# Fibber McGee and Molly - "Molly's Book End" (Old Time Radio, 1954)

An episode of [Fibber McGee and Molly | Old Time Radio](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1858238532), 27 Sep 2026, 15 min.

Audio: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/75399365/eb1c98b0b1074137_mastered.mp3

Fibber McGee and Molly presents “Molly’s Book End,” originally broadcast on September 8, 1954. Episode 984 finds Jim and Marian Jordan as Fibber and Molly McGee in a 15-minute NBC Radio Network comedy episode. In Wistful Vista, Molly’s antique-shop purchase may reunite a long-separated pair of unusual bookends, but a package mix-up soon turns the errand into a hurried adventure. Bill Thompson appears as Old Timer in this episode, written by Phil Leslie and Ralph Goodman and directed by Max Hutto. 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 00:49 Original Broadcast 15:10 Closing Support Old Time Retro Radio at https://www.patreon.com/oldtimeretroradio

## Transcript

[0:00] Speaker 1: In Wistful Vista, Molly McGee discovers a chance to reunite
[0:04] Speaker 1: two long-separated antique bookends, one already familiar in the McGee household.
[0:10] Speaker 1: Her purchase at the Wistful Vista antique shop turns unexpectedly
[0:14] Speaker 1: urgent when a mix-up involving another customer's package sends Molly
[0:19] Speaker 1: an old-timer into pursuit. From NBC, this 15-minute weekday broadcast
[0:25] Speaker 1: of September 8, 1954, is Fibber McGee and Molly, episode
[0:31] Speaker 1: number 984, Molly's Book End, with Jim Jordan and Marion
[0:36] Speaker 1: Jordan as Fibber and Molly, and Bill Thompson as Old Timer.
[0:40] Speaker 1: Phil Leslie and Ralph Goodman wrote it. Max Hutto directed. Now,
[0:46] Speaker 1: back to the golden age of radio.
[0:49] Speaker 2: It's time for Fibber McGee and Molly.
[0:51] Speaker 1: © BF-WATCH TV 2021.
[1:22] Speaker 3: We'll join Fibber and Molly in just a moment. See
[1:40] Speaker 3: the most beautiful styles in TV history. See the amazing
[1:43] Speaker 3: new all-clear picture. The new EZC tuning dial. Then see
[1:46] Speaker 3: the good news on the price tags. The lowest ever
[1:48] Speaker 3: for RCA Victor dependability.
[2:04] Speaker 4: It's dependable, so dependable, as dependable as can be.
[2:09] Speaker 5: That's why every year more people buy RCA Victor.
[2:14] Speaker 6: Than any other TV for dependability.
[2:18] Speaker 3: Remember the world's best names for quality, RCA and RCA Victor.
[2:25] Speaker 7: RCA Victor.
[2:34] Speaker 6: The Wistful Vista Antique Shop cordially invites you to come
[2:37] Speaker 6: in and browse among the merchandise. Among this morning's browsers
[2:41] Speaker 6: is Mrs. Molly McGee, who has just bought something she's
[2:44] Speaker 6: been looking for for years.
[2:46] Speaker 5: I'll wrap it up for you, lady. The price on
[2:48] Speaker 5: that is $ 6.
[2:49] Speaker 8: $ 6 seems pretty high for.
[2:50] Speaker 5: That's all hand carving on there. That's real jade, you know,
[2:53] Speaker 5: that dragon head. The eye on it is.
[2:55] Speaker 8: But it's just a tiny little piece and.
[2:57] Speaker 5: That's the price, lady. Take it or leave it. Rare
[2:59] Speaker 5: junk like this is hard to find.
[3:01] Speaker 8: I've been looking for one of these for years. I'll
[3:04] Speaker 8: take it. Here's your money.
[3:05] Speaker 3: Thanks.
