Premier Collections:
The Great Gildersleeve, Volume 2
Liner notes written by Ivan G. Shreve, Jr.

Click to listen to an audio sample

"Well, now…I wouldn’t say that…"

August 31, 1941 is considered an important date in the history of the Golden Age of Radio — for it was on this very day that Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve, neighbor and nemesis to Wistful Vista’s famous son Fibber McGee, bid goodbye to his employees at his successful girdle works company and hopped a freight to nearby Summerfield to supervise the estate of his deceased sister’s orphaned children, Marjorie (played at various times by Lurene Tuttle, Louise Erickson and Mary Lee Robb) and Leroy Forrester (Walter Tetley). Except for a handful of guest appearances, Harold (Hal) Peary — the actor who played the pompous Gildersleeve — ceased to be a Fibber McGee & Molly regular (he had been playing Gildy on that program since 1939), having secured a successful spin-off entitled "The Great Gildersleeve."

"The Great Gildersleeve" became one of radio’s most successful situation comedies, and nearly fifty years after it left the airwaves, it continues to be a favorite among old-time radio fans today. It was distinctive in that the series placed a strong emphasis on character-driven comedy, as opposed to the vaudeville-based slapstick of its parent show, "Fibber McGee & Molly." As portrayed by Peary, the Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve character — who, on Fibber McGee, had a pronounced larcenous streak — mellowed considerably, settling into the comfortable role of kind and loving uncle to his niece and nephew. Assisted in the running the household by housekeeper Birdie Lee Coggins (Lillian Randolph), Gildy secured steady employment as Summerfield’s water commissioner and found a brand-new circle of friends, including town druggist Richard Q. Peavey (Richard LeGrand, Forrest Lewis), wise-cracking barber Floyd Munson (Arthur Q. Bryan), dedicated police chief Charlie Gates (Ken Christy) and the cantankerous Judge Horace Hooker (Earle Ross). The Great Man also became notorious as Summerfield’s most eligible bachelor, romancing such women as flirtatious Southern belle Leila Ransom (Shirley Mitchell), her equally coquettish cousin Adeline Fairchild (Una Merkel), schoolteacher Eve Goodwin (Bea Benaderet) and nurse Kathryn Milford (Cathy Lewis) — just to name a few of the many.

"The Great Gildersleeve" also distinguished itself as a sitcom that embraced a semi-serialized format; one in which its weekly comic situations were set against a background of a continuous story arc. For example, during the 1943-44 season Gildy romanced the aforementioned Eve Goodwin while actively campaigning to be Summerfield’s mayor. Broadcasts during 1948 and 1949 found our hero discovering an abandoned baby in his car and his attempts to adopt same until the child was claimed by the infant’s real parents provided much of the material for that season. (It is interesting to note that Gildersleeve scribe John Whedon, a contributor to the program in its early years, is the grandfather of Joss Whedon — who utilized a similar story arc technique as creator-writer of television’s popular "Buffy the Vampire Slayer.")

One of the most engaging plotlines of the Gildersleeve series was launched with a broadcast from October 5, 1949, in which Gildy and girlfriend Kathryn Milford went on a double-date with his niece Marjorie and her new boyfriend Walter J. “Bronco” Thompson (Richard Crenna). Marjorie had had a lengthy succession of boyfriends since the series’ inception (Oliver Honeywell, “Bashful Ben’ Waterford, Marshall Bullard, etc.), but Bronco turned out to have staying power in spades. He would propose to Gildy’s niece on December 21, 1949, and in the episodes to follow, much hilarity surfaced from the conflicts that arose between Gildersleeve and Bronco’s domineering mother (played by Jeanette Nolan) and absent-minded father (Joe Forte, Joseph Kearns). The young lovers finally tied the knot on May 10, 1950 and the nuptials were heavily promoted by the show’s sponsor, Kraft Foods, and the National Broadcasting Company — a five-page spread was prominently featured in the May 23rd issue of Look magazine, entitled “Gildersleeve Gives the Bride Away.” Ironically, this would be the last season for the original Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve, Hal Peary. (Peary had signed a contract with NBC’s rival, the Columbia Broadcasting System, thinking that his show would follow — but when Kraft Foods decided to stay put, the Tiffany network created a Gildersleeve derivative for its new star entitled "Honest Harold.") With the departure of Hal Peary, actor Willard Waterman was hired to continue on in the Gildersleeve role and, apart from a few nitpicking details (Waterman was not the vocalist that Peary was, and Gildy’s “singing” occasionally had to be performed by someone else). his voice was virtually indistinguishable from that of his predecessor.

