The Era -- Day By Day

[LizzieMaine]

("I'm jus' sayin'," sighs Sally, "I do'wanna go t'ru anot'eh'ra t'ese wintehs we'h it gets so col', Leonoreh's eeh keeps actin' up. Ev'ry winteh she gets t'ese infections inneh 'cause it gets so col' innat apawrtm'n, an' I worry she's havin' trouble heahrin' outa t'at eeh. Las' night I was tellin'eh come get 'eh suppeh, an' she was layin' onna flooeh t'eh writin' inna tablet an' neveh paid me no mind. I hadda go stan' right on top'v'eh an' tell 'eh to come eat. Jus' tell ya husban' t'kin'a give us a lit'l moeh heat, t'at's awl." "He's doin'a best 'e can, Sal," contends Alice. "Y'otta see 'im inneh ev'ry night, innat berleh room, wit'is shoit awf, shov'lin' innat coal, awl sweaty an' shinin' an' covehed wit' soot..." "Well, yeh," concedes Sally, "but..." "An'nem muscles in'is back 'teh, awl rip'lin' an' standin' out, an'...." "An' what?" snickers Sally. "Op'na windeh, would'ja Sal?" exhales Alice, tugging at the collar of her work shirt. "How come t'ey keep t'ese trains so hawt, anyway?" "Heh," hehs Sally...)

American armored columns captured the German fortress of Livergnano after a bloody five-day battle and opened the way today for a direct assault on Bologna, key city to the Po Valley, less than 10 miles to the north. A communique also disclosed 8th Army troops pushing inland from the Adriatic swept thru the Nazi stronghold of Gairbettola, 18 miles southwest of Rimini, and two miles above the highway from Rimini to Bologna, principal Po Valley artery. The battle for Livergnano was one of the bloodiest of the Italian campaign, with a United Press dispatch from the conquered town calling it "a village of caves and corpses," its highway "stained with the blood of German and American dead, mangled by each other's artillery."

A major obstacle to the early resumption of construction on the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel has been cleared, with the announcement by Mayor LaGuardia that the War Production Board has granted permission for the manufacture of 500 tons of bolts, nuts, and washers needed on the job. While the Mayor suggested in his weekly broadcast yesterday, relayed from Chicago over WNYC, that construction may be resumed on the projected within three or four months, Commissioner William H. Friedman of the New York City Tunnel Authority hinted at a possible longer wait, stating that work will be resumed "as soon as war conditions permit."

("Hmph!" hmphs Ma. "If paaarents would keep closarr watch on tharr children, sooch things would NOT happen!" "Rudy Vallee," notes Uncle Frank, sipping his two-cents-plain. "Thaaat was diff'rent," snaps Ma. "Sally merely let'arr enthusiasm get oota hand." "That's not aaahl gaaht oot'varr hand," snickers Uncle Frank. "An' then tharr's that brick thru th' screen at Loew's Oriental." "A mattar'a principle," sniffs Ma. "Y'moit naaht agree with th' way she doon it, boot she was staandin' oop far soomthin' she b'lieves in." "Mickey throo'in a stink bomb on th' stage that toime," chuckles Uncle Frank, "at th' Star Theayter." "He was criticizin' th' perfarrrmance," retorts Ma. "An' thin," laughs Uncle Frank, "thaat Lois DeFee criticoized his criticism! Roit in th' oye!" "Well," snips Ma, "saaaarved 'im roit farr goin' in that place t'b'gin with. An' incidentally, how is it ye know who it was that saaacked 'im? Oi don't recall 'im evarr admittin'." "Ah," ahs Uncle Frank. "Well, it's loike this..." "She shooda socked you too," snorts Ma. "Oi ducked," mutters Uncle Frank. "What?" "Noothin'.")

The New York City vote will reach an all time high with the November 7th election, based on record voter registration by both civilians and servicemen and women, it was announced today by the Board of Elections. That board further announced that it will meet tomorrow morning at 11 to decide whether the registration of 3,216,613 voters will require that voting hours be extended, moving the poll closing hour from 7 to 9 pm, or even to 10 pm.

