The Era -- Day By Day

[Harp]

^ The occasional fifty-is-nifty fifty-fifty sounds good.

 

[LizzieMaine]

("Hey," calls out Joe, rapping on the third-floor apartment door. "Op'n up, it's me, Joe." "Hi," greets Bink Scanlan, shambling to the door in a stained bathrobe, her eyes pouched and her posture stooped. "I brung ya some lunch fr'm downstaiehs," explains Joe, handing over a Big Joe's Special wrapped in wax paper. When Sal had Lenoreh, Docteh Katzman tol'eh she needed t' eat red meat, kin'a build up 'eh blood. Figyehed you might wanna do t'at too. Um, we'eh gettn' pretty low onna bread, so I hadda give y't' heels." "T'anks," sighs Bink, accepting the sandwich, and motioning for Joe to enter. "I jus' put 'im t'sleep. He's been fussin' awl mawrnin', an' I give 'im 'is bot'l, an'ee fusses s'moeh. " "Kids is funny t'at way," shrugs Joe. "Leonoreh's awrmos' five an' she STILL fusses." "She's pretty smawrt t'ough," notes Bink, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I hope t'is one's gonna be smawrt, leas' smawrt enough not t'be a bum." "Smawrt runs inna fam'ly," encourages Joe. "I'm scaiet sometimes'a how smawrt Leonoreh is. I mean, when she was two yeehs ol', me'n Sal, we seen'eh copyin' woids offa billboehd, an'writin'm onna sidewawk. Nobody loint'eh t'do t'at, she jus' stawrted DOIN' it. An' Sal, well, yeh, I know she gets awn people's noives, but y'lissen t'what she's sayin', she's pretty smawrt too. An' Ma, well, sometimes I t'ink she's t' smawrtes' one'a awl'v'm." "Mickey wasn' too smawrt," snorts Bink. "Oh, I dunno," sighs Joe. "I guess t'live like he does an' get away wit' it -- " "Yeh," scoffs Bink. "Jus' smawrt enoughn not t' get dumped inna riveh -- yet....")

("I hope 'es feelin' betteh," sighs Alice. "Pooeh kid snufflin' an' coughin' like 'e was. I wish't I hadn'a hafta come t' woik t'day, but I guess afteh we skipped out t'go t' bawl game, I betteh not press me luck." "Whassse got, a col'?" queries Sally. "I dunno," admits Alice. "He was fine afteh we got home fr'm ya Ma's place las' night, but when we got up t'is mawrnin', he was awl stuffed up. I felt of'im, an' t'ought maybe 'e had a lit'l feveh. Remin' me t'stop inna drug stoeh onna way home, I gotta get a t'ehmometeh. We had one, but Siddy sat on it an ' it broke." "Oh," ohs Sally. "Well, leas' 'e din' hafta go t' school, I bet'ee liked 'at." "T'at's t' woise pawrt," sighs Alice. "School's closed, it's Easteh vacation awlis week." "Nut'n woise f'ra kid t'en wastin' a good sick day," agrees Sally. "I hope 'e din' catch nut'n at Ma's, I din' see anybody t'eh was sick." "Maybe it's just allehgies," shrugs Alice. "Spring feveh." "KIds is lucky," asserts Sally. "T'ey take a sick day awff, it don' really matteh. But when y'gotta jawb -- I mean, awla time I been woikin out t' plant, have *I* eveh took a day aff sick?" "On'y t'at one time," nods Alice. "WHAT time?" snaps Sally. "I neveh..." "Oh, I dunno," wriggles Alice. "I mean, t'at one time when you was inna --um -- hospit'l, afteh ya push't'at railroad gawrd offa t'...." Sally glares. "Um, I mean, uh,..." stammers Alice, as the train rolls on toward home...")

("I dream of those too. Why don't YOU cook ME one?")

(Ahhhh, hiya Dix. How'd the house painting go?)

("Well?" demands Ma. "What'dee say?" With a sour frown, Uncle Frank hangs up the phone. "He laughed..")

("Dinchoo useteh deliveh ice?" queries Miss Kaplan. "Yeh," nods Mozelewski, jabbing a pin into his model's hip. "Hol' still." "I bet yooooou had mussssssscles," snickers Miss Kaplan. "I still got muscles," insists Mozelewski. squaring his shoulders. "An' sometimes," he adds, jabbing home another pin, "I wish I was still delivehrin' ice...")

(Ah, Garry. We'd forgotten what a cipher you are.)

(Not just *A* hussy. *THE* hussy.)

(A month? How tempus doth fugit.)

(Ew, no.)

 

[LizzieMaine]

And in the Daily News...

