Daddy And Rollo 1942-11-11 Daddy And Rollo

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Daddy And Rollo" – Harold's Old Time Radio

Podcast Information:

• Title: Harold's Old Time Radio
• Host/Author: Harold's Old Time Radio
• Description: Features classic radio shows from the Golden Age of Radio, showcasing beloved programs like The Shadow, Abbott & Costello, Amos & Andy, Dragnet, and many more.
• Episode: Daddy And Rollo (Original Air Date: November 11, 1942; Release Date: March 6, 2025)

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Episode Overview

Daddy And Rollo is a heartwarming and humorous portrayal of the everyday struggles between a dedicated father and his spirited 10-year-old son, Rollo. Set against the backdrop of a wartime community, the episode delves into themes of responsibility, education, and the generational gap between parent and child.

Introduction to Characters and Setting

The episode opens with a narrator setting the stage for the story:

"Daddy bogged down in little Rollo's homework. A problem in fractions, you may recall... Especially when I know your neighbor campaign starting, for which Daddy has promised to head the committee on publicity. Well, it takes a lot of time to be a good citizen these days. But it takes even more time and an astonishing amount of peculiar information to be a good father."
[00:31]

This introduction highlights Daddy's dual responsibilities: managing his son's education and leading a community initiative aimed at fostering neighborly connections during wartime.

Key Interactions Between Daddy and Rollo

1. The Homework Battle

The central conflict revolves around Daddy assisting Rollo with his arithmetic homework. The dialogue showcases their differing perspectives on education:

• Daddy's Frustration:

  "Don't you even know how to answer the phone? Don't they teach you anything practical in school?"
  [07:34]

• Rollo's Rebellion:

  "I think school is a great waste of time."
  [05:22-05:25]

Rollo challenges the practicality of formal education, citing historical figures like Abraham Lincoln to justify his stance:

"That's the way Abraham Lincoln educated himself. He didn't go to school. He stayed home and lived by the fire."
[05:53-06:00]

2. The "Know Your Neighbor" Campaign

Daddy is deeply invested in the community campaign, aiming to enhance social cohesion and morale during wartime. He involves Rollo in this initiative, hoping to blend theoretical knowledge with practical experience.

• Daddy's Leadership:

  "Rollo, you've gotten around for years now all over this neighborhood without a bicycle. There isn't a house on South Mountain Road you did it all without a bicycle. Now we'll hear no more about bicycles."
  [12:03-12:43]

• Rollo's Persistence:

  "If you let me stay home from school and I'll show you."
  [06:10-06:13]

Through their interactions, the episode underscores the importance of community involvement and the challenges of balancing personal aspirations with familial duties.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Daddy on Practical Knowledge:

  "It takes a lot of time to be a good citizen these days. But it takes even more time and an astonishing amount of peculiar information to be a good father."
  [00:31]

• Rollo on Education:

  "Everything I have to learn this year is already written down in the books I bought."
  [05:37]

• Daddy on Community Responsibility:

  "A father and a head of a family has a great many things to do. Not only must he make a living, but he has his duties as a citizen of his community."
  [08:02]

• Rollo's Operations:

  "Know your neighbor campaign will provide an opportunity to discuss what we are fighting for. And what we as individual citizens, can do to help win it."
  [11:31]

Themes and Insights

1. The Value of Education vs. Practical Experience

The episode juxtaposes formal education with hands-on experience. While Daddy emphasizes the foundational skills provided by schooling, Rollo advocates for learning through real-world applications. This tension reflects a timeless debate about the most effective ways to educate youth.

2. Community and Patriotism

Set during wartime, the know your neighbor campaign represents efforts to maintain community spirit and resilience. Daddy's role in leading this initiative highlights the importance of civic duty and the collective effort required during challenging times.

3. Parent-Child Dynamics

The dynamic between Daddy and Rollo is both comedic and poignant. Daddy's attempts to instill responsibility and civic awareness in Rollo are met with youthful defiance and clever counterarguments, illustrating the universal challenges of parenting.

Conclusion

Daddy And Rollo encapsulates the essence of the Golden Age of Radio by blending humor with relatable family and societal issues. Through the engaging dialogue between Daddy and Rollo, listeners are reminded of the enduring values of education, community involvement, and the complexities of familial relationships. The episode serves as both entertainment and a reflection of the societal norms and challenges of the early 1940s.

