Easy Aces 43-01-21 (1245) Jane Is Driving A Bus For The War Effort

Summary

Podcast Summary: Harold's Old Time Radio – Easy Aces 43-01-21 (1245) Jane Is Driving A Bus For The War Effort

Episode Overview Released on June 7, 2025, this episode of Harold's Old Time Radio revisits the beloved classic radio show, Easy Aces. Titled "Jane Is Driving A Bus For The War Effort," the episode transports listeners to the Golden Age of Radio, showcasing the humorous and heartfelt adventures of Jane and her neighbor Dorothy as they navigate their responsibilities during wartime.

Main Characters

• Jane Ace: A spirited and often sarcastic woman thrust into the role of bus driver to support the war effort.
• Dorothy Ace: Jane’s neighbor and co-driver, whose nervousness contrasts Jane’s boldness.
• Mr. Wilson: The stern bus company manager impatient with Jane and Dorothy's performance.
• Major Harris: A military representative concerned with the efficiency of war-time transportation.

Plot Summary

Driving Challenges and Workplace Tensions The episode opens with Jane and Dorothy struggling with their new bus route on Grand Street, serving defense factories. Their performance has been subpar; they were removed from their preferred route on Northern Boulevard due to consistent delays. Jane laments, “[00:03:19] Jane: Oh, I don't care if he gets mad or glad, he can't fire us,” highlighting her resilient yet defiant attitude towards management's criticisms.

The central conflict revolves around their tardiness, causing friction with Mr. Wilson, who emphasizes the importance of punctuality for maintaining factory productivity. Jane humorously misunderstands the concept of “man hours,” leading to a comedic yet insightful exchange:

• Jane: “[00:09:57] Jane: 35,000. 3 odd is odd.”
• Dorothy: “[00:11:36] Dorothy: All I know is that everybody who gets on this bus has to pay a fare.”

Miscommunication and Gender Stereotypes The conversation delves into the confusion between "man hours" and "woman hours," showcasing the societal expectations and gender stereotypes of the era. Jane sarcastically remarks, “[00:12:08] Jane: Well, Mr. Harris, that's a woman hour,” poking fun at the misunderstanding while subtly critiquing the undervaluation of women’s time and efforts.

Military Intervention Major Harris arrives to address the delays, bringing a sense of urgency and authority to the situation. He explains the critical nature of their role in ensuring defense workers reach their jobs on time:

• Major Harris: “[00:10:34] Major Harris: All these man.”
• Jane: “[00:10:57] Jane: What is she doing?”

The episode humorously portrays the clash between military expectations and the realistic challenges faced by Jane and Dorothy, culminating in a light-hearted yet meaningful resolution.

Key Themes and Insights

• Gender Roles: The episode satirizes the traditional gender roles, highlighting the challenges women faced when stepping into roles traditionally held by men.
• Communication Barriers: Misunderstandings about "man hours" versus "woman hours" underscore the importance of clear communication in the workplace.
• Resilience and Adaptability: Jane and Dorothy’s perseverance despite repeated setbacks showcases the resilience necessary during wartime.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Jane on Punctuality:

  • “[00:02:30] Jane: Oh, I don't know. Oh, well, I guess he was being sarcastic.”

• Dorothy on Time Management:

  • “[00:04:07] Dorothy: Well, how about quitting?”

• Jane’s Sarcastic Wit:

  • “[00:12:08] Jane: Well, Mr. Harris, that's a woman hour.”

• Major Harris Emphasizing Importance:

  • “[00:10:57] Major Harris: All these man.”

Conclusion "Jane Is Driving A Bus For The War Effort" offers a delightful glimpse into the societal dynamics and comedic storytelling of the Golden Age of Radio. Through the antics of Jane and Dorothy, the episode skillfully blends humor with poignant social commentary, making it both entertaining and thought-provoking for modern audiences unfamiliar with the original series.

