New fantasy script "I Can See Clearly Now"

Find it here.

Re-listening to episodes and taking more notes

A few days ago, I began re-listening to episodes and taking more notes.  I am adding new finds to the main site.  You may not notice any changes as I did a pretty good the first time around.  But there are a few tiny details in most every episode that did pass me by the first time and I am covering the bases.

I also did not start with the first episode.  As a matter of fact, I started with the bad sound episodes in 1942.  I will cover '43 and '44, then I will start at the beginning of the show's audio run.

The additions may alter some of the periphery pages on the main site's left side as well.  On Sunday, I found out that the interurban station is on Kelsey Street; that's something previously unknown and so I added that to Places.  The additions will be slight and mostly unnoticeable but will fill in the tiny holes that exist.

The two episodes that probably never were

The most-perplexing things in the Barbara Schwarz notes I was given are the facts of two scripts that I am not sure were ever real; that is, were these Paul Rhymer scripts and if so, why are they are dated for air days after the first series went off the air?

The first script, which has been called, "The Treasure of Sierre Fletcher" or perhaps, "The Great Bottomwind Treasure" is dated 44-10-04.

It involves a pair of identical twins who are different and they live in a cabin on the Idaho/Nevada border.  Each of the twins' rooms are in different states!  (It seems obvious that these "facts" are supplied by Uncle Fletcher.)

One twin is named "Morsel" and the other is named, "Dorsel."

Rush is the son in the script, instead of Russell (if the date is correct, David Whitehouse would be there, not Bill Idelson.)  He reads from a Third Lieutenant Stanley novel about counterfeiting butterfly collectors!  The "treasure" is a collection of bunion pads, some of them new.

Fletcher:   Dr. Beryl Sigafoos of Germany invented bunion pads for his brother,   Sterile.

The second script is dated 44-10-05 and is titled, "(Very) Odd Man Out."

Rush fills in for Milton Welch ushering at the Bijou.  Film: "Round Thy Tiny Head A Shaft Of   Golden Sunlight Shines, Occasional Seamstress Daphne" & "The Troth I Intended Plighting Has Been Pilfered, Oh Perfidious Poltroon."  The film stars Lavinia Lumbarpane and Dudley Nightshade.

Vic talks about Offal Demure, a Visiting Lodge Honorary Emeritus Regional Star-Thunker.

There is some notation about these being "fantasy" scripts but if so, why are they dated as they are?  Still, in almost all respects, these scripts do not seem legitimate.

Kurt Vonnegut and Vic and Sade

According to Wikipedia (no citation given) writer Kurt Vonnegut once called Vic and Sade, "The Muzak of life."

Dandelions and butter - a Vic and Sade combination

The following audio is from two different episodes: (39-09-22 Wildflowers and also 44-04-07 The Solo March.)

(((HEAR)))

This also occurs in at least one other audio episode but I can't find it at this time.

Seven new discs found?

There is reason to believe that at least 7 new Vic and Sade discs have been recently found.  That number could be 8 actually but I am uncertain at this point.

I have posted all of the new synopsi I found this evening but have yet to add any of the details yet to the Character blog but I should get around to that tomorrow.

I also found at least 2 re-used scripts; one is detailed in the synopsi (noted there only because of a name change for "Bernice", Mr. Gumpox's horse and the fact that David Whitehouse was in the episode rather than Billy Idelson.)  The other re-used script was 42-10-21 Smelly Clark's Broken Watch. 

I have put in some inquiries and hope to find out more in the next couple of days if these discs will ever be turned into mp3s that we may enjoy them.  I don't count on it, however, it's possible.

There is a chance that none of these findings are new at all.  What is certain is that they have been recently added to J. David Goldin's online database as he is (or was) the owner.  There is still a chance these purchases are from WAY back and have just only recently been added to his database.

Changes to the regalia: some background

(((HEAR)))

In episode 43-07-23 Changes to the Regalia, Vic reads a letter to Russell (and Uncle Fletcher - who is busy the whole time talking about makes of cars nobody's ever heard of.)  The joke here is that the regalia (aka lodge robe) is very much treated like a dress.  Vic inquires about the availability of two different seamstresses, Mis' Keller and Mis' Harris.

Not only that, but a little research will show that the proposed changes to the regalia match perfectly with the new styles in women's dresses for 1944 (the letter about the regalia is for the upcoming year.)  Women's dresses were notably shorter in 1944.  Why?  Because the government in World War II needed more material.  In the case of the regalia, three inches were to be chopped off of the robe.  This correlates with women's dresses of the same time period.

My guess is that writer Paul Rhymer had heard about the coming changes to women's dresses and instead of making Sade the fashion plate, directed his attention to Vic's regalia.  In a sly way, this humiliates Vic, making his robe seem feminine.

Sound upgrade for 43-07-23 (x) Changes to the Regalia

Spent some time this morning fixing 43-07-23 Changes to the Reglia this morning.

