43-06-21 Vic Despises Little Daily Love Story

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE 

Vic makes it known how much he hates the drivel of the Little Daily Love Story, reading gushing passages that reek with hyperbole.

SEE THE SCRIPT (part 1) (part 2)

______________

If you thought the Third Lieutenant Stanley novels were bad... just wait until you read the trash that Sade reads.

This script is missing it's ending, which is probably less than a page.

The real E.W. Smith of Emporia, Kansas appears to have been at the performance of this episode, as the script seems to point out that he was there; however, his buddy Paul Rhymer did not sign it, making me believe the writer was missing that day.

Trivia:

+ The Gloria Golden - Four- Fisted Frank Fuddleman film is named, High Society Hatred. Russell refused to attend, because the movie poster 'looked punk.'

+ Though the title of this episode indicates it's about Vic and the Little Daily Love Story, there's plenty of Russell telling about the acute sensitivity claims of his pal, Raymond 'Searles' (aka 'Surrells'):

• He can tell the temperature of the sun (can tell how many degrees it's lost).
• He can predict the weather in various cities.
• He can detect (by exact measurement) items put into his mouth.
• He can tell you the ingredients of a pill.
• He can tell what key a dog barks in.
• He can stand on a dime and determine if it's heads or tells.

This episode took place on the first day of Summer, 1943, yet Russell uses 'Christmas tree' twice.

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

___________________

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.

44-02-04 Sleepers Beware - Russell

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Vic and Russell draw a mustache on Mr. Sludge, who is sleeping on the Gook davenport.

Almost a word-for-word remake of 40-09-xx Mr. Sludge Grows A Mustache; some of the names have been changed but more or less exactly the same script.

________________________

This one is not even close to being as good as it's predecessor. The difference between Rush and Russell shows up here very clearly.

If you take Vic and Sade literally (and here at The Crazy World of Vic and Sade please know that I do), then you can take the imagined world and throw it out the window. This is an episode I'd like to ignore but for the purposes of this website I cannot.

Trivia:

Some of the differences between the two episodes:

first episode: Rush says Leland Richards is kind-hearted.
this episode: Russell says Blue Tooth Johnson is big-hearted.

first episode: Vic does an imitation of Uncle Fletcher
this episode: no imitation

Happy Hooligan

first episode: Rush’s physiology teacher at school is Mis’ Shay.
this episode: Russell's physiology teacher is Mis' Funnelson.

this episode: Vic says -- "How about the sweet, little newborn shoots, sleepin' just below the sod; who are waiting for February to close it's wintry doors so they can greet April with their embry fire?"
this episode: Raymond Surrells drew a picture of Happy Hooligan (a comic strip character)

Download the complete commercial-free, sound-improved episode!

43-12-02 Cleaning the Bookcase

STARRING: BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE


It's time to clean the bookcase and so Sade gets young Russell to help her do so.

Once they go digging in the bookcase, they find a myriad of books and pamphlets with unusual titles.

________________________

Fun episode where Paul Rhymer gets to play with ridiculous made-up titles.

Trivia:

+ A pamphlet was found: "Doctor Fumble - scientific chemist whose compound [is], "The Famous Raspberry Bitters for Nervous, Frantic, Run-down People, Who is Willing to Bet a Thousand Dollars You Don't Know Your Own Stomach."

+ A book was found: "Our Friend the Diamondback Rattler." It used to belong to Blue Tooth Johnson; it was given to him on his 7th birthday by his grandmother. The book provides proof that Blue Tooth's real name is "Edwin" - we also know that Rooster Davis also has the real first name of "Edwin."

+ There are two books that we can deduce probably belong to Vic: "I Marched in 48 Parades in a Single Weekend and Lived to Tell the Tale" and "The Efficiency of the Pennsylvania Lock and a Step Compared with the Redbank, New Jersey Giant Stride."

