The Era -- Day By Day

[LizzieMaine]

If I could bottle the smell of old Curtis Publishing Company magazines I'd wallow in it. The best thing about the Saturday Evening Post is what it smells like after a few decades in an attic. Other magazines have a pleasant smell, but there is something about the combination of paper and ink used by the Curtis publications -- SEP, Ladies Home Journal, Country Gentleman -- that's both instantly recognizable and overwhelmingly comforting.

The only smell that ever came close to it was the inside of the box in an old Monopoly set we had when I was a kid. I used to deliberately lose so I could go off in the corner and huff the box.

 

[LizzieMaine]

The United States have given Great Britain fifty overaged destroyers in exchange for strategic naval and airbase sites in the Western Hemisphere, and there are unofficial reports that 18 of those ships have already sailed from Hampton, Virginia for an undisclosed port. It has been admitted that another fourteen of those destroyers are presently moored at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and cannot make a transatlantic voyage until they have been "thoroughly overhauled." Those ships were all built in 1918 or 1919, and have been used most recently for neutrality patrol duty.

Meanwhile, the State Department reports receiving confirmation from British Prime Minister Winston Churchill that the British Navy will never surrender nor be scuttled, even if the British Isles are defeated.

It is expected that up to 35 percent of the total strength of the 245th Coast Artillery, only Brooklyn National Guard regiment affected by President Roosevelt's one-year mobilization order, will resign rather than accept activation. That exceeds by twenty percent the number of resignations anticipated in the entire 54th Division, covering New York City and New Jersey, and will force a vigorous recruiting campaign to bring the unit back to full strength. Although the formal orders requiring the members of the unit to report for one year's active service on September 16th have not yet been received, training is already underway for the officers and men who will conduct the induction tests for Guardsmen who face activation. The deadline for resignations is October 6th, and Guardsmen requesting to resign must submit their resignations in writing to their commanding officers, and those seeking dependency discharges must provide documentation of the number of dependents. Those under the age of 18 must submit a birth certificate. The decision on whether or not to accept resignations will be made by the State Adjutant General, whose decision will be final.

The House Military Affairs Committee has rejected a Senate amendment to the conscription bill that would allow the Government to take over privately-owned factories for war production in the event of a national emergency, and has replaced it with its own amendment that would allow the government to rent factories from their owners for war production purposes. Under the amendment, if a firm refuses to accept a war production contract, the government will be authorized to take over operation of the facility under the terms of that contract, and will pay the owners of the plant compensation for its use at a "fair and just rate."

Alien registration in Brooklyn is proceeding at a rapid pace, with an estimated 500 persons per hour being processed at the 305 Washington Street office. All of Brooklyn's estimated 400,000 aliens must be registered by the Federal deadline of December 26th.

The Federal food stamp program was officially launched today in Brooklyn, with 2600 local families on Home Relief receiving base allotments of $3 worth of orange stamps and $1.50 worth of blue stamps per person in the morning mail. About 10,000 food retailers in the borough have signed up to participate in the program, redeeming the orange stamps for any food product, and the blue stamps for commodities designated by the government as surplus. The mailing of the month's allotment of stamps will continue until September 15th, by which time an estimated 70,000 persons in the borough will have received them.

School reopens in Brooklyn next Monday, but the school buildings will be open today for the registration of new pupils. Nearly 20,000 new students are expected to sign up for the fall term in the borough, and the schools will also be accepting transfers from outside the public school system. Parents are notified that no child who has not been vaccinated will be allowed to attend school, and certificates of vaccination must be shown at the time of registration. Teachers will report to their classrooms on Friday to receive their assignments for the coming term.

A 45-year-old homeless man who crashed an engagement party and picked a guest's pocket faces a hearing in Brooklyn Felony Court today on a charge of grand larceny. Samuel Rosen is accused of "jostling" Joseph Ferrante of Jamaica during the party in a hall at 566 Liberty Avenue Sunday night, and lifting a wallet containing $39 in cash. Rosen admitted that he hadn't been invited to the party, but dropped in anyway to see if he could pick up a few free drinks. Rosen has a total of ten previous arrests on pickpocketing charges.

Now showing at the AIR COOLED Patio, James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan in "The Mortal Storm," paired with Madeline Carroll in "Safari."

In Scotland, Connecticut a 58-year-old man confessed to blowing up his 84-year-old father with a homemade car bomb. Charles S. Garvin pleaded guilty today to teaming with 18-year-old John Shimenski in the murder of the elderly George H. Garvin. Shimenski, who was employed as the elder Garvin's chauffeur, and the younger Garvin rigged a bundle of dynamite to the car's battery thru a switch hidden behind a tree. The younger Garvin waited for his father to take his seat in the car, and then detonated the bomb. Police say "financial matters" motivated the crime.

More than 2,500,000 people flooded into New York City for the Labor Day weekend, with the World's Fair logging 322,246 paying customers for its second-best gate of the season. Fair officials are hoping for a late-season attendance boom as the Fair moves into its remaining 55 days.

Five million American women go bowling every week, and the popularity of the sport is a real boon to health. Experts say bowling regularly tones the body thru its rhythmic stretching of the muscles, will improve circulation, and can also improve posture. Bowling for one hour every day makes for a fine exercise program for any woman.

Reader Gregory Weinstein agrees with Elliot Roosevelt in criticizing "God Bless America," stating that the Irving Berlin song comes across as "selfish" in this time of suffering for Europe, and that to sing such a song in times like these is "pharasaic."

(Back when kids respected authority.)

(There aren't really all that many "twixteen" boys still wearing knickers in 1940, but the kid seen here certainly seems to be "owning the look.")

What to make of Our Dodgers? Just when everyone was writing them off for the season, they're going on a tear, splitting a twinbill at Boston to bring their recent record to five wins in the last six games. The Reds are only playing .500 ball at the moment, and if they continue in that vein, the Dodgers would need to win 22 of their 29 remaining games to catch up. Without Pee Wee Reese and Cookie Lavagetto in the lineup, it will be very difficult to accomplish that. But on the strength of the Flock's recent performance, there are those who say it is not impossible.