The Lack of Tenderness - by Keith Heltsley and Jimbo

[This episode is] one that epitomizes the tender relationship between Vic and Sade. Or lack thereof. What I mean is, that they really do love each other, but their love tanks are filled in different ways, and they don’t always hit the mark in meeting the other’s needs. Vic is a big kid, who needs his ego stroked to feel loved. Amazingly, Sade never does this well. I have never heard her comment on Vic’s blue eyes, heart shaped face, or his deep sonorous voice. Or pay him hardly any such mushy compliments. She certainly does have a knack for knowing when other women are turning Vic’s head.

Sade needs security and stability, and Vic does a good job at providing for her. It’s only those times when he lets his inner child out, says silly things, and (gasp) lets his ego respond to strokes that he gets from outside the home. Sade really could go about claiming her marital territory in a better way. One that wouldn’t belittle Vic so badly, and one that would show him that he already has all that, and more right home with her. The situation could lend itself to being both comical, and heartwarming, instead of belittling and nagging. - by Keith Heltsley (Retro Radio Podcast)

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In my audio book (The Audio Book That Choked Billy Patterson), I explained that Sade (as in the Marquis de Sade) enjoys torturing Vic and I believe strongly she was named "Sade" simply for this reason. (Though there are some early episodes that show Sade as needy and sometimes a bit feeble - especially pre-Rush adoption.)  Sade is more than strong, she's downright mean and certainly over-bearing at times.

Does she love Vic? She does, but romance between the two is nil. Sade seems to get her kicks from the Daily Love Story in the paper, the occasional mushy film at the Bijou and of course, the gossip from her Thimble Club friends, rather than physical love.  Other than the one time she sits in Vic's lap to tickle him, the two never touch.  Neither does she touch Rush, Russell or Uncle Fletcher.  It's the farthest thing from a soap opera there is!

Vic is someone she loves because he is there for her, provides for her - he is security. She loves him for that and that alone.

Why does he love her? That's for another day. - by Jimbo

Why Hank Gutstop didn't work until near the end of the series (Jimbo and Keith Heltsley)

There are currently 610 episodes of Vic and Sade where we are sure of the show's plot. Hank Gutstop, a friend and fellow lodge brother to Vic, is mentioned once in about every 13 episodes, on average. But it wasn't until Valentine's Day of 1944 (or thereabouts) that Hank ever had a real job. There's no indication that Hank was lazy, as he is seemingly active - even if it only be him hanging around the pool hall or going to lodge meetings. 

There is the blight on him that he might sleep on the platform of the interurban station or perhaps the courthouse lawn, but might that only be because he had no other place to go?  If he were truly a bum wouldn't he be sleeping at a lodge brother's house or hotel room?
Every indication exists to show Hank was innovative, enthusiastic, well-liked (by the men on the show, anyway) and a very talented singer. He could make men cry with his voice. But some kind of wall obviously existed between Hank and women. I think he probably liked them but they didn't reciprocate. Sade especially didn't like him and neither did her friends, all who talked about him behind his back. 

Certainly, part of the reason for Sade's ire was the fact that the man was constantly borrowing small sums of money from Vic. Though he paid Vic back at times (at least small sums) and tried to work for the Gooks to erase a larger part of his debt, Sade still harbored ill feelings for him. As a matter of fact, there were only two known men she really disliked on the show and he was one of them.

So what exactly was it that made it impossible for Hank Gutstop to hold a job until the middle of February, 1944? And how is it that the job that he finally gets is such a prestigious one with seemingly good pay?

The answer to this is simple in that Hank was nothing more than a prop by writer Paul Rhymer. You might say that Hank was actually little more than a MacGuffin, a trick that Rhymer used often in his radio plays.. - By Jimbo Mason

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Comedy works best when situations are realistic, but just wacky enough to do that thing you really wanted to but before modesty and restraint kept you from doing it. It can also be from a tragic event or character who takes the abuse as the butt of a joke so no real harm befalls the main character. Hank is like that. He’s a caricature. He is someone designed to always be on Sade’s bad side, and just plain creeps her out. He has his hooks in her because nearly everybody else loves the guy. Vic is his friend and lodge brother. Hank hangs out in the same circles as Uncle Fletcher, and is admired by Rush.

Hank is everything Sade hates. He’s always jobless, or at least under-employed. He offers no financial security, he’s always in debt to Vic, and thus irresponsible. I think he secretly has a crush on Sade that keeps him lurking nearby, but if so it never is revealed by Paul Rhymer.

Hank is the punchline of a running gag, and because of that his character isn’t really developed further than being two dimensional. There isn’t much else I can say about him than that. - by Keith Heltsley (Retro Radio Podcast)

Thanksgiving/Three special friends

Where would The Crazy World of Vic and Sade be without Louie Johnson?

Louie came along out of nowhere.  One day, as I was winding down the site (having written over 300 posts and put down almost all of the hand-fixed audio episodes to the web) Louie sent me an email.  It turns out this email is one of the most important messages I've ever received.  A member of the Friends of Vic and Sade "fanclub," Louie was a Vic and Sade zealot from "way back." Eventually, Louie sent me many of Barbara Schwarz's notes.

