Harold peary, a popular radio and television personality, was given the lead role. Later that year, they won a raffle while passing through wistful vista, and the prize was a house. As promised, heres the remainder of the various characters and catchphrases used in animated cartoons from fibber mcgee and molly, and in its spinoff series the great gildersleeve. With bob sweeney, cathy lewis, pat mcgeehan, paul smith. Part of our over 12,000 show library of old time radio. Initially written by leonard lewis levinson, it was one of broadcast historys earliest spinoff programs. After discovering that their car cant hold all the luggage theyve packed for vacation, fibber decides to buy a trailer for their trip. Fibber mcgee and molly wikipedia republished wiki 2. Heres some background information for fibber mcgee and molly.
It ran on the radio from 1935 to 1959 then switched to television in 1959. The team moved over to the johnson wax show in early 1935, and the characters of fibber mcgee and molly were born. Fibber mcgee and molly 777 shows old time radio in mp3. It centered on the story of throckmorton philharmonic gildersleeve, who was also the main character of the fmam. But more than just staying power, the show showcased terrific comic and musical talent. Fibber mcgee and molly was a 19351959 american radio comedy series. Two of the shows they did for station wenr beginning in 1927, both written by harry lawrence, bore traces of what was to come and rank as one of the earliest forms of situation comedy.
The great gildersleeve is a radio situation comedy broadcast in the united states from august 31, 1941 to 1958. Fibber mcgee and molly was an american radio comedy series. Fibber mcgee and molly is an american radio comedy series which maintained its popularity over decades. Fibber mcgee and molly american radio program britannica. Fibber had no actual job, and spent much of his time on getrichquick schemes which never panned out. A location number of 111 indicates i have the show in my collection, but they havent yet been assigned a location number. Fibber mcgee and molly was a radio show that played a major role in determining the full form of what became classic, oldtime radio. From the 1941 movie, look whos laughing, fibber mcgee played by that great radio comedian. The best years for me were 19391953 when molly returned and the show was a half hour. Listen to 442 episodes of fibber mcgee and molly for free.
It was only in 1940 when the show became a nationwide sensation, topping the ratings game versus other radio programs in america. As has been noted about fred allen, the fibber mcgee program is another wonderful window into america during wwii. Fibber mcgee and molly originated when the smalltime husbandandwife vaudevillians began their third year as chicagoarea radio performers. One of the most consistently funny shows, the characters of fibber and his longsuffering wife molly were featured as the leads in three movies from 1941. Fibber mcgee and molly was the finest husband and wife comedy team. It just doesnt feel like the holidays without jim and marian jordan as fibber mcgee and molly on the night before christmas. Fibber and molly mcgee lived at 79 wistful vista in a town also named wistful vista.
Fibber mcgee and molly would go on to great success despite or perhaps because of the vaudeville sensibilities of its creators and stars, married couple jim and marian jordan. This is the most complete fibber mcgee and molly collection to date. The lovable characters from the johnson wax show with fibber mcgee and molly. Fibber mcgee and molly, fibber mcgee and molly, a radio comedy series, first aired on nbc radio on april 16, 1935. One radio comedy that was just as popular back in the day, but is largely forgotten now, is fibber mcgee and molly. At the beginning of the fibber mcgee and mollys broadcast of december 9, 1941, two days after the attack on pearl harbor, announcer harlow wilcox reads a message from the president of s. They lived at 79 wistful vista, in the fictional midwestern city of wistful vista. The series was a pinnacle of american popular culture from its. A silvertongued salesman convinces mcgee to buy the most expensive model on the lot and, after molly finds out the cost, fibber is forced into the role of salesman to get rid of the white elephant. Fibber mcgee and molly fibber mcgee and molly 1941.
