According to an article in 1949, Hal Peary credited noted actor John Barrymore with being responsible for The Great Gildersleeve. Six months after Fibber McGee and Molly moved to California, Peary was back in Chicago, where he met Barrymore while the latter was in a play. When asked by Barrymore why he’d left Hollywood, Peary stated he was so versatile, he couldn’t find enough to occupy him. Barrymore told him that seeking versatility was a mistake, that the character he played on the radio show that would become Gildy was the funniest thing Barrymore had heard on the air. Peary took this to heart, returned to Hollywood, and negotiated for that character to appear weekly on the show. Thus, Gildersleeve was born. Laughter in the midst of small town life makes The Great Gildersleeve one of the best shows of classic radio. Experience it for yourself in twelve original broadcasts of The Great Gildersleeve, Volume 15 as they originally aired, complete with Kraft Foods commercials and restored to sparkling digital quality.
