The Great Gildersleeve
Volume 3
August 31, 1941 is considered an important date in the history of the Golden Age of Radio — for it was on this very day that Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve, neighbor and nemesis to Wistful Vista's famous son Fibber McGee, bid goodbye to his employees at his successful girdle works company and hopped a freight to nearby Summerfield to supervise the estate of his deceased sister's orphaned children, Marjorie (played at various times by Lurene Tuttle, Louise Erickson and Mary Lee Robb) and Leroy Forrester (Walter Tetley). Except for a handful of guest appearances, Harold (Hal) Peary — the actor who played the pompous Gildersleeve — ceased to be a Fibber McGee & Molly regular, having secured a successful spin-off entitled The Great Gildersleeve.
The Great Gildersleeve became one of radio's most successful situation comedies, and nearly fifty years after it left the airwaves, it continues to be a favorite among old-time radio fans. It was distinctive in that the series placed a strong emphasis on character-driven comedy, as opposed to the vaudeville-based slapstick of its parent show, Fibber McGee & Molly. As portrayed by Peary, the Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve character — who, on Fibber McGee, had a pronounced larcenous streak — mellowed considerably, settling into the comfortable role of kind and loving uncle to his niece and nephew. Assisted in the running the household by housekeeper Birdie Lee Coggins (Lillian Randolph). Outside the home, Gildersleeve's closest association was with Judge Horace Hooker (Earle Ross), with whom he had many battles during the first few broadcast seasons.
The Great Gildersleeve also distinguished itself as a sitcom that embraced a semi-serialized format; one in which its weekly comic situations were set against a background of a continuous story arc. For example, during the 1943-44 season Gildy romanced the aforementioned Eve Goodwin while actively campaigning to be Summerfield's mayor.
So sit back and enjoy the twelve original broadcasts offered in this collection and presented exactly as broadcast, complete with commercials for Kraft Foods.
Audition Show
Friday, May 16, 1941 - 30:00 - NBC, sponsored by Johnson’s Wax
#1 Arrives at Summerfield
Sunday, August 31, 1941 - 30:00 - NBC, sponsored by Kraft
#2 Baking a Cake
Sunday, September 7, 1941 - 30:00 - NBC, sponsored by Kraft
#3 Leroy's Paper Route
Sunday, September 14, 1941 - 30:00 - NBC, sponsored by Kraft
#4 Marjorie's Girl Friend Visits
Sunday, September 21, 1941 - 30:00 - NBC, sponsored by Kraft
#5 Hiccups
Sunday, September 28, 1941 - 30:00 - NBC, sponsored by Kraft
#6 Investigate the City Jail
Sunday, October 5, 1941 - 30:00 - NBC, sponsored by Kraft
#8 Pranks at School
Sunday, October 19, 1941 - 30:00 - NBC, sponsored by Kraft
#9 A Visit From Oliver
Sunday, October 26, 1941 - 30:00 - NBC, sponsored by Kraft
#10 Baby Sitting
Sunday, November 2, 1941 - 30:00 - NBC, sponsored by Kraft
#11 Birdie Quits
Sunday, November 9, 1941 - 30:00 - NBC, sponsored by Kraft
#12 Serviceman for Thanksgiving
Sunday, November 16, 1941 - 30:00 - NBC, sponsored by Kraft
