The Great Gildersleeve had a sixteen-year run on the air. Unlike most comedies, this show changed and shifted in ways that allowed the audience to experience, even grow up with the characters. Listeners tuned in as Leroy and Marjorie grew up, even getting to be a part of Marjorie and Bronco’s marriage and the birth of their children. Gildy himself grew from a two dimensional laugh to a fully realized character who experienced the hilarious and even heartbreaking struggle of life and love, the latter several times. This sort of storytelling gave listeners a connection to The Great Gildersleeve that is still present and effective today.
