"I gotta get that closet cleaned out..."

This weekend was the one everyone dreads... The annual spring cleaning of the 'cupboard under the stairs'.

Every time it comes to clearing it out, I can't help but be reminded of the Fibber McGee and Molly show - as the closet was one of the most well-known of all the running gags on the show, with the 'Fibber McGee's closet' catch phrase being one I'd heard synonymously with household clutter long before I'd ever heard the actual radio show itself.

The first time the gag was heard was in the March 5, 1940 show, 'Cleaning Hall Closet'. Molly is looking for a dictionary, but when she opens the closet, she is promptly buried under Fibber's 'stuff'. 

In the shows following, Molly would warn Fibber not to open the closet, and he would anyway. What would follow was a clash and clang as all manner of bric-a-brac came tumbling down onto his head. 

It was perhaps the best-known sound effect in American radio's history, performed by Hollywood based NBC creators, Ed Ludes and Virgil Rhymer. In my opinion, radio shows just wouldn't have been the same without sound effects, so these guys are my unsung heroes. The two are mentioned in the old time radio history books, but that's a whole other editorial I wrote for you before, which you can read here!

So, back to spring cleaning being the chore which everyone dreads the most, I wasn't surprised to find lots and lots more old time radio shows with this particular task being the highlight. There are classics from Jack Benny, The Great Gildersleeve, Phil Harris and Alice Faye, Father Knows Best and many more.

You can listen to these shows here.

I hope you'll have a good giggle listening to the shows we've chosen! If you remember any spring cleaning stories of your own, Joy and I would absolutely love to hear them.

Happy listening my friends,

P.S.Why not share these shows with a friend? Simply click on the "Share this show with a friend" link for each show.