The Era -- Day By Day

[LizzieMaine]

And also...

Maybe Cookie lost a step or two in the Army but he's still the best-looking guy in the National League.

And in the Worker...

Yeah, Mr. Mayor. What about it?

 

[Harp]

The Suffolk Grand Jury refusal to indict Rose Carlan for infanticide manslaughter seems skewered with what background featured today's paper. And the Witch abortionist Sonja Legget who dismembered her client, Louise Dechants, has ice water in her veins.

 

[Fading Fast]

Yeah, Mr. Mayor. What about it?

I openly admit to loathing Mike Gold, but I found myself agreeing with most (not all) of what he wrote today. Basically, WTF was that out-of-nowhere emergency shutdown all about? Why have the papers been so quiet about it?

 

[LizzieMaine]

("I dunno what to think," sighs Sally. "Y'know what t'at is, don'cha? It's a policy slip." "I know," nods Dr. Levine, placing the little piece of paper on the arm of her chair. "I've seen them before." "What," huffs Sally. "Don' tell me YOU play t' numbehs." "My late husband did," the Doctor admits, "from time to time. No harm in it really, I wouldn't think." "Well," continues Sally, "it's a principle'a t' t'ing. People awrways say I'm goin' awn about t' principle a' t'is an'nat, but it really IS t' principle'a t' t'ing." "How so?" queries the doctor. "Back when Joe 'n I fois' gawt married," relates Sally, "b'foeh t' wawr, bf'oeh Leonoreh was bawrn, he useta gamble a lit'l, him 'n Solly Pincus. I don' t'ink it was even nut'n big, jus' bett'n heeh'rn'eh on bawl games. But we didn't have t' money f't'at, an' I ast 'im not t'do it no moeh. An'ee promised me he wouldn'. An' lemme tell ya, upta now I neveh knew Joe t' lie t'me 'bout anyt'ing, awr t'sneak aroun' b'hin' my back. But now I fin' a bett'n slip right in my own kitchen. I don' caehr'if it's fifty cents a' fifty dollehs, a' fifty Cokes! It's t' principle'a t' t'ing." "Did you ask him about it?" questions the Doctor. "No," exhales Sally. "Nawt yet." "Don't you think," continues the Doctor, "that you should?" "What if I do," challenges Sally, "an'ee lies t'me? What if Joe lies t'me? Aftehr'awl we been t'ru inna pas' yeeh. I know wawr changes a man, but..." "Are you sure that this belonged to him?" interrogates the Doctor. "Who else WOULD it be?" demands Sally. "Ain' nobody inna house but Joe an' me, an' Leonoreh, an'na cat! Well, an' Ma's been stayin' wit' us. What, y'tink my MOT'EH's playin'a numbehs?" "What if she was?" shrugs the Doctor. Sally glares across from the couch, but has no reply....)

("Awright," sighs Danny, entering from the basement, his hands grimy with oil. "Ya boineh's boinin'. I pumped out awlat stuff t'at was inna tank, flushed it out, an' put in ten gallons a' clean erl. Ya gonna hafta cawl an' get a d'livery t'marra, but'at'l getcha t'ru t'day an' t'night if ya don' toin it up too high." "What'djee do with t'stoof ye poomped oota th' tank," frowns Ma. "I put it in one'a t'em barrels y'had downeh Pop useta keep whiskey in," replies Danny, washing his hands at the sink. "Take it oovar t' Saaaargeant Doyle's hoose," commands Ma, "and leave it aaahn 'is stoop." "Hehh," snickers Danny. "Yeh, soon's Jimmy gets back wit' t' truck." "Wharr's HE gooin'?" demands Ma. "He hadda make a d'livery somewhez," shrugs Danny. "Said not t'wait up. Said it's a lawng way t' paradise." Ma scowls at this. "Yaaaar all roit, Daniel," she mutters, "boot are ye SURE they didn't draaap ye broothar on 'is head?")

(ED HEAD! ED HEAD! ED HEAD!)

(Things I Never Knew Till Now: The Old West has glaciers.)

(Uncle Jack Rabbit was married to Aunt Snowshoe Hare.)

(As the years have gone by it's become clear that many of the strips we follow have a consistent underlying theme. Both "Terry and the Pirates" and "Gasoline Alley" have at their heart the story of one specific young man's journey to maturity and self-realization against the ever-changing backdrop of the middle twentieth century. And I think we all know by now what "Fritzi Ritz" is about....)

(I didn't know Old Man Adler made shoes for eleven year old girls.)

