Lighting the Furnace with Gasoline

Originally aired November 18, 1935, this riotous episode finds Fibber McGee taking charge of the annual fall tradition: firing up the household furnace. Joined by his ever-patient wife Molly and their handyman Silly Watson, Fibber claims expert status as “Fireclay McGee, the finest, fastest furnace fixer from Fresno to Florida,” launching into one of his wildest tall tales about being encased in fireclay and mistaken for a statue. What follows downstairs is a slapstick comedy of errors as Fibber, undeterred by common sense, insists on using gasoline to jumpstart the reluctant furnace—despite Molly’s protests and Silly’s growing concern for personal safety. The episode erupts in chaos, soot, and McGee’s trademark stubbornness, all set to the familiar backdrop of Johnson’s Glow Coat ads and lively musical interludes. Remastered for clarity, this classic installment of Fibber McGee & Molly showcases the couple’s timeless banter, Fibber’s preposterous braggadocio, and a basement adventure gone explosively awry—golden-age radio comedy at its warmest (and wildest).