Fibber Must Tell The Truth

Originally Aired: February 20, 1940

In Fibber McGee & Molly #236, "Fibber Must Tell The Truth," Fibber is rehearsing a speech about George Washington and his ideals that he plans to deliver to a fourth-grade class. When Molly questions whether her famously truth-challenged husband could be honest for even an hour, Fibber defensively takes the bait. They make a bold wager: a box of cigars against the fur coat Molly has been wanting that Fibber cannot tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth for sixty solid minutes.

What begins as a simple bet quickly becomes torture for the chronically embellishing McGee. Old Timer stops by selling ski lesson tickets, and Fibber must admit he's a terrible skier—too fat, too clumsy, hopeless. When a radio pollster calls, Fibber grudgingly confesses his own show is the best on the air. The real test arrives when the socially pretentious Mrs. Uppington drops by seeking an opinion on her new Parisian hat, and Fibber finds himself trapped between his bet and basic politeness as the clock ticks toward the hour's end.