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Notable Quotes Recap:

• "I think school is a great waste of time." – Rollo ([05:22])
• "A father and a head of a family has a great many things to do." – Daddy ([08:02])
• "Know your neighbor campaign will provide an opportunity to discuss what we are fighting for." – Rollo ([11:31])

This episode offers a nostalgic yet insightful glimpse into the familial and communal life of the 1940s, making it a valuable listen for enthusiasts of classic radio dramas and historical social dynamics.

Transcript

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[Narrator]

Daddy and Rollo Written for W o R by JP McEvoy an amusing, true to life story of the problems of a father with his bright foot, mischievous 10 year old son. We left Daddy bogged down in little Rollo's homework. A problem in fractions, you may recall. How much is 2/3 of 3/4 of 4/5 of 5, 6? And what is the numerator? And what is the denominator? And what makes an improper fraction proper? Maybe Daddy was a little in a in arithmetic this month. Especially when I know your neighbor campaign starting, for which Daddy has promised to head the committee on publicity. Well, it takes a lot of time to be a good citizen these days. But it takes even more time and an astonishing amount of peculiar information to be a good father.

[Daddy]

Rallo, answer the phone. Rallo. I'm busy, Rollo. Didn't you hear me answer the phone?

[Rollo]

Oh, I'm sorry, Daddy. I was reading.

[Daddy]

Such concentration. It couldn't be your schoolwork.

[Rollo]

Hello? Yes. Yes, he is. Just a minute, please. Somebody wants you, Daddy.

[Daddy]

Who is it?

[Rollo]

I don't know.

[Daddy]

Why didn't you ask?

[Rollo]

I forgot all.

[Daddy]

Rollo, how many times have I told you to find out who's calling before you tell me out? Tell him I'm in. Yes, Daddy, I got the answer.

[Rollo]

See?

[Daddy]

If you hadn't told them. Hello? Yes. Oh. Oh, yes, Mrs. Cantwell. I'm sorry I couldn't use your photograph in this week's paper. Well, well, well, it got crowded out. Yeah, maybe. Maybe next week, Mrs. Cantwell. Yes, I. Yes, I thought it was very good. I'm not sure that I can use the dogs. You must have the dogs. Well, is that really vital to our know your neighbor campaign? Yes, I. Yeah, I know. Everybody knows your dogs, Mrs. Cantwell. Well, I'll do the best I can about them, Mrs. Cantwell. Yes, we're. We're. Yes, we're having a meeting in the publicity committee tonight. That's right. Yeah. Yeah. Goodbye. If you hadn't told her I was in, I wouldn't have had to go through all that.

[Rollo]

You wouldn't Say, Daddy.

[Daddy]

You heard me. Next time you ask who's calling.

[Rollo]

Yes, Daddy.

[Daddy]

Then repeat the name out loud so I can hear it.

[Rollo]

Yes, Daddy.

[Daddy]

And I tip you off whether I'm in or not. Don't you even know how to answer the phone? Don't they teach you anything practical in school?

[Rollo]

No, Daddy. I was going to speak to you about that.

[Daddy]

Oh, you were?

[Rollo]

Take today's lesson in arithmetic.

[Daddy]

But arithmetic is very practical, Rollo.

[Rollo]

Is it? Well, listen to this. To find the least common denominator, see if the largest denominator contains the other denominators. How do you write that?

[Daddy]

Well, it's does sound a bit puzzling, but that kind of drilling is good for your brain. It teaches you to reason.

[Rollo]

Did you ever have to find the least common denominator after you got out of school?

[Daddy]

Well, no, not exactly.

[Rollo]

You said yourself you wasted a lot of time when you were a little boy in school learning how to figure out how much wallpaper it takes to paper a room.

[Daddy]

Oh, did I?

[Rollo]

Sure. You said it didn't matter how you figured it. The paper hanger always figured it didn't different, and it came out his way.

[Daddy]

Well, maybe that's because he had more practical knowledge, Ralph. After all, he learned how to hang wallpaper by. By hanging wallpaper, not by reading about it in textbooks.

[Rollo]

You mean he didn't have to go to school to learn to hang wallpaper?

[Daddy]

No.

[Rollo]

And you didn't have to go to school to learn how to run your weekly newspaper, did you?

[Daddy]

Well, going to school helped, but I must admit I learned more about it by doing it.

[Rollo]

So if I quit and went to work for you down at the newspaper office, won't I learn more than if I stayed in school? Practical things like answering the phone, rally.

