Encyclopedia Salesman

Originally aired March 2, 1936, this episode finds Fibber McGee at the peak of his delusional confidence as he embarks on a new venture: selling encyclopedias door-to-door. With Molly by his side and an armload of “accumulated wisdom,” Fibber attempts to win over an eccentric cast of Wistful Vista residents, including the ever-unimpressed Mrs. Quido, a sharp-witted little girl, and even Nick DePopulous and Harlow Wilcox himself.

 

Through a series of hilariously failed sales pitches—marked by mangled logic, mispronunciations, and mistaken identities—Fibber demonstrates his unwavering commitment to the art of persuasion, no matter how poorly it’s executed. The episode crescendos when McGee inadvertently sells himself a deluxe set of encyclopedias to the very publisher of the series he was hawking.

 

Complete with Johnson’s Glow Coat ads and remastered for clarity, this unforgettable installment of Fibber McGee & Molly showcases golden-age radio comedy with charm, wit, and plenty of laugh-out-loud blunders.