Old Time Radio Show of the Week

The Johnson Wax Program starring Fibber McGee and Molly

June 20th 1944

"Getting Ready for the Cattle Ranch"

The McGees plan to spend the summer managing Uncle Sycamore's cattle ranch.

The Golden Age of Radio - Fibber McGee and Molly (1947-48 Season)

Tonight's look at the Golden Age of Radio is the NBC cornerstone "Fibber McGee and Molly".

Fibber aired Tuesday nights at 930pm and was the cornerstone of NBC's most popular night or radio.  The evening began with "Amos N Andy" at 9pm (tied for #6 in the season ratings), then "Fibber McGee and Molly" at 930 (#2), followed at 10pm by "The Pepsodent Show starring Bob Hope" (tied at #6) and the night closed out at 1030 with "The Raleigh Cigarette Program starring Red Skelton" (#10).

"Fibber McGee and Molly" starred Jim and Marion Jordan as Fibber and Molly and with a top notch cast that at times included Harold Peary as  The Great Gildersleeve, Gale Gordon as Mayor Latrivia and Foggy Williams the local weatherman.  Also was the great voice man Bill Thompson who was The Old Timer, Wallace Wimple (the inspiration for cartoon's Droopy Dog), Arthur Q Bryan as Fibber's nemesis Doc Gamble (and the original voice of Elmer Fudd).  These and many many other voices made Fibber McGee and Molly second only to Jack Benny (in my opinion) as the greatest comedy of the golden age of radio.

From October 21st 1947
"Late Car Payment"

The Golden Age of Radio - 1942-43 Season

As you know my favorite OTR podcaster Buck Benny has started his new season of shows and among the seasons he is spotlighting is the 1942-43 season.   That season in during the Golden Age of Radio holds a special place in the annals of old time radio.

1942-43 was the highest rated season of the 1940s and being in the heart of the war years, radio provided not only top notch entertainment but up to the minute news of the war raging now raging on two fronts.

This season Buck is highlighting these wonderful shows, The Grape Nuts Flakes Program starring Jack Benny, Raleigh Cigarette Program starring Red Skelton, Fibber McGee and Molly and Texaco Star Theater starring Fred Allen.  All of these programs rated in the Top 15 of the show airing that season, and 3 of these were in the Top 5 (Jack, Fibber and Red).

NBC ruled the airwaves in the 40s with all these programs. They would have 15 of the top 20 programs for 1942-43 and Tuesday night was the night of, (to borrow a television theme) Must Hear Radio:

9-930pm -  Burns and Allen
930-10pm  - Fibber McGee and Molly
10-1030pm - The Pepsodent Show with Bob Hope
1030-11pm -  Raleigh Cigarette Program withe Red Skelton

Here are the top 5 final season ratings for 1942-43:

1 - The Pepsodent Show starring Bob Hope  (40.9 rating)
sadly there are not many surviving episodes of this wonderful from 1942-43

2 - Raleigh Cigarette Program starring Red Skelton  (40.7)


3 - The Johnson Wax Program starring Fibber McGee and Molly  (37.7)



4 - Chase and Sanborn Program with Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy  (34.8)
again we are missing several season of the Edgar and Charlie, but here is one from the 1937 season.


5 - Grape Nuts and Grape Nuts Program starring Jack Benny   (33.9)


coming in at #15 with his new 30 minute version of Texaco Star Theater, Fred Allen  (21.6)...Fred would eventually find his way to #1 in the 1947-48 season.

Golden Age of Radio - The Great Gildersleeve

Our journey into the world of Old Time Radio takes us to 1941 and the audition show for The Great Gildersleeve.   Played by Harold Peary on "Fibber McGee and Molly", this was one of the first spinoffs in radio and featured Throckmorton P Gildersleeve who was a kind but bombast sort who enjoyed a good laugh and a good argument.
The Buck Benny Podcast brings us this show to kick off his weekly podcast of The Great Gildersleeve.

Surrounded by a great cast this was a one of the funniest and best written comedies of its day.

Fibber McGee and Molly on TV

I am big fan of Fibber McGee and Molly the classic old time radio show that ran on NBC radio from 1935 until 1959.
With the demise of radio in the late 1950s, NBC wanted to move it to television for the 1959-60 season but the original Fibber and Molly(Jim and Marion Jordan) were very reluctant to make the jump so NBC which owned the show by now recast the roles.
With the failing health of Marion Jordan the tv show wasnt really an option for them,but without them the flavor of the radio version was really lost and the new Fibber and Molly didn't gain any traction with television audiences. The show was canceled by the end of January 1960.