(What a trouper Durante is. Here he is with a successful radio show, a thriving career in nightclubs, movies when he wants to make them -- and he takes the time to do a bit in a second-tier comic strip just because they offered it to him. I salute you, sir. Ach-cha-cha!)

(I was in the theatre business for almost twenty years, and I never once saw Andrei Gromyko at my ticket coop. Musta had a pass.)

($300? Yeah, right. Twenty bucks at Namm's basement.)

 

[LizzieMaine]

And in the Daily News...

C'mon, Dotty -- haven't you ever seen a college movie?

"Egg chocolates?" They do things different, I guess, in Montauk.

And if you think Brilliant has problems, you should meet his brother Bonedumb.

If I had thought of this, I never would have given up the clarinet.

ENDA T' LINE! AWWWWWL OUT!

The postwar martial-arts craze is only just beginning...

You know, it's really not that difficult.

Peripheral vision would be, I would think, very important for a pilot...

I don't think you boys realize who you're dealing with here...

I wonder if this ever happens to Jimmy Jemail?

 

[Fading Fast]

"...What, y'tink my MOT'EH's playin'a numbehs?"

Well, the good news is she's technically not playing the numbers — that's for suckers.

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

As the years have gone by it's become clear that many of the strips we follow have a consistent underlying theme. Both "Terry and the Pirates" and "Gasoline Alley" have at their heart the story of one specific young man's journey to maturity and self-realization against the ever-changing backdrop of the middle twentieth century. And I think we all know by now what "Fritzi Ritz" is about....

Agreed. What about "Little Orphan Annie" and "D*ck Tracy?" Those are harder to thumbnail in part because those writers seem to use their strips to work out their personal demons/ideas/philosophies.

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

I didn't know Old Man Adler made shoes for eleven year old girls.

Good one. Also, if even somewhat true about her growth spurt, you know co-star Mickey Rooney was in his dressing room slamming drawers and doors after he learned that.

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

What a trouper Durante is. Here he is with a successful radio show, a thriving career in nightclubs, movies when he wants to make them -- and he takes the time to do a bit in a second-tier comic strip just because they offered it to him. I salute you, sir. Ach-cha-cha!

True, but with that wackadoodle it could also be the kink of the invisible woman.

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

I don't think you boys realize who you're dealing with here...

They do not, but how could they?

 

[LizzieMaine]

Annie's an interesting strip to try and parse. Harold Gray had been Sid Smith's assistant on the Gumps in the early twenties, and if you go back and look at the earliest "Annie" strips, there's that same streak of Victorian melodrama run thru the filter of the hardboiled twenties. You can still see some of that in 1946, but Gray is essentially a product of the 1890s, and that's where a lot of his philosophy, both political and theosophical, seems to come from. Mix all those influences together and you get something that cannot be duplicated. None of his successors on the strip, and there were several after he died in 1968, had any hope of ever duplicating what he did, because he was a singular figure. Annie is a figure out of late 19th Century juvenile fiction trying to negotiate a century that, to her, makes no sense.

Gould, I'm convinced, if they could get someone to sign papers on him, would be in a rubber room. If you think his stuff is weird now, wait till we get to the sixties...

 

[Harp]

Caniff really writes a literary toon strip with Terry; however, the current assault and battery postwar fix falls flat,
considered regular rotation overseas service under ''the duration plus six months'' obligatory conscription. Our boy is due to get out and about, either back home or Hong Kong, so Milt's slow walk script is puzzling. Then too, its chaste fare is all the more perplexing considered the times and place story unfolds, with what mature focus is given is more tease but no strip. After looking that Cornell coed article over; along equally lurid lascivious licensure detailed off campus, whatever rhyme or reason the strip's editorial parochialism rationalizes such deliberate restraint, the ultimate proof is in the actual print. Terry is floundering, and mired in its lame depiction of real life, presents more conundrum than comic strip.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Caniff is, sad to say, playing out the last year of his contract. In December '44, after one argument too many with Captain Patterson of the News over censorship, royalties, and other picture postcards, he signed a deal with the Marshall Field syndicate to start a new strip yet to be created, starting January 1947. December 31, 1946 will be the last "Terry" under the present management, so it'll be interesting, at least, to see where he leaves the storyline...

 

[LizzieMaine]

But never let it be said that even many years down the line, Mr. Caniff would ever forget...

All right, readers. Name those shadows...

 

[Harp]

I recognize several silhouettes but imagine many more. Its too bad the strip had to end this way.
More regrettable is the editorial effect over time and how it punctured plot composition for ostensibly
mature adults and seriously crimped this comic.

 

[Fading Fast]

Pat, Blaze, Big Stoop, maybe Hu Shee, but no one who says Dragon Lady to me.

