The Bucking Bronco Contest

Originally aired December 14, 1936, this episode sees Fibber swept up in rodeo fever after spotting a poster advertising a cash prize for anyone who can last three minutes on a bucking horse. Brimming with misplaced confidence, he signs up to ride “Torpedo,” a so-called wild mustang. Along the way, Molly warns him about broken necks, Silly Watson adds his barnyard wisdom, and Wilcox squeezes in a pitch for Johnson’s Glow Coat. True to form, Fibber brags of being “Lightning McGee, the Kentucky Crackshot,” even showing off his marksmanship to the crowd. But when he finally mounts Torpedo, it’s clear the horse is no gentle milk-wagon nag after all. What follows is a raucous blend of slapstick spills, wordplay, and rodeo razzmatazz that leaves Fibber—and his derby stuffed with cotton—worse for wear but still full of bluster. Complete with lively music by Ted Weems and a round of Glow Coat plugs, this rollicking installment of Fibber McGee & Molly delivers golden-age comedy with a Western twist