Final Thoughts For listeners new to Easy Aces, this episode serves as an excellent introduction to the timeless humor and enduring charm that made the show a staple of old-time radio. Jane and Dorothy’s adventures not only entertain but also offer subtle reflections on the societal changes occurring during wartime.

Transcript

[Youth Advocate]

Use of flavored tobacco by teens is a crisis. Tobacco companies use flavors like cotton candy, watermelon ice and cool mint to hook kids like me. They seem harmless, but they aren't. Addiction to nicotine sets us up for a lifetime of health problems. Organ legislators can do something about it. Passing Senate Bill 702A will keep flavored tobacco away from kids. But there are just a few short weeks left for lawmakers to act. Take action to protect kids like me@ flavorshookorgankids.org paid for by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids Action Fund.

[Anacin Advertiser]

May I make a suggestion that you will probably thank me for someday? It's simply this. The next time you suffer from the pains of a headache or neuralgia, try Anacin. The reason we suggest this is because we feel sure you'll really be surprised at how quickly and effectively Anacin gives you relief. Thousands of people who have tried Anacin say its action is truly astonishing. Anacin gives such amazingly quick and effective relief because it's like a doctor's prescription. You know that it usually contains several ingredients, not just one. And Anacin, likewise, is a combination of medically proven and tested ingredients, not just one. So the next time you suffer pain from a headache or neuralgia, when you want to experience really fast relief, try Anacin. Try it on the proposition that the first few tablets give complete satisfaction, or you may return the unused portion and the purchase price will be refunded. Take only as directed on the package. You can get it at any drugstore. I'll spell the name for you. A N, A C, I M. Well, Jane and her next door neighbor Dorothy, who are driving a bus so that men can be released for the war effort, didn't do well their first week. They were taken off the beautiful Northern Boulevard route and are now driving on grand street where the defense factories are located. This is their second day on the new route, and they're on their way back to the garage with the empty bus. Listen.

[Jane]

Well, it happened again, Dorothy. We're 35 minutes late today.

[Dorothy]

I know, Jane. And yesterday it was only 25 minutes late. You can imagine what Mr. Wilson's gonna say today.

[Jane]

Yes, I know, but I asked you, was it our fault? I tell you, there's so many stops to make and backing up and so many people going to work in those factories.

[Dorothy]

What did Mr. Wilson mean when he said the defense factories lose man hours when we're late? What's a man hours that made Mr. Wilson so mad?

[Jane]

Oh, I don't know. Oh, well, I guess he was being Sarcastic. You know, all men think women are never on time. If says she'll be there in an hour and she shows up the same day she thinks she's on time.

[Dorothy]

I can never get ready on time when Frank wants me to meet him someplace in an hour.

[Jane]

There, you see, that's called a woman hour, I guess. And a man hour is right on the dot. You know, if you say an hour to a man, he really think you'll mean an hour.

[Dorothy]

Men have no imagination, have they?

[Jane]

Well, Mr. Wilson, has he imagined all sorts of things happen to the bus just because you're 25 minutes late? The way he jumped on me when we came back yesterday. 25 minutes late, he said.

[Dorothy]

But you shouldn't have said. All right, shoot me. He got awfully mad when you said that.

[Jane]

Oh, I don't care if he gets mad or glad, he can't fire us. You heard him say the president of the company got his picture in all the papers because he was the first one to have lady drivers and conductors.

[Dorothy]

Don't forget my part.

[Jane]

Oh, Dorothy, you've got a cinch. All you do is take in money. Look at me. You should see my hands when I take off these gloves. Hard as nails. And my nails look like I've been driving a plow and plowing this bus through all that mud. And if anybody could use a mud pack on their face. I certainly flew with all this cold wind every time I opened the door.

[Dorothy]

You know, I never had a mud pack in all my life, Jane.

[Jane]

Oh, I didn't either. My skin is too sensible for a mud pack. But after driving this bus, I don't know.

