Gardening

Originally aired April 5, 1937, this episode of Fibber McGee & Molly digs into Fibber’s latest enthusiasm—gardening. He begins by canvassing Wistful Vista for fellow hobbyists, only to meet a knitter, a gloomy Russian who “wishes to suffer,” and a stamp collector unmoved by nature. Undeterred, McGee drags Molly into planting seeds at 79 Wistful Vista, boasting of his past glory as “Calla Lily McGee, the Colossal Cultivator of Kalamazoo Cabbage Crops.” Neighbors, chickens, and interruptions from Harlow Wilcox (wax beans, naturally) complicate the work, while Perry Como provides a smooth interlude with “Smoke Dreams.” The episode closes with an agricultural expert summoned to diagnose McGee’s barren garden—only to reveal that Fibber never removed the seeds from their envelopes. Brimming with wordplay, sponsor tie-ins, and backyard slapstick, this Glow Coat–shined installment showcases McGee’s gift for turning a simple patch of dirt into fertile ground for comedy.