McGee and Molly

Originally Aired: October 1, 1940
In Fibber McGee & Molly #255, "Returning From Vacation," the McGees arrive home at 79 Wistful Vista after their trip, only to discover disaster has struck. Their neighbor Gildersleeve cheerfully greets them and begins helping unload their car, but casually mentions a broken umbrella stand, a rehung dining room door, and a collapsed floor. As Fibber grows increasingly agitated, Gildersleeve reveals that water from an upstairs bathroom flooded through the ceiling, causing extensive damage to their home. The two neighbors nearly come to blows over the catastrophe before Molly intervenes and schedules their argument for the next day at eleven o'clock.
Meanwhile, their friend Harlow Wilcox stops by to welcome them home, and the little girl from across the street delivers surprising news. She announces that she's leaving the show after receiving other offers, with her agent Willie Toops representing her. The McGees are shocked by her sudden departure and her newfound Hollywood attitude, though they wish her well as they try to make sense of both their damaged home and the unexpected changes awaiting them.

Originally Aired: June 25, 1940
Fibber McGee & Molly #254, "Preparing To Leave On Vacation," Fibber is supposed to be helping pack for their summer vacation, but instead he's consumed with composing a musical number to impress Meredith Wilson, who will be hosting the summer replacement show. While Molly lugs heavy trunks to the car by herself, Fibber pounds away at the piano, convinced he's demonstrating true musical progress. When Gildersleeve happens by and sees Molly doing all the work, he's appalled by Fibber's treatment of his "frail little woman," though Molly insists she's perfectly capable.
As the couple attempts to finish their preparations, calling utilities and arranging for services to be shut off, they receive visits from their Wistful Vista neighbors. Mrs. Uppington drops by with a peculiar going-away gift of collapsible finger bowls for roughing it in the woods, complete with her trademark condescending wit. Through it all, Fibber remains stubbornly fixated on his symphony while chaos swirls around him and departure time draws near.

Originally Aired: June 18, 1940
In Fibber McGee & Molly #253, "Fibber Models A Dress For Molly," vacation preparations take an unexpected turn when Molly needs help with a complicated dress pattern. After learning from her friend Mert that skirts are going to be two inches longer this season, Molly discovers her dressmaker is unavailable. Desperate to complete the garment before their trip, she convinces a reluctant Fibber to model the dress so she can check her progress. Despite his protests about his dignity and pride, Fibber eventually agrees to slip into the dress, though he insists on locking doors and pulling shades first.
Fibber's worst fears come true when visitors start dropping by, including bandleader Billy Mills and the irrepressible neighborhood girl Teeny. As Fibber repeatedly struggles in and out of Molly's dress, each interruption brings new embarrassment and comic complications. The situation grows increasingly absurd as Fibber tries to maintain his masculine dignity while wearing women's clothing, all while Molly remains focused on saving three dollars on dressmaker fees and perfecting her vacation wardrobe.

Originally Aired: June 11, 1940
Fibber McGee & Molly #252, "Wall Paper,"
While window shopping down 14th Street in Wistful Vista on a lovely June day, Fibber and Molly stumble upon an auction at Needham's Wallpaper store, presided over by the fast-talking auctioneer Horatio K. Boomer. What starts as innocent bystander commentary quickly turns into disaster when the cunning Boomer manipulates their casual remarks into bids. Despite Fibber's protests and attempts to clarify they aren't bidding, Boomer skillfully twists every word they say into higher and higher offers, with the crowd as witnesses to the supposed transaction.
Before they know what's hit them, Fibber finds himself the reluctant owner of thirty rolls of flowered wallpaper for thirty-six dollars, thanks to Boomer's carnival tricks. With no way out of the purchase, Fibber decides to make the best of the situation by attempting to paper the living room himself, much to Molly's horror and skepticism about his handyman abilities.

Originally Aired: June 4, 1940
Fibber McGee & Molly #251, "Spaghetti Dinner,"
In this episode, Fibber McGee decides to host an all-male spaghetti dinner at his home, confidently declaring himself a master chef despite ample evidence to the contrary. At the corner delicatessen run by Mrs. Goldfarb, Fibber assembles an eccentric shopping list that includes everything from garlic and tomatoes to chocolate bars and ginger snaps—but nearly forgets the spaghetti itself. The Old Timer stops by and initially accepts the dinner invitation, but quickly changes his mind when he learns Fibber is doing the cooking himself, opting instead to take Molly to the movies.
Back at home, Fibber's kitchen preparations become increasingly chaotic as he fills a wash boiler with ingredients and uses golf balls as models for his meatballs. Molly watches with growing concern as her husband confidently dismisses her cooking advice, drops a cuff button into the meat sauce, and insists on using an egg beater for his recipe. When Mrs. Uppington stops by and discovers the stag party preparations underway, the stage is set for what promises to be a memorably disastrous dinner party.

