# Fibber McGee and Molly - "The Big Star" (Old Time Radio, 1954)

An episode of [Fibber McGee and Molly | Old Time Radio](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1858238532), 28 Sep 2026, 15 min.

Audio: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/75412345/73775755dc3b4b87_mastered.mp3

Fibber McGee and Molly presents “The Big Star,” an archival episode originally broadcast on August 5, 1954. Listed as episode 959, this 15-minute NBC comedy stars Jim Jordan as Fibber McGee and Marian Jordan as Molly McGee. Fibber’s unexpected chance to become a movie star in The Last of Magnolia Manor sets the household buzzing in this installment of the show’s August 1954 film-production storyline. Sponsored by L&M Cigarettes, the episode finds the McGees navigating the comic possibilities of Fibber’s new screen opportunity. Fibber McGee and Molly presents the original broadcast with a newly produced contextual introduction, a short closing announcement, and gently cleaned/mastered audio for a more consistent listening experience. Chapters: 00:00 Victor Sterling Introduction 00:37 Original Broadcast 15:01 Closing Support Old Time Retro Radio at https://www.patreon.com/oldtimeretroradio

## Transcript

[0:00] Speaker 1: Fibber McGee is about to find himself in motion pictures,
[0:03] Speaker 1: cast in a film called The Last of Magnolia Manor.
[0:06] Speaker 1: It is a household development with plenty for Molly McGee
[0:09] Speaker 1: to consider, as Jim and Marion Jordan bring Fibber and
[0:13] Speaker 1: Molly to NBC's 15-minute weekday series. From August 5, 1954,
[0:19] Speaker 1: this is Fibber McGee and Molly, Episode 959, known as
[0:22] Speaker 1: The Big Star. The movie-making thread continues from the preceding
[0:29] Speaker 1: day's broadcast with Fibber's new screen opportunity at the center
[0:33] Speaker 1: of events. And now, the original broadcast.
[0:37] Speaker 2: It's time for Fibber, McGee, and Molly. Every weekday at
[0:48] Speaker 2: this time, NBC brings you Fibber, McGee, and Molly transcribed.
[0:53] Speaker 2: The show is written by Phil Leslie and Ralph Goodman
[0:55] Speaker 2: and directed by Max Hutto. Fibber and Molly will be
[1:05] Speaker 2: with you in a minute. L and M goes king size. Yes,
[1:10] Speaker 2: L and M goes king size. Now, L and M
[1:14] Speaker 2: is king size as well as regular. Both have the
[1:17] Speaker 2: same low price. Both have the pure white miracle tip
[1:20] Speaker 2: for the effective filtration you need. Yes, it's the filter
[1:24] Speaker 2: that counts. And L and M has the best. You
[1:27] Speaker 2: get much more flavor, much less nicotine. A light and
[1:30] Speaker 2: mild smoke. This is it, filter tip smokers. L and
[1:35] Speaker 2: M filters, just what the doctor ordered. Look for the
[1:38] Speaker 2: beautiful monogrammed pack. Next time, buy L and M filters,
[1:43] Speaker 2: king size or regular, both at the same low price.
[1:47] Speaker 2: L and M filters, America's highest quality and best filter
[1:51] Speaker 2: tip cigarette.
[1:53] Speaker 3: This is it, L & M Filters. This is it,
[1:57] Speaker 3: something new. Now two sizes, L & M Filters. New
[2:02] Speaker 3: king size and regular too. This is it, L &
[2:07] Speaker 3: M Filters.
[2:09] Speaker 4: L & M Filters with the miracle tip.
[2:22] Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah.
[2:23] Speaker 5: Okay, Molly, but hurry back, will you? That movie script
[2:26] Speaker 5: will be here any minute now, and you can help
[2:28] Speaker 5: me rehearse. Yeah, I'm just sitting here telling Les Nelson
[2:31] Speaker 5: all about it. Okay, goodbye, Molly.
[2:35] Speaker 3: By golly, this sure is exciting, Mr. McGee. Yeah. Me
[2:38] Speaker 3: and Sally, we're just real impressed living next door to
[2:41] Speaker 3: a movie actor. Go ahead with your story of how
[2:45] Speaker 3: you got this contract.
[2:46] Speaker 5: Okay, where was I when Molly phoned?
