The Great Gildersleeve

Harold Peary played Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve, a pompous windbag of a business executive, on old time radio's Fibber McGee and Molly show. His character was so popular that he was given his own show, the first show ever to be "spun off" from another and one of radio's earliest situation comedies.

The Great Gildersleeve debuted in 1941. The premise of the show was that Gildersleeve had moved to the city of Summerfield to take care of his orphaned niece Marjorie (Lurene Tuttle) and nephew Leroy (Howard Tetley). Being a bachelor, Gildy had his hands full raising two young 'uns, running Summerfield's water department, and having a life of his own which included time with the ladies and nights out with the guys.

The show ran as a half-hour comedy for thirteen years, after which it declined in tandem with radio comedy in general. (Willard Waterman replaced Peary in 1950.) The last live broadcast was in 1957.