35-02-28 Lodge Robe Arrives

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

• Vic wants to show off his Big Dipper robe for public ceremonies. Rush wants to go off and play; Vic would prefer that he stay and admire the robe.
• A phone call from Hank Gutstop reveals that Hank has received his Little Dipper robe, too.  The two want to show them off around town and resolve to speak later. Maybe a lodge member has died or is getting married and they could attend as officials...
• (Vic mentions the Sacred Stars' Slippery Saturn chapter of Oshkosh, Wisconsin)
• Rush mentions Bulldog Drummond and was earlier hurling slurs at him.
• Rush refers to Dirty Johnson on Mason Street.  He has a sick horse.  Vic mentions Dirty is a sky-brother.  Vernon Alberts' dad is a veterinarian. Rush says he not only doctors animals, he doctors Vernon too.  Rush calls up Vernon, asking for help.
• Vic wants Rush's opinion on the robe...

Rush: Naturally, you look funny. 'Peculiar' is a better word.

Vic: "An angel looks peculiar, doesn't he?" 

Rush: "Ya mean because he's got wings an' wears no pants an'…"

• Sade arrives and admires the robe. Vic's pleased.  He begins looking through the paper for a suitable wedding or funeral to attend in his robe.  Sade says she wouldn't have the nerve to wear it where people would see her.  She points out funerals aren't held at night.
• Vic learns ol' man Weepman's funeral was yesterday – a missed opportunity.  Sade volunteers: "Mr. Thrawley on Osade Street is terrible sick."
• Vic reads of a dedication of an office building in Peoria.  Rush says if Vic wore "that fancy overcoat" on the train the conductor would throw him right out on the vestibule.  Vic reads Mr. & Mrs. Floyd Leakley at 1102 S. Clinton are christening their baby that evening, but he doesn't know them.
• Vernon calls with the news that Dirty Johnson's horse has died. Vic then calls Hank to arrange to honor the horse, with each wearing their new robes.  - compiled by Barbara Schwarz, edited by Jimbo Mason 
  

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Vic is so excited to show off his new Exalted Big Dipper robe that he'll go just about anywhere...  He settles for a horse's funeral - and you can image the sparse few in attendance to admire him.

35-02-22 Vic's Dinner Invitation to Mr. Buller

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

We're delicious!

Mis' Brighton and Mis' Chilly are expected to visit Sade this noon.  Sade has baked some "dainty, little white cakes" (with the obvious help of Crisco) for the ladies and makes it clear to Vic and Rush that they can only have the leftovers.

Vic announces he will dine lightly.  He's ordered beef punkles and Limber-schwartz cheese from Mr. Croucher, which he intends to cook and feed to Mr. Buller this eve in the kitchen while Sade entertains in the living room. However, Sade's concerned about the strong odors from the cheese. She suggests to Vic that he move his dinner to the Butler House Hotel.

Vic announces he'll cook in the basement.  Sade's not happy about this.  But Mis' Brighton calls apologetically, wanting to postpone her visit until next week.  She and Mis' Chilly heard about Croucher's special.  Beef punkles and Limber-schwartz cheese are Mis' Chilly's favorite foods!  Sade tells them to come ahead.  When she calls Croucher's to order more beef punkles and cheese, she finds they are sold out, so she offers to allow Vic to feed Mr. Buller the "dainty little white cakes" and she can feed the beef punkles and cheese to her lady friends.

SCRIPT (Part 1) (Part 2)

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TRIVIA:

* We previously knew that Miss Kinney was Rush's Latin teacher in High School, but we find out (suspect, anyway) here that she was also a teacher at his Junior High.

Vernon (imagined)

* Vernon Alberts is a character I would like to know a lot more about.  We have very little to go on, but oddly, his father doctors him.  It appears as though he was only in episodes when Rush was in Junior High School; however, we know his father was a veterinarian and the young boy seems to take his cue from that.  Everything we know about this kid is animal-related -- and not in a good way.

* Wanting to "eat light", Vic was planning on eating "bread and milk for lunch.  (This could be cornbread and buttermilk...).

* Mis' Chilly is Mis' Brighton's sister-in-law.

* Mis' Drummond's first name is Ida.  "Bulldog" is her son; he was a nemesis of Rush during the first few years of the show.  The Drummond's never move (they are around in the 'Russell years') but for some reason, Bulldog is never mentioned in the later (post-1938) scripts/audio.

* Vic comments that Mr. Buller "just about goes mad" over Limber-schwartz cheese and beef punkles.  And you know, who doesn't?  According to Vic, he and Buller plan to eat the deli delights for an hour-and-a-half.

* It is inferred in the script that beef punkles give off a stinky odor when they cook, as the word "offended" is used in relation to the guests having to smell the odor, not to mention "horrible reek"; even uncooked it "smells terrible" (Rush).   As a matter of fact, it smells so bad, Sade instructs Rush to put Vic and Buller's food outside on the porch! And, much like Stingyberry Jam, it is said the punkles "crawl" all over the house (certainly a knock on it's odor).

* The cheese doesn't smell good either.  We get a glimpse into Rush's child activities when he talks about the smell of the slaughterhouse.  You can just see those young scallywags wandering down there for fun and amusement.

* Dan Quayle = doofus, right?  This script, and many others, show that writer Paul Rhymer often misspelled 'potato' with an 'e'; either that, or the 'e' was commonplace and acceptable in the Midwest at one time.  Yet, Quayle (from neighboring Indiana) is an "idiot" and Rhymer is a "genius".

35-02-21 Rush and the Tableau

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

• Rush and Vic are walking along the alley.  Rush explains he didn't know what Mis' Barnes meant when she asked if he'd like to be in a tableau at the First Methodist Church tomorrow.  He thought it might be a candy pull or ice cream dive, so he said okay.  His role involves whipping up the aisle with an arm-load of roses.
• Vic suggests pleading illness or pulling a Tom Sawyer to get someone else to do it.  Rush thinks Rooster Davis might fall for it.  He likes to do anything where he gets to show off.
• Vic feels slight guilty at having suggested low cunning and chicanery since the event honors George Washington on his birthday.  Rush says the trick would be on Mis' Barnes and Rooster, not George.  They debate how much Rush should charge Rooster for the privilege.  Vic suggests keeping the price very low.
• As they arrive at home, Sade tells Rush Mis' Barnes phoned to say rehearsal is this afternoon at four-fifteen.  Rush goes off to phone Rooster.  Rooster falls for the scheme like a ton of bricks – he'll pay a nickel for the privilege.  Sade thinks he ought to have met his obligation to Mis' Barnes.  Rush explains it's sort of a sissy thing.
• Mildred Tisdel phones.  She's in the tableau, too, and now Rush is sorry he backed out.  Rush decides to phone Rooster and buy the part back for as high as fifteen cents.  Rooster has already sold the privilege to Russell Henry for a dime.  Rush phones Russell (Rusty) Henry.  Russell has sold it to Vernon Alberts for fifteen cents.  Rush haggles with Vernon, and he agrees to buy the privilege back for thirty-five cents.
• Mildred phones again to let Rush know since he wouldn't be There she sold her role to Aileen Clark for a fancy comb and a fake wrist-watch.   - compiled by Barbara Schwarz, edited by Jimbo Mason 
  

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Sunday School  was a big part of Rush (and Russell's) lives.  Many episodes mention Sunday School.

As I have stated before, Paul Rhymer's writing might remind one of Mark Twain, so the Tom Sawyer reference certainly isn't out of place.

A tableau was probably some sort of production the kids put on, without having to learn any lines.  A tableau vivant, for instance, is a "living picture."