("All they can think about is food. One of them tried to tell me he was a Hamburger.")

(DRAFT MUSIAL IN '44!)

(Well now, THIS should certainly be an interesting session...)

("By Jove, Holmes! How DO you DO it?")

(For a middle-aged commuter, George has remarkably limber joints.)

("I dunno, you think so? I thought the monocle was too much.")

("Absently, as was her custom on a long road trip, she took a nip from the bottle..")

(AMERICA'S NUMBER ONE HERO DOG is nothing if not pragmatic.)

 

[LizzieMaine]

And in the Daily News...

"I tell ya, we'll get all of Page Four. Well, 'cept for that dopey political column."

Imagine that.

Ohhhh, Punjab......

"Wait, that's the FAMOUS Shaky? Not that other Shaky?"

**snif**

"MR. PARROTT!" thunders a voice from the inner sanctum at 215 Montague Street. "Yes, sir," replies that panting minion. "What do we know of a left-handed relief pitcher," demands Mr. Rickey, " named Bloney!"

"Small Fry?" At least that's better than "Pantywaist."

"He should be shoveling coal like the rest of the kids!"

Don't think too hard, you might muss up your hair.

Well, there's not a lot of space in a candy store back room.

 

[Fading Fast]

"Y'otta see 'im inneh ev'ry night, innat berleh room, wit'is shoit awf, shov'lin' innat coal, awl sweaty an' shinin' an' covehed wit' soot..." "Well, yeh," concedes Sally, "but..." "An'nem muscles in'is back 'teh, awl rip'lin' an' standin' out, an'...." "An' what?" snickers Sally. "Op'na windeh, would'ja Sal?" exhales Alice, tugging at the collar of her work shirt. "How come t'ey keep t'ese trains so hawt, anyway?" "Heh," hehs Sally...)

We've talked about this, Lizzie. I thought we had an understanding.

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A major obstacle to the early resumption of construction on the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel has been cleared, with the announcement by Mayor LaGuardia that the War Production Board has granted permission for the manufacture of 500 tons of bolts, nuts, and washers needed on the job. While the Mayor suggested in his weekly broadcast yesterday, relayed from Chicago over WNYC, that construction may be resumed on the projected within three or four months, Commissioner William H. Friedman of the New York City Tunnel Authority hinted at a possible longer wait, stating that work will be resumed "as soon as war conditions permit."

This is pretty surprising considering the war is still going on, on both fronts.

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"Rudy Vallee," notes Uncle Frank, sipping his two-cents-plain. "Thaaat was diff'rent," snaps Ma. "Sally merely let'arr enthusiasm get oota hand." "That's not aaahl gaaht oot'varr hand,"

Since this comes up a lot, did we ever learn if these were an, umm, extra pair brought from home for this purpose or did Sally just get, how shall we say this, caught up in the moment? If the latter, the logistics had to be, well, "interesting."

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Imagine that.

I had no idea our planes could shoot cyanide tablets when strafing, and right into his mouth – that's some good shooting.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Only Sally knows the answer to that question, and I don't dare to ask her.

 

[Fading Fast]

Only Sally knows the answer to that question, and I don't dare to ask her.

Depending on Rudy Vallee's, umm, predilection at the time, he might have an idea, too. Just sayin'.

 

[LizzieMaine]

("I don' even GET t'is whole Sinatra t'ing," fumes Sally. "I mean, he's skinny, he ain' p'ticulehly good-lookin', he don' know howta dress, an'ee sings like -- well, 'e sings like 'e's about t' pass out!" "Ehhh," ehs Alice. "I like 'is singin'. He sings like 'ee means it." "Ahhhhh, whassat sp'osta mean," frowns Sally. "I mean, 'neh ain' no whatchacawl ya'r --uhh -- virility innat singin'." "Huh," huhs Alice. She pauses momentarily to absorb the thought. "Hey Sal," she resumes. "What, 'zackly, izzat 'virility' mean?" Sally squints and purses her lips while framing a reply. "Imagine," she sighs, "Krause shovelin' coal." "Ohhhhhhh," exhales Alice. "Sinatra," concludes Sally, "ain' gawt none'a t'at.")