I suppose if you're going to rob a castle, robbing an Astor castle is the way to go.

All those people from the UN are gonna be looking for a place to live...


The DL's gonna love ya, Chazz...

Be sure to report that on your taxes now...

Good news is never delivered in person.

"A little place called 'Pop's Closet!' All the kids shop there!"

There comes a point where you look back on your career and you realize you've wasted your entire life, and for what??

Talent has never been a prerequisite for success in show business.

"And hurry, before the game warden catches us!"

At least he's self-aware.

 

[Fading Fast]

"I mean, t'at one time when you was inna --um -- hospit'l, afteh ya push't'at railroad gawrd offa t'...." Sally glares. "Um, I mean, uh,..." stammers Alice, as the train rolls on toward home..."



********************************************************

"Well?" demands Ma. "What'dee say?" With a sour frown, Uncle Frank hangs up the phone. "He laughed.."

There was a different cultural attitude and economics to second-hand goods in the 1940s; today, be prepared to pay, and sometimes not insignificant money to get rid of larger items as there is no secondary market for a lot of the stuff our parents/grandparents bought.

********************************************************

I suppose if you're going to rob a castle, robbing an Astor castle is the way to go.

Yes, indeed. One assumes that was very, very well planned.

And we see again that the jewel thief was an internationally respected profession in the criminal world.

 

[Harp]

I presume Christian settled with Durocher through Dodger agency; netting a cool five grand,
circa; or, $195k now before attorney cut, which probably left $130K plaintiff's pocket. All of which paid by the deep pocketed team. Durocher should have been convicted of criminal assault and imprisoned. Baseball's ******* son.....

The war brides are always enjoyable reading. I met one such couple, an English girl wed an American GI thirty years hence. That generation schooled hardship truly appreciated what happiness life bestowed wartime romance. I never married myself, but once was proposed
by a girl in Greece, but the war and conscience spake not. These people who chanced fate and won serve exemplary personal note quite bittersweet.

 

[LizzieMaine]

If they send Leo to Sing Sing, he'll be running the joint inside of a week.

 

[LizzieMaine]

("T'at Durocheh," snorts Sally. "I hoid 'im awna radio one time," notes Alice. "He don' sing bad." "Oh," ohs Sally. "I was gonna ask ya -- how's Willie? Feelin' betteh?" "He's still coughin'," sighs Alice. "An'ee's runnin' a feveh." "When I useta get sick," recalls Sally, "Ma'd put t'is salve awn my neck. Smelt like toipentine." "Did it help?" questions Alice. "I go so woiked up fr'm smellin' it," shrugs Sally, "I f'gawt t' cough." "If'ee don' feel betteh t'marra," exhales Alice, "I'm gonna take 'im oveh t'see Docteh Katzman." "Eh," ehs Sally. "Prob'ly jus'a cold. Ev'rybody gets a cold inna spring." "It's too bad," nods Alice. "Y'know, I awrways t'ought if ya hadda getta cold, y'otta get it inna summeh. Y'know? 'Bouta middla July, when it's so hawt y'can't stan' it? See, y'get a cold t'en, see, y'know how y'get t' shivehs? Seems like t'at cool ya right awff." "Ah," ahs Sally. "Too bad," sighs Alice, "it neveh seems t' woik out...")

("Ahhh," scoffs Solly Pincus, "y'ain' got nut'n'ta worry 'bout. If it gets t'wheh ya can't get no bread, I'll let ya have a few moeh bags'a t'em p'tateh flakes. Y'evveh have p'tateh bread? It's great. I'll even show ya howta make it." "Sal tol' me 'bout t'at once," nods Joe. "She says Ma uset'a make it when'ney -- y'know, when'ney lived in Pigtown. T'ey hadda use real p'tataehs, t'ough, t'ey neveh had none'a t'is dried stuff. Y'know what she tol' me? She says she neveh had stoeh bread till she was ten yeehs ol'." "Who you makin'at san'wich foeh?" queries Solly, sipping his Coke. "Oh," ohs Joe. "It's f' Bink -- docteh told'eh she's whatcha cawl 'nemic. She's spo'sta load up awn red meat. So I been makin'eh Specials f'lunch. Hey -- do me a faveh, willya? It's awrmos' time f't' noon rush -- you wanna run'nis upstaiehs to 'eh?" "Oh," ohs Solly, his face flushing. "Well, I -- really otta be..." "Hmph," hmphs Joe. "Sawrrrrrrgeant Solly." "Oh awright," growls Solly, as with a snicker, Joe hands over the wrapped sandwich....)

(Personal Injury Lawyers gotta make a living...)

(How many of these people are Giant fans?)