[3:07] Speaker 5: I'll put it in a box for you. And say,
[3:12] Speaker 5: now that the sale is completed, lady, would you mind
[3:15] Speaker 5: telling me what you're going to do with one bookend?
[3:18] Speaker 5: I mean, one bookend is like one rubber boot.
[3:21] Speaker 8: It does look like a silly purchase, but you see,
[3:23] Speaker 8: I've got the mate to it at home.
[3:25] Speaker 5: Oh, well.
[3:26] Speaker 8: My aunt gave me a pair of them for a
[3:27] Speaker 8: wedding gift, and one of them got broken and thrown away.
[3:30] Speaker 8: I've been saving the other one. It's such an unusual thing.
[3:33] Speaker 5: Sure unusual, all right. That's why I had it in
[3:36] Speaker 5: the window for an eye catcher. There isn't a day
[3:38] Speaker 5: goes by that somebody doesn't drop in and say, what
[3:41] Speaker 5: the heck is that?
[3:43] Speaker 8: Well, I'm delighted to have a pair again.
[3:45] Speaker 5: Say, before you go, I wonder if you'd take a
[3:48] Speaker 5: look at this. This is another thing I can't figure
[3:51] Speaker 5: out what it is. Hmm.
[3:53] Speaker 8: Looks like some sort of a little box with a
[3:55] Speaker 8: little man carved on it.
[3:56] Speaker 5: The box doesn't open.
[3:58] Speaker 8: What does it do?
[3:59] Speaker 5: Anything? Put your packages down for a minute. Let me
[4:01] Speaker 5: show you. Here, now look. You put your hand around
[4:06] Speaker 5: the box so you cover all these little holes in
[4:08] Speaker 5: back of it.
[4:08] Speaker 8: Cover the holes. Mm-hmm.
[4:10] Speaker 2: That's it.
[4:11] Speaker 5: Now push the little man's nose.
[4:13] Speaker 8: Like this?
[4:13] Speaker 4: Uh-huh.
[4:14] Speaker 5: Now watch what happens.
[4:17] Speaker 8: Good heavens. Look at his ears wiggle.
[4:19] Speaker 5: Shh.
[4:20] Speaker 2: Listen.
[4:23] Speaker 8: Sounds like some sort of a music box.
[4:24] Speaker 5: It says made in China. That's all I know about it.
[4:33] Speaker 8: My goodness, where'd you get this thing?
[4:34] Speaker 5: Oh, all this stuff was here when I bought the store,
[4:37] Speaker 5: including two of these.
[4:38] Speaker 7: Two of them?
[4:39] Speaker 8: What does the other one play, Gilly Gilly Awesome Pepper
[4:41] Speaker 8: by the Sea?
[4:42] Speaker 5: No, no, it does the same thing this one does.
[4:45] Speaker 5: I sold it this morning to a lady.
[4:46] Speaker 8: Oh, no.
[4:47] Speaker 5: There it is over there, all wrapped up and ready
[4:49] Speaker 5: to go. She dashed out of here without it, but
[4:52] Speaker 5: I have a feeling she'll... Yes, this is her.
[4:56] Speaker 8: Wait there, driver.
[4:56] Speaker 5: I'll be right out.
[4:58] Speaker 4: Oh, dear, oh, dear, oh, dear.
[4:59] Speaker 2: It's me.
[4:59] Speaker 9: I'm back.
[5:00] Speaker 5: I had a hunch you would be, lady.
[5:01] Speaker 8: Can you imagine?
[5:03] Speaker 5: After stumbling on that wonderful little thingamabob and then forgetting
[5:06] Speaker 5: to take my.
[5:07] Speaker 9: Package home to you.
[5:09] Speaker 7: I don't know where my head is today.
[5:10] Speaker 9: Do you have it?
[5:11] Speaker 5: No, it's right there under your hat.
[5:14] Speaker 7: The package.
[5:15] Speaker 8: That Chinese thing, the package.
[5:16] Speaker 2: Oh, yes, ma'am.
[5:17] Speaker 5: It's still here. Oh, thank heavens. I was so afraid
[5:21] Speaker 5: you might have sold it to someone else.
