Missing Shirt Collar Button

Originally aired January 24, 1939, this episode finds Fibber McGee in a full-blown sartorial crisis when the top button pops off his shirt collar just as he’s preparing for a high-society dinner at Mrs. Uppington’s mansion. Determined not to appear among “the cream of society” with his Adam’s apple on parade, Fibber launches into a frantic quest for a needle, thread, spare shirt—anything to salvage his dignity.

What follows is a whirlwind of classic McGee mayhem: wisecracks with Billy Mills, a delicate whisper from Don Novis, poetic tributes to Ferdinand the Bull, a disastrous visit to a Chinese laundry, and sticker shock at a haberdasher’s sixteen-dollar shirt. Along the way, Fibber tangles with society snobbery, courtroom confusion courtesy of Nick Depopolous, and his own towering pride—all because of one stubborn missing button.

Packed with rapid-fire wordplay, musical numbers including “Thanks for Everything,” Johnson’s Wax commercials, and a timely plug for the March of Dimes, this laugh-filled installment showcases Fibber McGee & Molly at its button-bursting best—proving once again that even the smallest wardrobe malfunction can unravel into full-scale radio hilarity.