This episode was originally released on 5/1/2020. While new episodes of Breaking Walls are on hiatus I'll be going back and posting the older episodes.

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In Breaking Walls Episode 103 we visit the town of Wistful Vista to spend a weekend at Walt’s Malt Shop with Fibber McGee and Molly. While between 1938 and 1950, Jim and Marian Jordan’s comedy never finished lower than fifth in national radio ratings, in this episode, we’ll focus on the period after, when the show became a closed production and aired for fifteen minutes, five days per week.

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Highlights:

Jim Jordan—Saver of Things

Who is this Fibber McGee and What does he do?

First Smackout, by way of Chicago

Marian Jordan—Molly McGee

Fibber and Molly join NBC

When Tuesday Night was Comedy Night

Television takes over as NBC’s Stars Jump Ship

Fibber and Molly Take a Ratings Hit

Marian’s Health Deteriorates

NBC’s plan for the 1950s

Fibber and Molly Becomes a Serial

Finding Success

Taking Over Walt’s Malt

After the Weekend

Winding Down

Looking Back to Look Forward

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The reading material used in today’s episode was:

On the Air — By John Dunning

Network Radio Ratings, 1932-53 — by Jim Ramsburg

As well as several articles from Broadcasting Magazine, Radio & TV Mirror, and Sponsor Magazine.

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On the interview front:

Parley Baer and Harry Bartell were with SPERDVAC, the Society to Preserve and Encourage Radio Drama, Variety, and Comedy. For more information, please go to SPERDVAC.com

Elvia Allman, Jim Jordan, Jim Jordan Jr, Phil Leslie, Willard Waterman, and Don Wilson were with Chuck Schaden. Hear their full chats at SpeakingofRadio.com.

Jim Jordan was with John Dunning for his 71KNUS program from Denver in 1982.

Don Quinn was interviewed in Hawaii by Owen Cunningham while on vacation in 1951.

And John Gibson and Jim Jordan were with Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran for WTIC’s The Golden Age of Radio. Hear their full chat at Goldenage—WTIC.org

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Selected music featured in today’s episode was:

Caravan — By Gordon Jenkins

Goodbye Montana, Pt. 1 — By George Winston

I Forgot to Remember to Forget — By Elvis Presley

Route 66 — By Nat King Cole