McGee and Molly

The Car Trade-In

Originally aired April 6, 1936, this episode finds Fibber angling to swap the McGees’ well-worn jalopy for something shinier—and getting taken for a ride at every turn. After his classified ad full of baffling abbreviations (“G con,” “S.T.T.”) fails to lure buyers, he drags Molly down Automobile Row: first to the hoity-toity “Rolls-Nyce” showroom for tea, sniffy sales patter, and eye-watering prices in colors like “Gorgonzola Green”; then to a budget “Shiverslay” dealer where the demo car breaks down, the disappearing headlights won’t disappear, and the “concealed spare” is…too well concealed. The capper comes at Mr. P. Whitacombe Blotto’s used lot, where their “rare” car earns not cash but the chance to purchase a dubious “gold seal of approval.”

A Room in the Hospital

Originally aired March 30, 1936, this episode finds Fibber McGee in an unexpectedly vulnerable position—flat on his back in a hospital bed after what he insists was a heroic accident involving a banana peel and a runaway grocery cart. With Molly at his side and an endless stream of visitors (wanted or not), Fibber tries to maintain his bravado while confronting the very real discomforts of hospital life.
 
Between tales of medical marvels from his days in the cavalry and a stubborn insistence that he doesn’t need help, Fibber’s hospital stay becomes a revolving door of chaos, featuring overzealous nurses, surprise guests, and a not-so-private room. Packed with snappy dialogue, slapstick imagination, and a few well-placed plugs for Johnson’s Wax, this episode showcases the charm and wit that made Fibber McGee & Molly a household favorite during radio’s golden age.

Spring Cleaning

Originally aired March 23, 1936, this episode finds Fibber McGee in high spirits and full of ambition as he attempts to surprise Molly with a fully cleaned house while she visits her Aunt Sarah. Intent on doing the spring cleaning himself—with a little (chaotic) help from Silly Watson and a new domestic named Wilhelmina Schlagenkörper—Fibber’s efforts spiral into comedic disaster.
 
From hauling furniture onto the lawn to overly enthusiastic rug-beating lessons and a fast-talking soap salesman, Fibber’s exaggerated tales and overconfidence deliver one laugh after another. As storm clouds roll in and the furniture sits vulnerable outside, chaos reaches a hilarious climax—just as Molly announces she’s coming home early.
 
Complete with Johnson’s Glow Coat promotions and a delightful musical interlude by Rico Martelli’s orchestra, this episode of Fibber McGee & Molly is a gleaming example of golden-age radio comedy, polished and preserved for today’s listeners.

Check Room Attendants

Originally aired March 16, 1936, this episode finds Fibber drafted into duty at the Wistful Vista railroad station’s check room—where “check and double-check” chaos promptly ensues. In classic tall-tale fashion, he and Molly juggle a pigskin suitcase, a cut-glass punchbowl (oops), a trombone, an umbrella, a goldfish bowl, and even a chatty parrot named Chauncey. Add a crate of eggs left “just for a minute” (which someone thoughtfully parked on the radiator), a precocious little girl who strips every baggage tag in sight, and a loquacious gentleman pricing every possible way to reach “the City of Angels”—including the next through freight—and you’ve got peak Fibber misdirection and Molly’s exasperated side-eye at its funniest.
 
From scrambled claim checks to hatched surprises, the misadventures keep rolling, punctuated by Harlow Wilcox’s patter about Johnson’s Glow Coat and a spirited musical interlude. There’s even a kicker about St. Patrick’s Day and a dentist with “Irish extraction.” Complete with Johnson’s Glow Coat ads and remastered for clarity, this sparkling installment of Fibber McGee & Molly delivers brisk, screwball radio farce from the golden age.

Beware of Pickpockets on the Bus

Originally aired March 9, 1936, this episode sends Fibber McGee and Molly on a downstate bus trip to visit Aunt Sarah. Their journey takes an unexpected turn when a bus company detective warns them about a rash of pickpocket incidents. Ever confident in his own street smarts, Fibber scoffs—only to find himself suddenly penniless and desperately trying to borrow money from a colorful parade of fellow passengers, each encounter more absurd than the last.
 
Packed with quick-fire banter, oddball characters, and Fibber’s increasingly frantic (and futile) attempts to recover his missing cash, the story builds to a perfectly comic twist when Molly reveals she had taken his pocketbook all along to keep it safe. With its blend of situational humor, wordplay, and sponsor tie-ins for Johnson’s Glow Coat, this remastered gem of Fibber McGee & Molly captures the golden age of radio comedy at full throttle.