+ Another book found: "The Exhaustive Study of the Muscles of the Forearm" which belongs to Raymond Surrells. He had found the book at the Miller Park Zoo in front of the lion's cage. Recall that Sade also found a book at the Miller Park Zoo once.

+ A leaflet is found entitled: "Think of Your Toes as Sweet Flowers in the Garden and Give Them Pretty Names and You Will Drop Off to Sleep Quickly and Beautifully" - Russell contends these leaflets were given out at the Butler House Hotel barbershop to guys waiting to get a haircut.

+ The book, "A Fish and How They Got No Sense" was found and inside of it someone had written this on the flyleaf: "I found the dead crushed violets you concealed in my mashed potatoes and gravy, Howard and also the little bracelet of seashells."

Vic and Sade boasts a history of other things hidden in mashed potatoes including butter patties and olives.

+ Sade says she saw a man at Yamilton's passing out literature that looked exactly like Gus Fuss, the Consolidated Kitchenware employee from Dubuque, Iowa, who had once Visited Vic.

+ We learn that Oyster Cracker's cousin Lombard is slyly sarcastic; so much so that his victims sometimes don't realize the sarcasm until hours later.

+ Sade reveals that she keeps her best hat in the bottom buffet drawer.  That must be a huge drawer with all the stuff that's in there.

Download the complete commercial-free, sound-improved episode!

43-11-30 Sweet Esther, Wisconsin

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

Consolidated Kitchenware is sending Vic on a trip that will take him to Sweet Esther, Wisconsin.

imagined sign

Sweet Esther, Wisconsin happens to be a very special place to Vic because there are parades there everyday and it's considered a magical mecca for Sky Brothers of the Sacred Stars of the Milky Way; this is the place (in 1899) where lodge founder R.J. Konk's eyes changed color overnight while staying at the Royal Gum Hotel. His eyes magically went from a watery, drab, slate color to a brilliant, blazing stunning electric blue. So you can see why Vic would be excited to go.   (((HEAR)))

________________________

Intermingled with Vic telling the family about the joys of Sweet Esther, we have Uncle Fletcher telling about each of the seven brothers of Roy Dejectedly.

Easily in the Top 15 or so episodes; lots going on, tons of new information and Vic is a big kid here - which is always fun.

Trivia:

+ Oyster Krecker takes violin lessons.

+ Vic asks Russell to go fetch his atlas. This is the first book in the surviving series that's been asked for that wasn't a lodge book.

+ In 1940, E.W. Smith (of Emporia, Kansas) went to Sweet Esther for a week but stayed a month. Sade says this is due to him laying low after he had been arrested for horse-thieving, then breaking out of custody. Vic disagrees.

+ Uncle Fletcher tells about the Dejectedly brothers:

Virgil Dejectedly had his named changed often so that he could change the initials on his hat. He did this to give him something to do. He didn't work but had a steady income of $20 a week. At first, the man at the haberdashery was changing the initials on the hat for free, then started charging a quarter. Eventually, it got out of hand and the haberdashery man finally just got mad in 1909.

Sam Dejectedly lives in Yellow Jump, North Dakota.

Pete Dejectedly lives in Halter, Tennessee. He married a woman 17 years old; he went into the feed and grain business. He also invented a combination comb and buggy whip.

Harry Dejectedly lives in Hammond, Indiana and he married a girl from there.

Charlie Dejectedly lives in Philadelphia.

Paul Dejectedly lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Download the complete commercial-free, sound-improved episode!

43-11-08 Essay on Birds

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Russell is stuck at home having to write an essay on birds but he seems to have not done any research and therefore is bereft of words to fill out his paper. His friend Arthur Grump saves him by calling on the telephone and inviting him to the Bijou. He cons Vic and Sade into putting off his homework until the next morning.

________________________

Another run-of-the-mill episode. The episode provides a deeper look into Russell's life and his friends.