The broadcasts in this First Generation Radio Archives Premier Collection touch upon yet another intriguing Gildersleeve story arc, as it was announced in the 1950-51 season opener that Gildy’s newly-married niece Marjorie was “great with child”. After milking this premise for some memorably hilarious and poignant episodes, the show’s writers made Marjorie Forrester-Thompson a mother on the February 21, 1951 Gildersleeve broadcast — giving birth to twins, yet! Once again, show sponsor Kraft Foods was able to adeptly promote this situation with a “Name the Twins” contest that is mentioned frequently among the programs in this collection. (You’ll just have to listen to find out what names copped the top prizes.) These broadcasts — considered to have been “lost” so many years ago — provide prima facie evidence that "The Great Gildersleeve" continued to be a major presence on radio despite a dwindling audience mesmerized by the new medium of television.

The success of "The Great Gildersleeve" paved the way for future successful radio spin-offs — for example, "A Day in the Life of Dennis Day" and "The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show," both featuring performers from "The Jack Benny Program." (Gildersleeve’s parent show, "Fibber McGee & Molly," even gave birth to a second sitcom starring the McGees’ sassy domestic, Beulah.) So sit back and enjoy the fourteen original broadcasts offered in this Premier Collection - transferred directly from original 16” NBC Orthacoustic master recordings and presented exactly as broadcast, complete with commercials for Kraft Foods.

Here is the complete content of this seven CD collection:

Trying to Name the Twins (#394)
The matter of naming Marjorie and Bronco’s twins provokes a competition between Gildy and Mrs. Thompson (Isabel Randolph), so the Great Man schemes to soften her up by inviting her and her husband (Herb Butterfield) to dinner.
Wednesday, February 28, 1951 – 30:00 – NBC, sponsored by Kraft
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/19909A.jpg

Marjorie and the Twins Coming Home — Grandpa Isn’t Needed (#395)
Marjorie has been released from the hospital and will be bringing the twins home — but Gildy begins to feel unwanted when Bronco takes charge of all the arrangements. The show’s sponsor, Kraft Foods, kicks off its “Name the Twins” contest.
Wednesday, March 7, 1951 – 30:00 – NBC, sponsored by Kraft
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/19910A.jpg

Gildy Pushes Attendance At The Jolly Boys Club (#396)
Gildersleeve takes his Presidency of the Jolly Boys Club seriously -- so seriously, in fact, that members who cannot attend a meeting had better have a darned good reason for missing it. But the Great Man finds himself in a pickle when he himself has to choose between the weekly get-together and a last-minute chance to spend a few brief hours with attractive folk singer Katie Lee.
Wednesday, March 14, 1951 – 30:00 – NBC, sponsored by Kraft http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/19911A.jpg

Bronco Tries to Run the House (#397)
Rankled by Bronco’s numerous suggestions on how to manage the Gildersleeve household, Gildy decides to let his son-in-law run things. Much to his chagrin, Bronco takes charge of the household a little too well.
Wednesday, March 21, 1951 – 30:00 – NBC, sponsored by Kraft
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Leroy and Gildy Babysit the Twins (#398)
Gildersleeve and Leroy are dismayed because Marjorie, Bronco and Birdie feel they’re the only ones capable of handling the twins. So Gildy orchestrates events that allow him and his nephew to play babysitter for the newborn duo.
Wednesday, March 28, 1951 – 30:00 – NBC, sponsored by Kraft
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/19913A.jpg

