44-07-21 Sade and the Revolver

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

A neighbor gives an old, beat-up revolver to Russell, but before he can play kid games with it, Sade finds it and demands Vic get rid of it, as she is afraid of guns.

However, before the gun is disposed of, Russell takes a couple of stabs at telling stories about how he would react if he were a gunslinger. 

SEE THE SCRIPT (part 1) (part 2)

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This could very well be the best script (at the very least, one of the best) of the Russell-era.

It's not only Russell who doesn't want to get rid of the gun, but you can also tell that Vic wouldn't mind having it stay around either.

However, in every situation in the Vic and Sade series where a gun is involved, Sade becomes worried:

• 36-xx-xx Rabbit Hunting from the Back Porch
• 43-04-12 Dottie's New Dress
• and this one. 

Vic says Russell was "childish" for wanting to play with guns, yet Vic is the "childish" one in the other two episodes listed above (and we know he was extremely childish in the Dottie's New Dress episode.)

In 1944 there was still a world war going on.   We know that not only were men sacrificing their lives for their countries but men, women and children were being senselessly brutalized, bullied, hung, burned, poisoned and otherwise killed for things such as their ethnicity.  And certainly, guns were the number one weapon used in the killing of 60+ million people during World War II.

Vic and Sade writer, Paul Rhymer

There were probably friends of Sade and Vic who had sons that had lost a life in Europe or perhaps Japan when this episode aired - and certainly those listening on their radios knew of someone (probably a handful) who had lost a son during this terrible time in world history.

Today, people are still being innocently slaughtered by crazies with rifles or other handguns and it doesn't even take a war for it to happen.  It happens all too frequently.

Sarah Cole examines the subject of Sade Gook and guns here.

Trivia:

* Mis' Donahue comes to the backdoor in this episode to return the Gook's meat grinder which she had obviously borrowed.  In episode 43-11-29 A Garbage Wagon Pass, Willis Rohrback came over to borrow same.  The Gooks must have a great grinder!

37-06-09 Mr. Gumpox' Horse, Cecil, Passes On

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Doesn't care about Cecil

A careful gander at the synopsis and bits of script supplied may show you that this episode is perhaps one of the better ones of the ones we can't hear and only have access to notes and scripts.  It appears as though both Sade and Rush have feelings for Cecil, Mr. Gumpox's horse (and probably the first horse 'introduced' and known to the listening audience, although we can't be too sure of that).  Cecil dying would be akin to any other kind character dying, say, Mr. Gumpox himself.  Imagine an audio episode where Mr. Gumpox dies.  It would be a sad one.

In a future episode, the one where Gumpox's other horse (Howard's sister Bernice) dies, it is Sade that is not empathetic at all about the death.  She neither cares for the feelings of Gumpox, Rush nor Uncle Fletcher and doesn't understand all the fuss. Here's an edited audio excerpt from that episode:  (((HEAR)))

However, in this episode, it is Vic who can't understand the fuss. But shouldn't he be somewhat excited(?); for with a little planning, both he and Hank Gutstop could wear their star-spangled lodge robes to Cecil's funeral just as they did to Dirty Johnson's horse's funeral.

SEE SOME DIALOGUE AND THE SYNOPSIS

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Trivia:
 
+ Let's assume that Miss Scott is not Mis' Scott from Virginia Avenue.  Perhaps it's her daughter or distant relation.

+ Mr. Overholt being in the alley and appearing to be compassionate about Gumpox's demised horse reminds me that he was the one who found Gumpox's teeth when he had lost them (twice).

+ This is the only known episode, other than the audition, that mentions the radio. 

