39-08-01 Vic Needs New Neckties

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Vic is about to head off on a work-related trip. He complains about his terrible ties. Sade wrestles with him about it until she sees his rotten collection, then gives in.

SEE SOME DIALOGUE AND THE SYNOPSIS

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1920-ish

The subject of ugly neckties shows up now and then in radio and early television - long after this episode had aired, of course. Writer Paul Rhymer wrote about so many subjects, he likely was the first to write about many, many subjects and do so comically.

Rhymer had a thing about putting mottoes on objects and allowing us to 'see' them.  Uncle Fletcher had a pillow with a motto and also wrote mottoes on some huge doorstops.  His landlady, Mis' Keller, had washrags with mottoes embroidered on them as well. 

What's strange about it is that all of the mottoes that show up in the series aren't even remotely funny.  A lot of the mottoes he shows us seem to be personalized to the point of where's/what's the humor in that?  I think this was his way of telling us that he thought mottoes on objects were just plain stupid.  Point taken!

[Rhymer was once gifted with a book about how to write mottoes.  So either he was really bad at it or it was given to him as a joke.  Of course, the joke could be entirely on us, as maybe he wrote them to be purposely not funny.]

By the way, Rhymer used to use his own neckties to wrap up his scripts before he put them away in boxes.

TRIVIA:

* The announcer's part of the script at the beginning says Vic and Sade were playing rummy.  It would be hard to believe that Sade was actually *playing* cards.  (see or see)

37-03-16 Rush to Have Stranger as a Bed-mate

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON 

The Donahues are having loads of company.  There's not enough room for one of her visitors - the driver.  So Sade offers to put him up over at her house.  More specifically, Rush's bed.

When he finds out about it, Rush doesn't squawk.  But he does get upset that Sade wants him to go to bed before it's even dark so that he won't be making all kinds of noise when he would normally go to bed after 11 pm. This stranger has to get up at 5 am.

This makes Rush feel put out.

SEE THE SCRIPT

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This is a funny script.  I really enjoyed the last few lines, which read like this:

VIC: Good night, Pete.
SADE: Good night.
VIC: I say good night, Pete. [To Sade] Guess he don't care to answer.
SADE: [negative] Uh-uh.
VIC: [Little chuckle]
SADE: [Little chuckle]
VIC: [Bigger chuckle]
SADE: [Bigger chuckle]
VIC: [Little laugh]
SADE: [Little laugh]
RUSH: [Through clenched teeth] That's O.K.

Even though they are just kidding, Vic and Sade laugh at Rush and mock him, making fun of the fact that it's him being put out, not them.

Before being called downstairs to be told the bad news by his mother, Rush said he was upstairs "tapin' a baseball."

I assume this to mean he was fixing a baseball that had it's hide torn off - something I've rarely come across in my life. The fact of the matter is, this probably could only happen to a baseball that had seen a lot of action.

Baseballs weren't cheap in 1937. I'm guessing a baseball might cost as much as fifty cents. As Sade might say, Fifty centses don't grow on trees, Mister Man.

37-xx-xx Harold "Rotten" Davis Takes up the Tobacco Habit

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON  

Twenty year-old Rotten Davis, who is a bit of a showoff, has taken up the habit of smoking cigars and chewing tobacco.

He's got his pockets loaded with tobacco and he wants to come over and smoke with Vic.

But before he ever makes it over to the Gook house, he gets sick from consumption of his various tobacco products and must be sent home via ambulance!

SEE THE SCRIPT

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I think it's pretty safe to assume that this episode introduced Rotten Davis.  His later hijinx would astound the listening audience.

He's a bit larger-than-life, almost a cartoon character.

Laurastine Price's child once broke the Gook's cuspidor.  That sounds like it could be messy.

Rotten told everyone his girlfriend was actress Queentena Quarles but Sade read in the newspaper that her beau was movie star Wilbert Willison.

Rotten was caught drawing mustaches on photos on books in the library.  When threatened with arrest, he claimed he owned the library.  (Paul Rhymer seemed to have a thing for drawing mustaches on people.)

