
Jerry of the Circus - Helping Clara - 07/16/1937
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Narrator/Announcer
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Bumps
Jerry of the circus. Now for jerry of the circus.
Patsy
Hello there, Rags, old boy. Where's your master? Glad to see me, huh? Oh, you're pretty cute.
Jerry
Hi, Patsy.
Patsy
Oh, I know you must be around someplace. Jerry. You know, it's a wonder Rags doesn't lose that tail of his.
Jerry
Don't worry. It's on good and tight. I used to wonder about it when he was a pup. Then I'd pick him right up by the tail.
Patsy
And the tail stayed on.
Jerry
Yep. So I know it's on for good. What was you doing with your costume?
Patsy
I'm taking it to Clara and the wardrobe. Oh.
Jerry
Gee, it's pretty. What's all this stuff? Looks like diamonds, rhinestones.
Patsy
They're made of glass.
Jerry
Oh, those are the things that sparkle so when you're working under the lights. Gee, they're pretty. You sure look swell in that costume.
Patsy
Thanks, Jerry. That's a nice compliment. Want to come along with me, Clara? Sure.
Jerry
We haven't anything to do right now. Besides, I wanted to meet her anyhow. When Mr. Randall and I came back from the police station, he asked.
Patsy
Station? What were you doing there?
Jerry
They got Loran's.
Clara
No.
Jerry
Yep. Money and all. Oh, Jerry, I'm sure glad they caught him. Cause otherwise I might never have found out about Uncle Dan.
Patsy
It was lucky, wasn't it? Oh, here we are.
Clara
I almost walked by the wardrobe top.
Jerry
Seems funny calling a 10 a top.
Patsy
You'll get used to it, Clara. Oh, hello there.
Jerry
Are you busy?
Clara
Of course I'm busy. But goodness knows I'm never too busy to see you.
Patsy
Clara, this is Jerry.
Clara
I'm glad to meet you, Jerry. I've been hearing about you ever since we left Midvale.
Jerry
I'm glad to meet you, too.
Clara
Now, Patsy, don't tell me you've torn that costume again.
Patsy
I'm losing some of the rhinestones. See here, around the neck. Let's see.
Clara
Gracious me, I'll say you are. And all around the arms, too.
Patsy
I guess that's where most of the strain is.
Clara
Well, this is too much to fix for tonight's show. I'll tell you if you leave this here after the performance tonight, I'll get it to you first thing in the morning.
Patsy
You're a dear, Clara. I'm sorry I'm such a nuisance.
Clara
You're never a nuisance. And my goodness, I wish I could say as much for lots of other people in this circus.
Jerry
Clara, Mr. Randall asked me to see you.
Clara
Mr. Rambo, a whore?
Jerry
Well, you see, he says you've been having some trouble around here.
Clara
Well, I'll say I have. Don't tell me you know anything about it.
Jerry
Well, no, but I'm going to try and find out.
Clara
A regular boy detective now, aren't you?
Patsy
Jerry certainly helped a lot to catch Lorenz. You know, he found the missing piece of the gun.
Jerry
Rags really found it, but I helped.
Clara
You don't say.
Jerry
Now, if you just tell me, Clara, exactly what happened around here.
Clara
Of course I will. The thing that burns me up the most is that they've taken my gold thimble. The one Grandma.
Patsy
Oh, no, Clara. Not the one your mother got from her mother.
Clara
That's the one. Oh, and I care more for that thimble than anything else in the world. Seems like.
Patsy
What a shame. Maybe you just dropped it someplace.
Clara
Oh, Siri, you know how careful I am with that. I always leave it right in my work basket.
Jerry
Have you got a pencil?
Clara
Sure thing. Right over there on the table.
Jerry
Why, thank you. I think I'll write everything down.
Clara
There.
Jerry
A gold symbol belonged to your grandmother. What else?
Patsy
My, you are businesslike.
Clara
Half of the gold braid that was left over from the uniforms for the band.
Jerry
What happened to the other half?
Clara
It was all over the floor. And my goodness, was I mad when I saw that mess all over the floor.
Jerry
That's funny. Anything else that's valuable?
Clara
The most valuable things in the whole wardrobe were those jewels. And when I come in and saw them.
Patsy
Oh, Clara, don't tell me all that jewelry is gone. Oh, it'll take forever to find such lovely things again.
Clara
I'll say it will. But the worst is having to clear up the mess every morning. I'd like to give those thieves a piece of my mind.
Jerry
Every morning?
Clara
Yes, sir. Since we got to this town, let's
Jerry
see, we move tomorrow night. Why don't you stay and watch tonight?
Clara
And get hit on the head? No, thanks, not me. I'm not that curious.
Jerry
Gee, I'd love to stick around and find out what's going on.
