Friday, December 3, 2010

Vic & Sade and Walt Disney's Christmas Party - OTR Friday

OTR ear candy time again and time to smile with America's Home Folks in the little house halfway up on Virginia Avenue.

Beginning our chronological listent to the surviving "Vic & Sade" shows of 1940, are two gems which feature all the ear-marks of Paul Rhymer's wonderfully tectured writing of mid-western characterization and humor.

From January 2, 1940, Vic gets a letter from the "Starry Knight's of the Milky Way" lodge headquarters in Chicago, offering a service to have his portrait painted for the lodge hall for $50. Showing Vic's love of the pomp and circumstance of lodge life and Sade's opposing view of wasted money, the show also highlights Rush's frustration with being ignored by his elders as he tries to relate a story about Smelly Clark. This show also makes the running gag message of the $2 bill from Kleeburger's which Vic habitually ignores.

Dig in!



The show from January 9, 1940 features another of the show's running gags, with Vic trying to finish up some office work at home, this time soliciting Rush's help. While hurrying to get the chore done before Fred and Ruthie Stembottom arrive to take them for an evening drive to Chenoa, Sade opens her heart and reflects on her hot and cold relationship with Miz Scott.

A lot of indepth character studies for a daily 15 minute radio show meant to be heard only once. Genius.

Enjoy!



I finished sharing the 12 part "Speaking of Radio" documentary on "The Jack Benny Program" with you last week. So why not a little Christmas fun...

CARTOONS ON THE RADIO? Radio was so cool, they could pull this off. From December 23, 1934 and "The Heinz Hall of Fame", here's a special Christmas Party with Walt Disney and all his pals!



They really are all here. Walt (also supplying the voice of Mickey Mouse), Clarence "Ducky" Nash (as Donald Duck) and Pinto Colvig. Although Goofy has not fully been established as a major character in 1934, Pinto does the voices he originated as The Big Bad Wolf, The Practical Pig and The Grasshopper from "The Grasshopper and the Ants".

A young Walt...showman supreme:


Mickey in his black and white glory days. Though Walt does announce in this show that soon all Mickey Mouse shorts will be in Technicolor from here out:


Mickey's Yoo Hoo, little Minnie Mouse:


The Three Little Pigs:


Pluto the Pup:


Donald Duck:


Clara Cluck:


Horace Horsecollar:


And Walt brings along the Silly Symphony Orchestra to do a string of hit songs from the series with the original singers...


"Who's Afraid of The Big Bad Wolf?" from "The Three Little Pigs":


"The World Owes Me a Living" from "The Grasshopper and the Ants":


"The Waltz (from Lullaby Land)":


One of my favorites..."You're Nothin' But a Nothin'" from "The Flying Mouse":


"The Love Duet" from "Who Killed Cock Robin?":


and "Highdy Hade" from "The Goddess of Spring":


A genuinely fun and spriteful listen...it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Talk to you soon.

2 comments:

Marco said...

What a shame Walt Disney did not survive to enjoy the age of the internets. And that the company that bears his name has been taken over by faceless morons, who wouldn't know a good cartoon if it bit them on the nose

Unca Jeffy said...

Agreed Marco. The line I draw between all things disneycorp and all things WALT Disney are well documented.

Methinks Walt would have fun with this wordwideinnertube thingy.

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