sade.

What's Sade doing? {{{HEAR}}}

+ The kids skulking in the yard are: Blue Tooth Johnson, Smelly Clark, Rooster Davis, Heinie Call, Willis Rohrback, Nicer Scott, LeRoy Snow, Leland Richards, Milton Welch and two new friends to the surviving audio series: Arnold Shipley and Cracky Otto.

+ Arnold Shipley lives on East Emerson Street. Rush owes him 6 cents but Arnold would "call it even" if he could be allowed to enjoy the ice cream and salted nuts with the gang.

+ This is the first time East Emerson is mentioned. There's already been a SOUTH Emerson Street mentioned; one wonders how there could be an EAST Emerson?

+ Rush claims that Willis Rohrback always flattens his nose against windows when he looks in them. Claims that it gives a "pleasent sensation." Rush also claims that Leland Richards presses his tongue against windows.

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40-02-02 Mr. Donahue Gets a Promotion

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON 

Sade is very excited for Mr. and Mis' Donahue; Mr. Donahue has been promoted to the more prestigious job of Traveling Inspector of Locomotives.

The Gooks gaze out the window to see Mr. Donahue wearing nice clothes for a change, as he prepares to tackle his new job on the freight line.  His first trip is to Kansas City.

MIS' CROWE SAYS:
Mr. Donahue gets a much-deserved promotion to Traveling Inspector of Locomotives.

We so often hear about the bad side of small-town gossip — backbiting and public shaming and libel. But Paul Rhymer shows that there’s a good side, too. Neighbors share in each other’s good fortune and experience it as if it were their own. Mr. Donahue is moving from blue-collar to white-collar, from the overalls class to the derby hat class. He’s achieved the American dream, and in the time of the Depression and World War II, it’s a nice reminder for Sade and others that that Puritan work ethic of theirs really does pay off.
This episode exemplifies “Vic and Sade” as the original show-about-nothing. A neighbor got a promotion. Sade talks about how she’s really happy for him. That’s it. That’s all there is for ten minutes. No conflict. No resolution. And yet it’s STILL entertaining and funny. 

 SEE THE SCRIPT (transcribed by Lydia Crowe)

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Why is Sade so excited?  I've always thought it was because the Donahues had a "dream realized" - something the Gooks actually never seem to have happen to them.  So in a way, Sade is living vicariously through Mis' Donahue.

That's not to say that Vic isn't successful - we know that he is; he's the chief accountant at Consolidated Kitchenware Plant #14 and he is a most prominent member of the Drowsy Venus Chapter of his lodge; he is often written up in magazine features of both places.

However, the rewards Vic reaps seem silly to Sade (i.e. the lodge is silly.)  Plus, whatever leftover income Vic receives seems to be blown on lodge schemes or lodge frivolity.

Trivia:

+ There's a washrag sale at Yamilton's.

+ We can assume that Mis' Elders lives across the street as well (also the first time mentioned in surviving audio.)

+ Mr. Husher is mentioned for the first time in the surviving audio.

Sade imitates Mr. Donahue (edited): {{{HEAR}}}

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