The Era -- Day By Day

[LizzieMaine]

And in the Daily News...

"That's the way the ball bounces...."

I once grew corn in a window box, so It Can Be Done.

All right, Warren William. What's your angle here?

"Junky?" So Mason was a drug addict -- that explains the googly glasses, to hide his strung-out eyes!

Mama has never looked so "bawwk-bawwk-bawkk-bawwk--BAWWK!" as she does in panel four. Gus can be terribly sarcastic with his art when he wants to be.

Hurry up and wait.

Oh MY.

What, no "Harold Meets The Farmer's Daughter" storyline?

Odds are 1-1 that Moon is about to go to Hollywood. 2-1 that he'll get in a fight with a movie star when he gets there. 3-1 that it's Cagney.

 

[Fading Fast]

...An attempt by the defense to divert testimony in the Christian Front seditious conspiracy trial into an examination of charges by a Jesuit priest that Communists were the real backers of the plot was ruled out of order today in Brooklyn Federal Court. Assistant defense counsel Parnell Callahan, in cross-examination of prosecution witness Denis Healy, asked the witness if he had ever heard that Father Peter Baptiste Duffy S. J. had stated at a Communion breakfast that it was a "Communist plan" to "throw a ring of steel around New York City" and "take command of 52 key positions," but Judge Campbell ruled the entire line of questioning to be immaterial to the case at hand....

This and the Murder-for-Hire trial seem all but scripted by Hollywood. Considering the public's apparent love of period shows/movies and high-profile trials (with political or mob overtones) - and the, right now, endless demand for "content" from all the streaming, cable and broadcast services - I wonder if there isn't an opportunity today for a mini-series or some such effort on one or both of these trials?

...In Escondido, California a motion picture crew has been denied permission to film in the town because the mayor of the community found the script to be morally offensive. Mayor Fred Cooper revoked permission for Columbia Pictures to film scenes involving Ray Milland and Loretta Young in the community because according to the script of the production, the two are portrayed as living together before marriage. Actress Gail Patrick, who also has a role in the picture, was sent to talk with Mayor Cooper and change his mind, pointing out that the Hays Office has approved the production, but he would not be swayed. His wife, an Escondido church worker, is said to have "heavily influenced" his opinion on the matter....

From IMDB: A best-selling author of women's issues and a medical academic find it is to their mutual advantage to falsely claim that they are married.

Tsk tsk.

...Turning his attention momentarily from the activities of the Murder-For-Hire gang, District Attorney William O'Dwyer promised to investigate whether any Brooklyn hotels have been complicit in the operations of a so-called "Midget Vice Ring" smashed in Manhattan after preying on a number of Brooklyn high school girls. A 48-year old midget, identified as former vaudeville performer Jerry Austin, has been charged with second-degree rape and possession of obscene photographs in connection with the ring, and 59-year-old theatrical agent Jack "Gimpy" Roberts has been charged with impairing the morals of minors and other statutory offenses. It is reported that hotel bellboys acted as go-betweens in carrying out the ring's activities, and an unnamed Brooklyn girl served as their contact within the high school. Mr. Austin performed last year on Broadway in Philip Barry's play "Here Come The Clowns."...

Didn't a version of this story play a part in the insanely confusing plot of 1946's "The Big Sleep."

... (It finally dawns on me that the key to understanding Cousin Sugarfoot is to imagine all his lines in the voice of Joe Besser.)..

Also, shame they didn't think of the circus sign before the mouse as they could have avoided that entire fiasco. It's time to wrap-up the elephant storyline.

... (Advice given in the Ladies' Room is advice you should always take.)...

Really good illustration in panel 3. Also, why do women get chairs and, sometimes, even sofas in their restrooms - men's rooms at the same places are almost always more spartan affairs?

...
"That's the way the ball bounces...."....

You had to toss one more pun out there, didn't you?

... "Junky?" So Mason was a drug addict -- that explains the googly glasses, to hide his strung-out eyes!...

And while on the subject of names, it seems that "the doll's" name really is Dolly - how 'bout that.

... Mama has never looked so "bawwk-bawwk-bawkk-bawwk--BAWWK!" as she does in panel four. Gus can be terribly sarcastic with his art when he wants to be.....

Mama has made this exact same mistake too many times.

... Hurry up and wait.....

Welcome to the gov't/court system. I've been called to give testimony in a few cases over the years: they treat you as if your time doesn't matter. They say all sorts of nice things to you about your participation ("how valuable it is, how important it is, how grateful we are..."), but then show absolutely no concern for you time / schedule / need to earn a living. It's insulting.

.... Oh MY.....

Well, at least we learned that looks can't actually kill. April's confident insouciance in panel four is fan-freakin'-tastic. She might not win, but she enjoyed that moment.

... View attachment 228363 What, no "Harold Meets The Farmer's Daughter" storyline?....

Hopefully, as it's time to wrap-up the crazy-author storyline

 

[LizzieMaine]

I'm surprised Warner Bros didn't latch right onto the Christian Front story, but Joseph Ignatius Breen would absolutely not allow it to be made if a Catholic organization was presented as the villain.

I would love to have been a fly on the wall when Miss Patrick tried to charm Mayor Cooper. With his Lady Plushbottom-looking wife standing off to the side shooting daggery looks in his direction. The director no doubt said to her "Play the scene like he's Guy Kibbee. These small town mayors are all Guy Kibbee."

The deal with lounge-furniture in ladies' rooms was to give the clientele a place to relax while waiting for a seat, instead of having to stand in line. We used to have one at the theatre here, with a ratty old couch and a padded side-chair, but that was abolished during the renovation. Now there's a "unisex lounge" downstairs that leads into both restrooms, but the only people who ever use it are breast-feeding mothers.

I'm willing to put down cash money that Chester Gould is going to read that "Midget Vice Ring" story and before the year is out we'll see Mr. Tracy go up against a little-person crime lord of some kind. Probably smoking a gigantic cigar.

Pat is *so* pretending to be asleep.

 

[LizzieMaine]

The British War Office reports that Allied troops have made contact with Norwegian fighters near Trondheim, and that "joint operations are proceeding" in the ongoing effort to push back the German invasion force. In addition, Allied warplanes and ships continue to hammer at German positions on land, sea, and air. Meanwhile, Berlin claims that King Haakon of Norway has now recognized a provisional occupation government established by German forces at Oslo. There has as yet been no official, confirmed statement on the whereabouts of the Royal Family or its government.

