The Great Gildersleeve

On August 31st 1941, Throckmorton P Gildersleeve spun off into his own radio program, becoming the first radio character to do so.

The neighbor and adversary of Fibber McGee and Molly had first appeared on radio in 1937, before he 'left' Wistful Vista to take a job as the Water Commissioner of Summerfield, where he could also oversee his late brother-in-law's estate, and raise his niece and nephew. 

With each episode connected, the series had the same appeal as today's soaps - and Gildersleeve’s romances were often at the centre of it all - with the best of the romances being the one with Leila Ransom.

The series remains as one of the most popular radio shows of all time, with Harold (Hal) Peary as the actor who played Gildersleeve from August 31st 1941 until 1950. 

Every single thing about Great Gildersleeve -- from the writing to the acting to the music -- everything -- is good natured and sunny. Great spirit-lifting entertainment.

Jay Maloney

It was during the height of his success on The Great Gildersleeve, that Hal Peary was commissioned by Capitol Records to make a recording of stories especially for children in his character of “Gildy.”

Telling the stories with the voice of Throckmorton P Gildersleeve gave him the opportunity to expand his many vocal talents, which were amazing for capturing the voices of giants, witches, bears and other characters in the stories.

He made three wonderful albums of children's fairy stories, and while Gildersleeve's Stories for Children, to my knowledge, was never broadcast on radio, the fact that they are available today makes them a wonderful addition to RUSC in memory of a by-gone era.

Unfortunately, Hal Peary took a leap of faith in 1950, moving from NBC to CBS, in what was perhaps the biggest mistake of his show business career. CBS and Gildersleeve's sponsor, Kraft Foods, refused to bring the program to CBS, and The Great Gildersleeve remained on NBC where the role of Gildersleeve went to Willard Waterman, who actually looked similar, and whose voice resembled Hal Peary's.

He played the character successfully from 1950 to 1957, and continued to play the leading role when the series moved to television in 1955. You can even watch a clip of the show on YouTube by clicking on this link, or, over the Labor Day weekend, why not listen to Hal Peary as The Great Gildersleeve, who is brushing up on his golf game in preparation for the annual Labor Day Golf Tournament at the Summerfield Country Club...

Happy listening my friends,