42-12-07 Miz' Neagle Tears Up Lee Street

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY,  BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Rush asks to miss school so that he can go watch his Sunday School teacher, Mis' Neagel, tear up Lee Street.

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One of those episodes that's silly enough to make you laugh - yet could be true. This episode is run-of-the-mill but still remains a lot of fun!

Trivia:

+ Mis' Neagle lives on Lee Street. Lee Street is situated between Market and Monroe Street.

+ Mis' Grace is mentioned but nothing is said about her.

+ Rotten Davis is going to act as foreman, Hank Gutstop as flag man and Rishigan Fishigan as waterboy while Mis' Nagle tears up the street.

+ Fat Peterson once had the front of his sedan lifted off the ground by Mis' Nagle.

+ Harry Foster was once knocked over a picnic table with a friendly slap on the back by Mis' Nagle at Miller Park.

+ Mis' Nagle can chin herself 20 times.

+ According to Rush, Mis' Nagel is strictly all beef (edited): {{{HEAR}}}

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42-10-01 Cherry Phosphates

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY,  BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Rotten Davis, the 19 year-old neighborhood showoff, has found a friend in Rush and Vernon Peggles when he buys a 50 gallon barrel of cherry syrup that is to be kept hooked-up at The Greek's confectionery counter.

Rotten is giving away cherry phosphates to one and all as many as you can drink. Rush and Vic figure that the 50 gallon barrel of syrup will make a stomach-turning 12,000 drinks!

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A fun episode that finds Vic (in particular) in a very cheery (no pun intended) mood. His mood and Rush sounding like the 1938-9 variety, makes for some great entertainment.

Trivia:

+ Vic is reading from Volume 7 of his lodge library when the episode begins.

+ Rush and Vernon were at the YMCA earlier in the evening watching the fat men play handball -- but they left when the thin fellows started playing.

+ The 50 gallon barrel of cherry syrup was acquired from The Greek (who had gotten it by mistake) for an undisclosed amount of money.

+ Both Rush and Vernon drink 5 cherry phosphates each.

+ The Greek's confectionery has a screen door.

Vic's not joking... {{{HEAR}}}

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41-03-04 Vic Wins Broad Brimmed Hat

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Rush and Sade know Vic is up to something. Sade figures it out quickly, as she is prone to do... Vic has a new broad-brimmed hat.

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Every fan of Vic and Sade knows there is a constant tug of war between the couple involving the broad-brimmed hat issue. Vic wants one, Sade denies him one. So, Vic sneaks around and does all sorts of things to acquire such a ha. But when Sade finds out about it, she makes him return it.

There must be some truth in the words of Sade who says a broad-brimmed hat doesn't look good on him, for others have said the same thing. Then again, what business is it of hers/theirs whether or not he wears a broad-brimmed hat?

Trivia:

+ Sade bought 36 washrags at Yamiltons.

+ Sade was expecting a call from Mis' Appelrot but we never know why.

+ By coincidence, Smelly Clark's Uncle Strap and Mr. Ruebush are taking the same train to Chicago

+ Charlie Husher was mentioned for the first time. He is 3 years old.

+ People that have told Vic that a broad-brimmed hat doesn't look good on him: Fred and Ruthie Stembottom, Ike Kneesuffer and the clerk at Kleeburger's. And of course Sade...

+ The bet that Vic said he won was that he was able to tie his shoe faster than Mr. Ruebush.

+ In an earlier episode, Sade mentions that he had won hats on bets before.

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39-06-13 Porch Collapses Rotten Takes Blame

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON  

Rush tells the story of how Rotten Davis put on an act before a crowd of 200 or so.

After a porch collapse, Rotten dressed up and acted like a crazy man who tore down the porch in a fit of rage.

Rush finally gets a moment to shine as he tells this fantastic (and apparently true) story. {{{HEAR}}}

MIS' CROWE SAYS:
A house collapses on Center Street, and Rotten Davis seizes the opportunity to become the center of attention.