Fat Freddie Fitzsimmons didn't have a thing in the first game yesterday, and the Bees sent him packing in the first inning. Hugh Casey pitched well enough in relief to carry a tie into the eleventh inning until Pete Coscarart booted a grounder off the bat of Sibby Sisti, allowing Gene Moore to plate the winning run. But Curt Davis took command and kept it in the nightcap, with the Dodgers unleashing thirteen hits including homers by Medwick and Davis himself for the 6-2 win.

Medwick seems to be shaking out of his post-beaning doldrums at long last. Little noticed by anyone, the Duck has hit in ten straight games.

The Dodgers take today off before heading to Philadelphia for a night game at Shibe Park.

That plane crash in Virginia Saturday has rattled quite a few of the Dodgers. No less than eleven members of the squad refused to fly into Boston for yesterday's games, and they'll also be taking the train to Philadelphia.

(So when the cosmic rays wear off, Sparky literally shrinks? How Freudian.)

(No jury would convict.)

(Told ya to keep your arm down, you -- you -- you GOURD-HEAD.)

(Whoa, deja vu!)

 

[LizzieMaine]

And in the Daily News...

Hey, you want ragweed pollen? Come around my neighborhood, I got plenty.

Carlisle, where are you?

Now is that nice?

Annie has only been in town for a couple of months, but she already knows all the shady candy stores.

HEY KIDS COMICS!

"This spring infested ground!" Sheesh. Spare us the scientific jargon, Professor.

Exceptional art today, Gus. Panel One had me laughing even without reading the dialogue.

The deep currents of office life.

On the other hand, though, who doesn't love a good screwball comedy?

Now just a minute here. What happened to Moon's gal pal? What happened to the mysterious bag? What happened to the pursuing cop? How'd we end up in a tourist camp? And how can Willie sleep with those pants on?

 

[Fading Fast]

...Now showing at the AIR COOLED Patio, James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan in "The Mortal Storm," paired with Madeline Carroll in "Safari."...

Joe and Sally have to go see "The Mortal Storm," outstanding early WWII film exposing the Nazis. I'm not familiar with "Safari," but how wrong can you go watching Madeline Carroll for a couple of hours?

And in "The Mortal Storm," it's creepy as heck to see a very young Robert Young (yes, later of "Father Knows Best" fame) chillingly and convincingly play a Nazi:

...Five million American women go bowling every week, and the popularity of the sport is a real boon to health. Experts say bowling regularly tones the body thru its rhythmic stretching of the muscles, will improve circulation, and can also improve posture. Bowling for one hour every day makes for a fine exercise program for any woman....

Uh-huh. Sure, maybe, for the professionals, but my limited experience was it was a bunch of sitting around, occasionally throwing the ball, drinking beer and, grabbing, pizza or burgers afterwards. On net, I think my health took a small hit on those evenings.

.... (So when the cosmic rays wear off, Sparky literally shrinks? How Freudian.)...

Yup, plus he hinted at the "big feet means a big..." cliche.

Also, interesting that there seems to be more than one Sparky out there. With WWII heating up, a battalion of Sparkies could be an interesting storyline.

... (Whoa, deja vu!)

Somebody messed up somewhere along the way. Perhaps he or she enjoyed his or her Labor Day off just a bit too much?

... Hey, you want ragweed pollen? Come around my neighborhood, I got plenty....

I looked for it, but it doesn't seem like a picture of the black smoke billowing out of the Chrysler Building's chimney was captured.

Reporter: "Care to comment, Mr. Chrysler Building?"

Chrysler Building: "If there are no pics, it never happened."

... Annie has only been in town for a couple of months, but she already knows all the shady candy stores....

In 2020 dollars, that's a nearly $200 box of chocolates. I'm wondering where in this poor town, Annie found a $200 box of chocolates. Have you or anyone you know ever bought a $200 of chocolates?

Also, Annie's gotta be getting a bit tired of the "curly locks" sobriquet.

... HEY KIDS COMICS!...

Caniff is at the top of his game. Softcore porn and philosophy in one day's strip and it works well and seamlessly. That's talent.

... "This spring infested ground!" Sheesh. Spare us the scientific jargon, Professor....

Tracy: "Hey professor, I don't know if we're going to make it or not, but do you mind submerging yourself in the water for a few minutes as the little air we have left to breathe has quite the funk."

.. Exceptional art today, Gus. Panel One had me laughing even without reading the dialogue....

Yes indeed. Also, if momma wasn't so blinded by royal titles, she might be wondering why the elegant Lady Fifi speaks like a bargain-basement jewel thief.

.... The deep currents of office life....?

Snipe looks about 30, Skeezix's, what, 17? King really wants go there; he's just trying to figure out how far he can actually go.

... View attachment 258285 On the other hand, though, who doesn't love a good screwball comedy?...

I'm a little put off by the recycled plot, but I'm keeping an open mind as he might take it in a different direction this time.

In the life-imitates-art-imitates-life circle, today we have a "safety first" meme, which precludes screwball comedy in many ways; but back in screwball comedy's heyday of the '30s'/early '40s, did some people act a bit more screwball-ish in real life because of the meme in Hollywood? To wit, was there a screwball meme back then that made it acceptable and funny to sometimes do screwball things IRL - or was it all just a Hollywood creation?

... View attachment 258286 Now just a minute here. What happened to Moon's gal pal? What happened to the mysterious bag? What happened to the pursuing cop? How'd we end up in a tourist camp? And how can Willie sleep with those pants on?

I try, but this is the one strip I really can't get into.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Robert Young was a much more versatile actor than his TV persona allowed him to be -- he could turn up anywhere in movies, as anything from a slimy Nazi to the reckless scion of a Mexican grandee, and do it, in terms of the movie, at least, in a thoroughly convincing fashion. I have to think the typecasting he had to put up with in later life contributed to his long bout with depression.

Around here we have candlepin bowling almost exclusively, which means the pizza doesn't have anywhere near enough of a chance to burn off while you're playing.

The only explanation for the expensive chocolates I can think of is that they come in an extremely fancy engraved box, with a false bottom, containing a load of heroin. Now that would be an interesting twist for this storyline to take.

Skeez turned 19 this past February, so he's not quite ready for Sally Snipe, and she knows he's not. But he's not quite ready for Miss Glip either.

