What makes classic radio comedy? The best comedy writing perhaps for any radio program in history. Memorable, lovable characters. The banter and jokes that people all across the country tuned in for every week. And the best possible leads for a show about an endearing, quirky couple living in small town America. That is why listeners still become fans today of 'Fibber McGee and Molly."
The long-running success of "Fibber McGee and Molly" was based on familiar things like doorbells that announced the arrival of some eccentric neighbor and get-rich-quick schemes that never quite panned out. Whether we wanted to admit it or not, an awful lot of us were either like Fibber, full of tall-tales and big talk, or like Molly, long-suffering but sweet, loving, and down to earth. We knew these people and, sometimes, we even were these people.
Another major factor for the show's popularity rests with 'The Real Fibber McGee and Molly' the stars of the show, Jim and Marian Jordan. Married just five days before Jim was drafted into World War I, both Jim and Marian Jordan had sought to work as performers their entire lives. Upon Jim's return home, the Jordans entered into show business with a formula that would work for them their entire career. They did it together. Working from hand to mouth for years, the break came for the couple in 1924. That spark led eventually to the Jordans leaving their mark on history as the couple in Wistful Vista that everybody wanted to visit.
It's not surprising, then, that "Fibber McGee and Molly" enjoyed one of the most successful runs in radio history, being heard on the air in one form or another for nearly twenty-five years. It's also not surprising that today, over fifty years after they made their last appearance as a team, Jim and Marion Jordan remain a part of our culture; people of a certain age still say "Tain't funny, McGee" when someone's joke falls flat and many of the character types used so well on this show still populate Comedy shows today.
For many years, radio enthusiasts and the general public have been enjoying the antics of Fibber and Molly thanks to the generous recording library left by the Johnson's Wax Company, the long-time sponsor of the series. To add to these programs, RadioArchives.com has acquired many classic episodes of their later fifteen-minute daily series for NBC and has been releasing them in a series of popular compact disc collections - hilarious adventures that literally haven't been heard since they were first aired in the mid-1950s. Featuring the Jordan's, along with neighbors like Wallace Wimple, the Old Timer, and Doc Gamble, played by Bill Thompson and Arthur Q. Bryan, the newly-discovered shows in these collections are just as warm and entertaining today as they were more than fifty years ago.
Providing great laughs and stories until the end, Fibber McGee and Molly: The Lost Episodes, Volume 14 is the final volume in this fantastic series. Enjoy twenty one full length broadcasts, a total of five hours, of hilarity and hijinks.
Special note about this fantastic collection. The last show in this set is the very last Fibber McGee and Molly show ever broadcast. Although short pieces would be done for a few more years on Monitor, the final episode in this collection was the last time Fibber McGee and Molly had their own stage to share their magic with the world.
Transferred from the original NBC master recordings and fully restored for sparkling audio fidelity, here is the complete content of this wonderful collection of shows, presented here just as they were originally aired:
The New Bandsaw
Friday, February 24, 1956 - 15:00 - NBC, sponsored by Miles Laboratories
Molly's Beauty Shop Appointment
Monday, February 27, 1956 - 15:00 - NBC, sponsored by Miles Laboratories
Mr. Wimple is going to Chicago
Tuesday, February 28, 1956 - 15:00 - NBC, sponsored by Miles Laboratories
A Sendoff For Mr. Wimple
Wednesday, February 29, 1956 - 15:00 - NBC, sponsored by Miles Laboratories
McGee Gets A Haircut
Thursday, March 1, 1956 - 15:00 - NBC, sponsored by Miles Laboratories
Molly Gets A New Dress
Friday, March 2, 1956 - 15:00 - NBC, sponsored by Miles Laboratories
McGee And Wimple Look At A New Car
Monday, March 5, 1956 - 15:00 - NBC, sponsored by Miles Laboratories
Garbage Disposal
Tuesday, March 6, 1956 - 15:00 - NBC, sponsored by Miles Laboratories
The Found License Plate
Wednesday, March 7, 1956 - 15:00 - NBC, sponsored by Miles Laboratories
Out Of Postage Stamps
Thursday, March 8, 1956 - 15:00 - NBC, sponsored by Miles Laboratories
Dinner And the Phony Fiver
Friday, March 9, 1956 - 15:00 - NBC, sponsored by Miles Laboratories
A Painting For the Elks
Monday, March 12, 1956 - 15:00 - NBC, sponsored by Miles Laboratories
McGee Stops the Freeway
Tuesday, March 13, 1956 - 15:00 - NBC, sponsored by Miles Laboratories
McGee Diverts the Freeway
Wednesday, March 14, 1956 - 15:00 - NBC, sponsored by Miles Laboratories
McGee Organizes the Women's Brigade
Thursday, March 15, 1956 - 15:00 - NBC, sponsored by Miles Laboratories
The Spotted Dog
Friday, March 16, 1956 - 15:00 - NBC, sponsored by Miles Laboratories
The Genuine Australian Boomerang
Monday, March 19, 1956 - 15:00 - NBC, sponsored by Miles Laboratories
What Has Three Arms, One Leg, No Head, And Jingles?
Tuesday, March 20, 1956 - 15:00 - NBC, sponsored by Miles Laboratories
McGee Shops For A Classic Book
Wednesday, March 21, 1956 - 15:00 - NBC, sponsored by Miles Laboratories
Wrong Number, Please
Thursday, March 22, 1956 - 15:00 - NBC, sponsored by Miles Laboratories
McGee, the Efficiency Expert - Last Show
Friday, March 23, 1956 - 15:00 - NBC, sponsored by Miles Laboratories
