Eighteenth Wedding Anniversary

Originally aired August 31, 1936, this 73rd episode finds Fibber beaming over plans for a big garden party to celebrate the McGees’ eighteenth wedding anniversary—minor hitch: they don’t have a garden. Ever enterprising, Fibber “borrows” the vacant lot next door, cleaning cans and bottles while swapping quips with Mailman Engle, Silly Watson, and a parade of neighbors. Ted Weems and his orchestra swing through “Sing, Baby, Sing” and “I’m With You,” with plenty of banter and needle-threaded puns about the T.W.O. (“Ted Weems Orchestra”) pitching in. Meanwhile, Molly keeps the to-do list sensible as Fibber spins tall tales about lawns, dandelions, and doormats painted green.

 

From Japanese lantern mishaps to a rubber-ball-obsessed little girl who counts past five hundred without missing a beat, the gags come fast, punctuated by Harpo Wilcox’s Johnson’s Wax spots (plus a timely Auto Wax “free gift” promo). Just as the lot finally looks party-ready, Horatio K. Boomer’s Combined Carnival rolls in with a legal permit and sets up shop—leaving the anniversary fête hilariously upended. Restored from the original broadcast, this lively slice of Fibber McGee & Molly blends sponsor patter, musical pep, and domestic chaos into a classic golden-age romp.