The Man on the Street Broadcast

Originally aired October 18, 1937, this episode of Fibber McGee & Molly finds Fibber launching his own “man on the street” radio program—part self-promotion, part thinly-veiled job application to impress Mayor Applepuss. Stationed at the freshly paved 14th Street in Wistful Vista, Fibber aims to boost the mayor’s popularity (and his own career prospects) with a flurry of street interviews, fast-talking flattery, and off-the-cuff quizzes for bewildered passers-by. The segment features a parade of comical characters: the literal-minded Cicero Claude, the wisecracking nightclub dancer Temple Glaroo, a confused Southern gentleman named Silly, an upper-crust Brit with a tongue-twisting name, and even the ever-logical Harpo with a biblical brain teaser. As the broadcast spirals from snappy gags to flat-out absurdity, Molly does her best to keep Fibber grounded—especially when the mayor's niece makes a surprise appearance with a humbling (and hilarious) job offer. Complete with Johnson’s Wax and Glow Coat ads and remastered for clarity, this bustling episode of Fibber McGee & Molly offers a fast-paced slice of golden-age radio satire at its best.