Golden Age of Radio

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, JULY 11, 1951              Times-Daily Hollywood News By JACK QUIGG (For Bob Thomas) HOLLYWOOD, (AP), -- Silence is golden, especially if you can keep mum as artfully as Gale Gordon . Mr. Gordon, a handsome, fortyish gentleman with a Clark Gable moustache and the trace of a British accent, earns as much as a lot of movie stars simply by keeping his mouth closed—at the right time. One of Hollywood ’s top radio actors he is known in the trade as “The Master Of The Eloquent Pause.” If you don’t quite place his name, you undoubtedly know him by voice if you’re any kind of radio fan—he appears regularly on seven big network programs. Gordon is: Mayor Latrivia on the “ FibberMcGee and Molly ” show: back president Rudolph Atterbury on “ My Favorite Husband ”; school principal Osgood Conklin on “ Our Miss Brooks ”; Mr. Scott, head of RCA, on the Phil Harris-Alice Faye show ; Mr. Merryweather, Ronald Colman ’s rich friend on “ Halls Of Ivy ”;

 "Fibber McGee and Molly" was a long-running American radio comedy series that aired from 1935 to 1959. The show was created by Don Quinn and featured Jim Jordan and Marian Jordan as the title characters, Fibber McGee and his wife Molly. The series was set in the fictional town of Wistful Vista and centered around the everyday lives and misadventures of the main characters. Fibber was portrayed as a fast-talking, boastful, and often clueless man who was always getting into trouble, while Molly was his level-headed and practical wife who often had to clean up after his messes. The show was known for its clever writing, talented voice actors, and memorable catchphrases. The show's popularity skyrocketed in the 1940s, and it became one of the most popular radio comedies of its time. It was estimated that more than 40 million people tuned in each week to listen to the antics of Fibber and Molly. The show was also known for its elaborate sound effects, which included the famo

February 16, 1951 Pitts-Post Radio and Television in Review:  Intelligence, Wit and Charm By JOHN CROSBY “Young people are children callously pulling the wings off butterflies. The chief purpose of education is to impart an understanding of the butterfly’s viewpoint ,” observed Dr. William Todhunter Hall, president of Ivy College. <John Crosby> That fairly well sums up the point of view of “ Halls of Ivy ” a surprisingly sophisticated one, on which RonaldColman impersonates Dr. Hall, and Mr. Colman’s real wife, Benita, engagingly plays his liberal and humanitarian philosophy expressed in “ Halls of Ivy ,” ( NBC -KDKA, 8 p. m. Wednesday) is not anything that would provoke controversy even in the bar of the Union League Club. Just the same, it is a rare and wonderful thing to find such mature and worthy sentiments expressed so repeatedly and so wittly on a radio program. *   *    * “ Halls of Ivy ” has been on the air a year now and—let’s face

Basic Stats Concept: Situation Comedy, Spin-Off from " Fibber McGee and Molly ". A pompous bachelor takes domestic charge of his young niece and nephew in the fictional town of Summerfield. 30-minute episodes. Aired: On NBC Red Network, Sundays at 6:30 PM, later, Wednesdays 8:30 PM. From 8/31/41 - 6/2/54 Program Sponsor: The Kraft Food Company Main Characters/Players: Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve played by Harold Peary , and later Willard Waterman Marjorie Forrester played by Lurene Tuttle , and later Louise Erickson Leroy Forrester played by Walter Tetley Birdie Lee Coggins played by Lillian Randolph (with sister Amanda Randolph filling in) Judge Horace Hooker played by Earle Ross Richard Peavey played by Richard LeGrand Floyd Munson played by Arthur Q. Bryan Radio Show History Actor Harold Peary was a much appreciated talent on the old Harold Peary radio series, "Fibber McGee and Molly". Over the course of time, he played a number of different characters, like a

Featured vocal group on the FibberMcGee and Molly program, the King’s Men —Bud Linn, Jon Dodson, Rad Robinson, Ken Darby—star as the show’s summer replacement (Tues., 9:30, NBC).