[2:49] Speaker 3: Well, let's see now. You had told me how you
[2:51] Speaker 3: accidentally busted up this movie the Hollywood people were shooting
[2:55] Speaker 3: out in the country Tuesday, and you were up to
[2:57] Speaker 3: the part where the director come over here to see
[3:00] Speaker 3: you yesterday.
[3:01] Speaker 5: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's right. Well, sir, this director, Duval,
[3:04] Speaker 5: the great Duval, they call him, he's the guy that
[3:07] Speaker 5: created such masterpieces as Return of the Romans, Elephant Valley...
[3:12] Speaker 5: and that never-to-be-forgotten drama of a woman's sacrifice for her
[3:16] Speaker 5: only child, Dial M for Mother.
[3:19] Speaker 3: Oh, that was a good one. Yes, sir, I saw
[3:22] Speaker 3: that over to the Bijou, and I ate a 50-cent
[3:25] Speaker 3: box of popcorn, boxing all watching that.
[3:28] Speaker 5: Well, sir, he says to me, McGee, he says, when
[3:31] Speaker 5: we were shooting our big scene at Magnolia Manor yesterday,
[3:34] Speaker 5: and you come out of nowhere and rushed into the
[3:36] Speaker 5: back door of our burning mansion and rescued Lana Latour
[3:39] Speaker 5: before I could holler cut, I was pretty annoyed.
[3:41] Speaker 3: Well, I guess you can't hardly blame him. They was
[3:44] Speaker 3: expecting their hero to come out the front door carrying
[3:47] Speaker 3: the girl, and you come out instead.
[3:48] Speaker 5: And he says, when our $ 50, 000 house burned to the
[3:51] Speaker 5: ground before we could shoot it over, and then you
[3:53] Speaker 5: walked over to me and said, boy, you newsreel guys
[3:55] Speaker 5: sure get here fast. I was sore, he says.
[3:57] Speaker 3: It's a wonder he didn't kill you. And after all that,
[4:01] Speaker 3: this fellow Duval actually gave you a contract to be
[4:04] Speaker 3: in his picture at $ 1, 000 a day?
[4:07] Speaker 5: There it is, Les. There it is, signed and all set.
[4:11] Speaker 5: I'm waiting for the script to get here right now
[4:13] Speaker 5: so I can start rehearsing for my big scene tomorrow
[4:15] Speaker 5: They're writing a special part in for me Well, I
[4:18] Speaker 5: will be jiggered When they seen my dramatization, a red-blooded
[4:21] Speaker 5: American manhood in action They must have knew they had something.
[4:25] Speaker 3: Oh, they had something, all right Wonder it wasn't a stroke.
[4:30] Speaker 5: But the thing that really clinched it was my voice
[4:33] Speaker 5: Your voice? Yes, sir, I never realized it myself But
[4:36] Speaker 5: my voice has the exact same tonal quality of one
[4:40] Speaker 5: of the greatest actors of all John Barrymore.
[4:43] Speaker 3: Barrymore?
[4:44] Speaker 5: Here, listen. Hark! What light by yonder winder breaks? It
[4:50] Speaker 5: is the East, and Juliet, you are my son. Don't
[4:55] Speaker 5: that sound just like John Barrymore?
[4:57] Speaker 3: Well, uh, I guess I must have been thinking of
[5:00] Speaker 3: the wrong John Barrymore, Mr. McGee. The one I had
[5:04] Speaker 3: in mind... I was just.
[5:05] Speaker 4: Passing by, and I heard you were signing Romeo and.
[5:07] Speaker 3: Juliet, McGee.
[5:08] Speaker 5: Oh, hi, Fatso.
[5:09] Speaker 3: Well, hello, Dr. Gamble.
[5:10] Speaker 5: Hiya, Les.
[5:11] Speaker 4: What does I hear about you getting a role in
[5:13] Speaker 4: a Hollywood movie, McGee? Don't tell me that Francis the
[5:16] Speaker 4: Mule is retired. That's what I hate about the summertime, Les.
[5:20] Speaker 4: You leave your door open and you never know what
[5:22] Speaker 4: kind of pest is liable to crawl in on you.
[5:25] Speaker 4: No kidding. Is it actually true that after ruining that
[5:28] Speaker 4: movie out there the other day, they're going to pay
[5:30] Speaker 4: you money to act in it?
[5:31] Speaker 3: They sure are, doctor. I just saw the contract. Yeah?
[5:34] Speaker 4: What are you going to play, sonny? The corpse in
[5:36] Speaker 4: the bottom of the well?