High officers of the New York National Guard were aware of the Christian Front seditious conspiracy plot among Guard members in Brooklyn almost as soon as the FBI learned of it, according to star prosecution witness Denis Healy. Continuing his testimony today in Brooklyn Federal Court, Healy, who is himself a member of Troop A of the 101st Cavalary unit of the Guard, stated that he personally reported what he knew of the plot to his troop's commanding officer, Captain George A. Barker. Captain Barker could not be reached today for comment, but the Commanding General of the National Guard, Major General William N. Haskell, stated that he had received no such information from Barker. It has previously been stated by Healy that Captain Barker himself furnished some of the ammunition found in the possession of the plotters.

A famous figure from the boxing rings of forty years ago has taken his own life in a Detroit hotel room. Sixty-six year old Norman Selby, who from 1891 to 1911 fought professionally under the name of Kid McCoy, was found dead this morning in his bed, likely as a result of an overdose of sleeping pills or poison. A suicide note by his bed, addressed to "The Youth Of America," advised today's youth to "keep your bodies clean and be prepared for any emergency." The note also stated, "I can't stand this world's madness any longer." As Kid McCoy, Selby won 194 of his 200 professional bouts, and held the world middleweight title early in this century. He came out of retirement to fight again in bond-selling exhibition bouts during the World War, and fought for the last time in a charity exhibition in 1922. Selby was also well-known for his marital adventures, with nine weddings to his credit, and for being found guilty of manslaughter in 1924 in connection with the death of his fiancee at the time, Mrs. Theresa Mors of Los Angeles. Selby served eight years at San Quentin Prison on that conviction before he was paroled into the personal custody of automaker Henry Ford.

A holdup victim and his potential rescuer are hospitalized today and an eighteen year old girl and a twenty year old boy are in custody after assaulting them in a Bushwick parking lot with the heel of the girl's shoe. Mary Dekalo of 21 Park Street and Fred Bubak of 1070 Broadway face charges of robbery and assault against 38-year-old Vincent Caruso, an insurance collector of 2131 E. 1st Street in the lot next to a gas station at 643 Bushwick Avenue owned by Salvatore Guarasico. When the two accosted Caruso to rob him, Guarasico attempted to intervene. Both men were severely beaten before Dekalo and Bubak fled with Caruso's collection bag containing $19.

President Roosevelt today endorsed Secretary of State Cordell Hull's statement that "disturbance of the status quo" in the Pacific by Japan would "prejudice the stability, peace, and security" of the region. Secretary Hull's statement has been widely interpreted as advising Japan to avoid any incursions into the Dutch East Indies, and the President's statement that Hull has "covered that situation thoroughly" appears to carry the nature of a warning to the Imperial Government.

The President is seeking a total of $975,000,000 to fund the operation of the Works Progress Administration during 1941, and is seeking permission from Congress to spend the entire sum over an eight month period if necessary, rather than spreading it over an entire 12-month budget cycle as required by law. The President noted that the war situation abroad makes it difficult to predict employment volume for all of 1941.

(Ticket to Mexico not included.)

Borough President John Cashmore condemned the Board of Estimate as a bunch of "dodoes" during a stormy public hearing on the city budget. Cashmore in a bitter tirade denounced the Board for ignoring the needs of Brooklyn, and of missing opportunities to improve the health and welfare of the people of the entire city. The Borough President's comments were triggered by the Board's failure to take action on a proposal to increase funding for voluntary hospitals, and claims that the new five-day treatment for syphilis would make such an increase unnecessary. Cashmore also attacked "crackpots coming before the Board with papers written for them by someone else" for wasting the Board's time.

(In case you forgot.)

Clifford Evans has still not a word about who Mr Big is, but he does tell us that Lupe Velez is appearing on the Bermuda Terrace at the Hotel St. George tonight. The new Mile Sky Chaser will open for the season at Luna Park on Sunday. And the Marine Roof at the Bossert opens on May 16th with the crowning of Brooklyn's "Miss Forsythia."

(That Count Basie show last week is a very hard act to follow. Nothing here that really gets me going -- Regan is OK as far as radio tenors go, but he's no Joey Nash. The rest of the bill -- feh.)

The Dodgers are idle today, on their way home from Boston to prepare for Opening Day at Ebbets Field tomorrow against the Giants. Durocher will send big Hugh Casey out to start for the Flock, and while there's no official word yet on who will start for the Giants, Hal Schumacher is likely to get the call.

Contrary to rumors, the upcoming Giants series at Ebbets Field is not sold out across the board. Reserved seats remain available for all three games, and the Dodger ticket office at 215 Montague Street will remain open until 9pm tonight to accomodate those unable to buy their tickets during the workday.

The entire major-league slate except for the Yankees-Athletics game in Philadelphia fell victim to bad weather. At Shibe Park, the Yanks topped the A's 4 to 1, and will return to the Stadium tomorrow to meet the Senators.

Boxing will return to Ebbets Field this summer, with Humbert J. Fugazy, who promoted bouts at the Brooklyn ballyard a decade ago, in the final stages of negotiations with the Ebbets-McKeever Exhibition Company to rent the park. Eight fight promoters have been bidding for the contract to promote bouts at the field, and Fugazy is so widely believed to have the inside track that he has already applied to the state boxing commission for a license.

Anna Neagle, Donald Crisp, and soprano Janice Porter join Bing and company on the Kraft Music Hall, tonight at 10pm on WEAF.

(Forget about ever getting your damage deposit back.)

(I don't know what's coming, but Leona better get ready to duck.)

(Gad! Pickpocketing! Is there no end to Dan's talents?)

 

[LizzieMaine]

And in the Daily News...

Just another day in 1940...

I've never had Chicken a la King that didn't make me want to abdicate.

And just like that Jill's won over. Now that's charisma.

Don't work that mic so close, Leota. You're gonna blow the ribbon.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

Says the guy who used to be a pimp. Just sayin'.

Y'know, in a pinch a telephone makes a very effective bludgeon. The edge of the base delivers a terrific amount of force per square inch. Just sayin'.

OK, kid, you've got money in your pocket now. Cash the check and head straight to the train station. Seriously.

Moon = Cagney. He just didn't have a grapefruit handy.