I like Miss Vera Lee, Peter La Slagg's gal, very much, but I can't figure out if she's supposed to be Asian, Latina, or what. Gray's visual shorthand for ethnicity tends to be ambiguous, but I think he's trying to convey some sort of non-white ethnicity in the design of the character.

Note the expression on Millie -- Bim's wife and Mama's daughter. She's having way too much fun looking forward to what will inevitably occur.

There were certainly screwball-ish stories in the press, usually revolving around the feckless rich, and I'd have to think they helped to inspire the screwball craze in movies and novels. But on the other hand, authors like Wodehouse and Thorne Smith were doing these sorts of themes far back into the twenties, before the screwball craze of the thirties was ever thought of. That said, though, the real-life John Barrymore-Elaine Barrie story is nothing if not the greatest screwball plot of the decade.

I have a feeling Harold is going to meet a down-to-earth millionaire type and that he is going to look very much like Eugene Pallette. Because that's how this story usually goes.

 

[Fading Fast]

..
.The only explanation for the expensive chocolates I can think of is that they come in an extremely fancy engraved box, with a false bottom, containing a load of heroin. Now that would be an interesting twist for this storyline to take.....

Seriously. I live in a stupidly expensive city and $200 boxes of chocolates are very rare.

...Skeez turned 19 this past February, so he's not quite ready for Sally Snipe, and she knows he's not. But he's not quite ready for Miss Glip either....

But in a way, that's what happens sometimes. So Skeez's first "exposure" would be with a, for him, mature woman. It can happen as life rarely follows the script. I know of a few examples as, if you think about the old norms, it was a way for a young man to find what he wanted and an older-to-him woman to get what she wanted from someone she knew wasn't boyfriend or husband material. For that time, it solved two problems.

...I like Miss Vera Lee, Peter La Slagg's gal, very much, but I can't figure out if she's supposed to be Asian, Latina, or what. Gray's visual shorthand for ethnicity tends to be ambiguous, but I think he's trying to convey some sort of non-white ethnicity in the design of the character.....

Agreed, she's been the first pop of the old Gray since he killed everyone off.

 

[Haversack]

How many countries even had aircraft carriers in 1940?

According to wikipedia, the countries that had commissioned aircraft carriers in 1940 were, the USA, the UK, Japan, and France. Italy and Germany had some under construction, (but not completed), and Sweden and Romania both had a sea-plane tender/carrier.

 

[Fading Fast]

According to wikipedia, the countries that had commissioned aircraft carriers in 1940 were, the USA, the UK, Japan, and France. Italy and Germany had some under construction, (but not completed), and Sweden and Romania both had a sea-plane tender/carrier.

Thank you. Well then, that pretty much limits which country Fazian could be. Japan's the obvious answer.

 

[Tiki Tom]

Fading Fast’s comment on the health benefits of bowling made me laugh. I had the same thoughts when I read that paragraph.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Thousands of National Guardsmen in New York State will lose their right to vote in the upcoming Presidential election due to their impending mobilization for active service under the President's National Defense program, as will New York men drafted for military service once conscription is enacted. A special session of the State Legislature is being weighed by Governor Herbert H. Lehman to consider changes in the State election law that would guarantee the vote to men in military service. S. Howard Cohen, president of New York City's Board of Elections is leading the call for such an amendment, stating that "the law will have to be changed." Present state law makes no provision for special polls for those on active military duty unless such duty occurs during a time of declared war.

Adolf Hitler today jeered at Great Britain's resistance to continuing German air raids, and ridiculed those in the British government who are asking why "Hitler hasn't come." "My reply is 'just be quiet'," sneered the Fuehrer in a speech at the Berlin Sportsplast. "'He's coming soon enough!'" Hitler accused Britain of "the nuisance of three months of nightly planless bomb throwing," and promised to deliver his reply in even heavier assaults on British targets. "If they attack our cities," he threatened, "we shall simply erase theirs."

The Amen Office probe of contract-rigging in the highway construction industry will extend to a city-wide investigation. So states Assistant Attorney General John H. Amen, citing special authority given him by Attorney General Bennett several weeks ago to extend his investigation to contract irregularities in Queens and Manhattan. Mr. Amen estimates that the illegal cartel of construction firms has defrauded the city to the tune of $9,000,000 worth of public highway contracts over the past four years. Four additional firms recently indicted in Brooklyn as part of the probe will go on trial next week.

Accused "Murder For Hire" figure Harry "Pittsburgh Phil" Strauss will be forcibly shaven and shorn prior to his trial next month for the gangland murder of Irving "Puggy" Feinstein. Strauss has allowed his beard and hair to grow uncontrolled since his arrest earlier this year, taking on a "patriarchal appearance," and District Attorney William O'Dwyer demanded that the hair be trimmed and the whiskers removed in order to facilitiate identification of the accused man during his trial, and to prevent the jury from receiving the impression that Strauss is insane. Kings County Judge Franklin Taylor granted the District Attorney's request, ruling that a forced shave and haircut would not violate Strauss's constitutional rights, and that the court is entitled to compel the removal of any "disguise" that might hinder indentification of a suspect.

In Manhattan, a federal judge today denied a petition by Communist Party presidential nominee Earl Browder for permission to travel outside the jurisdiction of the court to carry on his presidential campaign. Browder is presently free on $7500 bail pending an appeal of his conviction on passport charges, and his attorney, Miss Carol King, argued that there would be no risk of her client jumping bail, "since everybody would know where he was."

The five defendants in the Christian Front seditious conspiracy case upon whose fate the jury could not agree will appear in court again on September 17th for a determination of whether they will be retried. If it is agreed to pursue the case further, the five would likely face a new trial in Federal Court in October.

("Raise? You don't get a raise. You get to wear uniforms from Loeser's. Isn't that enough? There's a lot of maids out there wearing Namm's who'd like to have your uniform!")

Defense attorneys for Miss Sylvia Ageloff, Brooklyn social worker charged with complicity in the assassination in Mexico City of exiled Bolshevik Leon Trotsky have filed for an injunction to prevent the arrest of her sister Hilda on suspicion that she knew of accused assassin Frank Jackson's plans. The attorneys questioned the application of the relevant law, pointing out that under its broadest interpretation, any member of Trotsky's entourage who had ever expressed any suspicion at all of Jackson would be liable to arrest. Miss Hilda Ageloff arrived today in Mexico City by plane.