[5:37] Speaker 5: Because I'll go see the picture. If you're going to be...
[5:39] Speaker 5: Read him the contract, Lester. Read him the contract. Go on.
[5:41] Speaker 5: Read it to the big, fat, skeptical, jealous, sour grapes
[5:44] Speaker 5: old doctor. Read him the contract.
[5:45] Speaker 2: Read it.
[5:46] Speaker 3: Well, it says here that they're hiring Mr. McGee to
[5:49] Speaker 3: appear as an actor in a picture. Now, it says,
[5:52] Speaker 3: at the rate of $ 1, 000 per eight-hour date. What?
[5:57] Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah.
[5:58] Speaker 3: For all time actually spent in front of cameras.
[6:02] Speaker 5: You betcha.
[6:04] Speaker 3: What? That's over $ 100 an hour. Yep.
[6:05] Speaker 5: Hmm.
[6:07] Speaker 3: Well, now, I hear it only takes this fellow Duval
[6:09] Speaker 3: a few minutes to shoot a scene once he gets
[6:11] Speaker 3: it all set up, but Even if Mr. McGee only
[6:15] Speaker 3: spends 10 or 15 minutes in front of the camera, why,
[6:18] Speaker 3: that's $ 20 or $ 30 for his day's work.
[6:21] Speaker 5: $ 20 or $ 30? You mean I'll sit around there all
[6:23] Speaker 5: day and maybe only work 15 minutes?
[6:25] Speaker 4: That's the way they make movies, I understand. Why don't
[6:28] Speaker 4: you read your contract, stupid?
[6:29] Speaker 5: I never thought of it that way. Forgive me, friends.
[6:34] Speaker 5: I must have time to think. I pray thee go
[6:38] Speaker 5: and leave me to my meditations. My bones are weary.
[6:42] Speaker 5: They cry out for sweet repose. So go now that
[6:46] Speaker 5: I may sleep and rest, lest I appear on the
[6:49] Speaker 5: set tomorrow, wan and weary, pale and pooped. Twenty to
[6:55] Speaker 5: thirty bucks. My gosh, I thought I'd get a thousand. Well,
[6:59] Speaker 5: by George, I'll show them movie maggots. Once the public
[7:02] Speaker 5: sees me on the screen....
[7:13] Speaker 2: There's more fun with the McGee's shortly. If you're a
[7:17] Speaker 2: teenager up, a loyal American, male or female, your country
[7:21] Speaker 2: needs you in the Civilian Ground Observer Corps. You've heard
[7:25] Speaker 2: the radio broadcasts, seen the television pictures, you know the facts.
[7:29] Speaker 2: You know what a single H-bomb dropped in any metropolitan
[7:33] Speaker 2: area could do. And today's long-range bombers have made intercontinental
[7:37] Speaker 2: war possible. Enemy planes based on the other side of
[7:40] Speaker 2: the world could reach the United States in a matter
[7:42] Speaker 2: of hours. Radar can help detect them, but there are
[7:46] Speaker 2: dangerous gaps through which low-flying planes can penetrate without detection.
[7:50] Speaker 2: To fill out our detection system, civilian personnel is needed,
[7:53] Speaker 2: particularly along the east and west coasts and in the
[7:56] Speaker 2: northern states. Sky watching is not a game, it's a
[7:59] Speaker 2: necessary precaution. The Ground Observer Corps is now operating on
[8:02] Speaker 2: a 24-hour-a-day basis and needs at least 200,000 volunteers to
[8:07] Speaker 2: contribute a few hours of their spare time to this
[8:09] Speaker 2: vital work. Get in touch with your local Civilian Defense
[8:12] Speaker 2: Center at once.
[8:23] Speaker 5: Can this be the ghost of Hamlet's father strolling down
[8:26] Speaker 5: your garden wall? Out, darn spot, out with you. Alas,
[8:31] Speaker 5: poor Yorick, I knew her well.
[8:34] Speaker 6: The last poor McGee. I wish I could say the
[8:36] Speaker 6: same about him.
[8:37] Speaker 3: Huh?
[8:38] Speaker 5: What was that?
[8:38] Speaker 6: Ever since that Mr. Duvall came over here and told
[8:41] Speaker 6: you you sounded like John Barrymore, you've been fracturing Shakespeare
[8:44] Speaker 6: all over the place. Light somewhere, will you, McGee? You're
[8:47] Speaker 6: making me nervous.
