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Here He Earned a Living As Gildersleeve Girdle Works, a Ladies’ Ago 24 the Town’S Water Commissioner

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Here He Earned a Living As Gildersleeve Girdle Works, a Ladies’ Ago 24 the Town’S Water Commissioner November-December 2020 www.otrr.org Groups.io No. 111 Contents ‘Let’s all just be Jolly Boys!’ The Great Well now, I wouldn’t say that, Mr. Gildersleeve 1 Gildersleeve Big John and Sparkie pt. 2 4 Jim Cox Wistful Vistas 8 Acclaimed by several critics as Maupin’s Musings 9 “radio’s most pompous windbag,” The History of G- Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve Men 10 nevertheless charmed millions of “Knights Come listeners at his accustomed spot on the Riding” 18 NBC dial Thursday nights for years. Portugal – was a utility player in the McGee Remembering Gildersleeve (dubbed ‘Gildy’ by pals) cast. A couple of years beyond he Charlie Summers was one of the most eligible bachelors in requested and was given a continuing role 20 the little mythical hamlet of instead of solo parts. Radio 100 Years Summerfield. There he earned a living as Gildersleeve Girdle Works, a ladies’ Ago 24 the town’s water commissioner. undergarment factory that Gildy owned, Acquisitions 28 In that post he had the freedom to provided a livelihood for the grumpy Contributors: come and go pretty much as he pleased. nuisance that would curdle McGee’s Gildy seldom hesitated to register an presumptions many times. Gildy’s firm Gavin Callaghan opinion with the locals on diverse topics bore a commercial motto the boss loved Jim Cox and it sometimes got him into trouble. repeating relentlessly: “If you want the best Ryan Ellett While being a responsible father to a pair of corsets, of course it’s Gildersleeve!” Martin Grams of adopted progeny, he courted legions of Gildersleeve moved into the house next Larry Maupin attractive women habitually. door to the McGees and exhibited a Denise Noe Gildersleeve maintained a fairly distressingly prickly personality. Because easygoing existence as he simultaneously McGee was also an erratic, outspoken drew the respect, ardor and ire of homeowner the pair readily found issues to Edited by Ryan Ellett Summerfield’s denizens at the same time. disagree over. This was training for both *** The embryonic epoch that produced OldRadioTimes@ men for McGee later sparred incessantly yahoo.com The Great Gildersleeve was rooted in with Mayor LaTrivia and Doc Gamble as another highly successful NBC comedy. Gildy kept his hooks in Judge Hooker with In 1937 a skilled dialectician who was equal tenacity in his own series. capable of playing multiple parts in a The live studio audience as well as the show was added to Fibber McGee & folks tuning in reacted so well to the testy Molly, NBC’s smash Tuesday night hit. bickering between the dual codgers that Harold Jose Pereira de Faria, recognized NBC removed Gildersleeve from the by fans as Harold (Hal) Peary – whose McGee cast and sent him to a new comedy parents immigrated to California from crafted especially for him. The Great Gildersleeve debuted Aug. 31, 1941, the third those two had twins and moved into the house next network series spun from an existing show. door to Gildersleeve’s. (Earlier spin-offs were 1939’s The Right to Marjorie’s brother Leroy, meanwhile, played by Happiness from The Guiding Light and Bright Walter Tetley, was a mainstream boy. He admired his Horizon from Big Sister a few days before Gildy’s uncle and had a comeback nearly every time he was premier. All four were daytime serials.) directed to do something. “Talking back” was part of What happened to the Girdle Works? Nobody his makeup. When the lad argued with his relative, knew. We can assume somebody bought it. Gildy dubbing him “Unc,” he’d hear an instant retort: never dwelled on disposing of it and it wasn’t “Leee-eee-roy!” That was swiftly adopted by the recalled again. The new storyline’s premise had a American lexicon. Leroy took piano lessons, slammed sad start. To make the transition into his new the door and received lousy report cards. Nevertheless situation the writers killed off Gildersleeve’s his uncle affirmed him regularly with “You’re a brii- sister’s daughter and son-in-law. They left behind ii-ii-ght boy, Leroy!” At the beginning of the series a daughter Marjorie, 16, and son Leroy, 12. girls were anathema to Leroy. As time moved on he Apparently the wills stated that – in the event of a began to like some, turning his attention to a few in common disaster – Gildy was to receive the junior high school in 1949. Later on he had several material assets and adopt the kids, their home in girlfriends. Summerfield and a live-in African-American Actress Lillian Randolph carried the part of the housekeeper. sassy, benevolent, opinionated cook and maid, Birdie Gildy didn’t hesitate to step up to the