Meanwhile, investigators say they have learned that Jackson had planned to come to Brooklyn to marry Sylvia Ageloff prior to August 1st, when she left for her scheduled two-week vacation from duties as a home-relief investigator for the Department of Welfare. But Jackson reportedly telephoned Miss Ageloff from Mexico City shortly before that date and told her he was ill and couldn't come. Investigators believe that Miss Ageloff then requested to come to him and "nurse him," and that he agreed with that plan.

(Jane Austen meets Thorne Smith. Now that's a double feature.)

Eagle reader Arthur J. Lonto says it's sad that "the greatest show of all times has had such poor attendance," and urges everyone to make a special effort to get out to the World's Fair before it closes.

(The dunce cap had been abolished in all but the most isolated and retrograde American public schools by 1940, but the idea lived on. My first-grade teacher -- in 1969 -- would make any misbehaving child sit on a high stool wearing a frilled baby bonnet.)

The Dodgers play their last night game of 1940 tonight in Philadelphia, where they aren't going to take the Phillies for granted. The Phils will finish in the cellar this year, but they have seen steady improvement in recent weeks, with strong pitching from Kirby Higbe, Hugh Mulcahy -- who has worked hard to shed his "Losing Pitcher" nickname -- and Ike Pearson, and surprisingly strong work with the bat from outfielder Johnny Rizzo. The Dodgers have the edge tonight, though, with Vito Tamulis or Luke Hamlin expected to start against Charlie Frye, who has yet to win a game this year.

The Flock's flight from Boston was a rough one, with the plane passing thru a storm that tossed players and their evening meals all over the cabin. There will be no more flying for the Dodgers this year, with traveling secretary John McDonald acknowledging that the players "need time to recover."

What's in a name? "The Revuers," NBC's popular radio musical comedy troupe that writes and performs all its own material, say they spent months trying to come up with a good name for their group, and weighed alternatives ranging from "The Corn Exchange Players," "The Skitsophrenics," "The Pentagoons," and "Grand Revue Moderne" before deciding at last to call themselves "The Dionne Quintuplets." Unfortunately they soon learned that another act is already using that name.

(Mrs Browne needs to take Bob to see Doc Static.)

(George's most famous catch phrase is "What crust!" But "Ho Hum! Another brutal day!" has to run a close second.)

(It must've been great to live in a time when the media wasn't shamelessly manipulated for political effect. Too bad there never was one.)

(Incidentally, Dan, have you considered a wider-brimmed hat? It'd do much for your unfortunate head-shape.)

 

[LizzieMaine]

And in the Daily News...

Do people still leap from buildings? You don't seem to hear as much about it anymore but in 1940, it was clearly an epidemic.

Speaking of screwball comedy...

Carlisle was just off getting his broken shift-key fixed.

Take in a what? A three-letter-word? Dash-dash-dash? You don't like people named "Sam?"

"Yeah, I *did* mention that. You must've been busy."

OK, so right about now is when Andy needs to barge in the door waving a newspaper and screaming about pickpockets.

Friction meets frisson.

Careful what you ask for, kid.

"My Man Godfrey" was a great picture.

If this strip was two months ago, the bag would be ticking.

 

[Fading Fast]

... ("Raise? You don't get a raise. You get to wear uniforms from Loeser's. Isn't that enough? There's a lot of maids out there wearing Namm's who'd like to have your uniform!")...

Not to mention all the maids who have to buy their own uniforms. "We'll just take it out of your first few paychecks."

"Rayon Suede" sounds like an oxymoron, but I guess the good news is no cows were hurt in the making of those housecoats.

...Defense attorneys for Miss Sylvia Ageloff, Brooklyn social worker charged with complicity in the assassination in Mexico City of exiled Bolshevik Leon Trotsky have filed for an injunction to prevent the arrest of her sister Hilda on suspicion that she knew of accused assassin Frank Jackson's plans. The attorneys questioned the application of the relevant law, pointing out that under its broadest interpretation, any member of Trotsky's entourage who had ever expressed any suspicion at all of Jackson would be liable to arrest. Miss Hilda Ageloff arrived today in Mexico City by plane....

Hold on a moment here, did the US have an extradition agreement with Mexico back then? What would prompt Hilda to fly to Mexico and face arrest when she could have stayed in Brooklyn and either ignored the charge or just sent her lawyer? Maybe pater Ageloff sees this as an opportunity to clean house of all his communist-mingling daughters, "Sure dear, go, there's nothing to worry about, our lawyer will have you and your sister home in no time."

...
(Jane Austen meets Thorne Smith. Now that's a double feature.)...

I'm sure there are movie adaptations of Austen's books that I haven't seen, but of the many that I have seen, this is the best one, IMO.

Greer Garson as the smart daughter and Edmund Gwenn as the father of the too-many-daughters brood own their roles and have such incredible chemistry with each other that the movie only gets better upon repeated viewing. Olivier is fine, but like most Austen men, his is kinda a two-dimensional character, so he doesn't have that much to work with.

Also, just noting the shameless advertising effort mentioning "Rebecca" and "Goodbye, Mr. Chips." "This is a push, push, push business Williams!"

...[ (It must've been great to live in a time when the media wasn't shamelessly manipulated for political effect. Too bad there never was one.)...

Really good art work today. I'm comfortable a young Andy Warhol saw this style as the roots of Pop Art are clearly here.

...
Do people still leap from buildings? You don't seem to hear as much about it anymore but in 1940, it was clearly an epidemic.....

Now, it's much more likely to be accidental as the balcony's support gives out - sadly, we've had a few of those in the past several years in NYC.

Also, whoa!, quite the twist at the end of that story about him having deserted. Did not see that coming at all.

... Speaking of screwball comedy.......

Seriously. Also, just noting, technically, I'm thinking she can't wear white when she does eventually have a real wedding. Just sayin', six weeks.

... View attachment 258506 Carlisle was just off getting his broken shift-key fixed.....

... "Yeah, I *did* mention that. You must've been busy."...

"The air is getting bad in here..." Come on, I'm pretty comfortable the air has never been good down there with professor I haven't showered since God knows when.

... Friction meets frisson.....