I'm surprised he could even do this and not get sued, which probably explains why the images are so vague.

 

[LizzieMaine]

("She ain' down'eeh?" demands Joe. "You ain' seen'eh?" "I ain' seen'eh since yestehday," declares Alice. "Honestagawd. I seen'eh when she was leavin' t' go t'see Docteh Levine, an' I neveh seen 'eh afteh t'at." "She neveh come home las' night," stammers Joe. "I come home f'rm woik, Leonoreh was at t' Ginsboigs' an'ney said t'ey ain' seeneh since she lef'. Ma ain' seen'eh. She ain' been inta Schreibstein's. I dunno wheh else she'd go!" "Cawm down, Joe," reassures Alice, her eyes darting. "C'm in an' siddown, we'll t'ink t'is oveh. Did she say anyt'ing to ya yestehday b'foeh she lef'?" "Not a woid," gasps Joe. "Not a woid f' two days! You don' s'pose she was in'n accident 'a sump'n, do ya? Wouln'a hawspital try t' fin' me?" "Who else knows 'bout t'is?" jitters Alice. "Who else ya tawked to?" "Jus' Ma, an' Uncle Frank," relates Joe, "an' you, an'na Ginsboigs, an' Morrie Schreibstein. I ain' seen Solly yet t'day, maybe he'd know sump'n?" "Is Leonoreh awright?" queries Alice. "She don' know nut'n about it," sighs Joe. "I jus' tol' eh 'ra Ma was spen'in t'night wit' a frien'. She said, 'oh, t'at's Aun' Alice t'en, 'cause what ot'eh frien's she gawt?' So I come down'eeh hopin' she was right..." Joe smacks the doorframe with his fist. "GawDAMMIT," he grits. "Yeh," exhales Alice....)

("Yaaaar joost sit'n tharr!" rails Ma. "Sitt'n on that stool loike a brass idol while me daaaaughtarr's gaaahd-knoos-whar!" "Oi could stand oop," sighs Uncle Frank, pushing aside his empty glass, "boot what good would that do?" Ma exhales and regards her husband. "Oi ain't blamin' ye, Francis," she concedes. "It's jooost that ivvry toime we go thru this..." "Ye warr sleepin' oop thar f'three noits," continues Uncle Frank. "Didn'shee say INNYTHIN' that moit give ye a clue?" "Joseph said she was actin' foony on Sataaarday," recalls Ma. "Aaaahl quoiet an' distant." "Quoiet," gapes Uncle Frank. "Thann it's maaar serious thin we thought." "Doon't crack jooks," murmurs Ma. "It's me oonly daughtarr ye taaalkin' aboot." "Well, look," bustles Uncle Frank, "lit's get t' saaarchin'. Oi'll caahl Doyle..." "Ahhh," ahhs Ma. "Oi wouldn't trooble Doyle joost now, he moit naaaht be incloined t'be helpful." "He's nivvar incloined t' be helpful," scoffs Uncle Frank. "Inless Oi give'im soomthin'." "I already give 'im soomthin...," sighs Ma...)

("I dunno why I letcha drag me awlaway downtown," fumes Bink Scanlan. "I do'want nobody t'see me." "Ya downtown," laughs Rosa Capiello. "Who's lookin'at'CHOO?" "I do'wanna see no movie," whines Bink. "An' I SUEH do'wanna go t' t' Met! I useta do business inneh, I'm onna blacklis'." "Who's gonna reckanize ya?" scoffs Rosa. "Hey, gimme two upstaiehs." They take their tickets, hand them to the door attendant, and make their way inside the ornate picture palace. "I neveh liked'is place," frowns Bink. "Too much like goin' t' choich." "C'mon," coaxes Rosa. "I do'wanna miss t' cawrtoon." "You try'na be funny?" complains Bink. "Makin' e go up awlese staiehs." ""Sgood fawr ya," goads Rosa. "Ya need t' excehsise." After much huffing they finally reach the balcony, nearly deserted for a weekday afternoon show. They survey the rows of empty seats, and select two in the second row. "T'ez nobody ineeh," declares Bink. "T'is pitcheh mus' really stink." "T'ez somebody up heeh wit' us," whispers Rosa. "Up back t'eh. Some dame, awl by'ehself. Mustagot stood up." "Huh," huhs Bink, squinting into the dark. "Izzzat -- nah, couldn' be. Heeh, ya cawrtoon's comin' awn...")

(You were the one who insisted on "simplified spelling!)

("Tampico! Tampico! On the Gulf'a Meh-hee-co!!")

(Someday this'll make a great television show...)

(Don't you ever shut up?)

(That's your cue, Janie. Help the old guy out.)