The Milwaukee Journal – May 19, 1940 Fibber and Molly Still Real Folks By Bill Porter JIM and Marian Jordan (better known to their fans as Fibber McGee and Molly ) are pretty disturbed about some untrue stories being printed about them. “Most of the stories lead you to believe that we were never successful until we became Fibber McGee and Molly ,” said Jim Jordan, “and you’d think that $10 a week was the most we made on radio before we hit the big dough. The truth is a much better story. If you’ll print it we’ll tell it to you.” I said, “Okay, I’ll print it, Mr. Jordan” And he said, “Mr. Jordan is my dad. I’m Jim.” The Jordans, prosperous now whatever  their financial condition before, live today in what you might call an estate, out Encino way. The place is surrounded by a rose-covered, brick wall. Within the walls are flower gardens, lawns, a swimming pool where Mrs. Jordan takes swimming lessons, a shop where Jim makes furniture, a small orange grove with a

YAS, SUH, FRIENDS_WE’RE BACK ON THE AIR TONIGHT! AMOS ‘N’ ANDY FOR RINSO 9 00 WWJ WELCOME, AMOS ‘N’ ANDY ! HEAVENLY DAYS, McGEE, WHAT NEIGHBORS! FIBBER McGEE and MOLLY FOR JAHNSON’S WAX 9 30 ANOTHER SWELL REASON FOR STAYING HOME TUESDAY NIGHTS! BOB HOPE FOR PEPSODENT 10 00

Eugene Register-Guard – Jul 17, 1971 Voice artist dead at 58 LOS ANGELES Funeral services will be held Tuesday for William Thompson, character voice artist best known for his creations on the old “ Fibber McGee and Molly ” radio show. Thompson, 58, died Thursday at St. Vincent’s Hospital. He had been an executive with the Union Oil Co. for the past 14 years. Thompson was the voice of “The Old Timer” and “Wallace Wimple.” He was also the voice of the white rabbit in Walt Disney’s movie “Alice In Wonderland,” and did voices in the Disney movies “Lady and the Tramp” and “The Aristocats.”

The Milwaukee Journal – Aug 3, 1941 “You’re hard man, McGee!” That line made famous the character of Gildersleeve , Fibber McGee ’s “little chum” next door, and now has given Gildersleeve ’s creator, Harold Peary (above), his own show on NBC, opening Aug. 24 McGee’s ‘Little Chum’ Leaves Wistful Vista THROCKMORTON P. GILDERsleeve, Fibber McGee and Molly ’s chum, who is known as Harold Peary to his intimates will be starred on his own program. “ The Great Gildersleeve ,” beginning Sunday, Aug 31, over NBC. In making this move, Perry, creator at the Gildersleeve character on the “ Fibber McGee and Molly ” show, will devote full time to his own program Gildersleeve will be replaced on the McGee’s program by Gale Gordon . It is believed that his marks the first time a character conceived on a radio program has been transplanted as the star of his own show. The tremendous fan following built up by the character of Gildersleeve is responsible for this new program.

Monday Night COMES TO LIFE Fibber McGee takes a simple shortcut to change his Monday broadcasting period to 9 o’clock Eastern, 8 o’clock Central Standard Time, NBC . Thus, listeners get a more convenient hour, and he gets what he usually gets—the works. “I’ll tell you a show everybody’s listening to in Hollywood—it’s Fibber McGee and Molly .” Reporters caught this from Jack Benny , star of NBC ’s Sunday night Jell-O program, the other day in Chicago enroute from Hollywood to New York. One hundred weeks ago, sponsored by Johnson’s Wax, this new radio comedy team came strolling down the airlanes. Amazingly soon they became required hearing to millions of Monday night radio listeners. Without benefit of intensive Hollywood fanfare or Broadway ballyhoo, Fibber McGee and Molly have become firmly—and fondly—intrenched in America’s receptive heart. “We’ll have to tell you later” . . . this gay gaballero is, by his own admission, pretty hot stuff with smart quips and witty

CANNY JUDGMENT BOOSTED “ THE GREAT GILDERSLEEVE ” BY ROSLIND SHAFFER HOLLYWOOD—(AP)—Lush –voiced, fast-talking Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve is the lover every woman dreams of - - if she doesn’t expect too much. After all, maturity has charms which should compensate for a slight shortness of breath. Nonsense aside, The Great Gildersleeve is a terrific Guy named Harold Peary , I believe, is the suppressed  Peary, just as McCarthy is Bergen with the ice cap off. Of course, things as pleasantly amusing as “ The Great Gildersleeve ” radio program just don’t happen. The show is written by Sam Moore and John Whedon, but it has been built by Peary himself with a perspicacity you’d never expect from his air counterpart. A veteran of show business, and of radio, Peary knows his medium, and through his almost uncanny ear for voices, he has assembled characters for the show with voices that exactly express the characters he works with. His own flexible baritone voice, developed