[8:48] Speaker 5: Well, I'm just practicing till the script gets here, Molly.
[8:51] Speaker 5: Just developing my pear-shaped tones.
[8:53] Speaker 6: You're going to develop a prune-shaped face if you don't
[8:55] Speaker 6: stop twisting it up like that. Why don't you run
[8:58] Speaker 6: upstairs and try on your costume again? Those buckskin pants
[9:01] Speaker 6: may need letting out.
[9:02] Speaker 5: No, no, they're okay. I tried them. I'm too keyed
[9:04] Speaker 5: up to be trying on clothes anyhow. I gotta keep
[9:06] Speaker 5: my vocal cords loosened up.
[9:07] Speaker 6: I never saw the day they weren't. Rest them a while.
[9:11] Speaker 6: I've gotta go iron you some shirts. Call me when
[9:13] Speaker 6: the script gets here, will you?
[9:24] Speaker 5: Hey, Molly, it's here.
[9:25] Speaker 3: It's here.
[9:25] Speaker 5: The script.
[9:26] Speaker 3: It's here.
[9:26] Speaker 6: Well, thank goodness.
[9:28] Speaker 5: Yeah, look. Here's the scene I'm going to do with
[9:30] Speaker 5: the hero, Captain Greystark. Holy smoke.
[9:33] Speaker 6: What's the matter?
[9:34] Speaker 5: Look at it, will you? It's eight pages long. I'm
[9:38] Speaker 5: practically the star of this thing.
[9:39] Speaker 6: Well, naturally.
[9:41] Speaker 5: Now, here's how we'll do it. You read all the
[9:43] Speaker 5: lines marked Captain Greystark, you see. My name in the
[9:45] Speaker 5: picture is Orville. And when you come to a line
[9:48] Speaker 5: that's marked Orville, you stop and it's my turn. Okay?
[9:51] Speaker 6: Okay.
[9:51] Speaker 5: Now, here we go. Let's see. Orville is standing in
[9:55] Speaker 5: the shadow of Magnolia Manor. He hears a twig break
[9:58] Speaker 5: as he is approached from behind. by his dear and
[10:00] Speaker 5: true friend, Captain Greystark. Greystark speaks. Quiet on the set.
[10:06] Speaker 3: Action.
[10:06] Speaker 6: Camera.
[10:06] Speaker 5: Okay, Molly.
[10:07] Speaker 3: Okay.
[10:08] Speaker 6: It is I, Captain Greystark. Don't look around, Orville, or
[10:12] Speaker 6: you'll give me away. I sought you out because you're
[10:15] Speaker 6: the only one at Magnolia Manor that I can trust.
[10:19] Speaker 6: Things have not gone well with our troops, Orville. I
[10:22] Speaker 6: have slipped through the enemy lines for one last look
[10:24] Speaker 6: at my dear wife, Melanie. For tomorrow we attack at dawn. No,
[10:29] Speaker 6: do not speak, my dear friend. I have little time
[10:32] Speaker 6: and much to say.
[10:33] Speaker 5: Boy, you can say that again. Twelve lines and I
[10:36] Speaker 5: haven't had a word yet. Go ahead.
[10:40] Speaker 6: Listen closely, Orville. You are my best friend. You are
[10:44] Speaker 6: brave and true. A day never passes that my men
[10:47] Speaker 6: do not talk of your daring exploits. Major Kincaid speaks
[10:51] Speaker 6: very highly of you. And so does General Flagstaff.
[10:54] Speaker 5: Looks like everybody's got something to say but me.
[10:56] Speaker 6: Now, don't get upset, dearie. I'm sure that.
[10:58] Speaker 5: Well, so far, all I've done is stand there with
[11:00] Speaker 5: my back to the camera and a look of compassion
[11:02] Speaker 5: in my eyes. Whatever that is. No lines. No lines.
[11:06] Speaker 5: What is this? A silent movie? Let me see that script.
[11:09] Speaker 6: Maybe they sent over the wrong part.
[11:11] Speaker 5: Oh, this is the right one, all right. Here's my part. Orville.
[11:14] Speaker 6: On the last page?
[11:15] Speaker 3: Yep.
[11:16] Speaker 5: After Graystark makes an eight-page speech, then I get my turn.
[11:20] Speaker 5: And listen to this. As Graystark finishes speaking, Orville turns.
[11:25] Speaker 5: He is visibly moved. He places his hand gently on
[11:29] Speaker 5: Graystark's shoulder and starts to speak.