These might be two of the smartest, most-independent women out there, but we are still only one errant word away from a hell of a cat fight that, I'll admit, I'd buy tickets for.

...
Careful what you ask for, kid.....

Just pointing out that the only way Miss Glip's* stories can all work is if her now-deceased father was a corporate lawyer and bond broker (uh-huh) who left his wife and four children penniless. It's getting harder to square that circle each time she opens her mouth.

*Godiva Glip - really?

... "My Man Godfrey" was a great picture.....

Lillums doesn't know it yet, but her world might just have changed a lot.

 

[ChazfromCali]

"In Scotland, Connecticut a 58-year-old man confessed to blowing up his 84-year-old father with a homemade car bomb. Charles S. Garvin pleaded guilty today to teaming with 18-year-old John Shimenski in the murder of the elderly George H. Garvin. Shimenski, who was employed as the elder Garvin's chauffeur, and the younger Garvin rigged a bundle of dynamite to the car's battery thru a switch hidden behind a tree. The younger Garvin waited for his father to take his seat in the car, and then detonated the bomb. Police say "financial matters" motivated the crime."

Blowing up your father with a car bomb? Sheesh! That's a bit excessive. And not really any plausible deniability there either. Not like a, "Gee, Officer Dad went out for a walk and I guess he got mugged and it went bad..."

Car bomb? You don't got to be a Lt. Columbo to figure out something's up.

 

[Fading Fast]

 

[LizzieMaine]

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill today warned the United States that Adolf Hitler will seek revenge on the nation for its exchange of destroyers for air and naval bases if he gets the chance. The Prime Minister in a speech to the House of Commons also warned Britain not to lose sight of the fact that the arrangement does not mean the United States has entered or will enter the war, and warns against reading into the deal more than is there. Churchill predicted that "the Third Reich will pass away as swiftly -- perhaps more swiftly -- than did Napoleon's army, although without of course any of its glitter or glory," and declared that Britain is prepared to withstand the heavy fighting yet to come. "The whole nation will stand up to it, grim and gay."

Meanwhile, German planes continued their barrage over the British Isles, with the Commons adjourning for forty-five minutes during Churchill's speech due to an air raid over London. Nazi fighter planes drew a swastika in the sky over Parliament with smoke as bombers pounded the city.

U. S. Coast Guard vessels are patrolling the waters off Greenland to guard the world's only source for cryolite, rare mineral used in the refining of aluminum, a vital war material. Four Coast Guard ships have been stationed off Evigtit, location of the cryolite mines, since June 1st. It is stated that permission from Greenland authorities has been sought and has been given for the presence of the ships.

Today was a banner day for Hollywood divorce lawyers, with three movieland couples calling it quits, with John Barrymore and Elaine Barrie heading the list. That split was, to hear the Great Profile tell it, a unilateral and final decision, with Caliban walking out in Ariel for the fifth time since their tumultuous marriage began in 1937. All the previous splits between the two have also been "final decisions," but Barrymore says this time he's determined to make it stick. "No man is safe," he declared, "as long as there are women in the world." A secretary to Miss Barrie disputed Barrymore's account of the situation, stating that to her knowledge, the couple was as "two turtle doves." Meanwhile, Hedy Lamarr filed suit against her husband, producer Gene Markey, whom she married after he was dropped by previous wife Joan Bennett on the grounds of cruelty. Miss Lamarr made no demand for alimony, stating that all she wants is her freedom. And tempestuous Carole Landis, who eloped to Las Vegas two months ago with yacht broker William Hunt, is reported to have walked out on Hunt last night, declaring that she will seek an immediate divorce. Landis is currently to be seen in Hal Roach's adaptation of the Thorne Smith comedy "Turnabout," in which she exchanges bodies with husband John Hubbard.

Brooklyn's famous "midget bandit" was found dead today in his cell at the Raymond Street Jail. Herbert Mackie, diminutive holdup artist, was last seen alive at 7 this morning collecting his breakfast tray after it was placed on the floor of his cell by a guard, but when the guard returned to pick up the tray at 8:30, Mackie was found slumped over his cot, with the food untouched. Mackie was jailed on August 13th in default of $50,000 bail on charges that he participated in an armed robbery at the Shore Road Auto Sales Company on August 11th. Mackie's police record dates back to 1924, and include a prison break in 1928. While not technically an actual "midget," Mackie's shriveled and wizened appearance and unusually short stature earned him in crime circles the title of "dwarf."

It is expected that when the conscription law is enacted and the mechanism is set up for draft registration, a legal holiday will be called to enable all men subject to registration to report as required. The Eagle has learned that the city Board of Elections has already begun to formulate plans for the registration process, and that Registration Day itself will extend from 9:30 AM to 10 PM. It is also expected that schools will be drafted to serve as registration centers, and there is a proposal to require teachers to assist in the registration process.

A Bushwick store owner accused a 19 year old customer of pulling her dress off during an altercation outside her dry goods shop. 19 year old Miss Jean Lozia of 43 Bushwick Avenue is charged with grabbing store owner Frieda Strifel's dress during an argument over the price of a pair of silk stockings, and with pulling it over her head and off, leaving Miss Strifel standing in the street in her slip. A hearing in the case will be held Wednesday in Bridge Plaza Court.

Mayor LaGuardia is calling on the United States to establish a "Home Guard" along the lines of that now operating in Great Britain, a uniformed volunteer force of those ineligible for regular military service to guard strategic points and man anti-aircraft guns, thus freeing regular troops for more essential service. The Mayor testified before the Senate Military Committee, and urged that the Army authorize such a force, and provide uniforms and equipment for its operation.

A fistfight on the floor of the U. S. House Of Representatives between two Congressmen followed a dispute between the two over the conscription bill. Representative Beverly D. Vincent (D-Kentucky) and Representative Martin L. Sweeney (D-Ohio) brawled on the House floor after Vincent called Sweeney a traitor for his opposition to a proposed amendment of the pending bill. The House subsequently resolved unanimously to expunge the charge of "traitor" from the record.

Manhattan District Attorney Thomas E. Dewey, defeated in his quest for the Republican presidential nomination, will make his first formal appearance today in support of nominee Wendell Willkie in Brooklyn this afternoon at the opening of the borough's General Committee Headquarters of the Willkie campaign. Mr. Dewey will appear at the opening, but he is not expected to speak.