(I never thought I'd see the day Von Stroheim stooped to comics...)

("Your papers please! WAIT NOT ON THE FLOOR!")

 

[LizzieMaine]

And in the Daily News...

They let lieutenant colonels into Leon & Eddie's? Place must really be on the skids.

Coming Events...

Because the Army has nothing better to do...

"OH NO THE HAMBURGERS!"

Pop making a Bible reference? I figured him more for Shakespeare.

Look over the actual merchandise first.

Wait'll he finds out the girls hit back.

Instigator.

"But now I won't, so there!"

 

[LizzieMaine]

And also...

Hablas espanol?

And in the Caniff's Shadows strip, I think that's definitely Hu Shee to the right of Pat, with Dr. Ping between them. The two other women have to be the Dragon Lady, probably the one with the high collar, and Burma, although it's hard to tell for sure when you can't see her blouse. The little guy with the pipe must be Hotshot Charlie, which means the taller guy next to him must be Terry. Connie's ears are unmistakable next to Stoop. The two figures at the far end on each side are obscure, but I think the one at the far right might be Chopstick Joe, who was that Chinese-American gangster who once held Raven hostage. I have no idea who the one at the far left, beside Capt. Blaze, might be unless it's Cheery, in which case I'm sure Terry isn't waving hello, he's signaling for help...

I wish Raven and Dude could have made this reunion.

 

[Fading Fast]

"She neveh come home las' night," stammers Joe.

After a few days, as life take on a rhythm with a lot less tension, no one looks too hard anymore. They all just kind of shrug and carry on with their lives, but with none of them admitting out loud that the more peaceful vibe is nice.

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

I never thought I'd see the day Von Stroheim stooped to comics...

Sure a step down, but he seemed nuts enough to do anything.

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

They let lieutenant colonels into Leon & Eddie's?

They do when his wife is that pretty. Doors in this city open for pretty women – it's an impressive phenomenon to see.

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

"...although it's hard to tell for sure when you can't see her blouse."

Perfect.

 

[Harp]

The British brides arrival is heartwarming and a fit capstone top to the Second World War.

In contrast, Lt Col Boyington shot himself in both feet with his bizarre behavior; jilting his supposed intended
and legal guardian of his three children. Flyboys.

Terry's impending court martial will be slated under the Uniform Code of Military Justice; although this entire
contremps could be satisfied with nominal Article 15 hearing non judicial summary session. I once acted as representative for two fellow enlisted men who failed guard mount repair, and, the board was headed by our commanding officer, an overly strict West Pointer who had an opened UCMJ resting on table before him.
The 'old man,' probably no more than twenty-five or six, calmly delivered his verdict chapter and verse. I literally watched him throw the book at my buddies who were flat *** busted and fined. The barracks saw that military justice is to justice what military music is to music has sharp edged teeth.

Fast makes a sound point regarding Caniff's deliberate shade depiction, though his choice approach only serves added poignancy overall.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Incidentally, I never cared much for "Steve Canyon," Caniff's new strip that ran forever in our local paper. Too many stiff-necked men in uniforms standing around talking.

"Terry" will go down in history as the definitive WWII strip, but the war was also its undoing. There was something magical in the late thirties-early forties, with Terry, Pat, Connie, and Stoop bumming around China and running into action everywhere, and once the war took that away, it was never quite the same...

 

[Harp]

"Terry" will go down in history as the definitive WWII strip, but the war was also its undoing. There was something magical in the late thirties-early forties, with Terry, Pat, Connie, and Stoop bumming around China and running into action everywhere, and once the war took that away, it was never quite the same...

Point taken. Still, the Second World War theoretically encapsuled action, adventure, romance-- chock full of necessary recipe ingredients for a strong aggressive comic strip. From a reader's perspective, editorial proctorship's watered down take on the war and life harsh truths, bequeathed a considerably less mature focus look at the inherent reality underlining Terry to its ***ulative detriment. Also, appearing ensconced civil and war era newsprint reportage that held nothing back, Terry And The Pirates was a Sisyphean stricken strip writ large bold type.

 

[Fading Fast]

Incidentally, I never cared much for "Steve Canyon," Caniff's new strip that ran forever in our local paper. Too many stiff-necked men in uniforms standing around talking.

"Terry" will go down in history as the definitive WWII strip, but the war was also its undoing. There was something magical in the late thirties-early forties, with Terry, Pat, Connie, and Stoop bumming around China and running into action everywhere, and once the war took that away, it was never quite the same...

I know it wasn't as successful at T&TP, but do you know if "Steve Canyon" was successful – did it have a large following, etc.?