plate. Lee Coggins. Her relationship with the family was Irrepressible sadness may have enveloped cordial, realistic and sympathetic. Even so she didn’t Marjorie and Leroy; however, almost no reflection mince words when expressing herself to the head of of that got on the air. Rather than dwelling in the household, i.e., “Yes sir, Mr. Gildersleeve! I call empathetic themes to console the grieving ‘em like I sees ‘em, and that’s how I sees ‘em. You offspring, Gildy sought humorous pursuits instead. can depend on Birdie, Mr. Gildersleeve. I’ll tell you It must have struck some fans that something was what I think!” At times Gildy had to cut her off for amiss. If a listener had a complaint then about the she seldom knew when to wind down. best he could do was to call or write a station. He Then there was the surfeit of Summerfield residents didn’t have an array of contact forms at his that Gildy encountered almost every week as the fingertips that we have to make a point to one McGees of Wistful Vista did in similar straits. The person or to thousands. Surely some fans must colorful brigade the water commission interacted with have been chagrined by the near total disregard for not only left indelible impressions on the show but sympathy. infused the American dialect with a few more Each of the individuals living in that household catchphrases that, for a few years, seemed to be on exhibited a distinct personality. The children and everybody’s lips. the housekeeper were compelling forces by There was Mr. Peavey – druggist J. W. Peavey – themselves. whose down-in-the-mouth retorts never failed to Marjorie Forrester may not have been what we titillate an audience. Played for most of the run by cite as a typical teenager. She showed aspects of Richard LeGrand and in the final two years by Forrest responsibility, growth and maturity that can’t be Lewis, Peavey was a delightfully captivating figure. said of every teen. She had a cooperative spirit Fans knew in advance how he’d respond when Gildy when Uncle Mort gave a command. Played at offered a flat assertion in the pharmacist’s presence, varying times by Lurene Tuttle, Louise Erickson only to receive Peavey’s self-effacing reply: “Well and Mary Lee Robb – with Robb in the part the now, I wouldn’t say that, Mr. Gildersleeve.” final decade of the run – Marjorie literally “grew That provoked stirring commotion with the studio up” on the show. On May 10, 1950 she wed local audience. It was also adopted into the nation’s football hero Walter (Bronco) Thompson (actor vernacular. In a sort of nasal-pitched whine Peavey Richard Crenna). Their nuptials were recorded in would provide his own theory about an issue that photos appearing in Look magazine. Eventually conflicted with Gildy’s thoughts. The pair respected 2 The Old Radio Times * November-December 2020 * Number 111 one another anyway, never getting into shouting Katherine Milford (Cathy Lewis). Neighbor Rumson matches Gildy reserved for others. Bullard’s sisters – Ellen Bullard Knickerbocker The one person Gildersleeve loved to get his (Martha Scott) and Paula Bullard Winthrop (Jean hooks into was Judge Horace Hooker (actor Earle Bates) – supplied companionship when Gildy was Ross). Hooker’s belly laugh like a billy goat between fiancés. Even a folk singer of that day, Kathy likely inspired Gildy’s unrelenting labeling him Lee, spent time in the water commissioner’s life as “you old goat.” Hooker was a feisty, cantankerous herself. He was able to have his pick. sort, a nasal-sounding sniper that seemed to relish These were the colorful characters surrounding disparity among friends. The façade the two men Gildersleeve. All was a happy place with the kept up as they disagreed on nearly every topic exception of some unfortunate backstage shenanigans was a cover for the deep appreciation they had for that transpired at the behest of actor Hal Peary. You each other, seldom revealed. By calling one recall that he had asked for and received a larger another names they hinted to bystanders that presence on the precursor McGee series. He obviously toleration was the last thing on their minds. had a more ambitious itch than some realized and Unless there was a clash among characters in decided to scratch. This reappeared just as CBS the show reflecting some deep-seated derision, Chairman William S. Paley was raiding the rival Gildersleeve usually sustained a fairly cordial networks, acquiring a handful of their major stars. passivity toward the other men he encountered on Having played Gildy more than a decade on two his rounds each week. One was the town barber, series, Hal Peary believed he was big enough to Floyd Munson (played by Arthur Q. Bryan). transfer the show from NBC to CBS. In doing so he Another was police “Chief” Gates (actor Ken planned to keep the rights to the Gildersleeve name Christy).
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