A Christmas Gift for McGee's Nephew

Originally aired December 20, 1938, this holiday-themed episode of Fibber McGee & Molly finds Fibber proudly claiming his Christmas shopping is done, until a high-pressure pitch from Schlepperman convinces him to buy a tricycle for a nephew he suddenly remembers he does not have. What follows is a zany journey home on an overcrowded streetcar, with Fibber holding the ill-advised gift and encountering a cast of quirky characters, including Mrs. Uppington, the Old Timer, and Horatio K. Boomer. As the episode unfolds with slapstick streetcar antics, misunderstandings, and witty wordplay, Fibber’s holiday spirit becomes tangled with his classic tendency to fib. The twist at the end is pure McGee: he bought a tricycle for a nonexistent nephew! Complete with musical numbers like “Mutiny in the Nursery,” the smooth vocals of Don Novis, and Johnson’s Glow Coat ads in all their shiny splendor, this episode delivers vintage radio comedy wrapped in golden-age charm.