(The Food Stamp program, in addition to its benefits to those who need its services, will also provide a great deal of real-world administrative practice for the wider use of stamp books that's just a few years down the line...)

(Considering that the "Approved Milk" grading standard only went into effect four days ago, you're really speaking from experience there, toots.)

Lightning typist and avid Dodger fan, Margaret Hamma of Bushwick won a season pass to Ebbets Field as Brooklyn's fastest typewriter specialist, and you can see her at work at the International Business Machines exhibit out at the World's Fair. Five days a week, Miss Hanna bangs out up to 150 words a minute on an IBM electric typewriter, and to give her performance added zest, she often works with a glass of water balanced on each wrist -- without ever spilling a drop. She works a tough schedule at the fair, with up to seventeen performances a day, and sometimes when she isn't feeling well her pace drops off a bit, to a sluggish 136 or 137 words a minute. She says she's never broken a nail typing, and in fact the only nail she's ever broken happened at Ebbets Field last week when she slammed her fist down on a grandstand rail when the umpire made a bad call on a third strike.

("Ah dunno, son. Kin he take a punch?")

Luke Hamlin may have just sealed his position on the 1941 Dodgers pitching staff, with his third consecutive win, with a 3-0 shutout win over the Phillies at Shibe Park. Lonesome Luke ambled out there last night and perplexed the Philadelphia batters with his nervous, jerky delivery, and yielded not a single home run ball. The Philadelphia fans were waiting for him to let loose with a fat one, especially since the game was preceded by an interminable "Night" for slugger Chuck Klein, but Hamlin refused to cooperate. Jimmy Wasdell, Dolph Camilli, and Joe Medwick roughed up Phillie rookie Charley Frye to pace the Dodger offense. The Duck is on the rampage at long last, with Medwick upping his hitting streak to fifteen games.

The "Chuck Klein Night" celebration went on and on, with the Flock waiting impatiently thru five different bands and a long litany of gifts before the game could begin. Klein was presented with everything but his unconditional release during the ceremonies, and the large contingent of Brooklyn rooters who helped swell the crowd to 18,031 -- largest Phillie home attendance of the season -- tried to applaud politely with each new presentation. No doubt weighted down with all his presents, Klein struck out twice during the actual game, and bungled a fly ball that gave Pete Reiser a double, so it worked out well for the Dodgers in the long run.

("Y'know who ain' hadda day yet?" says Sally. "Petey ain' hadda day." "Yeah," says Joe. "I c'n see it now. They give him a trophy an' he drops it an' two runs score." Sally glares a thousand-yard glare, and Joe adjourns to the candy store to see if the Daily News is up yet.)

Today in Philadelphia, Whit Wyatt takes the mound for Brooklyn versus Hugh Mulcahy for the Phils.

(Yeah, I know a real dog who could do this, and he don't need no cosmic rays.)

(The faces in panel four say it all.)

(Sadly, in Real 1940, there are many neighborhoods where John's political stock would be skyrocketing.)

(I'd love to see the engineering studies for this.)

 

[LizzieMaine]

And in the Daily News...

The News is so over Barrymore. There was a time when this story would be splashed all over the page. And meanwhile, millions of New York kids are flipping off whoever it is that's responsible for the one-line page fillers.

Carlisle is angling today for free Yankee tickets and a month's supply of Coca-Cola. And hey, be gentle with that shift key, willya? You wanna bust it again?

"And Jim Farley? I think he's a swell guy too!"

"Y-y-yours is probably counterfeit anyway!"

At this stage of the game, it's ridiculous that the syndicate editor won't let Caniff say "Japan" out loud, even when the art leaves absolutely no doubt. And I'm kinda disappointed that the DL didn't bring that plane down with one shot.

Yeah, this is what happens with all those corrupt paving contracts.

I sure wouldn't want to be the cleaner who has to get all that sweat out of Bim's suit.

Listen, Sally, why don't you just blow this popstand. I know a couple of gals on a boat in China right now who could really use you on their team.

I didn't know Senga had a brother.

Hahahahahahahaha!

 

[Fading Fast]

... Nazi fighter planes drew a swastika in the sky over Parliament with smoke as bombers pounded the city....

The Nazi's understood fear and propaganda very well.

... "No man is safe," he declared, "as long as there are women in the world." ...

Harold Teen and Skeezix nod in agreement.

...Brooklyn's famous "midget bandit" was found dead today in his cell at the Raymond Street Jail. Herbert Mackie, diminutive holdup artist, was last seen alive at 7 this morning collecting his breakfast tray after it was placed on the floor of his cell by a guard, but when the guard returned to pick up the tray at 8:30, Mackie was found slumped over his cot, with the food untouched. Mackie was jailed on August 13th in default of $50,000 bail on charges that he participated in an armed robbery at the Shore Road Auto Sales Company on August 11th. Mackie's police record dates back to 1924, and include a prison break in 1928. While not technically an actual "midget," Mackie's shriveled and wizened appearance and unusually short stature earned him in crime circles the title of "dwarf."...

Could he have been the inspiration for the "charming" Jerome Trohs?

...A Bushwick store owner accused a 19 year old customer of pulling her dress off during an altercation outside her dry goods shop. 19 year old Miss Jean Lozia of 43 Bushwick Avenue is charged with grabbing store owner Frieda Strifel's dress during an argument over the price of a pair of silk stockings, and with pulling it over her head and off, leaving Miss Strifel standing in the street in her slip. A hearing in the case will be held Wednesday in Bridge Plaza Court....

Could this be the inspiration for what is about to happen between Raven and The Dragon Lady?

...A fistfight on the floor of the U. S. House Of Representatives between two Congressmen followed a dispute between the two over the conscription bill. Representative Beverly D. Vincent (D-Kentucky) and Representative Martin L. Sweeney (D-Ohio) brawled on the House floor after Vincent called Sweeney a traitor for his opposition to a proposed amendment of the pending bill. The House subsequently resolved unanimously to expunge the charge of "traitor" from the record....

And they're from the same Party.

...
(Considering that the "Approved Milk" grading standard only went into effect four days ago, you're really speaking from experience there, toots.)...

"This is a push, push, push business Williams!"