34-08-20 Coaster Wagon Gets Lighter

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

• Vic arrives home, having walked up the street with Hickman Oxenhandler of University Street. (He works in The packing department at the plant.)
• Rush has been piling stuff in his coaster-wagon to sell to the junk man.  It's stuff Sade cleaned out of the shed. He expects he'll get 25 cents for it.
• Vic worries Sade's discarded some of his stuff.  He's relieved to learn she hasn't thrown out his newspapers, but decides he better inspect the contents of the wagon before Rush leaves.
• Vic retrieves a cylinder shell off a railroad motor car. Rush is unhappy.  Vic explains the cylinder was off a railroad motor car belonging to A. L. Moffat of Dixon, Illinois. (He was married to Marie Crackley.)  Vic plans to equip it with a battery and a tank, creating a one-cylinder engine.  
• Then Vic spots tractor spark plugs and an animal trap – a family heirloom found by his great-grandfather in Kentucky.  It was homemade, possibly by Daniel Boone himself. About all that's left in the wagon are tin hoops, which the junk man doesn't want.  Vic discovers three stove lids – he intends to have Sade cover them in cloth to use as doorstops at the office.  And a steel brace made for Lyman T. Jeffers of Union Grove, a former employee of Vic's who fractured his knee in a poolroom accident.
• Vic says Rush can have all the iron bolts.  Rush says he couldn't get a penny for fifty of them.  Vic also takes back a furnace grate and a chunk off a telephone and a piece of pipe, a jack-handle, and an axle.
• That leaves Rush with just tin hoops and iron bolts.  Sade feels sorry for him and hands him a quarter.  Then Vic slips him half a dollar. - compiled by Barbara Schwarz, edited by Jimbo Mason

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The story is similar to 40-04-15 Milton's Dirt in Fruit Jars in that Rush still gets a payday in the end even though his plan goes up in smoke.

45-11-20 Mis' Korkle, Strong Lady (The Return of Rush Gook)

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

The Korkells travel 20 blocks by foot to borrow sugar but what is even more fascinating is the story of Mis' Korkell's mother, who is a professional football player!

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Rush returns to the broadcast and we are introduced to a new family, the Korkells and her brother, Orville.

Trivia:

+ Rush is back! {{{HEAR}}}


+ Rush and Blue Tooth Johnson had a discussion about who was better looking. Rush has had a problem with conceit in the past.

+ The Gooks are in the front room and all 3 visitors enter at different times throughout the play through the back door -- and none of them knock.

+ Vernon Korkell and his wife Edith live on the 700 block of Mulberry Avenue (Mulberry Avenue has never been mentioned in the series but Mulberry Street was mentioned in the very first episode.)

+ Mr. Gumpox's horse Howard stepped on Vernon's foot, bruising it.

+ Mis' Korkell's brother, Orville Wheenie (according to Wikipedia, played by Johnny Coons) is obviously a half-wit. Among the half-wit things he does is tell Rush that (he guesses) his sister "must be close to 30 years old" and he also tries to quiet down his accidental pompadour haircut with unusual items.

+ Vernon is a gas meter reader. His wife affectionately calls him, "Mr. Husband."

+ Vic accidentally calls Rush, "Russell."

+ Despite going through World War II and a stint in the Navy, Rush is still only 14 years old.

+ Edith has enormous strength as she can easily pick up her husband, which amazes Rush. She claims she got her strength from her mother.

+ Mis' Korkell's mother plays professional football (probably for Peoria.) Their mascot seems to be the Wildcats. They were to play the Pittsburgh coal mining team (men) the next Saturday in Pittsburgh. {{{HEAR}}}

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

45-11-19 Unwanted Samaritan

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND CLARENCE HARTZELL

Mis' Harris and Sade bawl out Uncle Fletcher for being an unwanted "good" samaritan to Mr. Sprawl, Mis' Harris' elderly father.

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Not a horrible beginning to what I shall call 'Series 2.' 

We are introduced to two new voices, Mis' Harris (called "Mrs. Florence Harris" by the announcer) and her father, Mr. Sprawl.

