McGee and Molly

Originally Aired: February 6, 1940
Fibber McGee & Molly #234, "Why Is Everyone So Nice,"
Fibber McGee wakes up on the wrong side of the bed—literally falling out the window—and is in a foul mood. But something strange is happening at 79 Wistful Vista: everyone seems unusually agreeable and accommodating. Molly doesn't object when Fibber announces he won't shave, she lets him come to breakfast in his bathrobe, and she even makes wheat cakes and sausages instead of the usual cereal. Even more bizarre, their cantankerous neighbor Gildersleeve stops by with a gift of ducks and shrugs off Fibber's insults with cheerful indifference. When Johnny the peddler arrives selling valentines, he too seems remarkably pleasant and tolerant of Fibber's stories.
As the morning progresses, Fibber grows increasingly suspicious about why everyone is being so nice to him. His attempts to provoke his usual arguments and complaints are met with nothing but sweetness and agreement, leaving him thoroughly confused and wondering what could possibly explain this unprecedented outbreak of kindness directed his way.

Originally Aired: January 30, 1940
In Fibber McGee & Molly #233, "Getting Rid Of Old Suit," Molly tries desperately to convince Fibber to part with his ratty old blue serge suit, but McGee is stubbornly sentimental about the garment. He reminisces about winning it on a punchboard and wearing it the night they won a Charleston contest. Though the suit is moth-eaten and falling apart, Fibber refuses to simply throw it away, insisting he can sell it to a second-hand clothing dealer instead.
The McGees receive a visit from the society-minded Mrs. Uppington, who arrives with Billy Mills, now calling himself Maestro William Randolph Mills, to promote their new concert orchestra venture. After they leave, an elderly junk dealer arrives to appraise the suit but hilariously refuses to buy it, claiming the only suits he sells for 50 cents are ones he picks from ash cans. Molly finally takes matters into her own hands and tosses the suit into the alley herself, but just as Fibber settles in with the funny papers, little Teeny arrives at the door with surprising news about what she's found.

Originally Aired: January 23, 1940
Fibber McGee & Molly #232, "Radio Quiz Show," Fibber and Molly take a tour of the Wistful Vista Broadcasting Company's studios, where their guide demonstrates sound effects equipment and shows them various studio spaces. After their feet grow weary from the extensive tour, they rest on a bench and encounter their neighbor Mr. Gildersleeve, who is in a panic. The girdle manufacturer has purchased a half-hour of radio advertising time that goes on the air in just 20 minutes, but his wife has been barred from singing by the union and he has no show prepared.
Fibber immediately sees an opportunity and offers to save the day, launching into an elaborate alliterative speech about his supposed expertise in radio broadcasting dating back to his childhood. He claims to have been known as "For the Love of Mike McGee, the mastermind" and boasts of his abilities as a performer and producer. As Fibber prepares to solve Gildersleeve's radio crisis with his "great idea for a radio program," the stage is set for the chaos that typically follows McGee's overconfident schemes.

Originally Aired: January 16, 1940
Fibber McGee & Molly #231, "Fibber's Car is Stolen,"
In this episode, Fibber and Molly head to the Auto License Bureau to get new license plates for their 1916 model car. After cleverly cutting to the front of the long line by pretending he left his hat inside, Fibber encounters the sophisticated Mrs. Uppington, who insists her chauffeur put on clean license plates every time he washes the car. Once Fibber receives his comically long new license number, he rushes outside only to discover their car has vanished from where they parked it. Convinced it's been stolen, Fibber frantically calls the police from Gus's cigar store to report the theft.
However, Molly solves the mystery with a simple observation. The car hadn't been stolen at all—while they were inside the bureau, the line of people waiting for licenses had grown so long that their vehicle now sits much further down the street than where they originally parked it. The panic over the "stolen" car turns out to be nothing more than another case of Fibber's hasty conclusions.

Originally Aired: January 9, 1940
Fibber McGee & Molly #230, "Gone With The Wind," Fibber and Molly prepare to attend the formal opening of Gone With The Wind at the Bijou Theater after mysteriously receiving tickets slipped under their door. When Fibber's old tuxedo coat splits up the back just as they're about to leave, he faces a dilemma. In a panic and short on time, he spots an evening coat hanging on neighbor Gildersleeve's clothesline and sneaks into the yard to borrow it. His covert mission nearly goes awry when Gildersleeve catches him in the act, forcing Fibber to improvise a ridiculous story about searching for their missing cat named "Malta."
Now dressed in his borrowed finery, Fibber boasts to Molly about his supposed past as a powerful theater critic for the Chicago Blaze, launching into one of his trademark tongue-twisting monologues. As the couple heads to the theater, the question remains: who sent them the mysterious tickets, and will Fibber's borrowed coat caper come back to haunt him at the big event?

