Of all the remarkable aspects of The Great Gildersleeve, one that stands out the most and endures the test of time is the show’s consistency. Even with a change from Harold Peary to Willard Waterman playing the lead role in 1950 and even later, a format change in 1954, the quality of performance and storytelling in the show remained markedly constant, something that is difficult for any program to do, especially one running sixteen years.
Although the show’s first few episodes seemed trapped in a sort of comic absurdity that epitomized a lot of radio in the late 1930s, it quickly rose above that. Almost out of the proverbial gate, but especially after the first season, The Great Gildersleeve became a professional, engaging program that hit on every mark, from story to cast to capturing the mood and attention of its listeners. Gildersleeve, even with all of his woes and love troubles, even with his windbag attitude and bragging way, quickly emerged as that character that everyone knew someone he reminded them of. This endeared Peary’s signature blowhard to audiences of all ages, those who identified with him and those who felt they had to put up with someone like him.
This combined with a stellar cast that could perform toe to toe with the lead, be it Peary or Waterman, led to The Great Gildersleeve being a show that, while it showed growth and progress of time in many ways, remained comfortably the same for its audience over its entire run. Leroy, Judge Hooker, Birdie, and others didn’t really change, they just played their parts in Gildy’s life and made listeners feel at ease. Most importantly, The Great Gildersleeve achieved something that most programs don’t; it managed to sound and feel like everyone involved is having a good time and happy to be there.
Tune in to the twelve original broadcasts in this collection to find out just what sort of love and trouble Gildy gets into, in this collection of original broadcasts of The Great Gildersleeve, Volume 33, complete with Kraft Foods commercials and restored to sparkling digital quality.
#435 Train Trip to Omaha
Wednesday, March 12, 1952 - 30:00 - NBC, sponsored by Kraft
#436 Gildy’s Garden
Wednesday, March 19, 1952 - 30:00 - NBC, sponsored by Kraft
#437 Television Comes to Summerfield
Wednesday, March 26, 1952 - 30:00 - NBC, sponsored by Kraft
#438 Colorful Past
Wednesday, April 2, 1952 - 30:00 - NBC, sponsored by Kraft
#439 Easter Sunrise Service
Wednesday, April 9, 1952 - 30:00 - NBC, sponsored by Kraft
#440 Leroy the Bee Keeper
Wednesday, April 16, 1952 - 30:00 - NBC, sponsored by Kraft
#441 Diving for Publicity
Wednesday, April 23, 1952 - 30:00 - NBC, sponsored by Kraft
#442 Bad Report Card
Wednesday, April 30, 1952 - 30:00 - NBC, sponsored by Kraft
#443 Leroy the Singing Cowboy
Wednesday, May 7, 1952 - 30:00 - NBC, sponsored by Kraft
#444 Bronco Coming Home
Wednesday, May 14, 1952 - 30:00 - NBC, sponsored by Kraft
#445 Happy Moving Day
Wednesday, May 21, 1952 - 30:00 - NBC, sponsored by Kraft
#446 Leroy’s Bike Motor
Wednesday, May 28, 1952 - 30:00 - NBC, sponsored by Kraft