[Dorothy]

I hate to say this, Jane, but how about quitting?

[Jane]

Quitting? Why, Dorothy.

[Dorothy]

Gary, look where you're going.

[Jane]

How did that telegraph pole get off there in the middle of everything while you're driving.

[Dorothy]

Right, Jane, you can't turn around and look at me while you're driving.

[Jane]

Listen, Dorothy, I hate to get sarcastic, but when we first took this job, you said we take turns driving. One day I drive and you'd be the conductor, and the next day vice versa. But I can't drive. Jane, I told you I'd teach you, and I think I will right now.

[Dorothy]

No, we haven't time. We're already 35 minutes late.

[Jane]

Oh, well, it doesn't take time. Now, you sit here right beside me. But Mr. Wilson. Oh, who's Mr. Wilson? Sit down. Come on.

[Dorothy]

All right, but we've got to hurry.

[Jane]

That's one thing you can't do when you're Driving. You mustn't hurry. Drive carefully and slowly. See how I'm doing?

[Dorothy]

Yes, but I don't know if I.

[Jane]

Now, first I'll show you how to hold the wheel. Come on. Put your hands right over here on the wheel. That's it. That hand over there and this one over here. Yes, that's it. Right by my hand. You see, you're steering the car now.

[Dorothy]

I am?

[Jane]

Yes. Now, if you want to go to your right, you turn the wheel to the right. And if you want to go to the left, you turn it to the. And you want to go straight ahead. You turn straight ahead like this, see?

[Dorothy]

Well, I'm afraid I might not be able to hold it straight, Jane.

[Jane]

Oh, sure you will.

[Dorothy]

Oh, no, I hate to.

[Jane]

Oh, go ahead. It'll give me time to put some power on my nose anyhow. Honestly, with these factory workers and the smoke and the dirty roads we have out here, I must look like the wrath of grapes. Is there any dirt on my face?

[Dorothy]

Oh, yes, there's a speck right on your nose.

[Jane]

See, I told you.

[Mr. Wilson]

Where?

[Dorothy]

Right there on the right. Huh? Little lower.

[Jane]

That there is a. Go on.

[Dorothy]

Let me see. Yes, it's Dorothy.

[Jane]

Watch where you're driving.

[Dorothy]

I'm not driving.

[Jane]

I thought you were steering.

[Dorothy]

I told you I was afraid to.

[Jane]

Well, now, Dorothy, one of us has to steer. We can't just let the bus hit every car that comes along. Oh. Oh, that car is stopping. He must be mad.

[Dorothy]

Oh, boy, I nearly hit him.

[Jane]

Oh, that was a marrow shave. Here he comes now. Dorothy, let me talk to him. Don't you say that we weren't driving this bus.

[Dorothy]

Look, it's Mr. Wilson. We almost hit Mr. Wilson.

[Jane]

What's he doing out here?

[Mr. Wilson]

Open. Shut that door.

[Dorothy]

Open the door, Jane.

[Jane]

I will. Just a minute, Mr. Wilson. What are you doing out here?

[Mr. Wilson]

May I ask what you two are doing out here?

[Jane]

We two? While we're driving the bus. What are you doing here? You should be at the garage office working.

[Mr. Wilson]

I should? Listen, don't you tell me where I should be. You were due at the garage nearly 40 minutes ago.

[Dorothy]

Only 35, Mr. Wilson.

[Mr. Wilson]

Only 35, Mr. Wilson. 35 minutes means nothing to you, do they?

[Jane]

Well, it all depends if I have in the oven or something important like that.

[Mr. Wilson]

Something important? Getting these war workers to their jobs isn't important to you, I suppose. Hey, Major Harris, this is the bus. Come over here, would you, please?

[Jane]

Major Harris? Who's he?

[Mr. Wilson]

He's from the army. He oversees this whole factory district.

[Major Harris]

Did you find him? Mr. Wilson. Yes.