...
("Ah dunno, son. Kin he take a punch?")...

...The "Chuck Klein Night" celebration went on and on, with the Flock waiting impatiently thru five different bands and a long litany of gifts before the game could begin. Klein was presented with everything but his unconditional release during the ceremonies, and the large contingent of Brooklyn rooters who helped swell the crowd to 18,031 -- largest Phillie home attendance of the season -- tried to applaud politely with each new presentation. No doubt weighted down with all his presents, Klein struck out twice during the actual game, and bungled a fly ball that gave Pete Reiser a double, so it worked out well for the Dodgers in the long run.

("Y'know who ain' hadda day yet?" says Sally. "Petey ain' hadda day." "Yeah," says Joe. "I c'n see it now. They give him a trophy an' he drops it an' two runs score." Sally glares a thousand-yard glare, and Joe adjourns to the candy store to see if the Daily News is up yet.)...

And while there, maybe he'll put two bucks down on "Angry Wife" in the third at Belmont.

... (The faces in panel four say it all.)
...

I know they do, but owning a car doesn't fit the image I have of the Bungles. That was harder to afford and a bigger deal back then.

... (I'd love to see the engineering studies for this.)

So would this guy, it would save him on research in about fifteen years.

... View attachment 258708 The News is so over Barrymore. There was a time when this story would be splashed all over the page. And meanwhile, millions of New York kids are flipping off whoever it is that's responsible for the one-line page fillers...

To be fair to the News, at this point, the Barrymore divorce is showing "Rocky V."

Good for Amen getting some press he deserves, that's a pretty big scandal (as you imply shortly).

... At this stage of the game, it's ridiculous that the syndicate editor won't let Caniff say "Japan" out loud, even when the art leaves absolutely no doubt. And I'm kinda disappointed that the DL didn't bring that plane down with one shot....

I agree, but I'll forgive the editors for this if they just let Gray bring back Nick.

You think the Dude and Pat will join the battle in their hobbled ship?

I like Raven's outfit. While the sport jersey worked for her, it was time to change out. She's looked good in her different spy outfits. Mattel would have a line of clothing out for Raven Barbie today.

... Yeah, this is what happens with all those corrupt paving contracts...

Tomorrow's strip should be a visual treat.

Tracy's gotta be thinking "you've had fresh air all this time and have been holding out on me while I've been breathing in your stink - darn right I left that ball and chain on you."

... Listen, Sally, why don't you just blow this popstand. I know a couple of gals on a boat in China right now who could really use you on their team....

I don't know if Ms. Snipe is ready, that's several levels up of tough.

Also, I think she just hinted to us that she understands why GG is here.

 

[LizzieMaine]

The Bungles have had the same car since 1924, much to Jo's disgust -- a "Skatterbolt Six." It looks to be pretty much the same model of car driven by Andy Gump and Donald Duck, for whatever that's worth. Walt Wallet used to drive a similar car until he got too big to fit into it.

That wasn't the first fistfight on the floor of the House, nor will it be the last. Congress in 1940 has some pretty degraded characters in it. Wait'll John Rankin of Mississippi starts screaming raw anti-Semitic slurs into the Congressional Record because he doesn't like what Walter Winchell says about him in his column.

The Eagle is being pretty mean to Chuck Klein, who was a fine ballplayer who spent most of his career suffering on some of the worst teams the 1920s and 30s had to offer. Give the poor man a Night, fagawdssake.

Cheer up there, Chuck. It's all over now.

Dude being the cocky smartass that he is, he'll pancake that plane down in the water, and swim aboard the ship with a knife clutched his teeth as the rest of the bunch flail along behind him. And the DL will say "the bald-headed one took long enough in arriving."

I don't think any of the stories Godiva is telling are true, and I think whatever the real story is, everybody's going to end up feeling sorry for her. All except Snipe, who will hate her to her dying day.

 

[Fading Fast]

... fagawdssake...

The Bungles have had the same car since 1924, much to Jo's disgust -- a "Skatterbolt Six." It looks to be pretty much the same model of car driven by Andy Gump and Donald Duck, for whatever that's worth. Walt Wallet used to drive a similar car until he got too big to fit into it.

That makes sense, but I picture them as city dwellers where one or both don't even know how to drive.

...Dude being the cocky smartass that he is, he'll pancake that plane down in the water, and swim aboard the ship with a knife clutched his teeth as the rest of the bunch flail along behind him. And the DL will say "the bald-headed one took long enough in arriving."....

To be fair, Pat will be up for the showy heroics too.

...I don't think any of the stories Godiva is telling are true, and I think whatever the real story is, everybody's going to end up feeling sorry for her. All except Snipe, who will hate her to her dying day.

Agreed, the real story needs to be sad for it to all make sense.

And yes on Snipe, doesn't matter the reason, no resident office (or classroom, or school, or neighborhood) hotty likes being replaced (even though Snipe would never fess up to any of it).

 

[LizzieMaine]

King Carol of Rumania, under fire from his nation's new pro-Nazi military dictatorship, has abdicated his throne and fled the country aboard his private yacht. Accompanying the former king is red-haired Magda Lupescu, the ex-monarch's longtime associate with whom he spent years living in gay exile in Paris. Replacing Carol on the Rumanian throne is his son Prince Michael, who in one of his first official acts called for the return of his exiled mother, Princess Helena, the divorced wife of the ex-king. The Princess is reported to have arrived today in Bucharest from Dresden, Germany. Meanwhile, gangs of the Iron Guard, pro-Nazi organization which had been banned under King Carol, surged thru the streets beating Jews, smashing Jewish-owned shop windows, and proclaiming their loyalty to the new monarch. Police looked on making no effort to halt the violent rampage.

Gasoline-powered buses will replace the trolley lines along Fulton Street following a decision made today by the Board of Transportation. That decision has not yet been formally announced by the Board, but emerged from a meeting this afternoon in which contracts were let out for the purchase of the buses. The end of trolley service on Fulton Street will allow demolition of the former Fulton Street L structure to begin by next March, since there will be no need to first erect new trolley poles to carry power lines now suspended from the L's framework. The arrival of the buses will mean the end of trolley service to Fulton Street, Gates Avenue, Putnam Avenue, and DeKalb Avenue, all of which lines run along portions of Fulton Street and 3rd Avenue. The Board in reaching this decision rejected the alternative of trolley buses, trackless vehicles drawing power from trolley lines, and also rejected the recommendation from the New York City Riders Association that trolley service be retained as the most efficient and reliable surface transportation system.

United States Treasury agents today broke up a family-run counterfeiting operation specializing in the manufacture of lead dimes. The raid of an apartment at 153 Wyckoff Avenue led to the arrest of 53-year-old unemployed longshoreman Joseph Luna and his 41 year old wife Josephine Luna. Agents had followed Mrs. Luna along an extensive shopping trip where she was observed to be passing the bogus coins, and followed her to the apartment, where she was detained and questioned. When Mr. Luna arrived home, a struggle with the agents ensued, and Luna fell to the floor, spilling hundreds of counterfeit dimes across the floor from his pockets. Mrs. Luna and the couple's two daughters assaulted the agents in an effort to break up the raid, but police radio cars were summoned, and patrolmen aided in subduing the family. The Lunas were taken to an adjacent apartment where a complete lead-casting setup was discovered with molds for the manufacturing of dimes. Mr. Luna seized a ladleful of molten lead and flung it in the direction of one of the agents, but missed his target. In addition to the fake dimes, a total of $80 worth of nickels and pennies were also seized by the agents.

A "rip snorting drunk" tore apart his jail cell at Nassau County Police Headquarters in Mineola early this morning. Thirty-six year old laborer Leo Trymer of East Hempstead was brought in on a charge of public intoxication around 1 AM, and immediately destroyed a pay telephone, a washbowl, and most of the plumbing in the cell in which he was confined. Water from the broken pipes flooded the cell to ankle depth, and left the prisoner and his captors soaked to the skin. Guards finally managed to subdue Trymer after stripping him naked and dousing him with cold water from a fire hose.

(And so dawns 1941...)

V. C. writes to Helen Worth wanting some advice on grammar. Is it correct to say "Aren't I going?" Helen points out that according to both "A Dictionary of Modern English Usage" by Henry W. Fowler and "The Oxford English Dictionary," the correct phrase is actually "Ain't I going?" with "ain't" in this case a legitimate contraction of "am not I." "Are not I" is not a legitimate usage, and so "aren't I going" is also incorrect. Ain't that something?

A brand new nightspot on Flatbush Avenue opens this week, with the Embassy Rest at the corner of Flatbush and Avenue I promising "a gay floor show of fun and frivolity entitled 'Girlicues of 1940,'" headlined by comic Ben Chasen, with music by Roger Kent and his Orchestra.

The Flatbush Theatre resumes its vaudeville policy next week, opening the fall variety season with a star-studded revue headlined by Sally Rand, and featuring Art Jarret and his Orchestra, comedian Sid Tomack and the dancing Reis Brothers, vocalist Marie Austin, and Nelson's Dogs.

(I worked for a boss once who wasn't this thorough. He let the unpaid bills pile up on his desk in messy heaps that grew so high he finally disappeared completely from view.)

Silent screen star Helen Chadwick died today in Los Angeles at the age of 41. Miss Chadwick's career peaked in the mid-1920s, when she earned $2000 a week as a star of romantic dramas, but with the coming of talking pictures she was reduced to character roles, and finally, to extra parts.

The Dodgers beat the Phillies 8 to 5 in ten innings at Shibe Park, for their seventh win in the last eight games, with the margin of victory coming on the basis of a botched Philadelphia double play that would have ended the inning. Rookie Pete Reiser, who has taken over at third base for the sidelined Cookie Lavagetto, had a spectacular day in the field, with nine assists and three putouts, and knocked a triple and single with his bat. Ducky Medwick extended his hitting streak to fourteen games with a home run and a single.

Absent from the Dodger lineup yesterday was rookie catcher Herman Franks, who's been getting a lot of playing time lately. Durocher says there's no particular reason why he played Babe Phelps behind the plate yesterday, and that "Franks hasn't hurt us" during his recent stretch as the regular backstop. Franks is notably aggressive with the pitching staff, a rare trait in a rookie catcher, and he raised quite a rumpus the day before yesterday when he stormed out to the mound and chewed out Luke Hamlin for crossing him up on a pitch to Phillie rookie phenom Danny Litwhiler. Franks isn't all that much of a hitter, which has limited his playing time this season, but he may be just the thing to light a fire under the Brooklyn mound staff, and he is likely to figure in Durocher's plans for 1941.

(Leo thinks a lot of Herman Franks. Eleven years from now, it will be Herman Franks, as a Giant, who lurks behind a telescope in the Polo Grounds clubhouse to steal opposing catchers' signs, an arrangement that will play a vital role in the "Miracle of Coogan's Bluff.")

The Dodgers close out the Philadelphia series today with a doubleheader. Fat Freddie Fitzsimmons and Lee Grissom will start against Kirby Higbe and either Ike Pearson or Lefty Smoll.

The "Cry-Baby Rebellion" apparently isn't over for the Cleveland Indians, as most of the team is reported to have attended a closed-door meeting in a Detroit hotel room this week to discuss strategy for the final weeks of the American League pennant race without the participation of manager Oscar Vitt. Indians players petitioned owner Alva Bradley earlier this year to fire Vitt due to their dissatisfaction with his attitude, but later withdrew the petition and declared that bygones were to be bygones. But this latest war council suggests that key members of the Tribe will play the game from here on the way they believe it should be played, with their own ideas on tactics and strategy, and without regard for what Vitt has to say on either topic. "If we have to do it," declared one player who declined to allow his name to be used, "we'll give the orders ourselves." The Indians have been in the thick of the flag battle all season, but have played poorly in recent weeks, losing ground to the surging Yankees, and the players "with the exception of one or two" have been strongly critical of Vitt's power-hitting strategy. From here on, say the players, the Tribe will play for one or two runs at a time whether Vitt likes it or not.

(Before using the machine on humans and dogs, Doc conducted sinister experiments on horses.)

(And guess who doesn't have insurance.)

("I don't even OWN a purple shirt. I do, however, have this keen tennis sweater from Davega!")

(And in panel one, a preview of "Dan Dunn -- The Musical," with lyrics not by Lorenz Hart.)