Once upon a time, it was he who had planned to do a website but somehow got sidetracked and the site never materialized on his end.  Though he may not know it, The Crazy World of Vic and Sade belongs as much to him as it does to me.

I am so thankful for him!

___

Through Twitter, I met Keith Heltsley.  I found that Keith was a big OTR fan who ran the Retro Radio Podcast, and while perusing his stuff, I found out that he also enjoyed Vic and Sade.  The show was a big part of his grandparent's life and this is what got Keith interested in the show.

His zeal for the show has led to him graciously donating some of his time and efforts to writing pieces for the main site.  His ideas are always original and thought-provoking and he almost always has an instinct for something I have missed.  When he points these things out, I realize what an ally I have for the website, as Keith always graciously allows me to use any of his writings and ideas for the main website.  I am very thankful for Keith.

Keith may not know it, but the Crazy World of Vic and Sade belongs as much to him as it does to me.

___

Last, but certainly not least, Sarah Cole is a merry ole' soul that I also met on Twitter because she had a fancy for OTR.   I came to find out via tweeting that her mother had a love for Vic and Sade.  You can read that whole story here; it's facinating.

She writes beautifully and her knowledge of Vic and Sade is only usurped by her love for the show itself.  She even likes the 1945 and 1946 seasons; what a diehard!  Her contributions to the main website are ones I will cherish, just as I do those written by Keith.  And yes, I am very thankful for her.  And she may not realize it, but The Crazy World of Vic and Sade belongs as much to her as it does to me.

Friends are a wonderful thing - but few things are better than a friend who is also a friend of Vic and Sade.

Thank a friend today!

Other than the Rush adoption, this was the most important episode

 
If you will think about it a while, I think you will find that the second most important episode is 410123 The All-Star Marching Team.  It trails only Rush's arrival.

The reasons for this include the fact that for a good part of 1941, the marching team was mentioned quite a bit on the show.  The January 21st episode mentions nine new characters, four of which would go on to become quite important in Vic and Sade lore.  That's not even including Y.Y. Flirch, who was important to the show before and after this particular episode.

Overlooked by me until yesterday, I realize now that the Hink twins (Robert and Slobert) were apparently already a part of the show before this episode, because Sade says to Vic, "Robert and Slobert are a couple more fellas that are always shovin' themselves into stuff."  Always tells us that that the Hink twins have been mentioned in previous episodes and those obviously had nothing to do with marching team business.  We do know they were Christmas card salesmen in 1940.  It may also mean that the infamous power mower episode may have also taken place that year.  And it probably also means that the twins were in other episodes that we don't know about and they may have come before the original All-Star Marching Team episode.

This may not be an earth-shaking revelation (to you) but to me, its important to know that the Hinks may have been on par with Flirch as far as popularity goes.

As I mentioned, this episode spawned many new characters.  Many would become fixtures on the show; besides the Hink twins, Homer U. McDancey of East Brain, Oregon and H.K. Fleeber of Grovelman, South Carolina become the basis for many programs.

The marching team concept leads to all kinds of other scenarios and episodes: McDancey writes a book on the rules of the lodge for wives.  And he is so obsessed with marching that he tries to lure Vic into marching solo at several homes for various peoples with "ailments."  That's not just one episode, but two known. And of course, other marching team episodes exist: the threat of Sade having to march, the botched photos in the lodge quarterly, solo marches, unity of the team being destroyed and on and on.

Fleeber is just plain wacky, and his odd exploits are thick.  He's used often in the series.  But it's not just Fleeber, all of the All-Star Marching Team participants are a little loopy, which brings into question Vic's own sanity.

And of course the Hinks themselves, their phone calls, their twin relatives with the unusual (and funny) names and their subsequent feud with Vic provides us with tremendous fun and leaves us wondering how it all went so wrong.

The marching team concept (and the episodes about it which follow this one) carries so much weight in the history of Vic and Sade that it seems impossible that writer Paul Rhymer could have come up with this concept in his usual two or three hour writing period.  We'll probably never know if this is true or not or how and when the whole idea was conceived, but what we can know is that the original marching team episode remains one of the most-important installments in the history of the show.

This guy kept track of Vic and Sade characters in real time

While I and others have taken stock of the characters on Vic and Sade some 70 or 80 years after the show began, this writer for an Ohio newspaper recalls keeping track of the characters in real time, off the radio!

Trivia: the answers

How did you do on the trivia? A couple of them might have been difficult but I thought most were pretty easy. The answers:

440 lbs. each

Yellow Jump

Hunky J. Sponger.  This may have been the hardest question in the quiz.

Little Tiny Petite Pheasant Feather Tea Shoppy

A barber. 

Pauline Delacey.  To be honest, this one wasn't easy.

Mildred Tisdel.  Russell had a thing for her, too.

Not-too-hard Vic and Sade trivia

Answers in a couple of days... NO CHEATING!