Radio Series: The Great Gilderlseeve

Concept: Situation Comedy, Spin-Off from "Fibber McGee and Molly". A pompous bachelor takes domestic charge of his young niece and nephew in the fictional town of Summerfield. 30-minute episodes.

Aired: On NBC Red Network, Sundays at 6:30 PM, later, Wednesdays 8:30 PM. From 8/31/41 - 6/2/54

Program Sponsor: The Kraft Food Company

Main Characters/Players:
Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve played by Harold Peary, and later Willard Waterman
Marjorie Forrester played by Lurene Tuttle, and later Louise Erickson
Leroy Forrester played by Walter Tetley
Birdie Lee Coggins played by Lillian Randolph (with sister Amanda Randolph filling in)
Judge Horace Hooker played by Earle Ross
Richard Peavey played by Richard LeGrand
Floyd Munson played by Arthur Q. Bryan

Actor Harold Peary was a much appreciated talent on the old radio series, "Fibber McGee and Molly". Over the course of time, he played a number of different characters, like a butcher or a delivery man. Eventually, the writers created the character of Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve for Peary to portray. Stuffy "Gildy" was the next-door neighbor of the McGee's, so now Peary could portray the major plot point in some episodes. But even this major supporting role was not enough to contain the actor's talents. So in 1941, "The Great Gildersleeve" spun-off into his very own radio series.

With a dedicated program, Harold Peary and his writers greatly expanded the depths of the Gildersleeve character. The show ran for 13 years (1941-1954), with over 550 shows produced. There were also four "official" Gildersleeve movies, and Peary appeared as Gildersleeve in a number of other films. In the fifties there was a "Great Gildersleeve" TV series, which ran for one season and resulted in 39 episodes.

However, it was not Peary who appeared in the TV series. Back in 1950, Peary's agent saw an opportunity to better his client's deal. He moved Peary from NBC to CBS. Unfortunately, the agent didn't cover all the bases of the deal, as CBS found they could not put him on as "The Great Gildersleeve", NBC still owned the rights to the character. They got Peary but not "The Great Gildersleeve" program. So CBS created a different series for Peary to play in, titled "Honest Harold". Starting on September 6, 1950, Peary's old friend Willard Waterman continued the Gildersleeve character successfully for the remaining four years of its run, then onto the year-run of the television series. Harold Peary showed up two years after that as Mayor LaTrivia on the TV version of "Fibber McGee and Molly".

In those days, radio networks covered cost by giving exclusive commercial time in a particular program to one sponsor. The Kraft Food Company was the proud sponsor of THE GREAT GILDERSLEEVE, and J.L. Kraft seemed to be a deeply religious man who believed in the strong foundation of family values. It would seem that his beliefs influenced the show in the direction of spiritual values and the rewards of "doing the right thing". And it worked! As amusing as the episodes are, one cannot help but notice how THE GREAT GILDERSLEEVE makes a very gentle yet convincing case for the benefits of "living right".

Unlike many other forgotten sponsors heard from old time radio, The Kraft Food Company is still going strong. In the programs you can hear ads for Kraft Velveeta Cheese and "Kraft Dinner" (now known as Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Dinner). These products remain highly popular going into the 21st Century. A few years back they offered "Kraft Charlie Brown Christmas Macaroni and Cheese Dinner". You know, if they shaped those noodles into little Gildy and Leroy heads.....

It is fortunate that THE GREAT GILDERSLEEVE came at a time when RKO Pictures was on a "radio stars on the big screen" craze. Harold Peary portrayed the Gildersleeve character in five films by the time Gildy got his own show.

When THE GREAT GILDERSLEEVE program became popular, RKO produced four official Gildersleeve movies: The Great Gildersleeve, Gildersleeve's Bad Day, Gildersleeve On Broadway and Gildersleeve's Ghost. These films have occasional airings on American Movie Classics and Turner Classics Network from time to time, but have never been available on home video in any format. If you click on the film titles you will see that not all the radio performers got to take their character to the big screen.

Peary also took the Gildersleeve character to other radio shows, like the Abbott and Costello program where, as Gildersleeve, he has a battle of wits with Costello and they both lose!

Peary also did some children's recordings, where he reads classic fairy tales "as The Great Gildersleeve". I personally acquired the 78's set where he reads "Puss in Boots", "Rumpelstiltskin" and "Jack & the Beanstalk" (now I just need to get a 78rmp record player). Gildersleeve collectibles often lead to heated bidding on eBay, so keep checking and get yours!

Thanks to computer technology, many people are discovering the joys of THE GREAT GILDERSLEEVE and old time radio in general. Here are some sights to visit if you want to join in with modern Gildymania:

The Gildersleeve Project is the website from which most circulating mp3 audio files of The Great Gildersleeve originated. Unfortunately, they no longer directly offer programs for download or purchase, but they offer a link to an approved seller.

Found recently is an MP3 download site for episodes of The Great Gildersleeve at VicAndSade.net. At first I thought this webmaster was bravely hosting 513 episodes for free download, but I see the links are actually hosted at archive.org.

Wikipedia has a solid entry for The Great Gildersleeve program, I notice it has been expanded recently. There is also a good entry for Harold Peary.

Recently a couple of books about The Great Gildersleeve were released for the fans. Check them out at BearManor Media.

Active and ongoing discussions about THE GREAT GILDERSLEEVE are going on thanks to the introdution of The Great Gildersleeve Web-Based Forum. Discuss your opinions of the programs and find out what's new today in the world of Gildymania.

This Gildersleeve site is neither the first nor the biggest. Explore comphrehensive Gildersleeve coverage at Great Gildersleeve!

The text for the script of the 1943 Christmas Show is currently posted online.

A fine article arbout Walter Tetley (Leroy) was recently posted at the WFMU blog.

Check out Henry R. Hinkel's article THE FOG ZONE, where he discusses how a Gildersleeve moment brought a whole new perspective to the changes in our culture.

If you want to hear Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve before he got his own show, there are excellent downloads of "Fibber McGee and Molly" at The Unofficial Fibber McGee and Molly Homepage. Regardless of the name, this fantastic page is as "official" as it gets.