The Great Gildersleeve
Harold Peary was the first voice actor who played played the title character of Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve, a pompous windbag of a business executive, on old time radio's Fibber McGee and Molly show. His character was so popular that he was given his own show, possibly the first show ever to be spun off from another and a popular situation comedy.
"The Great Gildersleeve" debuted in 1941. The premise of the show was that Gildersleeve had moved to the city of Summerfield to take care of his orphaned niece Marjorie (Lurene Tuttle) and nephew Leroy (Walter Tetley). Being a bachelor, Gildy had his hands full raising two young 'uns, running Summerfield's water department, and having a life of his own which included time with the ladies and nights out with the guys.
The show ran as a half-hour comedy for thirteen years, after which it declined in tandem with radio comedy in general. Willard Waterman replaced Peary as Gildersleeve in 1950, matching the voice so well that many listeners didn't notice. The last live broadcast was in 1957.
Trivia
The original episodes were co-written by John Whedon, the father of Tom Whedon (who wrote The Golden Girls), and grandfather of Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer).Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve's middle name was PHILHARMONIC. Gildy admits as much at the end of "Gildersleeve's Diary" on the Fibber and Molly series (10/22/40).