("You know, sir," ponders Mr. Parrott, "if only Reiser didn't have to play in the field. If all he had to do was hit..." "I recall," chuckles Mr. Rickey, "a suggestion once was made that a rule be adopted allowing a man to take the place of the pitcher in the batting order. A ridiculous, unworkable suggestion. I believed it was Mr. Mack, in fact, who proposed it." "Poor old man," snickers Mr. Parrott. "Yes," nods, Mr. Rickey. "Poor old man.")

(Oh you boys.)

(Number one rule of soap-opera comics: ONLY EVIL WOMEN SMOKE.)

(Well aren't these an imposing, fearsome gang of thugs.)

(NOW will you turn invisible??)

(*sob*)

 

[LizzieMaine]

And in the Daily News...

Take a good look at Joseph Moore of Ozone Park. Life casts to type.

I'm no habitue of the night life, but if I had $28,800 to pop on an evening of riotous living, I would certainly find a better place to do it than an obscure tavern on the outskirts of Trenton.

Truth in Advertising.

There is no one on earth more honest than a five year old girl.

"Full of business," huh?

Seems like the only dreams we can have any more are foolish dreams.

And the thing is, Skinnay Ennis hasn't been popular for years.

Now that you know about it, what can you do?

"Then you know about fires. Have you heard the word of Molech?"

Doomed to go thru life as a hopeless romantic...

 

[LizzieMaine]

And also...

Well, at least he never took brass knuckles to a fan...

 

[LizzieMaine]

And in the Worker...

Ahhh, Mr. Griffith. Profits for me but not for thee...

 

[Fading Fast]

I'll let ya have a few moeh bags'a t'em p'tateh flakes.

Now is when the missing bags will be noticed. "Frank, get in here. I don't want any stories, just tell me where those bags of potato flake are."

*******************************************************

How many of these people are Giant fans?

How in God's name is this worthy of a jury trial. Can't a magistrate just hear this in a half an hour or so and make a ruling?

*******************************************************

Well, at least he never took brass knuckles to a fan...

That's a twist we haven't seen before, in these pages anyway.

 

[Harp]

Eighteen year old Shirley Temple is still bait jail.

Wanda Ridgeway, fave GI pinup girl, would've made an A-okay Playmate centerfold.

Theodore Kurrus illegally wed fourteen year old Doris Dudley, committing statutory ****
in addition to child support arrears. All particulars unstated however he needs to bring month
end accruals current pronto. Then lay low for a longtime.

Earl McFarland is a dead man walking.

Marie MacDonald's Mexican divorce and her daughter's adoption doesn't obviate nor nullify
British Court legal child wardship.

In yet another gender travesty of justice, Anna Callahan's $149k bank larceny nets a scant fiver in state pen. That's circa $14,821,000 pesoes folks. Should've slammed over a decade. And would have were she a he.... Whatever.

 

[LizzieMaine]

("I gotta absentee t'day," sighs Alice, greeting Sally at the basement apartment door. "Willie's still feelin' sick, an' I gotta get'im in t'see Docteh Katzman." "Oh," ohs Sally. "Izzee still runnin' a feveh?" "Yeh," nods Alice. "Upt'wa hunnet'n one. He din'sleep much las' night, an' when'ee did fin'ly drawp awff, he woke up t'is mawrnin' wit' 'is eyes stuck t'get'eh." "Oh," repeats Sally. "Y'know whatt'at soun's like, doncha? Soun's like t' measles. Izze gotta rash?" "No," notes Alice. "I t'ought maybe it was jus' t' pinkeye." "Y'betteh take 'im t' t' docteh," agrees Sally. "An' look, lemme know whatcha fin' out. I mean, we was awl t'get'eh f' Easteh, an' Leonoreh ain' had measles." "*I* ain' had measles," adds Alice. "You neveh had measles?" gapes Sally. "Not when you was a kid??" "Nope," reiterates Alice. "I neveh did. I guess I jus' figyehed t'sistehs din' allow it." "You betteh get t' docteh t' look YOU oveh," warns Sally. "An' look, don' wait'll I get home, OK? Cawl me out t' plant. T'ey can page me awff t' flooeh. We'll figyeh out what t' do. Izzeh anybody else inna buildin'nat neveh had it b'sides you an' Leonoreh?" "I dunno," shrugs Alice. "I neveh ast." "Ya neveh AST??" blurts Sally. "It ain' a subjec'," argues Alice, "t'at comes up!")

