Skip to main content

November 16: Happy Birthday, Jim Jordan (aka Fibber McGee!)

November 16: Happy Birthday, Jim Jordan (aka Fibber McGee!)

Made immortal for his role in "Fibber McGee and Molly," Jordan was born Nov. 16, 1896
outside Peoria, IL. With his wife, Marian, he formed the fictional married couple Fibber McGee and Molly , an Irish immigrants struggling to get by and coping with the scrapes Fibber gets them in. The act began on stage and moved to the radio in 1935, where it would stay until 1959. The old time radio program was one of the most popular of its day and lives on as a jewel in the crown of old time radio.

Off the air, Jim served several terms on the Encino Chamber of Commerce, and invested in several businesses, including the Kansas City Hires Root Beer bottling plant.

After the death of Marian, his longtime wife and on-air partner, Jim married Gretchen Stewart.
His son, Jim Jordan, worked on the other side of the mic, directing several episodes of Martin and Lewis's "Colgate Comedy Hour" as well as several films.

Jim Jordan died Apr 2, 1988 in Los Angeles.

Comments

  1. TimNovember 16, 2012 at 9:31 AM

    One of the greatest comedy teams ever. If I had to choose a favorite routine from their show, it would probably be when they drove Mayor LaTrivia nuts with their word play.

    Fibber's most famous statement on politicians, Molly asked Fibber what the difference is between a politician and a statesman? Fibber retorted, "A Statesman is out to get the best deal he can for his country, a Politician is out to get the best deal he can!"

    ReplyDelete
  2. BruceNovember 16, 2012 at 9:31 AM

    One of my favorite OTR shows. Clever writing, great music, wonderful characters, what more could you want? Even after 70-ish years, it's still funny stuff.

    ReplyDelete
  3. JudyNovember 16, 2012 at 2:02 PM

    Used to listen to the radio when falling to sleep with them on the air. I named my best kitty, Fibber McGee, after him!! (Fibber's mama was named Molly, and he had a sister named Sis, and two brothers named Old Timer, and Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve. LOL)

    Actually, I need a name for a dog that beings with the letter "Y".. so far, I've only come up with Yowza but it works. Got any other suggestions?

    ReplyDelete
  4. BobNovember 16, 2012 at 2:03 PM

    NOT THAT CLOSET MCGEE!!!

    Jim Jordan was one of few people to be married to two spouses each for over 25 years. He remarried after Molly died and continued working as a "voice actor" for many years....

    Such a wonderful show. I got the CDs from OTR Cat and listened to them in order. My husband and I got the CDs also and listen to them often, still very funny.

    ReplyDelete
  5. GregNovember 16, 2012 at 4:14 PM

    "Tain't funny McGee."

    This was a great radio series. It was one of the first series that had a spinoff."

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

1946 Great Crepitation Fart Contest

Not for the faint of heart, here is the remarkable 1946 Crepitation (Fart) Contest (part of the 1946 News Broadcasts Collection ). You'll enjoy the fart-off between champion Englishman Lord Windsmear, and  challenger, Australian Paul Boomer who had stowed aboard a cabbage freighter. The hilarious comedy recording was apparently created a spoof by two Canadian radio sportscasters in 1946, but this 15 minute recording definitely has some gems in it.  Apparently they made several copies, but it was not for distribution. The recording was copied again and again on disc and reel to reel tape. It was distributed underground and played in dark rooms and back alleys around the world. If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element This recording is available with many other delightful treats on Random Rarities #7 available on   MP3 CD ,  Audio CD , and  instant download .
18 comments
Read more

April 27, 1932: The First Performance of Ed Wynn on Texaco Fire Chief Show

April 27, 1932:  Ed Wynn , the Texaco fire chief, graced the airwaves for the first time on Texaco Star Theater. Wynn, who enjoyed popularity as a vaudeville performer, gave as a condition to his switch to radio, that a live audience react to his humor.His condition was granted by the network and so began Wynn's career as the first true superstar of radio. Ed Wynn was hosted a popular radio show  on Tuesday nights for most of the 1930s. The radio show was heard in North America and sponsored by Texaco gasoline. On the show Wynn played  as the " Texaco Fire Chief ". He was often seen wearing a fireman's helmet. For this show, Wynn would turned down the offer form The Wizard in MGM's adaptation of The Wizard of Oz , to play a role on that show.
Post a Comment
Read more

Fast Fun Facts about Jack Webb

Jack Webb was an American actor, television producer, director, and screenwriter, best known for his role as Sergeant Joe Friday in the 1950s TV series "Dragnet." Here's twelve FUN FACTS for you to know: Jack Webb was born on April 2, 1920 in Santa Monica, California. He served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II, where he was a bomber pilot. In 1949, Webb created and starred in the radio series " Pat Novak for Hire ," which was the basis for the later " Dragnet " TV series. " Dragnet " was one of the first police procedural dramas on television, and it ran for eight seasons from 1951 to 1959. In addition to his work on " Dragnet ," Jack Webb also directed and produced several other TV shows, including "Adam-12," "Emergency!" and "Mark VII Limited." He was known for his distinctive style as a director, which involved using close-ups and quick cuts to convey a sense of immediacy. J
Post a Comment
Read more