The Great Gildersleeve, thanks to its writers and actress Lillian Randolph, did something that other shows either shied away from or could not do as successfully. A singer, Randolph was often heard on Al Jolson’s radio show. Her big break in radio – landing the part of Birdie on The Great Gildersleeve – was due to a fortunate in-studio fall. When she heard that auditions were being for the part, she raced all the way through the studios at NBC until she burst through the door where the producers were casting the role and promptly tripped and fell on her face. Unscathed, she promptly laughed and stood up. Liking her tenacity and her laugh, Randolph was immediately hired and cast in the role. Listen in as Gildy, Judge Hooker, Birdie and everyone else in Summerfield make laughter and life happen in twelve original broadcasts of The Great Gildersleeve, Volume 14 as they originally aired, complete with Kraft Foods commercials and restored to sparkling digital quality.
