Fibber McGee and Molly – Episode 23 – FIRST Show (1935): "The Motorcycle Cop, the Judge and Fibber"

Before "79 Wistful Vista" was one of the most famous addresses in American entertainment, before the hall closet became a running joke that could stop a studio audience cold, there were just two vaudeville performers from Peoria, Illinois, standing in front of an NBC microphone with no idea what they were about to build. Jim and Marian Jordan had already spent years in radio together — married since 1918, and running a modest NBC show called Smackout with writer Don Quinn. On April 16, 1935, that partnership became Fibber McGee and Molly, sponsored by Johnson's Wax, with announcer Harlow Wilcox on the mic from day one. This first episode, "The Motorcycle Cop, the Judge and Fibber," doesn't sound much like the show that became an American institution. Fibber runs a red light and lands in traffic court, then spins a tall tale about his days in the Foreign Legion with a camel. Molly comes across sharper and more battle-axe than the warm wife listeners would come to love. It took five more years of shaky ratings before the show found its voice. Once it did, it ran for 24 years and over 1,600 episodes — one of the longest-running programs in radio history. This is where that run actually began. Quick factoid: Marian Jordan didn't just play Molly — over the course of the show's run she went on to voice 69 different characters, including little Teeny, all while accompanying the show on piano herself. This is the very first episode of a show that ran for over two decades. Let us know what you thought — what was your favorite part, or what stood out to you most? 👍 If you liked this one, hit that like button and subscribe for more from the golden age of radio.