This one has to be in my top ten favorite episodes. I laughed so hard the first time I heard it (at the time I was a teenager living in a small town, just like Rush, and this sounded like excellent fun). The idea of a collapsed house attracting the entire population’s attention rings 100% true to anyone who lives in a small town. The idea of a goofy teenager convincing everyone he tore the house down makes the story funny. And details like the suitcase and the aviator’s helmet and goggles elevate it to pure absurd Rhymerian perfection. 

What kind of character has Rotten created here? He’s a mysterious traveler of ambiguous national origin, just passing through town; and he must have his own plane if he has an aviator’s helmet. He is prone to violent outbursts and has superhuman strength, and since he has so much remorse, he must have little control over himself. I feel like Rotten must be a fan of psychological thrillers. Wherever Rotten got this character, his town has not seen anyone like this before or since!

Sade may scoff, but I think Rotten is some kind of genius. (I just don’t know which kind.) He sees opportunity wherever it exists. He is a showman and a hustler. He obviously has a brilliant future as either a performance artist, a businessman, or a confidence trickster. If I were in Rush’s shoes, you can bet I’d be following him around all the time, too!
 
SEE THE SCRIPT

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Not the greatest episode in the series but a fine example of Billy Idelson's story-telling and Paul Rhymer's writing. The bonus is Rush's little revenge on Sade as he interrupts her time and time again in this one (and she never objects.)

Vic and Sade seem almost in awe of the story but still won't go over to the house to see the demise of the porch.

Trivia:

+ Stickers on the bag of luggage include Nome Alaska, London England, Paris France, Rotterdam Holland, Brussels Belgium and Stockholm Sweden.

+ The porch collapse occurred on South Center Street.

+ This is the first surviving audio episode that uses, "Billy Patterson."

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39-05-11 The Davis' are Asleep Upstairs

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY AND BILL IDELSON

Sade is out of town and it's late night in the Gook household. Vic's just come home from the lodge and Vic wants to go to bed.

click to enlarge

But come to find out, Rush has secretly stowed away both Davis brothers (Rotten and Rooster) and their cousin Roper; all who need a bed to sleep in with family visiting the Davis house.

When Vic realizes that Roper (a person he's never even seen before) is in his bed, good-natured Vic begins to get angry -- but not enough to blow up.

MIS' CROWE SAYS:
Vic comes home from a late lodge meeting to discover some surprise overnight guests.

Rush is such a master manipulator. He doesn’t even give any indication that anything is off for the first couple of minutes here — just stalls for time with normal conversation. He’s only up late because he couldn’t put his Third Lieutenant Stanley book down. And he even makes a preemptive attempt to soften Vic up towards Rooster by telling a story about a compliment he gave Vic. He doesn’t cut to the chase until it becomes apparent that Vic has no more patience for chit-chat. And even then, he only drops one little bit of the story at a time instead of giving it to Vic all at once.

My burning question every time I hear this episode: why didn’t they just put Roper on the davenport? The rules of hospitality must have been different in 1939. And I suppose if Vic came home to Roper sprawled out on the davenport, Rush would have to explain his presence right away instead of breaking the news to Vic slowly.

It’s notable that Paul Rhymer makes one of his rare mentions of World War II in this script:

VIC: …Then a half a dozen of us dropped in at the Greek’s and ate scrambled eggs and talked over the European situation. 

Vic and Sade was a light-hearted, escapist comedy, so acknowledgements of the Depression and the war were few and far between. (The only episode that dealt with the situation directly was “Scrap Drive.”) This line of Vic’s gives us a little glimpse into reality. The image of this group of friends in a diner late at night, talking seriously about an overseas war and an uncertain future for the U.S., is a rare reminder of the anxious and sometimes difficult world Vic and Sade's listeners lived in. But it's only a nod, brief and easily-missed — our main concern, of course, is what Rush has been up to all evening and where Vic is going to sleep and what Sade is going to say about all this when she gets back from Carberry. 

SEE THE SCRIPT (transcribed by Lydia Crowe)

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Not a very memorable show, with almost no memorable lines, whatsoever. Not a bad show by any means; just not among the best.