Patsy
Oh, Jerry, Mr. Randall never let you do that.
Jerry
I got it.
Patsy
What?
Jerry
Why don't you Clear away all this sawdust on the floor.
Clara
Land sakes, our feet. It'd get damp. Can't stand on bare ground all day.
Jerry
Oh, I mean before you leave tonight. Then at least you'd have a chance to get some footprints. As it is, you haven't any idea who's hanging around. You can't get footprints in sawdust, you know.
Patsy
That's right. Policemen always get footprints if they can't get fingerprints. That's a good idea, Jerry.
Clara
I don't mind trying it once.
Jerry
Sure. Just before you leave tonight, you sweep all the sawdust away from the door here and away from in front of those tables and trunks and things.
Clara
Sure I will. I'd just like to get my hands on the thieves that stole my thimble.
Jerry
I'll be in first thing in the morning, so don't you step on the ground till we find out if there are prints or anything around there.
Clara
I won't, don't you worry.
Jerry
Are you the watchman?
Eggs (Night Watchman)
I sure am.
Jerry
The one who stays on the lot all night?
Eggs (Night Watchman)
Yeah, that's me all right.
Jerry
Well, I'm Jerry.
Eggs (Night Watchman)
Oh, howdy.
Jerry
And this is my partner, Ray. Without your par. Eggs.
Eggs (Night Watchman)
Well, well. So you're the little critter that's being talked about so much.
Jerry
Is Rags being talked about?
Eggs (Night Watchman)
Oh. Oh, I'll say he is. He's getting to be about as important to this circus as anyone else in it.
Jerry
You hear that, Rags? I guess you got something to live up to now. He just finished his last walk around at bumps. Oh, gee, they were swelling. I. But I had something special I. I want to ask you about.
Eggs (Night Watchman)
Where? Fire away, sonny.
Jerry
Well, you see, it's like this. Claire's been having some trouble over in the wardrobe.
Eggs (Night Watchman)
I hear tell some prankster's been bothering her.
Jerry
Oh, it's much more serious than that. Mr. Randall asked me to help sleuth around.
Eggs (Night Watchman)
You mean like a detective?
Jerry
Uh huh. So I thought I'd ask you if you'd kind of help keep your eyes open. I'm gonna come back later tonight. Maybe Rags and me can detect something.
Eggs (Night Watchman)
Well, maybe so. But be careful about pussyfooting around where I might catch you instead of the real culprits.
Jerry
That would be awful, wouldn't it?
Eggs (Night Watchman)
Yeah. So you better not prowl around without giving me the high signs. Though I won't make any mistakes.
Jerry
I sure won't. Oh, there goes Patsy. I've got to see her. I'll be back later. Come on, Rags.
Eggs (Night Watchman)
Yes, and I'll keep me eye out for you and Watch the wardrobe top, too.
Jerry
Patsy. Patsy.
Patsy
Oh, hello there, Jerry. I was just taking my costume over to Clara's.
Jerry
I was waiting for you. I've been talking to the night watchman. We're going to find out something about what's going on tonight. I hope.
Patsy
I hope so too, Jerry. But you'd better be careful. After all, you don't want to get mixed up with any desperate characters.
Jerry
Don't you worry about me or Eggs. We can take care of ourselves, can't we? Say, Patsy, Bumps and I are going over to the restaurant to have something to eat. Won't you come along? Bump said I could ask you.
Patsy
Well, thanks, Jerry. I'd love to. Here, I'll just leave this inside. Wait here just a minute.
Jerry
Hey, wait a minute. Patsy, don't go in there.
Patsy
Why not?
Jerry
We don't want your footprints all over the ground.
Patsy
Oh, of course. I. I forgot.
Jerry
Here, let me do it. There. You hold that open so I can see.
Patsy
Clara must have left early tonight.
Jerry
There. See? I climb up on this box and leave it right there safe on the table without getting my feet on the ground at all.
Patsy
Thanks, Jerry.
Jerry
Lucky I was here. He'd have forgotten all about Clara getting rid of the sawdust. Come on, let's get going. Bunce has already started. We'll meet him there. I'll race you. Aw, gee, it's no fair beating a girl.
Patsy
What do you mean, beating a girl? Listen here, I'm a pretty good runner.
Jerry
Yeah, you're on. Come on, Rags. We're gonna race Patsy and beat her so bad. All right.
Patsy
You ready?
Jerry
Sure.
Clara
On your mark.
Patsy
Get set.
Jerry
Ready? Go. I'll say you can run.
Patsy
Just a girl, huh? You can't do anything.
Jerry
I didn't say so.
Patsy
No, just as bad as you said. No fair beating a girl.
Jerry
Gee, you're ahead of me already.
Patsy
Yeah, the ranger's ahead of me. I'm out of breath. Head enough?