Trivia:

+ Two new friends of Russell are introduced in this episode: Bertha Fabre is a girl in his English class. Arthur Grump goes to school with Russell and invites him to go with him to the Bijou.

+ Sade says Homer Heck (his debut), who lives on Kinsey Street, knows a lot about Oklahoma. She also says Mis' Razorscum knows a lot about birds.

+ We learn that Fred and Ruthie Stembottom have a green bungalow birdhouse in their backyard.

+ Vic says B.B. Baugh claims he was elected "Nightengale of Dismal Seepage (Ohio.)" Also, he had a girlfriend named Dorothy who would forget to put pepper in fudge.

+ We find out that Mis' Sutton is the English teacher at Russell's school.

+ Perhaps the best moment of this episode is after the phone conversation that Russell has with his friend, Arthur. This is when he tells Vic and Sade the name of the film (presumably, Gloria Golden and Four-Fisted Frank Fuddleman:) {{{HEAR}}}

Download the complete commercial-free, sound-improved episode!

43-10-11 The Victor R. Gook Fontanelle

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

B.B. Baugh has written a musical piece on the cornet for Vic entitled, "The Victor R. Gook Fontonelle." He was so taken with the fact that Baugh did such a thing that he invited him over for supper without asking Sade.

________________________

A good episode that once again finds Russell doing a fine job with the script.

Trivia:

+ Vic tells Russell that a 'Fontanelle' is a spirited march, a spritely gallup or a gay dance. Russell contends that a 'Fontanelle' is a soft spot on a babies' head.

I could find nothing about a musical work called a 'Fontanelle.' But Wikipedia clearly shows that Russell was right. In other words, the song title literally means, Victor R. Gook has a soft spot on his head.

+ For supper, Sade had planned on having left-over meatloaf, canned vegetables and canned peaches.

+ B.B. Baugh has replaced Alf Musherton as the 3rd chair on the Sewage Disposal Worker's Band - which apparantly has changed it's name to the Sewage Disposal Workers Semi-Classical Silver Cornet Band. (Recall that this was a made-up club name Vic gave Russell to resign from in an earlier episode.)

Seems apparent by now that the Sewage Worker's band is made up completely of cornets. The fact that Baugh is 3rd chair in the band proves there are numerous cornet players in town. As a matter of fact, the cornet seems to be far the most popular musical instrument mentioned on Vic and Sade.

+ Russell says that B.B. Baugh is the inventor of Stingyberry Jam. (This is tackled at length in a later episode.)

+ Vic says that B.B. Baugh is an accomplished musician, artist and a talented composer.

+ B.B. Baugh lives at the Bright Kentucky Hotel. He had composed the song for Vic between the hours of 8 and midnight by candlelight in his hotel room with trains chugging by his window.

I believe this episode contains one of the funniest little sequences in the show's history, when Vic and Russell discuss when Sade might be home from shopping: {{{HEAR}}}

It also includes Vic singing: {{{HEAR}}}

Download the complete commercial-free, sound-improved episode!

43-10-01 A Letter from Bess - Sewing Buttons

STARRING: BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Russell runs home to get his football helmet but makes the mistake of checking the mail and bringing in a letter Sade received from her sister, Bess Helfer.

Sade's in a hurry (she is going shopping downtown and "there's a monster of a washrag sale going on at Yamilton's") and has buttons to sew on her jacket, so she has Russell read the letter to her. But he makes it plain that he'd rather be outside playing football and squawks about it the whole way through.

To make matters worse, this is the longest letter from Bess we have heard!

________________________

For the first time, we get to hear Russell at his very best and he's enjoyable to listen to.

The episode ends oddly because it fades out with Russell and Sade talking at the same time about two entirely different subjects.

Trivia:

+ Mis' Hollway was mentioned for the first time. She was born and raised in Carberry.

+ Sade plans to meet Ruthie Stembottom and Mis' Holloway at Dr. Keevy's office. He's the dentist who took the photo of Vic for the magazine article.