[Mr. Wilson]

Here they are. Come in. Now, maybe you can tell the major what I've been trying to for the past two days.

[Major Harris]

Well, ladies, do you know how many man hours you cost this district in a day and a half?

[Anacin Advertiser]

What?

[Mr. Wilson]

What do you mean? Fare, please.

[Dorothy]

Every person who gets on this bus has to pay a fare.

[Mr. Wilson]

Oh, murder.

[Jane]

Except Mr. Wilson. Dorothy. We know who he is.

[Major Harris]

What are they talking about?

[Mr. Wilson]

Major, I'm awfully sorry this had to happen, but this is what comes of putting women to work on these buses. I told you.

[Major Harris]

Just a minute, Mr. Wilson. Women taking the jobs of men is what this country needs.

[Mr. Wilson]

Yes, I know.

[Major Harris]

It leaves the men free to go into the armed forces or take over war jobs.

[Mr. Wilson]

Yes, but it also leaves your factory short.

[Major Harris]

All these man.

[Jane]

We're back to man hours again.

[Major Harris]

Oh, yes. Ladies, I must impress upon you the necessity of getting our defense workers to their jobs on time. Yesterday, three ships arrived late because of this bus you're operating. Do you know how many man hours that is?

[Jane]

We don't even know what one man hour is, do we, Dorothy?

[Dorothy]

All I know is that everybody who gets on this bus has to pay a fare.

[Mr. Wilson]

This gentleman is not riding in the bus.

[Jane]

Well, we're in a hurry. We have to leave any time now to get back to the garage and check in.

[Mr. Wilson]

You've got to leave any time now?

[Jane]

Yes.

[Mr. Wilson]

Is that what a schedule means to you?

[Major Harris]

Don't you know that every minute wasted mounts up to hours? And every hour means so many man Hours lost?

[Jane]

Mr. Harris.

[Mr. Wilson]

Major Harris. Mrs. Ace.

[Jane]

Oh, please make your acquaintance. And this is my friend, Mrs. Gilbert.

[Mr. Wilson]

The major hasn't any time for introduction.

[Major Harris]

No, we've got a job to do. And the schedule this bus has been making is upsetting our entire production schedule.

[Mr. Wilson]

I told them that, Major. Didn't I tell you what Mr. Adams, the manager of the plant, told me?

[Jane]

Mr. Adams.

[Dorothy]

Mr. Adams.

[Mr. Wilson]

Don't look at me with that blank stare.

[Jane]

That's not a blank stare. I was thinking.

[Mr. Wilson]

Oh, since when did that set in?

[Dorothy]

Oh, yes, I remember. You said something about Mr. Adams.

[Jane]

You do, Dorothy?

[Dorothy]

Yes, when he was talking about man hours. But I was so busy trying to figure out what a man hour is.

[Jane]

Oh, yes, Mr. Adams.

[Mr. Wilson]

Oh, it comes back to you. They remember, Major.

[Major Harris]

Good.

[Mr. Wilson]

Well, I don't know.

[Major Harris]

Well, ladies, Mr. Adams found he couldn't get anywhere with you, so he contact. And now I'm telling you that you must keep to your schedule. These workers must arrive on time at the factory.

[Mr. Wilson]

You were 35 minutes behind time this morning?

[Major Harris]

Yes. 35 minutes behind time this morning. Now, ladies, you can readily see what that amounts to in man hours when you multiply that 35 minutes by thousands of workers.

[Jane]

Multiply 35 by what?

[Major Harris]

By the thousands of workers in this area.

[Jane]

35,000. 3 odd is odd.

[Major Harris]

What is she doing?

[Jane]

I don' oh, you mix me up. Talking in the middle of my mental arithmetic fair.

[Mr. Wilson]

Please, Mrs. Gilbert, you leave him alone.

[Dorothy]

Well, the first rule they told me was the collective fare from everybody.

[Jane]

You didn't tell me how many thousands of workers.

