Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve was a popular character appearing each week on the Fibber McGee and Molly radio show. On August 31, 1941, Gildersleeve landed his own situation comedy, The Great Gildersleeve, becoming radio’s first spin-off.
Gildersleeve moved from the town of Wistful Vista, where Fibber McGee and Molly lived, to Summerfield, where he oversaw his late brother-in-law’s estate and took on the rearing of his orphaned niece and nephew, Marjorie and Leroy Forrester. The household also included a cook named Birdie. The Great Gildersleeve was the first show to center on a single parent balancing child rearing, work, and a social life, and it was accomplished with taste and genuine wit, often at the expense of Gildersleeve’s slightly understated pomposity.
Radio veteran Hal Peary originated the role of Gildersleeve and performs here in these twelve episodes that aired from December 1947 to March 1948:
“New Year’s Eve Party”
“Anne Tuttle’s Back in Town”
“Marjorie’s New Romance”
“School Board Election”
“License Plate Time”
“Acting Mayor”
“Getting Glasses”
“Leila’s Cousin Arrives in Town”
“Adeline Is Trying to Steal Birdie”
“Girl Shy Leroy”
“The Duel”
“Adeline Wants to Visit the Jolly Boys”
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“The Great Gildersleeve is one of the most fondly remembered of radio’s comedic figures.”
—
Elizabeth McLeod, Sirus XM Satellite Radio