A survey of labor organizations has found a sharp divide between the two great union federations in their degree of support for President Roosevelt, with seventy-three percent of CIO members endorsing the President's bid for a fourth term, compared to sixty-one percent of those belonging to AF of L unions. Roosevelt held 75 percent of the factory workers who had supported him when he ran for his third term in 1940, and Dewey has held 85 percent of those factory workers who voted for Willkie in the last election. By contrast, 54 percent of all white-collar workers support Dewey according to recent surveys, and 61 percent of all professional and business workers support the Repubican candidate.

("Woona these days, Oi'm goona take out me papars," declares Uncle Frank. "Ooooh, Oi done me share'a waaard heelin', but Oi'm thinkin' th' toime is coomin' when Oi might waant t'voot." "Ahhh," dismisses Ma, swabbing the countertop with a wadded dishrag, " ye soond like me daughtarr." "Thar's security in bein' a citizen, Nora," declares Uncle Frank. "S'pose -- ooh -- s'pose tharr was soombody said they -- ah -- had soomthin' aaahn ye that could get'chee deparrted. Imagine ye'd have to leave aaaahl this, goo back t'Oireland." "That ain't loikely," scoffs Ma. "B'soides, Oi shook th' doosta that place aahf me feet faarty years agoo, an' Oi ain' aboot'a go back farr noothin'." "Well, thin," declares Uncle Frank. "Let's booth do it. Let's booth take out paparrs." Ma pauses and gazes carefully at Frank, who is returning her gaze every bit as carefully. "Yarr serious?" Ma queries. "Oi am," affirms Frank. "Hm," hms Ma...)

(Dixie is used to these sorts of requests, but I bet Chuck Dressen feels ten feet tall today.)

The Eagle Editorialist scoffs at the "tempest in a teapot" surrounding the question of whether movie star Ann Sheridan did or did not do a good job of entertaining the troops stationed in India. "Entertainers have rendered unselfish service often at the risk of death or personal injury," the EE observes, adding that "those who volunteered deserve an A for effort."

(I wonder what Mr. Lichty listens to, sitting at his drawing board all day...)

(733,000 people paid to watch the Giants??? WHY???)

(Tramps? HOW JUDGEMENTAL.)

(Try lithium, George, it works!)

(Oh, well, OK then.)

(Heh, country people. So naive. Hey Zeke, get the shotgun.)

(Yeah, that way we'll barely have to change the title.)

 

[LizzieMaine]

And in the Daily News..

Lucy might change her mind, but she'll never change him. And meanwhile, no matter what myths one might choose to believe about the 1940s, they are dangerous times to be a young, single woman.

I hope you bolted that spring to a wall stud and not just into the plaster.

Well this is an angle about the Sarge that I hadn't considered.

Go see an Ann Sheridan picture, that'll cheer you up.

Junior -- going to school now? THAT'S AN IMPROVEMENT.

"Put out of their misery. Hmmmmmmm."

Oh, Burma, you and your wisecracks...

"Well, that's easy for you to say, but what about Stalin?"

Back to the Pacific, kid!

"Holy H. Smoke!"

 

[Fading Fast]

"What, 'zackly, izzat 'virility' mean?" Sally squints and purses her lips while framing a reply. "Imagine," she sighs, "Krause shovelin' coal."

Sneaking it in through Sally is just as bad. No one, not one person on planet earth wants hear about Alice and Krause's (I can't even say the word) --- life.

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Well this is an angle about the Sarge that I hadn't considered.

I'd bet less than half the readers in 1944 are considering that angle even now as it wasn't the water they swam in and that hint might not have been strong enough for them to get it.