 

[Fading Fast]

... View attachment 228665
A famous figure from the boxing rings of forty years ago has taken his own life in a Detroit hotel room. Sixty-six year old Norman Selby, who from 1891 to 1911 fought professionally under the name of Kid McCoy, was found dead this morning in his bed, likely as a result of an overdose of sleeping pills or poison. A suicide note by his bed, addressed to "The Youth Of America," advised today's youth to "keep your bodies clean and be prepared for any emergency." The note also stated, "I can't stand this world's madness any longer." As Kid McCoy, Selby won 194 of his 200 professional bouts, and held the world middleweight title early in this century. He came out of retirement to fight again in bond-selling exhibition bouts during the World War, and fought for the last time in a charity exhibition in 1922. Selby was also well-known for his marital adventures, with nine weddings to his credit, and for being found guilty of manslaughter in 1924 in connection with the death of his fiancee at the time, Mrs. Theresa Mors of Los Angeles. Selby served eight years at San Quentin Prison on that conviction before he was paroled into the personal custody of automaker Henry Ford....

And how was this story not made into a movie?

...A holdup victim and his potential rescuer are hospitalized today and an eighteen year old girl and a twenty year old boy are in custody after assaulting them in a Bushwick parking lot with the heel of the girl's shoe. Mary Dekalo of 21 Park Street and Fred Bubak of 1070 Broadway face charges of robbery and assault against 38-year-old Vincent Caruso, an insurance collector of 2131 E. 1st Street in the lot next to a gas station at 643 Bushwick Avenue owned by Salvatore Guarasico. When the two accosted Caruso to rob him, Guarasico attempted to intervene. Both men were severely beaten before Dekalo and Bubak fled with Caruso's collection bag containing $19....

The guilty couple sounds like a very low-rent version of Bonnie and Clyde.

...The President is seeking a total of $975,000,000 to fund the operation of the Works Progress Administration during 1941, and is seeking permission from Congress to spend the entire sum over an eight month period if necessary, rather than spreading it over an entire 12-month budget cycle as required by law. The President noted that the war situation abroad makes it difficult to predict employment volume for all of 1941....

Proving that it isn't only businesses that like to "round down" to make a number sound more appealing: Come on FDR, you know you want a round one billion dollars - just ask for it.

...
(In case you forgot.)...

Growing up in the '70s, we bought the cardboard milk containers that had the kinda triangle top where you "separated" half of it to creating a pouring spout and then "folded it back in and pushed it closed" which was the weak link as the re-closing was never that secure. The industry today solved that problem in the oddest way possible - it kept the design of the crazy triangle top and just stuck a normal screw-cap top on the side of the top. All that is a preamble to this question - is it true that the container pictured in the ad "recloses quickly and securely?" If so, why'd they ever change?

No human brain would ever come up with this design from scratch. I believe the word "kludge" was first invented to describe this container:

...Clifford Evans has still not a word about who Mr Big is, but he does tell us that Lupe Velez is appearing on the Bermuda Terrace at the Hotel St. George tonight. The new Mile Sky Chaser will open for the season at Luna Park on Sunday. And the Marine Roof at the Bossert opens on May 16th with the crowning of Brooklyn's "Miss Forsythia."...

You called it Lizzie, he's no Winchell. I'll never look at Evans the same way again.

...Anna Neagle, Donald Crisp, and soprano Janice Porter join Bing and company on the Kraft Music Hall, tonight at 10pm on WEAF....

Donald Crisp is another six-degrees-of-separation actor from the '30s and '40s. Talented guy who was in a lot more movies than you imagine.

... (I don't know what's coming, but Leona better get ready to duck.)...

Seems like Bonetti waited a bit too long to take her out. Doing that now will only make him look more guilty.

... (Gad! Pickpocketing! Is there no end to Dan's talents?)

"And don't let them see you." After all Irwin's been through with these guys, I doubt you'd have to tell him that. Also, panel two is well drawn overall and I really love the curved lines for the car going around the corner.

... Just another day in 1940.......

Checked a few times, yup, the bride is 15 years old.

...[
I've never had Chicken a la King that didn't make me want to abdicate....

I guess they either moved all the turkey or gave up on it. "Hey, I got an idea, let's try a chicken promotion this time."

... And just like that Jill's won over. Now that's charisma.....

Heck, I had a tear in my eye by the end of panel two. And let's not kid ourselves, and to repeat, doing a job like this is why the Nick Gatts of the world were put on this earth.

... Don't work that mic so close, Leota. You're gonna blow the ribbon....

That's quite the visual dexterity she's showing - one eyeball sees the cufflink while the other simultaneously notes the cut lip. Mine don't work that way.

... Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.....

Yes, but, as noted yesterday, it's only necessary because mama keeps making the exact same mistake over and over again - it's driving me nuts.

... Says the guy who used to be a pimp. Just sayin'....

Panel four is all political messaging, but credit to Caniff as he does a reasonable job of showing more than one point of view - an open-mindedness that's all but disappeared today.

... View attachment 228697 Y'know, in a pinch a telephone makes a very effective bludgeon. The edge of the base delivers a terrific amount of force per square inch. Just sayin'.....

Solid, timely advice. At minimum, drop her, drop her now, drop her forever - her true colors have shown through.

... View attachment 228698 OK, kid, you've got money in your pocket now. Cash the check and head straight to the train station. Seriously.....

Solid, timely advice.

 

[LizzieMaine]

That "Kid McCoy" story is fascinating, and the fact that he was paroled out of San Quentin into the custody of Henry Ford rang a bell -- I did a bit of digging, and it turns out there was a specific reason for that. Ford handed him over to Harry Bennett, who was the head of the Ford "Service Department," which was a euphemistic name for Ford's private goon squad, made up of thugs, bullyboys, and ex-cons, the better to keep workers in line and organizers out of the plant complex. Much of the talent for this little operation was recruited in prisons. and McCoy helped both to train them and to point out likely candidates for Ford employment that he'd known while in stir.