Originally Aired: May 28, 1940
Fibber McGee & Molly #250, "Circus Comes To Town," finds Wistful Vista buzzing with excitement as the circus arrives in town. Fibber is eager to get to the big top, proudly clutching two free tickets he earned by allowing circus posters to be plastered all over his front door - much to Molly's chagrin. As they prepare to leave, Fibber reminisces about his alleged past as a "bull boss" with the Wagenback and Hollis circus outfit, though Molly seems skeptical of his tall tales. Their neighbor Gildersleeve stops by, sharing his own enthusiasm for the circus performers, particularly the trapeze artists and acrobats, even claiming he still has a spangle from a lady acrobat's dress.
At the circus grounds, the McGees encounter various colorful characters, including a vendor selling "punk lemonade" and a precocious little girl who's dutifully accompanying her father despite preferring to stay home with a good book. The child's world-weary attitude about the circus contrasts hilariously with the adults' childlike excitement, as she watches her father indulge in cotton candy and hamburgers while she plays the responsible parent.

Originally Aired: May 21, 1940
Fibber McGee & Molly #249, "Checker Game Deadlock,"
In this episode, Fibber McGee and his neighbor Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve find themselves in an epic stalemate, locked in a checker game that has now stretched into its seventh day. The two stubborn rivals refuse to concede, camping out in the McGee living room surrounded by cigar stubs, coffee cups, and a week's worth of whiskers. Molly desperately tries to restore order to the chaos, pleading with Fibber to end the ridiculous standoff, but both men's pride keeps them glued to the checkerboard. When Mr. Plummer calls offering Fibber a day's work running his hardware and plumbing business for ten dollars, Molly seizes the opportunity to break the deadlock.
Despite Molly's misgivings about Fibber's qualifications, she accepts the job on his behalf, forcing him to abandon the game. Just as they're about to inform Gildersleeve of their departure, they discover he's fallen asleep from exhaustion. Fibber heads off to Plummer's store, bragging about his days as "Killer Driller McGee" in Peoria, while Molly tags along to supervise, clearly worried about what havoc her overconfident husband might wreak on the unsuspecting hardware business.

Originally Aired: May 14, 1940
Fibber McGee & Molly #248, "Fibber Turns Hose on Gildy,"
In this episode, Fibber is peacefully watering the lawn at 79 Wistful Vista when mischief inevitably strikes. After exchanging pleasantries with neighbors like Nick and the ever-inquisitive little girl who questions his scientific explanation of why grass stays green, Fibber spots his favorite target: Gildersleeve. What starts as playful banter quickly escalates when Fibber turns the hose on Gildy, thoroughly soaking the exhausted neighbor who's just had a hard day at the office. An enraged Gildersleeve retaliates by pulling out a knife and cutting the hose to pieces, only to discover he's destroyed his own hose that Fibber had borrowed earlier that afternoon.
The situation grows more serious when Mr. Wilcox arrives and warns Molly and Fibber that an angry Gildersleeve is threatening revenge. Molly worries about her husband facing the former intercollegiate boxing champion, while Fibber remains characteristically overconfident despite Wilcox's offer to have an ambulance standing by just six minutes away.

Originally Aired: May 7, 1940
Fibber McGee & Molly #247, "May Festival Play,"
Fibber McGee has written, directed, and produced a medieval play for the Women's Club titled "When Knighthood Was the Stuff." As Sir Lancelot in a full suit of armor, Fibber performs opposite Molly as the fair Elaine, delivering stilted medieval dialogue filled with McGee's trademark mangled phrases. The plot reaches its climax when Fibber must battle the Black Knight, played by Gildersleeve, for Elaine's hand in marriage. Things get out of hand when Fibber enthusiastically wallops Gildersleeve with his sword during the fight scene, leaving a sizable dent in his helmet and knocking him cold.
After the performance, Mrs. Uppington reveals the play has increased the Women's Club deficit to a whopping 950 dollars, and an angry Gildersleeve demands satisfaction for being clobbered onstage. Fibber agrees to fight him man-to-man, but there's one problem: he can't figure out how to remove his armor. As Gildersleeve waits impatiently and various unhooking methods fail, Fibber realizes he may need to find a blacksmith while Molly holds a sword over his head as a makeshift lightning rod.

Originally Aired: April 30, 1940
In Fibber McGee & Molly #246, "Fibber Becomes A Theatrical Director," Fibber receives an exciting telegram from the Chippewa Entertainment Bureau, accepting his application for a position as a stage director. The telegram congratulates him on his supposed associations with legendary figures like Belasco, DeMille, Reinhardt, Toscanini, and Minsky, and promises an immediate job assignment. There's just one catch: Fibber must wire fifty dollars to cover bookkeeping, postage, and other expenses. Overjoyed and convinced he's finally hit the big time, Fibber rushes to send the money before Molly can learn the details of his latest scheme.
Meanwhile, the snobbish Mrs. Uppington stops by to tell Molly about the Women's Club May Festival, where she has appointed herself Queen of the Maids. She mentions that the club has hired a professional director from the very same Chippewa Entertainment Bureau, also requiring a fifty-dollar advance. As Fibber prepares to wire his money with help from the Old Timer, the stage is set for one of his classic misadventures in show business.