"The Golden Age of Radio"
(As originally broadcast on WTIC, Hartford, CT)


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 Program 14 - May, 1971 - Jim Jordan



Jim and Marian Jordan

From The official Fibber McGee and Molly Homepage (www.compusmart.ab.ca/agirard/fibber/79.htm) While many of the programs from the Golden Days of Radio have disappeared forever, thankfully the Fibber McGee and Molly Show's sponsor, S.C.Johnson's Wax of Racine, Wisconsin and NBC kept transcription discs from most of the programs that they sponsored, and we, the fans of the program have benefitted since they've become available on tape. The Fibber McGee and Molly Show starred real-life husband and wife Jim and Marian Jordan of Peoria, Illinois, a pair who had toured throughout the vaudeville circuit before eventually working on several different radio shows, most notably "Smackout." From April 16, 1935 to September 6, 1959 one of the best-known addresses in the USA was the home of Fibber McGee and Molly. They resided at 79 Wistful Vista in a midwestern city where the popular shows took place. Initially the show was broadcast on Mondays, but eventually it was moved to Tuesday evenings where it stayed for most of its run. Fibber was just that - a fibber, a braggard, a man who stretched his stories and ideas to the limit, often to the dismay of his patient spouse Molly. McGee took telling tall tales to a fine art. His wild ideas and schemes were the basis for the show which usually took place in the living-room at their home. They didn't enjoy quiet evenings alone because there was always a steady stream of visitors, each a character in his or her own way, who added to the confusion and hilarity of the situation at hand. Among the regulars who dropped in was Mayor LaTrivia (Gale Gordon), an easily-flustered man with a quick temper. The mayor was a man who Fibber delighted in getting into arguments with. Doc Gamble (Arthur Q. Bryan) made housecalls to the McGee home as well, often to his regret because he, too, was subjected to name-calling and insults. The insults that were bantered back and forth between the Doctor and McGee were quite harmless with no animosity intended. The arguments were usually name-calling and one-upmanship. Another blowhard who made regular visits in early years of the show was the McGee's neighbor Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve (Harold Peary). McGee and Gildersleeve were often one step away from throwing punches at each other. Gildersleeve eventually broke away to do his own show. He had a booming voice that was quite funny in its own way, and Peary used the power of his voice for maximum effect. When Gildy shouted "Oh McGEEeeeeeeeeeeee" one could almost hear the windows rattle. Announcer Harlow Wilcox visited also. The program was sponsored by Johnson's Wax for most of its long run, and Harlow wasted no time in linking his sponsor's products to the topic at hand. One would suspect that Wilcox had an obsession with Johnson's Self-polishing Glo-Coat. In this way the show had no commercial breaks because the plugs by "Waxy" as Fibber called him were usually quite funny and part of the show. As Harlow gave his pitch you could hear Fibber and Molly groaning in the background, fully regretting that they had said whatever it was that triggered something in Harlow, setting him loose with his spiel. In the same way that Don Wilson was a part of the Jack Benny Show, Harlow was an integral part of the Fibber McGee and Molly Show.

 Program 14 - May, 1971 - Jim Jordan

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