I remember those flat-top milk cartons were still in use by the dairy where we got our milk when I was very young -- they were coated in a thick paraffin type wax, which I guess made them as leakproof as they could get at the time, and the cap was kind of a pressed-fiber thing that fit tightly into a recessed hole in the top that was made of sort of a punched cardboard inlay sealed with more wax. The tops were tight when you first used them, but after a few times of use they'd get loose. I don't remember ever spilling them, but I'd imagine it happened. We got the gable-top cartons about the time I started school, and I remember they were sealed by a sort of aluminum foil strip -- you'd pull open the sealed joint and then you had to peel this foil part off to get at the milk. I can remember my mother swearing vigorously at these things when the foil didn't come off in one piece.

I feel bad for that girl -- being known the world over as The Girl With The Upside Down Stomach must kind of get to you after a while.

Now that the Tecums are allied with Nick, I'll be interested in seeing exactly what kind of plan he's got in mind - and how John is going to react to it. I hope he understands, or will take the time to come to understand, who he's dealing with in Axel.

Bim and Millie have been married for seven years now, and I'm just astounded that he hasn't bought Mama an island off the coast of New Zealand for her very own, just to get her out of the way.

I hope Harold doesn't even go back to his apartment -- go straight to the train and go back to Covina, no questions asked. Otherwise, he'll run into Senga, and he'll be broke again.

 

[Fading Fast]

 

[LizzieMaine]

Cold, wet weather was no deterrent for Brooklyn's favorite holiday, as crowds surged into Ebbets Field this afternoon for the Dodgers' home opener against the Giants. More than 24,000 advance tickets were sold by this morning, and lines encircled the ballpark for walk-up general admission and bleacher sales before sunrise.

The park filled under leaden, drizzly skies and when rain began to fall in earnest around 1pm, Dodger batting practice came to a halt as the grounds crew dragged the tarpaulin onto the field. The Giants got no batting practice at all, but the tarp did come off in time for the teams to get in some fielding drill.

Manager Leo Durocher starts big righthander Hugh Casey, with the rest of the lineup following the pattern used in the opening game of the season at Boston. Rookie sensation Peewee Reese remains on the bench, with Durocher again starting himself at shortstop. For the Giants, manager Bill Terry sends Hal Schumacher to the mound. Schumacher had an 0-3 record against Brooklyn in 1939, and the Dodger batters are looking forward to seeing him again.

Reports from Stockholm state that British and Norwegian forces have established a defense line from Namsos, about eighty miles north of Trondheim, extending all the way across to the Swedish frontier. Meanwhile, heavy combat is reported involving Norwegian and German forces near Elverum, and the reports add that British officers have joined the Norwegian lines in that battle.

A fifty-year-old payroll messenger was beaten and robbed by two smartly-dressed young men in the rear hallway of the downtown factory of the Howard Clothes Company. Louis Yelsky, of 1004 Eastern Parkway, had just picked up the payroll at the Bank of Manhattan on Court Street, and was returning to the factory when the two men stepped out of a doorway and forced him into the factory's basement, where he was struck over the head, bound, and gagged with a woman's handkerchief. The two escaped with the entire $3600 payroll. Yelsky, who with his brother-in-law, operates the restaurant concession at the factory, is employed by the Howard firm to operate a check-cashing agency at that restaurant, and also serves as cantor at a State Street synagogue.

Convicted gang leader Louis "Lepke" Buchhalter had an inside man in the office of former District Attorney William F. X. Gehogan, according to "reliable authorities" quoted by the Eagle. During Gehogan's investigation into the 1936 murder of Joseph Rosen, who was believed to have been killed by gangsters to prevent him from testifying in Manhattan DA Thomas E. Dewey's probe, Buchhalter was kept informed on all phases of the probe by Willie Alberts, a former bail-bondsman who kept an office near Borough Hall, within sight of Gehogan's office. Alberts is currently serving a two year Federal prison sentence on charges of attempting to bribe a federal officer. District Attorney William O'Dwyer has reopened the Rosen investigation as part of his probe into the activities of the Brooklyn Murder For Hire gang, and is said to be searching for material witnesses in that case. Rosen was shot to death in his Brownsville candy store as "a warning to others who might be thinking of squealing."

Plotters accused in the Christian Front seditious conspiracy trial tested their bomb-making prowess by blowing up a billboard. So testified FBI agent Peter J. Wacks, who eavesdropped by wiretap on telephone conversations involving accused ringleader William Gerald Bishop, in which Bishop described using one of the homemade beer-can bombs to "completely demolish" a billboard structure. Wacks testified that he heard Bishop assign co-defendant William Bushnell to visit the Manhattan offices of the Daily Worker, Communist Party newspaper, and make sketches of the layout there to aid the group in placing their explosives. He also testified that he had heard defendants emphasize the recruitment of members of the German-American Bund and the Irish Republican Army into their plot.

A couple divorced sixty years ago was reunited in court today in a bitter battle over their late daughter's will. Ninety year old John Frances Mulhall of Texas and eighty-six-year-old Mrs. Susan Mulhall had an unhappy reunion as they met to do legal battle over the estate of Mrs. Isabel D. McHie, a former resident of the Towers Hotel in downtown Brooklyn who died a year ago. Mrs. Mulhall snarled ferociously at the man who deserted her and their infant daughter in 1876, and refused to "recognize" him on the witness stand, although she did acknowledge that incidents described from their marriage were correct. Mrs. McHie left behind an estate of $250,000, with $85,000 to be divided between her parents and the balance left to the Seeing-Eye Institute of Morristown, New Jersey for the training of guide dogs for the blind.

A 21-year old Seagate man was found guilty of disorderly conduct charges in Brooklyn-Queens Night Court after jumping a turnstile at the DeKalb Avenue BMT station. James Flaherty of 2951 W 31st Street argued that he had slapped a dime down at the caged window, but that the agent was talking to a friend in the booth, and ignored him. He then snatched the dime back and pushed into the station because he didn't want to miss his train. Magistrate Charles Solomon was sympathetic, but told him that "you know you can't ride for free, even if time, tide, and the BMT wait for no man."

("Hey!" says Joe. "I oughta..." "NO!")

A "white slave" ring operating near the Brooklyn Navy Yard has been raided by police under the direction of District Attorney William O'Dwyer, netting indictments on five men, while six others are being held on charges that they lured Brooklyn schoolgirls into a life of vice. Among them men indicted were thirty-nine year old George Dieke, who operates a Japanese restaurant at 36 Sands Street, and 37-year-old jewelry salesman Porforio Bismark were arraigned in Brooklyn Felony Court and held on $7500 bail each on charges of compuslory prostitution. The two men are accused of importing three girls from Philadelphia and Portsmouth, Virginia into the state for immoral purposes. The key to breaking up the ring is reported to be a diary kept by Dieke in which the details of the operation were carefully recorded.