[11:32] Speaker 6: Good.
[11:33] Speaker 5: But the words do not come.
[11:34] Speaker 3: What?
[11:34] Speaker 5: What? The two men look into each other's eyes for
[11:37] Speaker 5: a moment, and finally Orville speaks.
[11:40] Speaker 6: Well, it's high time. What does he say?
[11:42] Speaker 5: Captain Graystark, you can count on me.
[11:45] Speaker 6: What?
[11:46] Speaker 5: That's it. Captain Graystark, you can count on me. Unless
[11:50] Speaker 5: there's a page missing. And there ain't, because the next
[11:52] Speaker 5: page is page nine, and it says... Thanks to the
[11:55] Speaker 5: entire cast for their cooperation on this fine picture. Please
[11:58] Speaker 5: return uniforms to wardrobe. Movies are better than ever. Well,
[12:01] Speaker 5: if that isn't... Give me that phone. They can't do
[12:04] Speaker 5: this to me. What does that Duval mean? Me, a
[12:07] Speaker 5: part like that. Why, who does he... Hello, operator? Hello, operator?
[12:20] Speaker 2: We'll say goodnight to Fever and Molly in a moment.
[12:23] Speaker 2: Here's a suggestion for something to do tomorrow evening. Wherever
[12:27] Speaker 2: you are, at home relaxing or out for a spin
[12:29] Speaker 2: in the car, let NBC help your evening along by
[12:32] Speaker 2: supplying the music. We mean the music all America is
[12:36] Speaker 2: whistling and humming these days in a danceable two-hour program
[12:40] Speaker 2: called Hear America Swinging. You'll hear the top bands and
[12:45] Speaker 2: top vocalists in the nation. Just listen to some of
[12:47] Speaker 2: the people who have appeared recently on Hear America Swinging.
[12:51] Speaker 2: Paul Weston and his orchestra. Freddie Martin, the George Shearing Quintet,
[12:56] Speaker 2: Billy May with his band. It's always a musical lineup
[13:00] Speaker 2: you just can't equal anywhere. And NBC brings it all
[13:04] Speaker 2: to you tomorrow evening in a two-hour session to suit
[13:07] Speaker 2: every taste. If you like it sweet, if you like
[13:10] Speaker 2: it cool, whatever you want in popular music, you'll find
[13:13] Speaker 2: it tomorrow when NBC brings you Hear America Swinging, an
[13:17] Speaker 2: ideal musical background for your relaxing summer evenings.
[13:29] Speaker 5: Captain Graystark, you can count on me. Captain Graystark, you
[13:35] Speaker 5: can count on me.
[13:36] Speaker 6: McGee, you never did tell me what that director said
[13:39] Speaker 6: when you told him you wanted more lines tomorrow.
[13:41] Speaker 5: Well, don't worry. I can steal the picture with this
[13:43] Speaker 5: one line. After all, in the old days, Molly, the
[13:46] Speaker 5: great stars like William S. Hart and Francis X. Bushman
[13:49] Speaker 5: and Gloria P. Swanson, they didn't say a word on
[13:52] Speaker 5: the screen. Them stars made their fame in complete silence.
[13:57] Speaker 6: Oh, that'll never happen to you.
[14:01] Speaker 5: Oh, good night.
[14:02] Speaker 6: Good night, all.
[14:10] Speaker 2: Fibber McGee and Molly is an NBC Radio Network production
[14:14] Speaker 2: with Arthur Q. Bryan as Dr. Gamble and Robert Easton
[14:17] Speaker 2: as Les Nelson. This is John Wald inviting you to
[14:20] Speaker 2: meet us at the same time tomorrow on the set
[14:23] Speaker 2: of Magnolia Manor, a Hollywood epic being.
[14:26] Speaker 3: Filmed near Wistful Vista.
[14:28] Speaker 2: What will happen when Mr. McGee steps before the cameras
[14:31] Speaker 2: is anybody's guess, but my guess is it'll be fun.
[14:34] Speaker 2: Tune in and see.
[14:35] Speaker 6: Good night.
[14:36] Speaker 3: Good night.
[14:45] Speaker 1: Get behind the headlines to the heart of the news
[14:48] Speaker 1: tonight on the NBC radio network. That was Fibber McGee
[15:01] Speaker 1: and Molly, the big star. Follow Fibber McGee and Molly
[15:05] Speaker 1: for more classic broadcasts.

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