The Milwaukee Journal – Aug 10, 1941    Fibber McGee and Molly are just plain Jim and Marion Jordan this summer as they enjoy their air vacation. The top comedians are show above in McGee version of gardening at their San Fernando valley (Calif.) home McGee Goes Incognito HOLLYWOOD, Calif. Mr. and Mrs. JimJordan , at their home in Hollywood suburb, packed up their trailer for the annual vacation trip. But they seemed sunk in gloom. So the kids rallied them. “Gee, Pop,” said their son, “you and Mom don’t act like yourselves.” “That’s right,” said Sis. “Every year when you pack up to go traipsing around you’re so gay. But now.” It was true, too—true those annual vacation jaunts through the western mountains had always perked up the Jordans. They’d get to thinking about the streams they’d fish, the places they’d camp, sometimes by themselves, sometimes in auto camps with jolly people all around. “Just good friendly folks,” Jim Jordan always used to say to

The Miami News – Mar 30, 1941 Win With a Wife! America’s Ace Radio Comedians Find Success Was Aided by Their Mates IF YOU want to succeed in radio get a wife. That is the advice of Jack Benny , George Burns , Jim Jordan (Fibber McGee) and a score of other top radio stars whose acts on the air wouldn’t be possible without their “ever loving” wives. Imagine, if you can, Jack without his constant heckler. Mary: George without Gracie’s stupidities: or McGee with no Molly to admonish him with, “T’aint funny, McGee,” and you begin to see what marriage means to the comics. Many a radio funny man has taken a woman unto himself and thereby reaped a fortune. No happier or more profitable union in radio exists than that of Jack Benny  and Mary Livingstone .The antics of this celebrated couple send laughter rolling from coast to coast and brings dollars rolling into their pockets. But it wasn’t always that way. Jack’s first clear impression of his acid tongue

If you ever mean Fbber McGee’s persistent heckler, Mrs. Uppington, this is the way she’ll look at you. Not So Fashionable AS any listener to Fibber McGeeand Molly knows, there is one mystery that fitfully agitates the entire population of Wistful Vista , but which probably never will be solved. It is the puzzle of Who Threw the Rock Through Mrs. Uppington’ Window? The center of the controversy, of course, is Mrs. Uppington herself—Wistful Vista’s self-appointed dictator on etiquette, social position, fashions, and anything else she happens to think about. Mrs. Uppington isn’t the nicest woman who ever lived, and so it’s only fair to point out that Isabel Randolph, who originated the character on the air and still plays it, is friendly, clever, and not at all supper-fashionable. Isabel—or “Uppy,” as Fibber always calls her both on and off the air—is a born and bred actress. Her first appearance on the stage wasn’t even a “walk-on”—it was a “carry-on” at the age of

FUN AT FIBBER McGEE’S On the air! This jolly little group comprises Jim Goss, who was playing a gangster role on this particular broadcast; Silly Watson, played by Hugh Studebaker; and Fibber McGee himself, the star and king-pin of the program. Fibber, the favorite son of Peoria, Illinois, did his first acting when he was just ten! LIGHT-HEARTED gaiety is the key-note of the Fibber McGee broadcasts , and it is hard for most observers to tell whether the audience or the cast has the most fun during a Fibber McGee program. Some airwaves comedians are in dead earnest as they go about the business of making other people laugh. To them, comedy is a science, and should be treated as such. But to The Fibber, life is a pretty good joke in itself. And the members of the cast share his opinion-enthusiastically! Photos by Gene Lester Betty Winkler, versatile Chicago actress who is star of “Girl Alone,” is a member of the world-famous “McGee Stock Co.” Pictured here in a bit of

First Hundred Is Hardest Molly McGee                      Ted Weems                        Fibber McGee Tonight at 9 o’clock, KGO, Fibber McGee and Molly , popular comedy team, celebrate their one-hundredth program on the air. Above, Fibber appears like he was enjoying the prospect but Molly—who keeps a firm hand on Fibber—looks dubious. Ted Weems, whose orchestra keeps the program tuneful, seems neutral.

SAY HELLO TO . . . ARTHUR Q.BRYAN – who weighs 241 pounds without his hat and is known to a careless world as “Little Man.” You’ll hear him tonight on AI Pearce’s CBS program. Arthur Q. Bryan has been in radio since 1924, when he weighed only 150 pounds and sang on the air for the fun of it (which was about all you could get out of radio in those days.) He earned his living by selling insurance. Finally his singing got him the offer of a salary and he gave up insurance. In 1929 he turned announcer, then moved on to writing, producing and acting. Four years ago he went to Hollywood for a vacation and has been there since.