("I got enough meat innat freezeh up onna roof," sighs Joe, "t' las' f'ra while. But I'm worried 'bout t'is bread t'ing." "Oi moit be able t' foind soom bread farr ye, lad," declares Uncle Frank, sipping his two-cents-plain. "Oi knoo a bakarr oot in Booshwick, an' he oows me." " Solly says'ee'l gimme some p'tateh flakes," shrugs Joe, "so we c'n make pt'at'eh bread, but..." "Pootatarr flakes, did'jee say?" gasps Uncle Frank, sputtering up his last sip. "Yeh," nods Joe. "Y'know, t'ezza lotta t'ings y'can do wit' t'at stuff. Heh, I hoid y'c'n even make BEEH out'vit!" "Izzzthaat sooo," gulps Uncle Frank.....)


(Aim high.)

(ED HEAD! ED HEAD! ED HEAD!)

(Featherbedder.)

(Oh, him. He had a big profile in the Thursday Evening Post.)

("Can you swim?")

("Just remember, you owe the $2 whether I finish the ceremony or not.")

(I think I'm going to cry, this time for real...)

 

[LizzieMaine]

And in the Daily News...

"Oi think," oozes Uncle Frank, "this'll waaaark oot joost foine. An' when we get a new troock..." "Whatta ya mean," snorts Solly, "'we?'"

"What are you doing, Leo? Let him go!" When the hired goon becomes the voice of reason...

A good actor knows how to improvise.

"Yes, you'll be perfect. A perrrrrrfect replacement..."

"Are those fillings falling out again? I told you do-it-yourself dentistry was a bad idea!"

You missed your calling, Sarge. There's always work for a good press agent.

"The small one dies first." "Yessss."

"Never happened. Who ever heard of a polite sailor?"

"How stupid you are!" The gloves are finally off...

Lot of that going around...

 

[LizzieMaine]

And also...

Coming events...

 

[Fading Fast]

"I neveh did. I guess I jus' figyehed t'sistehs din' allow it."

You gotta luv her.

Separately, had he been born thirty years later, Dr. Emerson P. Schmidt would have been a supply sider.

********************************************************

"Pootatarr flakes, did'jee say?" gasps Uncle Frank, sputtering up his last sip.

The noose gets a bit tighter.

********************************************************

ED HEAD! ED HEAD! ED HEAD!

Saw this one coming today.

********************************************************

"Yes, you'll be perfect. A perrrrrrfect replacement..."

Wasn't this the plot of both "The Human Comedy" (1943) and "Happy Land" (1943)?

 

[Harp]

Isadore Levy's fatal heart attack outside the Jamaica Racecourse really epitomises
having a bad day at the track.,,,

Leo the Lip will not take the stand in his own defense, which would subject him to cross.
His defense counsel's front loading 'character' witnesses is standard stock in trade trial tactic to shield Durocher.

Brooklyn East patrolman Holt's wounding Edward Madice whom he suspected flight after grand theft auto, demonstrates excessive armed force. Unless a clear threat is in play, resort to revolver is unwarranted. Such allowance granted police greatly impairs legal theory found within the felony murder doctrine and other more generalized justiciability concept beyond criminal law rightful domain.

Mrs Patricia Loeb of Peoria, Illinois, smiling glow with her niece now daughter Valerie in tow
is sweet.

Surplus sale veteran priority is good politics but more micro than macro economics.
While in college, Vietnam GI Bill money bought surplus warm weather clothing gear retailed
downtown Chicago at stiff sale general public prices. Haberdashery specifically excluded the era bill would have proved large draw revenue product.

The Shanghai Smith carnage incident brought Terry to mind. Chiang's bulwark defense against Mao portends hot times ahead in Chinatown. Skedaddle kid while the sked is good.

 

[LizzieMaine]

