Fibber McGee and Molly - "Tall Story Contest" (Old Time Radio, 1946)

This 1946 episode of the classic radio comedy 'Fibber McGee and Molly' centers on Fibber's attempt to win the Elks Club's annual tall-story contest, which offers a $100 prize. The setup is straightforward: it's New Year's Day in the fictional town of Wistful Vista, and Fibber faces a same-day deadline to submit a winning entry. The episode follows Fibber as he struggles with a typewriter and the creative process of crafting one of his characteristic tall tales into contest-worthy material. Molly, his wife, and familiar neighbors from the show provide encouragement and presumably reactions as Fibber works through his challenge. The episode was written by Don Quinn and Phil Leslie and originally aired on NBC with sponsorship from Johnson's Wax. The broadcast features Jim Jordan as Fibber McGee and Marian Jordan as Molly, with Harlow Wilcox serving as announcer. The version presented here includes a newly produced contextual introduction by Victor Sterling, the original 30-minute broadcast, and a closing announcement, with audio that has been cleaned and mastered for better listening consistency. The episode exemplifies the show's formula of domestic comedy centered on Fibber's schemes and exaggerations, with humor derived from his character's tendency to spin elaborate stories and the reactions of those around him. As a New Year's Day episode, it likely plays on themes of fresh starts and resolutions, though the core conflict remains Fibber's perennial struggle between ambition and execution. The episode is presented as part of Old Time Retro Radio's preservation and curation of classic radio broadcasts.

Verdict: A competent period piece that delivers its promised premise but relies on familiar show formula; value depends entirely on appreciation for classic radio comedy and the cast's execution, which the source material doesn't illuminate.

Comedy rubric

• Laugh density n/a

  Source material provides no information about joke frequency, comedic timing, or whether gags land; only plot setup and cast are described

• Originality of material 2/5 31%

  The premise—Fibber struggling with a deadline and his own exaggerations—is core to the show's established formula rather than a fresh angle

• Chemistry and delivery n/a

  No details about rapport, timing, or performance quality between cast members are provided in the source material

• Substance 2/5 23%

  The plot is thin: Fibber faces a deadline, wrestles with a typewriter, and receives encouragement; minimal narrative development or substantive content is evident from the description

• Delivers on its title 4/5 23%

  The episode directly addresses a tall-story contest as promised, with Fibber attempting to craft a winning entry, though the actual contest or story content itself isn't described

• Value for time 3/5 23%

  A 30-minute episode built around a single-day deadline and typewriter struggle suggests moderate pacing; unclear if the runtime is justified without knowing the actual content density

How we score Comedy

Worth it if you're a fan of classic radio comedy, enjoy the Fibber McGee and Molly format, or are interested in 1940s entertainment history.

Based on the episode description. AI-generated; it can be wrong.