Private Patrolman McGee

Originally aired May 10, 1937, this Hollywood-set episode of Fibber McGee & Molly finds the McGees checked into the “Clean Rooms Hotel” while awaiting word from Paramount about their big movie break. Fibber, convinced he’s the next Ronald—or Gary—McGee, poses in front of mirrors, mistakes photographers for reporters, and even gets mistaken himself for a murder suspect. To keep busy (and earn steady pay), Molly pushes him into a new sideline: working for the Watchful Eye Patrol Service. Declaring himself “Jiu Jitsu McGee, the jumping, jabbing genius of Java to Japan,” Fibber quickly bungles his way through an interview with the chief, a sparring match with the formidable Matsudo, and a burglary investigation that ends with him in headlocks instead of headlines. With guest singer Tommy Harris crooning “The Mood That I’m In,” Jimmy Greer’s orchestra swinging, Teeny popping up with her usual sass, and Harlow Wilcox tying in Johnson’s Auto Wax contest promotions, this episode blends crime-busting parody with Hollywood satire—proving Fibber can’t even guard a beat without becoming the joke himself.