If you can't get into Ebbets Field, today's opening day game against the Giants is being televised direct from the park over W2XBS. An RCA-Victor television set will show the game free of charge at Wallach's menswear store, Court and Montague Streets. Dodger players including pitcher Tex Carleton and coach Charley Dressen were on hand at the store this morning to greet fans, the youngest of whom was a 12-year-old boy who was on hand when the doors opened at 8:30 am. The boy declined to give his name for reasons best known to school authorities.

There's only two weeks left before vaudeville closes down for the season at the Flatbush Theatre, and the movie policy resumes, and this week's show featuring "Singing Cop" Phil Regan is a good one for the home folks. Regan walked a beat in Brooklyn before he turned to singing, and his version of "Irish Eyes" remains a crowd-pleaser. Another highlight on the bill is Paul Romos' acrobatic act, in which he is abetted by two midgets.

Now at the Patio, Walt Disney's cartoon masterpiece "Pinocchio," paired with "The Saint's Double Trouble."

(An entire B-movie plot in one cartoon.)

(Sure, it's spring. But it's still cold.)

As the baseball season kicks off, a hero of seasons past would be happy just to get away from the fleas. Grover Cleveland Alexander, who helped lead the Phillies and Cardinals to pennants in the 1910s and 1920s, is working at a grimy nickelodeon on 42nd Street, and while he'd intended the job to be temporary until he could get back on his feet, he's now been there for a year. "Ol' Pete" has been out of the game since 1930, is flat broke, and would like very much to get back into baseball as a coach or scout if anybody would have him. He says he's tired of fans asking him if Hubbell will win 20 this year or if Lefty Grove will make a big comeback. "How the hell do I know?" he says.

(I had no idea elephants were so malleable.)

(They're going to sandblast Louie to freedom? Let's see Chester Gould top that!)

(YELL A LITTLE LOUDER AND MAYBE THEY'LL LET YOU RIGHT IN)

 

[LizzieMaine]

And in the Daily News...

I get the distinct feeling from all this that the family has -- ah -- already started.

"Ask a question, get an answer!"

Still can't figure this guy's angle. Who's he with?

Worms?

Tracy and Pat don their Game Faces in panel three.

Well, hey kid! It's opening day! Head to the ballgame!

Bim, you sap.

Nurse, break out the phenobarbital. Extra large.

There's actually something rather endearing about Moon's complete lack of self-awareness.

 

[Fading Fast]

Cold, wet weather was no deterrent for Brooklyn's favorite holiday, as crowds surged into Ebbets Field this afternoon for the Dodgers' home opener against the Giants. More than 24,000 advance tickets were sold by this morning, and lines encircled the ballpark for walk-up general admission and bleacher sales before sunrise.

View attachment 228957

The park filled under leaden, drizzly skies and when rain began to fall in earnest around 1pm, Dodger batting practice came to a halt as the grounds crew dragged the tarpaulin onto the field. The Giants got no batting practice at all, but the tarp did come off in time for the teams to get in some fielding drill.

View attachment 228958

Manager Leo Durocher starts big righthander Hugh Casey, with the rest of the lineup following the pattern used in the opening game of the season at Boston. Rookie sensation Peewee Reese remains on the bench, with Durocher again starting himself at shortstop. For the Giants, manager Bill Terry sends Hal Schumacher to the mound. Schumacher had an 0-3 record against Brooklyn in 1939, and the Dodger batters are looking forward to seeing him again....

Right now, the only thing that would be better than going to a 2020 Opening Day game would be to go to a 1940 one. FWIW, I've never been to an Opening Day (ticket prices, have to work), but would like to some day - if we ever return to normal crowds at sporting events.

...A fifty-year-old payroll messenger was beaten and robbed by two smartly-dressed young men in the rear hallway of the downtown factory of the Howard Clothes Company. Louis Yelsky, of 1004 Eastern Parkway, had just picked up the payroll at the Bank of Manhattan on Court Street, and was returning to the factory when the two men stepped out of a doorway and forced him into the factory's basement, where he was struck over the head, bound, and gagged with a woman's handkerchief. The two escaped with the entire $3600 payroll. Yelsky, who with his brother-in-law, operates the restaurant concession at the factory, is employed by the Howard firm to operate a check-cashing agency at that restaurant, and also serves as cantor at a State Street synagogue....

One positive of direct deposit pay.

...Convicted gang leader Louis "Lepke" Buchhalter had an inside man in the office of former District Attorney William F. X. Gehogan, according to "reliable authorities" quoted by the Eagle. During Gehogan's investigation into the 1936 murder of Joseph Rosen, who was believed to have been killed by gangsters to prevent him from testifying in Manhattan DA Thomas E. Dewey's probe, Buchhalter was kept informed on all phases of the probe by Willie Alberts, a former bail-bondsman who kept an office near Borough Hall, within sight of Gehogan's office. Alberts is currently serving a two year Federal prison sentence on charges of attempting to bribe a federal officer. District Attorney William O'Dwyer has reopened the Rosen investigation as part of his probe into the activities of the Brooklyn Murder For Hire gang, and is said to be searching for material witnesses in that case. Rosen was shot to death in his Brownsville candy store as "a warning to others who might be thinking of squealing."....

What a cesspool of corruption the Brooklyn criminal justice system was - it just oozes out of everything. That said, after the recent "suicide" of Jeffrey Epstein, I'm not particularly proud of our current system either.

...
("Hey!" says Joe. "I oughta..." "NO!")...

Based on the last few days, Wurlitzer signed up some pretty big names as promoters for these courses. That said, it's unclear what exactly you get for your money.

...A "white slave" ring operating near the Brooklyn Navy Yard has been raided by police under the direction of District Attorney William O'Dwyer, netting indictments on five men, while six others are being held on charges that they lured Brooklyn schoolgirls into a life of vice. Among them men indicted were thirty-nine year old George Dieke, who operates a Japanese restaurant at 36 Sands Street, and 37-year-old jewelry salesman Porforio Bismark were arraigned in Brooklyn Felony Court and held on $7500 bail each on charges of compuslory prostitution. The two men are accused of importing three girls from Philadelphia and Portsmouth, Virginia into the state for immoral purposes. The key to breaking up the ring is reported to be a diary kept by Dieke in which the details of the operation were carefully recorded....