Vic shows that when he's alone with Rush he can be very tolerable and usually very kind to him. When Sade is around, he generally turns into a bit of an uncaring monster. *

(* Don't get me wrong. It's just a figure of speech.)

Trivia:

+ Vic went the to The Greek's with some lodge brothers.

+ The Davis' had relations over from Grand Rapids' Michigan. This is where Roper is from.

+ Names of some of the other relatives staying at the Davis household from Grand Rapids, Michigan: Uncle Funny, Aunt Gray, Cousin Harry, Uncle Frank, Aunt Wee and Cousin Flub.

+ Roper Davis used to play professional baseball (3rd base) with the East Lansing Michigan Skunks.

+ In this episode we find out that indeed, Rotten and Rooster Davis are brothers.

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39-04-25 Rotten Davis Phones

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Nineteen year-old Rotten Davis phones up the Gooks, brazenly calls Vic and Sade by their first names and asks if he can come over and bring a date to the house (for the second week in a row.)

Imagined photo of Rotten Davis

Rotten is a bit of a strange bird by all accounts as he wears spats, a long overcoat and hat with chicken feathers in the headband.

Although the Gooks aren't too verbally sure they want to entertain him or girlfriend again, they seem to be almost giddy when he comes over.

Perhaps it is the fact that Rotten is a suave entertainer and the Gooks need a clown.

MIS' CROWE SAYS:
What’s Rotten Davis’ choice venue for a cheap date?

The Gook residence.

I really like how excited and eager Rush is to have Rotten and his lady friend come over in this episode. He says it’s because he owes Rotten a lot of favors, but I think Rush also idolizes Rotten, having spoken wistfully in other episodes about how nineteen-year-old guys like Rotten don’t generally spend time with fourteen-year-old guys like himself. Many classic episodes center around Rush breathlessly telling the family all about one of Rotten’s escapades downtown. In this episode, Rush is thrilled at the chance to have Rotten in his midst again, and wants to do everything he can to make Rotten’s date a success — even if it means playing the part of the child so that Rotten and his girl can have a chance to act like adults.

Although Sade digs her heels in a little at the beginning because she’s worried about Rotten making a habit of bringing his dates to her home, she quickly warms up to the idea. Vic doesn’t seem to have any objection to it either. This is one of those happy times when the entire family is willing to go along with a scheme just because it’ll be worth a good laugh.

I have to wonder what Miss Rathburn thinks of all this and what they actually do on their date — Sade makes no mention of going to the grocery store for ice cream or other refreshments, and I get the feeling the Gooks don’t have a bottle of wine sitting around to offer guests. Most of the date, I suppose, involves Rotten attempting to impress upon Miss Rathburn how mature and grown-up he is…but it seems like that might get a little boring for her!

SEE THE SCRIPT (transcribed by Lydia Crowe)

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This is one of the stranger Vic and Sade scripts in that the couple almost seem to be depending on Rotten to keep them entertained.  While they say the things you might expect from a pair of wary, imposed-upon people; they secretly seem to enjoy Rotten's company.

Trivia:

+ This is the first time we hear of Rotten Davis from the surviving audio..  His date is Miss Rathburn.

{{{HEAR}}} Sade imitates Rotten Davis.

WHY DOES RUSH IDOLIZE ROTTEN DAVIS?

Rush’s high opinion of Rotten Davis arises from several connected circumstances. First, Rotten is his good friend Rooster’s older brother – practically a man – and deigns to notice the boy. Next, Rooster’s tastes are flashy and flamboyant, as Rush’s are (or would be, if Sade’s conventional tastes in men’s furnishings didn’t override them). Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Rush is a young man striving to claim his place in the adult world. He wants to make decisions about his clothes and his company. Rotten, on the other hand, is not much older, but has achieved this autonomy, so Rush is trying to follow the path he has blazed. Education and experience may refine Rush’s tastes, but, at this point in his life, his respect for someone like himself who has succeeded as an adult is understandable. - Sarah Cole

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