[Major Harris]

What?

[Jane]

How can I multiply 35 by thousands when you didn't say how many thousands are working here?

[Major Harris]

That is a military secret.

[Jane]

A secret? Well, what kind of a problem is that? Multiply 35 by secret.

[Major Harris]

I didn't ask you to multiply 35 by anything. I simply said.

[Jane]

Why, Mr. Harrod.

[Mr. Wilson]

You Major Harris? Mrs.

[Jane]

Ace. Yes, we just met. Why, Mr. Harris.

[Mr. Wilson]

You mean Mrs.

[Anacin Advertiser]

Ace.

[Mr. Wilson]

Major Harris represents the armed forces. I brought him here because when I told you what Mr. Adams, the General manager, said, it made no impression on you. Now, the major is trying to impress on you how important it is to save man hours in the defense plan.

[Major Harris]

Yes, it's of the utmost importance. Ladies, we of the armed forces appreciate your working in the place of men, but we cannot allow our output schedule to be upset.

[Mr. Wilson]

Do you. You understand that you've got to get the bus there on time?

[Jane]

Well, we tried to, Mr. Wilson. You know what our motto is, Dorothy? Through snow and sleigh, we come your way.

[Major Harris]

Through snow and sleigh.

[Mr. Wilson]

Major, that's no slogan of our company. It's something they thought of.

[Major Harris]

Well, yes, but. But what is sleigh?

[Mr. Wilson]

I don't know. All I want them to understand is that it's important to save man hours at the factories. Do you understand that?

[Jane]

I don't think so. You know what a man hour is, Doroth?

[Dorothy]

I know I don't.

[Mr. Wilson]

Well, we've been trying to tell you.

[Jane]

And I've been trying to tell you, too. I drive the bus as fast as I can, but there are so many stops, and it's been so muddy these last few days. Look at us. Well, we haven't even been to a beauty shop since we took this job.

[Mr. Wilson]

Beauty shop? Oh, I suppose you'd like the afternoon off to go to a beauty shop.

[Jane]

Well, it would be very nice if you'd let me.

[Mr. Wilson]

Oh, it would.

[Major Harris]

I don't understand all this beauty shop talk.

[Jane]

Well, Mr. Harris, that's a woman hour.

[Mr. Wilson]

A woman?

[Dorothy]

Yes, that's it a woman hour.

[Major Harris]

What is a woman hour?

[Jane]

Well, all you have to do is multiply all the women that go into a beauty shop by the thousands of beauty shops and you've got oh, murder.

[Anacin Advertiser]

Well, the girls have been warned by the manager of the bus company, the manager of the war plants, and a representative of the armed forces. They'll soon learn what a man hour is. I want to talk for a moment to those of you who appreciate the distress caused by the pains of headache on your rouser. To you, I suggest a way which many physicians and dentists consider tremendously effective. This way is with the preparation called Anacin. It gives amazingly quick and effective relief because it's like a doctor's prescription, that is, it's a combination of proven and tested active ingredients. And you know that when your doctor makes out a prescription, it usually contains not just one ingredient, but several people of the thousands have been given an envelope containing Anacin tablets by their dentist or physician. So the next time you suffer the pains of a headache or neuralgia, get Anacin. For fast effective relief, take only a directed on the package A N a C I n anison in handy 10 to 12 and 30 tablets and economical family size bottles of 50 and 100.

[Youth Advocate]

Use of flavored tobacco by teens is a crisis. Tobacco companies use flavors like cotton candy, watermelon ice and cool mint to hook kids like me. They seem harmless, but they are. Addiction to nicotine sets us up for a lifetime of health problems. Oregon legislators can do something about it. Passing Senate Bill 702A will keep flavored tobacco away from kids. But there are just a few short weeks left for lawmakers to act. Take action to protect kids like me@ flavorshookorgonkids.org paid for by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids Action Fund, we interrupt.

[Nicole Byer]

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[Jane]

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