Beware of Pickpockets On The Bus

Originally aired March 1, 1937, this episode finds Fibber McGee & Molly groggily awaiting the 3 a.m. coach at the Wistful Vista Bus Terminal when a self-important “bus detective” warns them about pickpockets. From there, Fibber blusters through a parade of travelers—a garlic-loving seatmate, society dowagers, and the ever-slick Horatio K. Boomer—before panicking that his pocketbook (and “thousands!”) has been lifted. Between Ted Weems’ orchestra features (including Perry Como on “Rainbow on the River”) and an on-the-road stop for Elmo Tanner’s signature whistling, the ride serves up quintessential Fibber tall tales, malaprops, and misunderstandings. The kicker? Molly calmly reveals she removed the wallet for safekeeping all along. Complete with Johnson’s Glow Coat spots and that warm Johnson Wax Program patter, this remastered gem of Fibber McGee & Molly delivers brisk, bus-ride farce from start to finish.