Locomotive to the Past by George Schultz (iphone ebook reader .TXT) 📕

When the couple returned to The Motor City—and “repossessed” their little girls—from “the reluctant hands” of Susan and Eric, Jason bought as “elegant” a 45rpm record player, as he could find. The “vinyl records… with the great big hole” 45’s had just been “turned loose” on the public—and, at the time, there were very few “la-de-dah” players to be found.

That fact did not worry our favorite “radio personality”. He knew that the “new-fangled” LP recordings—would become popular, in three or four years. Grandpa Piepczyk had always rhapsodized about “a really-nifty Columbia 360 Hi-Fi” record player, that he’d bought, when he’d been first discharged, from the Navy, in 1953.

After a goodly amount of “scouring”—all over town—Our Hero was able to locate—also on 45’s—an Original Cast album, of Brigadoon. The Original Cast album—of South Pacific—had not yet become available. Capitol Records—no longer an “upstart”—had “paid a fortune” to have their artists record, then release, their album, of the musical score: Gordon MacRae, Margaret Whiting, Peggy Lee, Dave Barbour, Frank DeVol, and Paul Weston had done the album. Jason was “semi-shocked” to find that Jo Stafford did not appear, in the wonderful collection!

March 4, 1951: Mary Rose’s 8th birthday. Jason had been lucky enough to have found two recordings, of the recently-released ballad—Mary Rose. One by Dennis Day (the same version his grandfather had so ardently enjoyed—only, in much better quality) and one by Sammy Kaye’s orchestra. As young as she was, the young lady seemed dazzled—by her father’s gesture! As it happened, Susan and Eric then presented her with, yet, a third recording, of the ballad—by Ray Anthony’s orchestra.

Summer of 1953: Jason and Valerie again travel to New York City. Their plan was for a shorter stay. The girls had—once again—“bunked in” with their favorite aunt and uncle, on Sussex Street. (Where else?) But, Eric’s health was beginning to become “a little bit questionable”—so, while Susan had admonished the couple to “stay as long as you want”, her long-ago boarder had decided that, “long, wasn’t in the wood”.

They did take in two musical productions, on Broadway. Both were by Rodgers & Hammerstein. Me And Juliet was nearing the end, of its short run. And The King And I had been playing for almost two years.

In the latter case, the star, Gertrude Lawrence, had died—of Cancer—about a year-and-a-half, into the show’s run. Yul Brenner, had then, become the star. But, strangely enough, when the Rutkowskis got to see this, most-elaborate, production, Mr. Brenner was still pretty much an unknown.

Valerie fell in love, with the song—Something Wonderful. She’d heard the ballad, more than a few times, over the preceding months. And, after watching the New York production, she’d continually sung it to her, deeply-moved, husband!

Once they’d returned to Detroit—a goodly amount more worried, about Eric, than when they’d left—Jason bought a Columbia 360! In point of fact, he’d also purchased one for Eric, and Susan! He could, at that point, really understand his grandfather’s undying affection, for the machine. His first LP record purchase—was the Original Cast album, of The King & I.

September 12, 1953: Senator John F. Kennedy wed Jacqueline Bouvier. Sadly, two days later, Eric Atkinson passed away! His untimely death came three weeks after trading—in his 1949 Nash (“The Bathtub”) for a brand new, completely-redesigned, 1953 model. “It was a massive heart attack,” sobbed his wife. “He was far too young to go!”

April 12, 1955: The Salk Polio Vaccine is introduced! A long-awaited blessing! It would head off millions of cases of what was known—when Jason Rutkowski arrived as Infantile Paralysis!

October 1, 1955: Vilia’s 10th birthday. Jason did his best—in those pre-internet days—to find a live performance, of The Merry Widow. He’d have flown, with her, anywhere! Anything—for her to have actually seen the genesis of her name. But, no luck!

He and Valerie had seen the movie—which had starred Lana Turner and Fernando Lamas—in 1952. But, they’d “so prostituted the lyric”—that neither of her parents wanted Vilia to witness it. Ever! Our Hero had, though, come up with an LP recording of the operetta—and had presented that to “The Birthday Girl”. The cast, on the record starred a soprano named Vivienne della Chiesa—who sang the aria beautifully. Vilia had always seemed to be the most sensitive, of the three daughters—and she loved the recording! It brought her to tears! (Well, the same “wet” reaction held for both of her parents!)

December 5, 1955: Jason and Valerie “con” Susan, into selling her wonderful house—on Sussex—and moving in with them! The living room, in the house on Grandmont, of course, runs from front-to-back—a fact, which had always intrigued Our Hero. The door, at the back of the “gigantic” room, had—originally—“emptied”, onto a dirt patio. Jason had had the “clump of mud”—built up! He’d, then, sided the new patio—with bricks (which had matched those, on the house). Then, he’d topped the entire project off—with a cement deck.

In the weeks before their new “family member” was to move in, the host had had the patio enclosed—with numerous windows, on all three sides! The. wildly-successful, result made for a nice, bright—and cheerful—“bed-and-everything-else” room, for the, ever-grateful, Susan.

Fortunately, the project had finished up—on December 22nd. The kids’ “aunt” then moved in—on the 23rd. The arrangement made for a much happier Christmas—for all six, of the residents!

Fall of 1956: Jason and Valerie flew back, to New York City—for one purpose: To take in Frank Loesser’s The Most Happy Fella. Grandpa Piepczyk had—always—regretted having “blown” a chance to see the show, when it had come through Detroit. The production’s, ultra-talented, star—Robert Weede—had been featured, in that, once-in-a-lifetime, road show production.

The old man’s grandson—and granddaughter-in-law—were privileged to behold the gifted Mr. Weede perform, in the role of “Tony Esposito”, on Broadway.

After a, rather-rushed, weekend, in Manhattan, the happy couple returned home. Though the girls were getting older—and “too damn independent” (according, to their doting father)—the Rutkowskis did not want to burden their, sainted-but-aging, “aunt”, by staying away