The Great Gildersleeve – 1941-1958  In 1941 Throckmorton P Gildersleeve spun off into his own radio program, becoming the first radio character to do so. He had originally appeared on Fibber McGee and Molly in 1937 and left to become the Water Commissioner of Summerfield and to raise his niece and nephew. The series had the same appeal as today’s soaps because each episode was connected. Gildersleeve’s romances were often at the centre of it all. The best of the romances is the one with Leila Ransom.

Catching Gildersleeve in his latest scheme were the druggist Peavey... with his "I wouldn't say that, Gildersleeve..." Gale Gordon was Rumson Bullard, the pompous, rich neighbor across the street, and Earle Ross was Judge Hooker. Arthur Q. Bryan was Floyd, the barber. 

Gildersleeve wasn't married, but had several ladies he was interested in, namely the Widow Ransom. She was a southern belle type, but she also had a cousin, Adeline Fairchild, who got interested in the successful, if somewhat pompous Gildey