A staple of the nbc red network for the shows entire run and one of the most popular and enduring radio series of its time, the. Well after the series petered out in the mid1950s, people still respond to the words fibber mcgee s closet, even if theyve never heard the. Well after the series petered out in the mid1950s, people still respond to the words fibber mcgees closet, even if theyve never heard the. We offer 3 different ways for you to listen to our old time radio shows so that no matter what device you are using pc, laptop, android phone, iphone, ipad, kindle, tablet. Chuckling a bit, especially at the opening fibber molly stuff, but thats about it. Well known because its great, not great because its well known. This is partly because of the shows very long 19351959 and successful run. The situation could have doomed the two year old sitcom, but instead it had a surprisingly different outcome. Its running gags and characters inspired many imitators. It premiered on nbcin 1935 and continued until its demise in 1959, long after radio had ceased to be the dominant form of entertainment in americanpopular culture. He later acted in television series such as blondie 1957 and fibber mcgee and molly 1959, and he. April 1, 1941 when molly returns from a shopping trip she discovers that the left rear fender is missing from her car.
The great gildersleeve, a sitcom aired on nbc radio from august 31, 1941 to 1957, was a spinoff from another popular comedy series fibber mcgee and molly, or fmam. Living in the fictional midwestern city of wistful vista, fibber was an american teller of tall tales and a braggart, usually to the exasperation of his long suffering. We offer 3 different ways for you to listen to our old time radio shows so that no matter what device you are using pc, laptop, android phone, iphone, ipad, kindle, tablet, etc. There are people who would argue that fibber mcgee and molly were the golden age of radio. The series was a pinnacle of american popular culture from its 1935 premiere until its end in 1959. Old time radio shows download for free at zoot radio.
At the beginning of the fibber mcgee and molly s broadcast of december 9, 1941, two days after the attack on pearl harbor, announcer harlow wilcox reads a message from the president of s. The program often centered on the common problems of the common man of the day, including gas rationing, black market meat, buying bonds, etc. Laugh with over 450 hours of laughs with jim and marian jordan as fibber mcgee and molly in this classic radio sitcom. Tuesday sitcom scored their personal high rating of 31. Instead of a character saying et cetera to indicate the end of a list, fibber would say, and all sorts of stuff like that there. Perhaps others may not care for it because they may unconsciouly look. A staple of the nbc red network for the shows entire run and one of the most popular and enduring radio series of its time, the prime time situation comedy ran as a standalone series from 1935 to 1956, then continued as a shortform series as part of the weekend monitor from 1957 to 1959.
He starred in his own popular serial, the great gildersleeve 194150, considered the first spinoff created from another series. In addition to the general decline of scripted radio and the. Gildersleeve, a regular character from the radio situation comedy fibber mcgee and molly. And yet somehow the mcgees never seemed to actually run out of money and. The united states is at war, we are all ready and eager to do our part. Fibber mcgee and molly were characters in four movies in the 1940s. He later acted in television series such as blondie 1957 and fibber mcgee and molly 1959, and he appeared in read more. In 1935, the couple, along with head writer don quinn, teamed up to create fibber mcgee and molly, a weekly sitcom that was given a larger budget and an ensemble cast. Fibber mcgee and molly fibber mcgee and molly 1941 broadcast music. Jim jordan actor james edward jordan november 16, 1896 april 1, 1988 was the american actor who played fibber mcgee in fibber mcgee and molly and voiced the albatross orville in disneys the rescuers 1977. Fibber mcgee and molly online using any of the 3 radio players below.
The series featured reallife couple jim jordan and marian driscoll as the lead characters. For the first few months, they were vagabonds, traveling the countrys roads by car, and getting in and out of various scrapes. Fibber and molly finished as a series of 5 minute segments which peppered nbcs monitor weekend service in the late 50s. Chuckling a bit, especially at the opening fibbermolly stuff, but thats about it.
There is still no substitute for the signature humor and voices of the jordans as fibber mcgee and molly. Although he had radio audiences laughing for almost 25 years, his longsuffering wife, molly, insisted, taint funny mcgee. Climaxing a climb that began in the 193536 season with a 6. Charlie mccarthy and his ventriloquist edgar bergen meet fibber mcgee jim jordan and molly marian jordan on wistful vista in peoria.
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