Back in the late '80s on Wall Street, I went to a business dinner at a Japanese restaurant that turned "funny" toward the end as there was some winking and laughing from a few of the men who left the table for a long while. It took a few beats for what was happening to kick in to my head at which point I said I felt a bit sick and quickly left. I wasn't throwing a career down the drain by even be near that stuff. It was never mentioned and I was never asked to a dinner at that restaurant by that firm again, but I'm pretty sure we know what was going on.

On the bright side, clearly O'Dywer can walk and chew gum.

....If you can't get into Ebbets Field, today's opening day game against the Giants is being televised direct from the park over W2XBS. An RCA-Victor television set will show the game free of charge at Wallach's menswear store, Court and Montague Streets. Dodger players including pitcher Tex Carleton and coach Charley Dressen were on hand at the store this morning to greet fans, the youngest of whom was a 12-year-old boy who was on hand when the doors opened at 8:30 am. The boy declined to give his name for reasons best known to school authorities....

I'm assuming this drew quite a crowd. And thinking about it, while the public was use to movies and newsreels and radio - this would be the first-ever live televised sports event that they would see. That had to seem pretty darn amazing.

...
(An entire B-movie plot in one cartoon.)...

... (Sure, it's spring. But it's still cold.)...

Just the thing for the well-dressed woman to wear to today's cold Opening Day.

... View attachment 228970 (I had no idea elephants were so malleable.)...)

She's still trolling them again.

... (They're going to sandblast Louie to freedom? Let's see Chester Gould top that!)...

How perfect is Bonetti's outifit? Bold pinstripe suit, dark shirt and a light tie - right out of Mobster Dressing 101.

...

I get the distinct feeling from all this that the family has -- ah -- already started....

As the old GE joke goes, the first baby can come anytime, after that, they all take about nine months.

Also, the mother quit her job, did she first ask for some unpaid time off?

... Still can't figure this guy's angle. Who's he with?...

Best guess, he works for Alex who is trying to pin this on Nick. Since Alex plans to kill Annie (of course, won't happen), he might have a scheme to tie the body to Nick.

... Worms?...

Note to self: never get on the wrong side of April.

... Tracy and Pat don their Game Faces in panel three....

Sloppiest arrest attempt in a crowded nightclub ever.

... Well, hey kid! It's opening day! Head to the ballgame!...

Good idea, but he's too honest a kid for that. I'm thinking Wilmer isn't going to get those envelopes out in the next mail and he'll blame Skeezix - gun, hung, wall, etc.

...[ Nurse, break out the phenobarbital. Extra large....

"Dr. Pilldare." Okay.

 

[David Conwill]

Y'know, in a pinch a telephone makes a very effective bludgeon. The edge of the base delivers a terrific amount of force per square inch. Just sayin'.

No! No! Hook up Tula and Wilmer. They DESERVE one another.

 

[David Conwill]

That's quite the visual dexterity she's showing - one eyeball sees the cufflink while the other simultaneously notes the cut lip. Mine don't work that way.

She's not hideously deformed, she's just drawn that way.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Mr. Gould's art style has always shown a cubist influence, but Leota takes it to extremes.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I am downright surprised, given all we have seen, that there has been no full-fledged investigation of Mr. Gehogan and his entire administration as DA. O'Dwyer will never do it for political reasons, but there's no good reason why Amen can't. He has no political capital to lose -- Tammany already hates him like poison -- and it'd be a good way to get the upper hand again in the publicity stakes.

The one time I remember seeing my grandmother absolutely speechless was when I asked her if my uncle had been a preemie. "You were married in December of '33, he was born in June of '34, so that means....." Evidently my uncle had not been a preemie. Neither, I am sure, will be Upside Down Girl's baby.

Not a good idea to be firing those guns near those cheap paper decorations -- unless you want a Cocoanut Grove-level fire on your hands.

Every time we see Wilmer I'm convinced that Mr. King had his future course as a U. S. Senator planned out from the very beginning.

It's a real pity Grover Cleveland Alexander didn't live long enough to do card shows. "Yeah? What the hell do you want, kid? Sign it to who? Here, now go tell ya mother she wants ya!"

And here, fans, is a genuine ticket for today's game, signed by Leland Stanford MacPhail himself --

You'll be sitting in the upper deck, left field corner. If you're lucky, Camilli might hit one your way!

All this opening day coverage really rams home how important the Dodgers were to Brooklyn, not just as a sports team but as a civic institution. Which is something Walter F. O'Malley, may his name be a curse forever, never really understood.

 

[Fading Fast]

I am downright surprised, given all we have seen, that there has been no full-fledged investigation of Mr. Gehogan and his entire administration as DA. O'Dwyer will never do it for political reasons, but there's no good reason why Amen can't. He has no political capital to lose -- Tammany already hates him like poison -- and it'd be a good way to get the upper hand again in the publicity stakes.

The one time I remember seeing my grandmother absolutely speechless was when I asked her if my uncle had been a preemie. "You were married in December of '33, he was born in June of '34, so that means....." Evidently my uncle had not been a preemie. Neither, I am sure, will be Upside Down Girl's baby.

Not a good idea to be firing those guns near those cheap paper decorations -- unless you want a Cocoanut Grove-level fire on your hands.

Every time we see Wilmer I'm convinced that Mr. King had his future course as a U. S. Senator planned out from the very beginning.

It's a real pity Grover Cleveland Alexander didn't live long enough to do card shows. "Yeah? What the hell do you want, kid? Sign it to who? Here, now go tell ya mother she wants ya!"

And here, fans, is a genuine ticket for today's game, signed by Leland Stanford MacPhail himself --

View attachment 229055
You'll be sitting in the upper deck, left field corner. If you're lucky, Camilli might hit one your way!

All this opening day coverage really rams home how important the Dodgers were to Brooklyn, not just as a sports team but as a civic institution. Which is something Walter F. O'Malley, may his name be a curse forever, never really understood.

Some people would think it's really cool that the ticket is in the shape of a catcher's mitt. Stuff like that doesn't matter to me, but you know, if I had the ticket, I'd probably show it around as I know others get into that kitschy stuff.