Jerry
No, of course not. Unless you're tired.
Patsy
Not me. Oh, there's Bumps right ahead of us.
Jerry
Hi, Bumps.
Bumps
Oh, there. What on earth are you doing such a hurry for?
Jerry
Now I'm out of breath.
Patsy
Well, guess I beat you after a little, Jerry.
Jerry
You sure did, but not much.
Bumps
Well, what's this all about?
Patsy
Jerry thought I couldn't run.
Bumps
You ought to know that Patsy'd be a pretty fast runner. A girl who flies around on trouble trapezes all day. She has to have pretty good lung power and pretty strong arms and legs.
Jerry
I'm finding that out. Say, look, there goes Major Mike. Golly, that package is Carrying his most bigger than he is.
Patsy
A banana sticking over the top. What on earth can he want with so many bananas?
Bumps
Oh, maybe he's gonna treat some of his friends in the sideshow.
Jerry
He's awful cute, isn't he? I like midgets. He always seems like they're grown up babies and you ought to treat them careful like.
Bumps
Well, you don't have to treat the Major so carefully. He knows how to stand up for himself. Here we are. Come on in, Patsy.
Patsy
Lift it up at the counter.
Bumps
You're the boss. Come on. Come on. Here. You're in it. What are you looking at?
Jerry
I was just watching Major Mike. He's sure in an awful hurry. Come on Rag. Listen on. So you say the Major can take care of himself?
Bumps
He certainly can. I've traveled with him for years. He's a scrappy little fella. He. He's always getting into scripts. Cause he thinks people are likely to take advantage of him cause he's so small.
Patsy
He always does have a chip on his shoulder, doesn't he?
Jerry
Gee, that's too bad. Imagine going through life thinking everyone's gonna be mean to you.
Bumps
Evening. Can I take your order? Yes. What do you want, Patsy?
Patsy
I'm gonna have a nice big piece of good night.
Jerry
Look at that dog going. Craigs. Rags, come back here. Don't wait for me bumps. I gotta get Rags. Goodbye. Rags. Rags, come back here a. I was hungry too. Rags. Golly, he. He's gone back on the lot. I'm certainly getting my share running tonight. Rags, you bad dog. Come here. Rags. Get away from there. Let that poor cat off the can. Come here you.
Patsy
Come here.
Jerry
I say. Now watch. You ashamed yourself chasing a poor little cat. Well, I should think you would be. Look at that poor kitten. What's wrong? Huh? Where? Gee, it does look as if something's moving over there. Golly. In front of Claire's Dengs.
Eggs (Night Watchman)
Look.
Jerry
Can you see Claire's Den? Yeah, way at the other end of the lot. Something big just went in there. Got a week. We'd better find that watchman. I couldn't make out what it was. He. He got in there so fast. But I certainly saw something go in that wardrobe just as plain. Come on, Rags. Looks like we've happened on something. We've just got to get that watchman.
Narrator/Announcer
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Episode: Jerry of the Circus – Helping Clara
Date: May 15, 2026
Host: Harold's Old Time Radio
Episode Theme:
This episode revisits “Jerry of the Circus,” a classic Golden Age radio drama. In “Helping Clara,” Jerry and friends work to solve mysterious thefts in the circus wardrobe and provide a warm glimpse into camaraderie and problem-solving under the big top.
The episode centers on Jerry’s determination to help Clara, the circus wardrobe manager, track down a series of thefts—including a sentimental gold thimble—occurring in the circus tent. It highlights themes of teamwork, youthful detective work, and circus life camaraderie.
"Thanks, Jerry. That’s a nice compliment." ([02:55])
"Oh, and I care more for that thimble than anything else in the world." ([04:48])
"Why don’t you clear away all this sawdust on the floor?... At least you’d have a chance to get some footprints." ([06:08])
"But be careful about pussyfooting around where I might catch you instead of the real culprits." ([08:07])
"Just a girl, huh? You can’t do anything." ([09:50])
"A girl who flies around on trouble trapezes all day... has to have pretty good lung power and pretty strong arms and legs." ([10:29])
"He’s awful cute, isn’t he? I like midgets. He always seems like they’re grown up babies and you ought to treat them careful like." ([10:55])
"Looks like we’ve happened on something. We’ve just got to get that watchman." ([12:42])
The episode maintains the upbeat, wholesome tone of 1930s family radio drama. The characters are playful and earnest, full of joking banter and supportive camaraderie. The language is simple and heartfelt, underscoring loyalty, friendship, and initiative.
“Helping Clara” is a charming slice of old-time radio, blending simple mystery with rich character moments and lively circus backdrops. Jerry’s cleverness and heart, Patsy’s spirited nature, and the warmth of circus friendships set the stage for an engaging story that ends on a suspenseful note, promising resolution in future episodes.