[Daddy]

You don't understand. What you're getting now is the foundation. Learning how to read, spell, figure.

[Rollo]

Do you know what I think, Daddy?

[Daddy]

You think a lot of things.

[Rollo]

I mean, about school.

[Daddy]

I can make a pretty good guess.

[Rollo]

Daddy, I think school is a great waste of time.

[Daddy]

Oh, you do?

[Rollo]

Yes, I do. I've been thinking about it.

[Daddy]

And how did you arrive at that interesting deduction? What deduction? D for D and duck for duck. You know perfectly well what I mean.

[Rollo]

Well, it's like this, Daddy. Everything I have to learn this year is already written down in the books I bought. Isn't that so?

[Daddy]

Most of it, I imagine.

[Rollo]

Well, I can read, can I? Why do I have to go to school and read? I could do it at home in half the time.

[Daddy]

You could, but you wouldn't.

[Rollo]

That's the way Abraham Lincoln educated himself. He didn't go to school. He stayed home and lived by the fire.

[Daddy]

Rollo, Abraham Lincoln was very anxious to get an education. In that respect, I see no resemblance between you and Abraham Lincoln.

[Rollo]

You let me stay home from school and I'll show you.

[Daddy]

I'm afraid I can't accept your proposition, Rollo. Interesting as it sound, the law has something to say about that.

[Rollo]

Oh, yes, the law. Well, you could fix that, Daddy. You know everybody in the county.

[Daddy]

You mean help you evade the law, Ronald. The law that says you must go to school. Fix it. What kind of talk is that for a little boy? You certainly didn't learn that in school.

[Rollo]

You see that in school? That's what I was telling you. I don't have to go to school to learn things.

[Daddy]

I'm amazed, Raoul.

[Rollo]

Papa Wharton says if you know the right people, you can fix anything.

[Daddy]

That's a fine way for Judge Wharton to be bringing up his little boy.

[Rollo]

Well, anyway, that's what Papa says. All you need to know is the right people. Who are the right people, Daddy?

[Daddy]

You mean, for fixing things, as you put it?

[Rollo]

Yes, Daddy.

[Daddy]

In some, the right people are the wrong people. For the right people to get mixed up with. Say, that's pretty good. I'll have to make a note of that and use it for my editorial next week. The right people? I don't know. What did I say?

[Rollo]

I'm sorry, Daddy. I wasn't listening.

[Daddy]

Oh, yeah. There's another thing you might learn in school. How to listen.

[Rollo]

So you won't let me quit school?

[Daddy]

No, Robert. You are doomed to a school elastic career. But you have given me an idea.

[Rollo]

More study, I'll bet.

[Daddy]

No, I think I'll combine your theoretical training in school and some practical training by myself. After all, it's your father's duty to.

[Rollo]

Here we go again.

[Daddy]

Work with this boy and not turn the entire job of education over to the educator.

[Rollo]

You've said all that before, Daddy.

[Daddy]

And I'll say it again when I.

[Rollo]

Want you to help me with my homework or something. Always get very busy, Rollo.

[Daddy]

A father and a head of a family has a great many things to do. Not only must he make a living, but he has his duties as a citizen of his community.

[Rollo]

Yes, Daddy.

[Daddy]

And now, in war time, he has even more important responsibilities.

[Rollo]

You mean like getting the picture of Mrs. Cantwell and the dogs in the papers?

[Daddy]

Yes, Rollo.

[Rollo]

But what have Mrs. Cantwell's dogs got.

[Daddy]

To do with winning the war as uno ruddo. This is a know your neighbor campaign. We are already beginning to know more about Mrs. Cantle.

[Rollo]

Yes, Daddy.

[Daddy]

Mrs. Cantwell is a hard worker, great organizer and very patriotic. But she's full of. Full of human nature.

[Rollo]

Human nature, Daddy?

[Daddy]

Yes. And you can't do anything in a democracy if you don't know how to handle human nature. You can't make people do things. That's being addictive.

[Rollo]

I get you, Daddy.

[Daddy]

So in order to get Mrs. Cantwell to become a group leader in this know your neighbor campaign, I will ask Coke and Joel print a picture of her. And if possible, with her dog.

[Rollo]

She has seven of them, Daddy.

[Daddy]

Yeah. If this were a dictatorship, I could tell her to jump in the lake with all seven of them. But that. That's what we're fighting the war for, Ronald.