("I'm sawry I din' cawl ya at woik," apologizes Alice, intercepting Sally as she enters the foyer at 1762 63rd Street. "Docteh Katzman was runnin' late comin' oveh, an' by t' time'ee was done wit' us, it was awready pas' time you'd be onna way to t' train." "Yeh," dismisses Sally. "What'd'ee say?" "It's measles," confirms Alice. "I got Willie downstaiehs in bed. But lissen -- Docteh Katzman says 'cause Lenoreh got 'sposed at Easteh, she's prob'ly gonna get it too, prob'ly awready does. He says we gotta quarantine 'em. T'ey can't leave t' buildin' till it's oveh, an' anybody else 'eeh t'at could get it, an' been s'posed, t'ey can't leave t' buildin' neit'eh. It's a quarantine. T"at means me, f' one. Siddy's OK, but I din' get a chance t' ask t' Ginsboigs yet. I was jus' about t' go do t'at. I dunno 'bout Solly, Siddy wen' oveh t' Schreibstein's t' cawl'im an' ask, but he couldn' reach 'im. But you'n Joe bot' had it, right?" "Yeh," sighs Sally. "Hey, I jus' t'ought'a sump'n. I guess Ma must'a had it, 'cause she din' catch it when me'n Mickey had it. But I dunno if Uncle Frank did a' not. An' Bink Scanlan -- an', jeezuz, she's gotta two week ol' baby." "I ast Docteh Katzman 'bout t'at," nods Alice. "He's gonna cawl'a Boehd'a Healt' an'neh gonna send a docteh oveh t'eh t' check awneh. Te'h sendin' one oveh heeh too t'put up a quarantine." "Wheh's Leonoreh now," questions Sally. "You say anyt'ing to 'eh yet?" "No," shrugs Alice. "She's in wit' t' Ginsboigs. Docteh said it's real impawrt'n she ain' aroun' no ot'eh kids, so..." "Yeh," nods Sally, tapping on the Ginsburgs' door. "Sally," greets Mrs. Ginsburg. "Please, come in, and you too Alice, please to come in. The goils are in the kitchen..." "Goils?" interrupts Sally. "Oh yes," smiles Mrs. G. "Leonora and Lottie Schreibstein. I am showing them to make mandelbread. With chips chocolate, yet..." "Oh," gasps Sally. "Ohhhh," agrees Alice....)

("Well, Doctor?" questions Ma. "Whaaat did she tell ye?" "Mrs. Scanlan says that she had measles when she was four, she thinks," replies the doctor from the Department of Health. "But she wasn't certain. She says it may have been something else, she just remembers being sick. And with both of her parents deceased, we can only try to find a notation in her school records. If we can't find that information, we're going to have to treat her as though she has not had the disease. As you may know, Mrs. Leary, measles poses a grave threat to an infant, especially one so young. Until we know for sure that Mrs. Scanlan is not infected, we must isolate her from the baby. Are you capable of assuming care of the child?" "Oi raised two," exhales Ma. "Oi s'poose Oi know me way aroond." "I will contact Mrs. Scanlan's regular physician," nods the doctor, "and inform him of the situation. What is the telephone number here?" "INgersoll 2-6077," replies Ma. "Th' pay station tharrr ahn th' wall. Boot we can hear it oopstairs when it rings." "Very well," nods the doctor. "I'm very sorry, but I shall have to order your establishment closed until we can determine whether or not Mrs. Scanlan is infected." He signs his name at the bottom of a large yellow card. "Please post this notice," he directs, "in your front window." "Ah," ahs Ma....)

(He gets around.)

(I wonder if Jimmy Powers ever noticed them mopping the floors under the stands at Ebbets Field...)

(I like Carl Furillo. My kind of player. Oh, and those are some snazzy new uniforms the Braves have this year. Hope they keep them for a while.)

(Ella has finally found her calling.)

("Just because I wouldn't sign your program!")

(It's almost May, you know. Furs are SO out of season.)

(Solves that problem!)

(Isn't there an understanding clergyman you could ask? Or even your mother??)

 

[LizzieMaine]

And in the Daily News...

The one person I knew personally who belonged to the D A R was exactly the kind of person who would sta b you in the back while smiling in your face. And as for Sonja, didn't she suffer enough being married all that time to Dan Topping?

5 to 1? Better get a piece of that.

"He'll lose it again in a few minutes. You did bring the diaper bag like I told you?"

"Well, her name was Cecilia, and she lived in a farmhouse in Dieppe..."

Nobody likes a told-ya-so.

"Nice hat."

Yeah, a bit of feldspar, maybe some basalt, and a whole lot of silica.

Tell him about that cave in Macedonia. Nah, he'd never believe it.

Oh well, back to mooching.

Coming Events...

 

[Fading Fast]

I wonder if Jimmy Powers ever noticed them mopping the floors under the stands at Ebbets Field...

From Google AI: Edwin Collins "Alabama" Pitts Jr. (1909–1941) was a minor league outfielder and convicted felon who became a national sensation in 1935 for his fight to play professional baseball after being paroled from Sing Sing prison. His saga, involving a battle against, and eventual victory over, Commissioner Landis for a chance to play, sparked a major debate on prisoner rehabilitation.

*******************************************************

It's almost May, you know. Furs are SO out of season.

For the hoi polo wearing their bargain-basement "furs," sure.

*******************************************************

Isn't there an understanding clergyman you could ask? Or even your mother??

Or man up, as it isn't kindness but selfishness at a point.

*******************************************************

"Well, her name was Cecilia, and she lived in a farmhouse in Dieppe..."

Panel two could be used to draw Sally for half of what she says.