+ Sade says that button cost almost a nickel.

+ Mis' Sutton was mentioned for the first time. She is Russell's English teacher. He was let of school early this day because she had to give a speech about the poet Tennyson for the Senior Mother's Club.

+ Sade calls Russell, "Mr. Man" and "Mr. Hoosh."

+ It appears that somewhere in the missing episodes, Beulah Feeple and Sade have become friends - or at least gossiping buddies.  However, in this episode, Sade calls her, "Beulah Erickson" - did she get a divorce from Noah Feeple?

+ Euncie Helfer has another new piano teacher; previously there was Agnes Peterson (she only had one leg) and then there was Mis' Snell. Now she's under the tutelage of Mis' Hendrix.

Euncie is also wanting fancy didos on her nightgown.

+ Mr. Crowell in Carberry passed away. He is survived by a daughter named Agnes who is close to 70 years old. Mr. Crowell lived near Edith Brauns.

In other Carberry news, Grace McCutley will marry Mr. Hunkers who manages the new Ten Cent store.

Sade acts silly on the telephone with Ruthie: {{{HEAR}}}

Download the complete commercial-free, sound-improved episode!

43-09-xx Russell Tenders His Resignations

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN, DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Before school even starts, Russell writes letters to various school clubs he's joined, resigning, in order to form the notion that he's going to spend all of his time concentrating on school duties.

________________________

A reworking of the script from 39-10-xx Rush I Hereby Resign From..., this time with Russell resigning rather than Rush.

Some of the clubs are very, very similar and some are completely different.

This episode pales in comparison to it's predecessor; Russell is alright but he's certainly no Rush.

Trivia:

+ Russell mentions at least four of the club leaders (teachers?) and none of them correlate with the club leaders that Rush had. They are as follows:

Public Library Younger Boys Research Club - William Hinkert
Kelsey Street Athletic Association - Harry Hontin
Fellowship of Part-time Ushers - Franklin Block
Fraternity of Football Fanatics - Elton Braddum

+ The family comes up with four made-up names of clubs:

Sewage Disposal Workers Semi-Classical Silver Cornet Band
Chicago-Alton Luxury Club
Wednesday Afternoon Doll Baby Group
Young People's Singing Society

+ When the telephone rings, Russell thinks "It might be the guy who calls for Fat (Jackson.") He must be calling a lot in the missing episodes.

+ Raymond Surrells seems to be (so far) Russell's best friend.

+ Oyster Cracker (Russell's friend) was mentioned for the first time.

Download the complete commercial-free, sound-improved episode!

43-07-12 Gumpox's Lodge Regalia

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Mr. Gumpox is innocently proceeding through his garbage route wearing an old lodge robe and plumme' hat that was given to him by Ike Kneesuffer. This enrages Vic, who plans on stopping Gumpox, make him remove the regalia and ceremoniously bury a fish, per Volume 7 of the Lodge Library.

________________________

Trivia:

+ Vic is so upset, he comes in the front door. We know that coming in the front door is something Sade does not allow. The blinding rage also makes him say, "Gumbage man Garpox."

+ "Sarah" is the name Vic uses for Sade 11 different times in this episode.

+ Sade relays two previous instances where lodge regalia was worn inappropriately: Vic had asked Sade to "destroy" an old plumme' lodge hat, which she simply took and put in the trash. Mr. Gumpox retrieved it and put it on Howard as a sun hat; Hank Gutstop once wore full lodge regalia when he worked as the official greeter at the Butler House Hotel.

+ Ruthie Stembottom was once so taken with the design of Vic's Exhalted Big Dipper robe that she had patterned a dress out of it but Vic intervened to squash those plans.

+ Russell mentions a friend he played baseball with at Tatman's vacant lot, Raymond Surrells, who noticed Russell had bloodied himself sliding into second base.

Download the complete commercial-free, sound-improved episode!