[5:22] Speaker 2: No.
[5:23] Speaker 5: Fortunately for you, there's very little demand for rare items
[5:26] Speaker 5: like this in the warm months.
[5:28] Speaker 8: Oh, good, good.
[5:29] Speaker 5: Sorry to have troubled you.
[5:31] Speaker 8: I'll just take my little package and run.
[5:33] Speaker 2: Goodbye.
[5:33] Speaker 3: Goodbye.
[5:34] Speaker 9: Ah, come in, Carrie.
[5:35] Speaker 7: It was nice to see you, Carrie.
[5:36] Speaker 9: Oh, I'm sorry.
[5:40] Speaker 8: Well, I hope she'll be very happy.
[5:43] Speaker 2: Oh, dear.
[5:43] Speaker 5: What's the matter?
[5:44] Speaker 8: My package, it's gone. She took my book in.
[5:46] Speaker 2: Uh-oh.
[5:47] Speaker 8: This is her silly thingamabob here.
[5:50] Speaker 2: Oh, lady, wait!
[5:52] Speaker 10: Lady, wait!
[5:53] Speaker 7: Hey, hey!
[5:56] Speaker 11: Hey, get out of the street there, girl. You trying
[5:58] Speaker 11: to get yourself killed? My brakes is bad and.
[6:01] Speaker 8: Well, hello there, daughter.
[6:02] Speaker 5: Mr.
[6:03] Speaker 8: Oldtimer, oh, am I glad to see you. How fast
[6:05] Speaker 8: can this old truck go?
[6:06] Speaker 7: Oh, it'll go about.
[6:07] Speaker 8: Can you give me a lift?
[6:08] Speaker 7: Well, it's against the.
[6:09] Speaker 8: Good. Quick, follow that cab there.
[6:11] Speaker 7: What cab?
[6:12] Speaker 8: The one that just turned around the corner on two wheels. Hurry,
[6:14] Speaker 8: she's getting away.
[6:15] Speaker 7: Hold tight. Here we go. Hope there ain't no shooting
[6:18] Speaker 7: because this is a new hat. Now I wouldn't want
[6:20] Speaker 7: to have anything happen to it.
[6:22] Speaker 2: Let it go. Back to West Vista in a minute.
[6:36] Speaker 12: Onion test proves arid best.
[6:39] Speaker 9: Onion test proves arid best.
[6:41] Speaker 10: Yes, it's easy to prove to yourself that there is
[6:44] Speaker 10: one deodorant that gives you complete protection from perspiration odor.
[6:48] Speaker 9: Simply rub a sliced onion on the back of your hand.
[6:50] Speaker 9: You know how strong an onion smells.
[6:53] Speaker 10: Now take new arid with non-staining chlorophyll. It's the wonderful
[6:57] Speaker 10: new vanishing cream deodorant. Rub it in the same spot
[6:59] Speaker 10: you rub the onion. The light green color quickly vanishes.
[7:02] Speaker 10: And when it vanishes, all the onion odor is gone.
[7:05] Speaker 9: And that's exactly what happens to perspiration odor and perspiration, too,
[7:10] Speaker 9: when you use the new arid with chlorophyll daily.
[7:12] Speaker 12: Soft, creamy arid has an exclusive vanishing cream texture to
[7:16] Speaker 12: give you rubbed-in protection, an extra margin of protection that
[7:20] Speaker 12: no other deodorant can give you.
[7:21] Speaker 9: Arid with chlorophyll won't stain. It's washable.
[7:24] Speaker 10: Certified by the American Institute of Laundry. Only 43 cents
[7:28] Speaker 10: plus tax.
[7:29] Speaker 9: Don't be half safe.
[7:31] Speaker 10: Use arid with chlorophyll to be sure.
[7:34] Speaker 6: THE END.
[7:45] Speaker 8: There they go around that turn.
[7:46] Speaker 5: Hurry.
[7:47] Speaker 7: I see them, daughter.
[7:48] Speaker 8: Ah, look out for that pole, heavenly days, when you
[7:51] Speaker 8: skid around those turns like that.
[7:53] Speaker 7: Scares you, doesn't it? Why don't you do like I do?
[7:55] