The Era -- Day By Day

[LizzieMaine]

And in the Daily News...

He waived all claims to her fortune? He's a PHONY phony count!

Everyone in his unit knows to steer clear of Sergeant Solly Pincus...

DID YOU KNOW -- Measles used to be a discus thrower!

"Oh, we'll have plenty of time to uncomfortably avoid this subject..."

"Oh well. Back to work, I guess. Got to figure out why the water tastes so funny lately..."

If memory serves, it was mentioned that Beezie served in the CBI. I wonder if he ever ran into Hu Shee?

Well they are! Shut up!

Don't worry, knobhead, you'll get your lumps soon enough.

Sleep well.

Wait'll you see her at the top of the card at St. Nicholas Arena.

 

[LizzieMaine]

And also...

"I'll jolly well marry who I please!" -- Lilibet.

 

[Fading Fast]

"Me'n Siddy gonna go inneh," declares Alice, "an' tell -- um, t'trut'. Leas' t'' trut' like it says onna papehs t'eh." "Oi wish ye'd let me get'chee a lawyarrr, an' leave this man Saaaahloman aloon. Oi think ye'd get maaaaar ooot'v it, if ye'd let me..." "T' las' time I let'choo get me a lawyeh," declares Alice, fixing Uncle Frank in a deadly glare, "awl I gawt was five yeehs." "Ah," sighs Uncle Frank...

I don't know, Alice has a good point about Frank's lawyer, but Frank has a good point about Solomon as, my guess, he's the type of man who will quickly find the loose thread in Alice's story. Some people are very good at that, and I'd bet Solomon is one of them. The whole things makes me nervous.

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Incidentally, this book is presently among several stacked on my nightstand. A fun, jaunty look at the life and times of a ball club from the beginnings in the 1880s up to 1944. Oh, and good work for A&S getting Sukey out to do a personal appearance. He won't say much unless you ask him directly, but he's well worth asking.

For those interested, there are copies on used book sites in "very good" condition for about $25. (And that was with just a cursory search.)

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"No," concedes Ma, "we doon't yet knoo when 'ee's comin', boot he is." "Wondeh if 'e's loint 'is lesson," frowns Joe. "An' what kin'a fawt'eh is'ee gonna be f'Willie when 'e DOES get back?" "Ah," ahs Ma, realizing that certain things have transpired since Joe went overseas that now require an explanation. She twists her dish rag nervously, takes a deep breath, and, Joe's eyes widening with every word, unwinds the story of Hops Gaffney and Marie Belasco's attempt at extortion, and Uncle Frank and the altered birth certificate. When she finishes, Joe is silent for a long moment. "Well," he shrugs, "if he AIN'T loint 'is lesson yet, he will now...."

I tell ya, I don't like any of it. It all makes me nervous.

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He waived all claims to her fortune? He's a PHONY phony count!

Good one, Lizzie. That said, this sounds like a very "incomplete" story. If Page Four does its legwork, more will come out.

Frank's got to be keeping a close eye on the fake-coupon family-biz story. That's a heck of a family picture. I bet their neighbors are following this one closely: "They seemed like such a nice family." "They did always seem to have money for whatever they needed once the war started." "I never liked the father, but she was always so nice." "My kids loved eating over there - said they had all the food you could want."

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"Oh, we'll have plenty of time to uncomfortably avoid this subject..."

You can always sell it.

 

[LizzieMaine]

("What izzit makes a kid do sump'n like t'at?" sighs Sally. "Sett'n fiehs is bad 'nough, but in a sem'nary?" "Dinc'hoo get in trouble once," observes Alice, 'f'writin' 'bout t'at Socko an' Lazzeri onna side'va choich?" "How'djoo know about t'at?" snaps Sally. "T'at cawp oveh'r'in Flatbush tol' me oncet," explains Alice. "You know, t'at one hangs aroun' witcha Uncle Frank. Doyle. He said he wazza one arrested'ja." "He didn' arres' me," frowns Sally. "He took me by t'han' an' led me backta t'stoeh an' gimme t' Ma. An' she gimme a lickin'. BUT HE DIN' ARREST ME!" "Ah," ahs Alice. "I musta gawt mixed up. He musta said he arrested'ja afteh ya t'rew ya step-ins at Rudy Vallee." "T"AT WASN' DOYLE!" erupts Sally. "T'at was, I dunno, some ot'eh cawp. An' I DIN' GET ARRESTED. T'ey lemee awf witt'a wawrnin'. An' besides, t'em wasn' even mine, t'ey was Mildred McCullough's. T'ey gawt mixed up inna lawndry a'sump'n." Alice rolls her eyes and attempts to repress a chuckle as the train rolls on toward home....)

(In a Paris military hospital, an Army doctor concludes his examination. "There's nothing wrong with you plenty of rest and good food won't cure," nods the doctor. "You'll get plenty of those on the ship home. Good luck, Private Sweeney." "Heh," chuckles Mickey. "I neveh been one t'coun' awn luck...")

("Well look who's eeh," calls a gravelly voice as the door jingles open. Joe looks up from his copy of "Captain Marvel Adventures" to see Sergeant Doyle striding up to the counter. "Hel-lo, Joe," he enunciates slowly and precisely. "Howww--awr---you---do-in'? Is ev'--ry--t'ing--aw--right?" "Huh?" huhs Joe. "T' Ol--La--dy-should--a--lef--ta--en--ve--lope--fa--me. Do--you--have--a--en-ve-lope?" "Yeh," scowls Joe, pulling a white envelope out from under the counter and tossing it before the policeman, who quickly flips it open and riffles the stack of bills inside. "T'at's--good--Joe," Doyle enunciates. "Ya--done--a--real--good--jawb." "I'm--glaaaad," replies Joe, flaring his eyes. "I--awr-ways-waaan-a--do--a--good--jawb." "Yaaaar-aa-goood-boy," grins Doyle, pocketing a Milky Way and chuckling oujt the door...)

(Don't forget, we won nine straight in '40 and finished second.)

("That's rIght,"smirks Mr. Benny. "They DID love me in St. Joe. Sing, Dennis...")

(NO FOOL LIKE AN OLD FOOL)

(What, no neon sign?)

(YOU KNOW REAL POLICE DOGS GET PAID)

 

[LizzieMaine]

And in the Daily News...

Love conquers all, eh Syl?

Hey Frankie, you can still catch up if you try.

Reading between the lines, Grandfather Clock has had it up to here with farming.

Well now I wouldn't say that...

You know, there are safer hobbies.

Oh, Min.

What's he gonna do for an act??? Eat?

Miss Mahoney is bucking for Jane Arden's job.

"I've got class I ain't even USED yet!"

Emmy's smirk in panel two is terrifying.

 

[LizzieMaine]

And finally...

Mom and Dad don't believe a word of this.

 

[Fading Fast]

"What izzit makes a kid do sump'n like t'at?" sighs Sally. "Sett'n fiehs is bad 'nough, but in a sem'nary?" "Dinc'hoo get in trouble once," observes Alice, 'f'writin' 'bout t'at Socko an' Lazzeri onna side'va choich?" "How'djoo know about t'at?" snaps Sally. "T'at cawp oveh'r'in Flatbush tol' me oncet," explains Alice. "You know, t'at one hangs aroun' witcha Uncle Frank. Doyle. He said he wazza one arrested'ja." "He didn' arres' me," frowns Sally. "He took me by t'han' an' led me backta t'stoeh an' gimme t' Ma. An' she gimme a lickin'. BUT HE DIN' ARREST ME!" "Ah," ahs Alice. "I musta gawt mixed up. He musta said he arrested'ja afteh ya t'rew ya step-ins at Rudy Vallee." "T"AT WASN' DOYLE!" erupts Sally. "T'at was, I dunno, some ot'eh cawp. An' I DIN' GET ARRESTED. T'ey lemee awf witt'a wawrnin'. An' besides, t'em wasn' even mine, t'ey was Mildred McCullough's. T'ey gawt mixed up inna lawndry a'sump'n." Alice rolls her eyes and attempts to repress a chuckle as the train rolls on toward home....

The things we tell ourselves about ourselves just to get through the day.

Oh, and God luv ya, Alice.

I don't know what's worse: ripping off your step-ins in a moment of, umm, "emotional frenzy" and throwing them on the stage with all that implies, or having the forethought to bring a pair with you so that you can then throw them on the stage. I'm sure Dr. Levine would have an opinion on that.

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"Well look who's eeh," calls a gravelly voice as the door jingles open. Joe looks up from his copy of "Captain Marvel Adventures" to see Sergeant Doyle striding up to the counter. "Hel-lo, Joe," he enunciates slowly and precisely. "Howww--awr---you---do-in'? Is ev'--ry--t'ing--aw--right?" "Huh?" huhs Joe. "T' Ol--La--dy-should--a--lef--ta--en--ve--lope--fa--me. Do--you--have--a--en-ve-lope?" "Yeh," scowls Joe, pulling a white envelope out from under the counter and tossing it before the policeman, who quickly flips it open and riffles the stack of bills inside. "T'at's--good--Joe," Doyle enunciates. "Ya--done--a--real--good--jawb." "I'm--glaaaad," replies Joe, flaring his eyes. "I--awr-ways-waaan-a--do--a--good--jawb." "Yaaaar-aa-goood-boy," grins Doyle, pocketing a Milky Way and chuckling oujt the door...

Dear God.

Oh, and the Milky Way on the way out the door is a nice touch – very "corrupt cop believes 'everything is mine'" vibe.

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What, no neon sign?

I was thinking the same thing; this could be taken in a noir direction and with a woman in the lead. That could be very cool. Think, Invisible Scarlett as Sam Spade. Glenda Farrell would be chomping at the bit to play her.

Oh, and are Invisible Scarlet's steps-ins like the ones Sally threw at Vallee?

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We've read enough news coverage here in these Day by Days over the years and I've seen enough Warner Bros. gangster movies to know that isn't going to stop the cops from firing: "Eh, that's tough – sorry about your son – but at least we also got the bad guy."

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Love conquers all, eh Syl?

What odds is Ma giving on that marriage lasting as I'll take the under.

Regarding the fake rape charges and the US policy, let's hear how the frauleins are faring with the Russians. From what I've read over many years, the Russians did not have the same policy at all. The Germans in each area were praying the Americans showed up first.

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You know, there are safer hobbies.

This is not going to end well.

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Mom and Dad don't believe a word of this.

Can't blame them – without knowing any background – I didn't either.

 

[LizzieMaine]

"No, no," declares Sally, "mine had'dis'heeh aroun'em'neh. I MEAN MILDRED MCCULLOUGH'S DID!"