[Rollo]

So Mrs. Cantwell can have her dog stitches in the paper?

[Daddy]

Certainly not. Now, what was I talking about? You could get me more mixed up about. Oh, yes. Now I remember. I had an idea about giving you some practical training. You know, I think you're going to like this, Rollo.

[Rollo]

You think so?

[Daddy]

I'm sure of it. I'm going to get you to work with me on this know your neighbor. After all, you know more about the neighbors than I do.

[Rollo]

Is there going to be much work in it? I'm awfully busy with my school. And I really want to make those A's on my report card.

[Daddy]

You'll have plenty of time to make those A's. R. I want a Junior Information Committee. And you can be a chairman.

[Rollo]

What do I do?

[Daddy]

Well, first you organize your committee.

[Rollo]

You mean Chubby and Horse Face and Topper and.

[Daddy]

Wait a minute now. Don't just put your friends on it. Get some workers. I suggest you put Smithy Whitaker on it.

[Rollo]

What? Why? She'd try to force it. The very first thing.

[Daddy]

Well, let's not quit the bath. First. I'll tell you some of the things your committee could do. In fact, I think it might be a good thing if you looked over this little outline of just what the know your neighbor campaign is. Here, read it.

[Rollo]

Fighting the war at home in your neighborhood. Someday in a pile of aero debris. How well do you know him? Right.

[Daddy]

Now you get the idea, Rollo.

[Rollo]

I think so. We are working on a plan whereby residents of our neighborhood need to become better acquainted to boost morals and.

[Daddy]

What did you say, Rollo?

[Rollo]

To boost morals. It's right here.

[Daddy]

Let me see that. The boots moral, Rallo, not morals.

[Rollo]

Well, it looks like morals. And to discuss their problems in case of an air raid. That reminds me, Daddy. Could I be a junior messenger?

[Daddy]

Well, I hadn't thought of it, but I don't see why not.

[Rollo]

I couldn't be a junior messenger unless I had a bicycle.

[Daddy]

Ralph, for the last time. War or no war, civil defense or no civil defense, you cannot have a bicycle.

[Rollo]

I could know a lot more names as if I had a bicycle.

[Daddy]

Go on and read that.

[Rollo]

The plan calls for regrouping of our social structure. By coming together in small neighborhood or block meetings. Rather than through church, club or large organization. And in this good neighborly way, people may come to know the persons with whom they are bound to be associated with in times of disaster.

[Daddy]

An excellent idea, don't you think, Ronald?

[Rollo]

What?

[Daddy]

What you just read. Go on.

[Rollo]

Growing shortages of gasoline, tires. A bicycle wouldn't use any gasoline, Daddy. And I'd go to the store and bring back.

[Daddy]

Read on, Rollo. Read on.

[Rollo]

Growing shortages of gasoline and tires. Point toward the decent realization of many activities. Know your neighbor campaign will provide an opportunity to discuss what we are fighting for. And what we as individual citizens, can do to help win it. Period.

[Daddy]

Now, do you see how you can help?

[Rollo]

Not without a bicycle.

[Daddy]

Rollo, you've gotten around for years now all over this neighborhood without a bicycle. There isn't a house on South Mountain Road. A man, woman, child, or. And you did it all without a bicycle. Now we'll hear no more about bicycles.

[Rollo]

Horse Face has a bicycle.

[Daddy]

Horse Face works in Brown's Candy Store. He's earning money.

[Rollo]

He doesn't get any money. He's paid off in comic books and candy bars.

[Daddy]

I don't care if Horse Face has a bicycle. I don't care if he is paid off in comic books and candy bars.

[Rollo]

Well, he isn't earning money.

[Daddy]

All right, he isn't earning money. Who started all this Horse Face business anyway? I was talking about you helping me on the Know youw Neighbor campaign. Now, are you going to help me on this campaign or aren't you?

[Rollo]

I'll help you, Daddy.

[Daddy]

Well, that's more like it, Rollo.

[Rollo]

I'll do the best I can, Daddy.

[Daddy]

That's the spirit.

[Rollo]

I'll go all over the neighborhood and gather all the information I can.

[Daddy]

Well, that's my role.

[Rollo]

But it's only fair to warn you. I'd do a much better job for the neighborhood and my country daddy if I had a bicycle.

[Narrator]

After all, Rollo, your daddy may have to coax and cajole Mrs. Cantwell. With her seven dogs. But he doesn't have to bribe you with a bicycle. Or does he?

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