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.

Waiting for the Radio Repairman

Originally aired February 24, 1936, this classic episode finds Fibber McGee and Molly enduring a night of comedic chaos while waiting for their broken radio to be repaired. What should have been a peaceful evening at 79 Wistful Vista quickly spirals into a series of interruptions—from neighbors like the irate Mrs. Weagledeck complaining about icy sidewalks, to the eccentric Geraldine sharing baffling stories, and Harlow Wilcox persistently selling Johnson’s Glowcoat.
 
As the night progresses, a comically confused hospital escapee suffering from amnesia arrives, mistakenly assumed by McGee to be the tardy radio repairman. Fibber’s attempts to supervise the repair lead to escalating slapstick when the confused visitor begins smashing radio tubes instead of fixing them. The mayhem is punctuated by lively musical performances from Rico Martelli’s orchestra, featuring the charming song “I Found You in the Moonlight,” and humorous interjections from the always-enthusiastic Harlow Wilcox.
 
Remastered for clarity and featuring vintage Johnson’s Wax advertisements, this episode of Fibber McGee & Molly brilliantly captures the warmth, humor, and delightful unpredictability of golden-age radio comedy.

Visiting Fireman

Originally aired February 17, 1936, this delightful episode sees Fibber McGee deciding to show Molly around the Wistful Vista fire department, claiming past expertise as “Helmet McGee,” a former member of the mythical Hooper’s Holler Volunteer Fire Department. Predictably, his boasts quickly spiral into tall tales, including an absurd rescue involving an 88-story building and using a fire hose to launch himself skyward.
 
Comedy ensues as Fibber mistakenly slides down a hot steam pipe, greets old friends like Nick DePopolis—who amusingly plans a future fire at his own restaurant—and finds himself accidentally joining the firemen in answering a real fire alarm at the Wistful Vista Fireworks Company. Fibber heroically (but unwisely) removes fireworks from a building he thinks is in danger, only to discover he’s placed them exactly where sparks are flying—leading to a spectacularly comedic climax.
 
Featuring Rico Marcelli’s orchestra, humorous Johnson’s Wax advertisements by the always-smooth Harlow Wilcox, and a charming musical number from amateur songwriter Carlton Bates, this episode perfectly captures the playful spirit and slapstick humor of Fibber McGee & Molly at their best, beautifully remastered for modern audiences.

A Job in Grand Rapids

Originally aired February 10, 1936, this episode sees Fibber McGee pursuing yet another promising lead—this time a job opportunity in the furniture trade. Convinced that he’s the perfect candidate—“smart, adaptable, and young-looking”—Fibber packs his bags and heads off with Molly to Grand Rapids to apply in person. But as usual, things quickly become comically chaotic.
 
En route by train, Fibber and Molly encounter familiar faces, including their friend Nick DePopolis, whose loud snoring disturbs everyone’s peace, and Harpo Wilcox, still selling Johnson’s Wax, even in his sleep. Fibber regales his fellow passengers with tall tales about his previous exploits in the furniture business, inventing stories of his former glory as “Overstuffed McGee,” a legendary figure in furniture circles.
 
The laughs continue when Fibber and Molly realize, after arriving, that they’ve traveled to the wrong Grand Rapids—landing themselves in Grand Rapids, Wisconsin, instead of Michigan. Amidst all the confusion, listeners are treated to musical interludes by Rico Martelli’s orchestra, humorous advertisements for Johnson’s Wax, and the warmth of classic Fibber McGee & Molly humor, expertly remastered for clarity and nostalgia.

Crime Expert McGee

Originally aired February 3, 1936, this episode finds Fibber McGee indulging in his latest fantasy—as a seasoned law enforcement officer. While visiting the Wistful Vista police station with Molly, Fibber brags of his storied past with Scotland Yard and the Pennsylvania police, complete with colorful tales of fingerprinting and lie detection.
 
The episode is packed with classic antics, including the introduction of a barking “bloodhound” named Compass, a hilarious misunderstanding involving a lie detector, and a dramatic encounter with “Memphis Minnie,” a shoplifting suspect. The climax sees Fibber and Sergeant Clancy accidentally handcuffing each other while Minnie escapes with a squad car.
 
Blending slapstick with sharp dialogue, and featuring the ever-present Johnson’s Wax ads, this episode of Fibber McGee & Molly is a prime example of the show’s trademark blend of imaginative storytelling and laugh-out-loud humor.