Originally Aired: January 2, 1940
Fibber McGee & Molly #229, "Fibber Builds A Dog House,"
Fibber McGee is itching to use the carpenter's tools Molly gave him for Christmas, but his enthusiasm proves dangerous for the household furniture. After hammering dents into a chair while trying to tighten a loose arm, and nearly sawing the legs off the dining room table, Molly desperately suggests he channel his constructive energy into building a doghouse instead. Fibber reluctantly agrees and begins planning an elaborate canine mansion complete with multiple rooms, even settling on a name for his future pet: Glowcoat, so the dog won't need to keep scratching and buffing himself.
As Fibber orders lumber and stakes out a spot by the garage for his ambitious project, he's interrupted by the neighborhood little girl selling poetry. Her hilariously mangled New Year's resolution poem provides comic relief before Fibber can get back to work. The episode follows Fibber's typical pattern of taking a simple task and turning it into an overly complicated project, much to Molly's patient exasperation.

Originally Aired: December 26, 1939
Fibber McGee & Molly #228, "Butler Gildersleeves,"
In this episode, Fibber and Molly are at the railroad station bidding good riddance to Fibber's miserly Uncle Sycamore when Molly runs into an old flame from her Peoria school days. Otis Cadwallader has become a wealthy businessman, complete with servants and a fortune's worth of luggage. When Otis assumes the McGees are equally well-to-do and invites himself to dinner, expecting to be greeted by their butler, Fibber and Molly face a dilemma. Rather than admit they don't have household staff, Fibber insists he'll fix everything and promises to get them a butler, even if he has to hire Arthur Treacher himself.
Back home, the McGees scramble to make their house look impressive, borrowing silver from Mrs. Uppington and even acquiring a marble statue from Nick Topopoulos's candy shop. As the dinner hour approaches, Fibber must figure out how to present their modest home as a mansion worthy of Molly's sophisticated former suitor, all while maintaining their pride and dignity.

Originally Aired: December 19, 1939
In Fibber McGee & Molly #227, "Package From Uncle Sycamore Arrives," Fibber receives a mysterious Christmas package from his notoriously miserly Uncle Sycamore McGee. Given the old man's reputation for being tighter than a drum, Fibber is convinced the package contains nothing more than sawdust or worthless trinkets. However, Molly reminds him that Uncle Sycamore is quite wealthy, sparking Fibber's imagination about the possibility of a generous gift. Unable to contain his curiosity but not wanting to offend his uncle by opening the package early, Fibber hits upon a clever solution: they'll have the package X-rayed to see what's inside without breaking the seal.
Fibber and Molly rush downtown to an X-ray laboratory, where their excitement builds as they speculate about the contents. During their visit, they encounter the society matron Mrs. Uppington, who shares the embarrassing tale of her operatic brother Styerson swallowing a lace doily at a banquet. As the pair waits for the technician to examine their mysterious package, the question remains: has Uncle Sycamore finally developed some Christmas spirit, or is Fibber's optimism about to be deflated?

Originally Aired: December 12, 1939
In Fibber McGee & Molly #226, "Jewelry Store Robbery," Fibber seizes an opportunity to prove himself as Wistful Vista's premier detective when Mrs. Titelbaum discovers a $12,000 diamond necklace has vanished from her jewelry store. Eager to recover the stolen goods without involving the police or paying a hefty reward, Mrs. Titelbaum reluctantly entrusts the case to Fibber, who boldly proclaims his legendary crime-solving abilities. Despite Molly's skepticism about her husband's investigative talents, Fibber throws himself into the case with enthusiasm, requesting suspect lists and calling for a squad car with the help of a willing officer.
As Fibber begins his investigation, his detective methods prove questionable at best. He interrupts his sleuthing for lunch, confuses Mrs. Titelbaum with convoluted legal jargon, and generally approaches the case with more bravado than skill. When a mysterious little girl appears at the jewelry store claiming to know all about him, Fibber's grand detective persona faces an unexpected challenge that threatens to derail his investigation entirely.

Originally Aired: December 5, 1939
In Fibber McGee & Molly #225, "Department Store Adjuster," Fibber finds himself in an unexpected position when neighbor Gildersleeve demands payment for a borrowed snow shovel that broke. After Fibber hilariously calculates that Gildersleeve actually owes him money for splinters, doctor bills, mental anguish, and lost work time, the two engage in a comical bidding war that somehow ends with Gildersleeve paying Fibber fifty dollars. Impressed by Fibber's ability to talk him out of that much money, Gildersleeve, who manages the Bonton Department Store, decides to hire him for the adjustment department at forty dollars a week.
Armed with the motto "the customer is always right," Fibber sets up shop in his new office with Molly by his side, ready to use his unique brand of tact and diplomacy on dissatisfied customers. As Fibber settles into his new role, Miss Wheelcock appears at the door with what promises to be the first test of his adjustment skills. The stage is set for Fibber to demonstrate whether his talent for creative arguing will translate into successful customer service.