I never imagined Mis' Harris speaking the way she does, although to be honest, I never imagined the voice of Mis' Harris anyway. Mr. Sprawl doesn't say much and since he's brand new to the series, I didn't cringe when I heard his voice.

All-in-all, not a bad experience... however, this is a pretty boring story and likely was not the first episode in the Vic and Sade 'revival.'

Johnny Coons plays the part of Mr. Sprawl and actress Dolly Day plays Mis' Harris.

+ There appears to be something mysterious about the Donahue's attic.  I wish we knew more about the mystery, which I suspect either concludes later or is part of an earlier, missing episode.

+ It appears as though Dwight Twentysixler has a flame for Mis' Harris, who you may recall is a widow.

+ Mr. Sprawl (according to Wikipedia) was played by Johnny Coons. The actress that played Mis' Harris is uncredited.

+ Dr. Miller is Mr. Sprawl's doctor. He prescribed "fresh air and sunshine" for Sprawl, according to Mis' Harris.

+ Sweet Corn McBlock is mentioned. He's probably a large man and a cronie of Uncle Fletcher.

Normal, Illinois is famous for it's sweet corn.

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39-11-14 Rush, House Destroyer

STARRING:BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Rush has made a deal with J.J. Gifford, the contractor, to knock down a building by himself.

Though he won't get paid, he doesn't seem to mind as there are stories to be told and bragging to be done for a 14 year old boy destroying a whole building by himself.

As Rush says, "(There's) Not much glory in helping tear down a building."

MIS' CROWE SAYS:
Rush strikes an intriguing deal with a local contractor and prematurely basks in the resulting fame and glory.

Kids — even big monstrous teenage boys like Rush — have a lot of gaps to fill in regarding their perceptions of the world and their abilities. I remember when I was about 6 one summer day I attempted to dig myself a swimming pool in the garden. I managed about a 2 foot by 2 foot by 1 foot mud hole before I gave up and called it quits. Later, when I was about 11 and home alone, I somehow got it in my head that I was going to build myself a playhouse outside. My father was a machinist and had a lot of junk lying around so this seemed within the realm of possibility. One of my parents came home from work to find me dragging lumber around the yard. So, thinking back on my own childhood, I can very strongly relate to Rush’s ambitions here.

I’m wondering what kind of a wiseacre J.J. Gifford is to have struck this deal with Rush. The only thing this guy would have gotten out of this would have been to make Rush look like a dummy. Poor Rush is in for some bitter disappointment when he first goes down to the site and attempts to tear down this brick building. I’m glad we didn’t have to hear the fallout from that…I have such affection for Rush; such things go straight to my heart.

I’m noticing a trend: doesn’t it seem like Vic and Sade are both easier on Rush when it’s just one of them interacting with him at a time? It’s as if, when both parents are present, one of them has to take on the authoritative role, in order to demonstrate their parental effectiveness to the other. When it’s just Sade and Rush or Vic and Rush, the atmosphere is much more relaxed. Normally one of the two would attempt to enlighten Rush as to the craziness of this scheme…but today, Sade just goes with the flow. Obviously, Sade realizes, Rush will understand the impracticality of his ambitions the second he goes down to the warehouse and starts working…so what’s the point of working herself up?

 SEE THE SCRIPT (transcribed by Lydia Crowe)

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Vic is missing in this episode and though Sade doesn't throw water on Rush's idea, one can imagine what Vic would say if he were around to hear Rush. But I'm not quite sure if he would encourage him or poo-poo the idea...

Trivia:

+ First mention of J.J. Gifford. He lives on the 700 block of University Street.

+ The house that Rush was to destroy is on West Mulberry Street

+ Rush imagines Sade will be able to brag about him tearing down the house at Thimble Club meetings.

+ West Monroe Street is mentioned for the first time. It's the street the house to be destroyed is on.

+ Mis' Trogle is mentioned. We find that she also lives on West Monroe Street and has baked four apple pies.

Sade imitates Mr. Buller: {{{HEAR}}}

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