The Great Gildersleeve's Halloween Party
Who could be better at celebrating a holiday which is all about fun than Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve, the Great Man Himself ? During the program's long run (1941-1957) we got to hear Gildy's “dirty laugh” at quite a few Halloween gatherings. One of our favorites was from 1943. The character of Throckmorton Gildersleeve first appeared on Fibber McGee and Molly October 3, 1939, as a collector who hires McGee to get “Killer” Canova's autograph. Harold Peary had been with Fibber McGee and Molly for many seasons, but the character of Gildy was such a good fit that he became a regular foil for Fibber. It was a pretty even match as to who would get the better of whom, but we were usually treated at least once with the catchphrase “You're a haaaard man McGee!” Fibber McGee and Molly When Kraft Foods began looking for a project to promote Parkay Margarine in 1941, a program centered around Peary's Gildersleeve was ready to go. Moving from Wistful Vista to Summerf...