I agree with all you are saying about what the Dodgers meant to Brooklyn. Teams can still mean a lot today, but I think when the players were well paid compared to the average Joe, but not astronomically paid, it also made the players feel closer to the city and its people.

If today, you're making $40,000 and a player makes $200,000 or $400,000 (like they did back then, obviously, adjusted for inflation), he's not so overwhelmingly rich that he might as well be living on another planet. Today, when someone signs a 10 years $200 million dollar deal, there is no way to relate.

 

[LizzieMaine]

At least thirty people are dead and at least 100 are injured following the derailment of a sixteen-car New York Central passenger train near Little Falls. The New York to Chicago "Lake Shore Limited" was fifteen minutes behind schedule as it sped westward thru the Mohawk Valley, and careened off the rails on a wide curve shortly after midnight. With most of the 250 to 300 passengers asleep, the train turned in a flash into a mass of twisted wreckage piled up for nearly half a mile along the main east-west highway and the Albany-Buffalo barge canal.

Both the engineer and the fireman were among those killed in the wreck, the New York Central's first fatal accident in thirteen years. Railroad investigators believe the train may have sprung a rail as it sped around the curve, trying to make up time. A Pullman porter, J. A. Taylor of 400 W 150th Street, Manhattan, was one of the heroes of the rescue effort, breaking thru a window to lower sixteen passengers to safety from their toppled car. One survivor, Carrol D. Wright of Watertown, N. Y., says he was in the smoking car when the train left the tracks, and was thrown out of the smoking compartment and into a Pullman car by the force of the impact. He believes that he survived because was buried under a heap of cushions thrown about by the crash.

Late reports from Switzerland say Nazi occupation troops have been forced from the Norwegia city of Elverum, former refuge of King Haakon and his family, with heavy losses. Meanwhile, Allied troop landings continue at three points on the west Norwegian coast, with one French and two British divisions, totaling between 20,000 and 30,000 men, have landed at Namsos, Laerdal, and Molde.

Mrs. W. Averill Harriman, wife of the U. S. ambassador to Norway is making a personal appeal for aid to the Norwegian people. In a conversation with Eagle correspondent Winston Burdett at Sarna, Sweden Mrs. Harriman states that Norway is in immediate need of food, clothing, and oil. Medical supplies, she reports, are not needed at this time, with an ample quantity of such goods available from Sweden.

Police in Flatbush are looking for a bloodstained automobile after a Ditmas Avenue woman was killed early this morning in a hit-and-run accident. Forty-five-year-old Mrs. John Sullivan was crossing Flatbush Avenue at the corner of Newkirk Avenue at approximately 2:15 AM when she was struck down by a passing car, which continued on without stopping. Mrs. Sullivan was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.

A 40-year-old Sunset Park woman turned herself in to police last night after beating an elderly neighbor to death with a hammer in an argument over a radio. Mrs. Ida Massaro of 5205 5th Avenue walked into the 4th Avenue police station and asked a detective to accompany her back to her apartment, where 84-year-old Thomas Giordano lay in a pool of blood. Mrs. Massaro said that Mr. Giordano, a retired automobile dealer and former Republican candidate in the 9th Assembly District who was visiting her home, had stolen her radio and they quarreled about it before she struck him with the hammer. Giordano died of a fractured skull after being removed to Norwegian Hospital. Mrs. Massaro lost her composure during a police lineup this morning and has not yet been subjected to an "intensive grilling."

Overriding the recommendations of Mayor LaGuardia, the Board of Higher Education has engaged outside counsel to represent it in an appeal of the recent court ruling removing Bertrand Russell from the City College faculty. Attorneys Emory R. Buckner and John M. Harlan of the firm of Root, Clark, Buckner, and Ballantine will represent the Board in the appeal after the Mayor made it clear that no city money or legal staff would be used in any further pursuit of the case. Attorneys Buckner and Harlan have agreed to take the case without pay.

(Yeah, but WHO IS MR. BIG????)

When Fred Allen introduces his "Person You Didn't Expect To Meet" next Wednesday, it'll mark the 100th installment of this popular feature of his weekly hour -- and Mr. Allen plans to do it up big, introducing as his guest none other than Eddie Anderson, whom you know better as Mr. Benny's long-suffering "Rochester."

(Mr. Lichty isn't just a fine observer of human foibles. He is also a very gifted observer of cats.)

There was dancing in the streets of Flatbush yesterday, and convivial bending of elbows in local establishments, to celebrate the Dodgers' smashing opening day win, with the Flock crushing the Giants 12-0. Hugh Casey went the distance for the first shutout of his major league career, with Cookie Lavagetto pacing the offensive attack with a pair of doubles and four runs batted in. Larry MacPhail appeared in the clubhouse after the game to hand Hughie a $200 cash bonus for his performance, and then tipped Cookie a fast hundred for his trouble.

Giants manager Bill Terry says he'll shoot the first person who asks him if he still wonders if "Brooklyn is still in the league." Harold Parrott reports there is no truth to the rumor that Memphis Bill slept in the Ebbets Field clubhouse last night to avoid the post-game hecklers -- he was seen to slink out of the park by a side exit.

Nearly 25,000 fans braved the cold to witness the festivities, topping the Yankees' opening day crowd by over 9000.

("Hah!" says Joe. "Foist place! There's no stoppin' us!" And Sally adds, "Howzit look down there, Bill?")

(Leave it to Jo to take command of the situation.)

(You really do have to admire the ingenuity of it.)

(Now just a minute, Mr. Marsh. You draw out some trivial nothing for a week, and yet when you've got a chance to show some actual *action* you skip right over it. I wanna see Irwin bushwack that guy and haul him struggling back to the car. That's got to be good for at least a couple of days.)

 

[LizzieMaine]

And in the Daily News...

"Why? What'd I ever do????" Ooooweeeee.

"Besides, that Upside Down Girl did it!"

Typhoid. Things just got real serious.

Annie could probably take both of them without breaking a sweat.

Yes, Tracy did indeed shoot that guy RIGHT THRU THE HAND. See, Marsh, this is what I mean about action.

Actually, Mama, the events of the past few days are proof that there *is* Justice. And you've been dished out a double portion. Enjoy!

While I'm not so sure about Harold, I'm pretty sure that Skeezix at age 19 has not yet experienced certain markers of adulthood. But if I read Tula like I think I'm reading her here, that is about to change.