Spring Cleaning the Judge’s House (#403)
With spring cleaning in the air, the Jolly Boys decide that Judge Hooker’s home could stand a good going-over. It’s supposed to be a secret, but Gildy blurts out the news to Hooker — then finds himself in hot water when the group’s members back out at the last minute.
Wednesday, May 2, 1951 – 30:00 – NBC, sponsored by Kraft
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Marjorie and Bronco’s First Anniversary (#404)
It’s been a year since Marjorie and Bronco tied the knot, and the couple wants to commemorate the occasion by getting remarried in a quiet ceremony. But Gildersleeve has big plans for an even bigger celebration.
Wednesday, May 9, 1951 – 30:00 – NBC, sponsored by Kraft
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/19915A.jpg

Boating Date with Kathryn (#405)
Rumson Bullard (Gale Gordon) — Gildy’s next-door neighbor and bane of his existence — is being unusually pleasant to the Great Man. Gildy soon discovers that Bullard’s sunny disposition is due to his making time with Gildy’s girlfriend, Kathryn Milford.
Wednesday, May 16, 1951 – 30:00 – NBC, sponsored by Kraft
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/19916A.jpg

Bronco’s Father Arrives — The Twins are Named (#406)
When Bronco’s father stops by to see the twins, Gildersleeve suggests that he come back for a visit when he can stay longer. A sympathetic Gildy then invites the Thompson's to dinner — and finds himself saddled with Mrs. Thompson, who’s going to stay with the family until her husband returns from a business trip.
Wednesday, May 23, 1951 – 30:00 – NBC, sponsored by Kraft
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Leaving on Vacation to Half Moon Lake — Gildy’s Schedule (#407)
Gildy is taking the family — Leroy, Marjorie, Bronco and the twins — on a vacation to Half Moon Lake. The arrangements are on a precise timetable...but Gildy soon discovers what poet Robert Burns meant about “the best-laid plans of mice and men.”
Wednesday, May 30, 1951 – 30:00 – NBC, sponsored by Kraft
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Leroy Buys a Car (#408)
Gildersleeve agrees to let Leroy have an automobile, provided he can pay for it himself — so when his nephew acquires a dilapidated old jalopy, the Great Man soon regrets promising Leroy he can keep the car if he can get it to start.
Wednesday, September 5, 1951 – 30:00 – NBC, sponsored by Kraft
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/19919A.jpg

The County Fair Comes to Summerfield (#409)
Gildy instructs Leroy on how kind words and deeds can overcome those individuals with even the nastiest of dispositions, and he demonstrates this by giving his snooty neighbor Rumson Bullard tickets for the harness races at Summerfield’s County Fair. Bullard repays the Great Man’s kindness by inviting Gildy’s girlfriend Kathryn Milford to accompany him.
Wednesday, September 12, 1951 – 30:00 – NBC, sponsored by Kraft
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Getting Ready for School — Women Trouble (#410)
Leroy and Gildersleeve are getting a lift to school and the water department from Judge Hooker, and on the way they lock bumpers with a beautiful woman’s automobile courtesy of a small traffic mishap. Gildy later learns that the driver is Paula Winthrop (Jeanne Bates) — the sister of his nemesis Rumson Bullard.
Wednesday, September 19, 1951 – 30:00 – NBC, sponsored by Kraft
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/19921A.jpg

Marjorie Gets a Job (#411)
The twins are proving to be quite a handful, but that’s nothing compared to the furor that erupts when Marjorie announces that she wants to get a job. Judge Hooker suggests to Gildy that the solution lies in hiring her as his secretary while his regular receptionist is on vacation.
Wednesday, September 26, 1951 – 30:00 – NBC, sponsored by Kraft
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/19922A.jpg

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