1-1 that Portwine is about to experience a fatal heart seizure. 2-1 that he leaves his entire estate to Harold. 3-1 that Senga gets every nickel of it by the end of next week.

Ah! Reference is made here to one Otto Lummox, who did indeed look exactly like Elmo. Lummox and Emmy had a lengthy dalliance ten years or so back, but he disappeared when it turned out he was on the lam for a bank robbery. When Elmo first showed up I thought he *was* Otto Lummox and was confused. But what if he really is, hiding out right out in plain sight, and everyone is just too dumb to notice it? Now there's a movie plot.

 

[Fading Fast]

...Mrs. W. Averill Harriman, wife of the U. S. ambassador to Norway is making a personal appeal for aid to the Norwegian people. In a conversation with Eagle correspondent Winston Burdett at Sarna, Sweden Mrs. Harriman states that Norway is in immediate need of food, clothing, and oil. Medical supplies, she reports, are not needed at this time, with an ample quantity of such goods available from Sweden....

A neat thing about these Day-by-Days is seeing famous/important figures (or their wives) pop up in roles they held prior to becoming even more famous. Harriman, to me, was in Truman's administration and, later, governor of New York, but of course, he didn't pop up from nowhere, so it's cool to see these famous men and women earlier in their careers.

...Overriding the recommendations of Mayor LaGuardia, the Board of Higher Education has engaged outside counsel to represent it in an appeal of the recent court ruling removing Bertrand Russell from the City College faculty. Attorneys Emory R. Buckner and John M. Harlan of the firm of Root, Clark, Buckner, and Ballantine will represent the Board in the appeal after the Mayor made it clear that no city money or legal staff would be used in any further pursuit of the case. Attorneys Buckner and Harlan have agreed to take the case without pay....

It's the principal of the thing Mr. LaGuardia.

...
(Yeah, but WHO IS MR. BIG????)...

I noticed the absolute lack of a name too.

Also, thinking about this and Annie's dog - with all the mob activity, it wasn't that safe to be a dog (or band leader) in a big city in the Golden Era.

...
(Mr. Lichty isn't just a fine observer of human foibles. He is also a very gifted observer of cats.)...

The man's got talent. Also, who amongst us hasn't lived a version of today's conversation?

...There was dancing in the streets of Flatbush yesterday, and convivial bending of elbows in local establishments, to celebrate the Dodgers' smashing opening day win, with the Flock crushing the Giants 12-0. Hugh Casey went the distance for the first shutout of his major league career, with Cookie Lavagetto pacing the offensive attack with a pair of doubles and four runs batted in. Larry MacPhail appeared in the clubhouse after the game to hand Hughie a $200 cash bonus for his performance, and then tipped Cookie a fast hundred for his trouble....

Do you know if the bonus and tipping were contractual or just "good will?"

... View attachment 229211
("Hah!" says Joe. "Foist place! There's no stoppin' us!" And Sally adds, "Howzit look down there, Bill?")...

"Howzit -" fantastic Lizzie.

... (Leave it to Jo to take command of the situation.)...

Not always, but usually, Jo's the only who has a brain (she goes a bit nuts now and then too). Also, I'm confused, I thought they lived in some sort of tenement or apartment house - but they also have a garage and fence?

... (You really do have to admire the ingenuity of it.)...

Certainly today and, I assume (don't know), even back then, there was a hefty courtroom security presence (in the courtroom and on the surrounding streets) for these type of high-profile mob trials, so, this should turn into quite a battle.

... (Now just a minute, Mr. Marsh. You draw out some trivial nothing for a week, and yet when you've got a chance to show some actual *action* you skip right over it. I wanna see Irwin bushwack that guy and haul him struggling back to the car. That's got to be good for at least a couple of days.)

Also, Dan might want to tell Irwin (panel one) to stop thinking out loud - not hard to see that being a liability in their business.

...
"Besides, that Upside Down Girl did it!"...

Even you're doing it to our much-maligned "Upside Down" girl . Hey, are those saddles on our young friend?

... Yes, Tracy did indeed shoot that guy RIGHT THRU THE HAND. See, Marsh, this is what I mean about action.....

Good action scene, but still think the gunfight in LOA a week or so ago was the best action scene in a comic strip we've seen so far (not counting Annie being tossed overboard, that was funny as heck imagery).

... Actually, Mama, the events of the past few days are proof that there *is* Justice. And you've been dished out a double portion. Enjoy!....

Nice Greek Tragedy speech though. Also, Mama, if you'd stop b*tch slapping Mazie - time and time again - she might not be such an enemy.

... While I'm not so sure about Harold, I'm pretty sure that Skeezix at age 19 has not yet experienced certain markers of adulthood. But if I read Tula like I think I'm reading her here, that is about to change.....

If that's his goal, it would be much, much cheaper to go the old-fashion route and just pay for it directly at a place of business. Also, how freakin' many times can he tell her that he isn't getting the full $1000 until she gets it?

... 1-1 that Portwine is about to experience a fatal heart seizure. 2-1 that he leaves his entire estate to Harold. 3-1 that Senga gets every nickel of it by the end of next week.....

No takers.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Performance bonuses did exist in 1940 player contracts, if the player could negotiate them, but they were generally for season-long accomplishments -- winning 20 games, batting .300, or whatever. In this case, Laughing Larry was just being his mercurial self -- he'll pinch pennies almost irrationally, as we saw with Mr. Camilli, but when something tickles him he'll just go downstairs and toss c-notes to the help like they were dimes. Charlie Finley used to do the same thing when he ran the A's -- except instead of cash, he tended to hand out Cadillacs painted in an array of tacky colors.

Red Barber used to say of Mr. MacPhail something like "there is a fine line between insanity and genius, and Larry MacPhail maintained a permanent residence upon it."

The Bungles move around a lot, but they always end up on the fourth floor of a five-story building with no elevator. I think what they've probably got is a grubby little courtyard or a vacant lot alongside the building where there's a few shabby plywood-shack garages and a board fence with old political posters glued to it. Maybe if they're lucky there'll be a circus poster or two to settle Tootsie down.

The young lady is clearly marked by her outfit as a high-school girl, probably a sophomore or junior. If she was in college in 1940, she'd be wearing knee socks with her saddles.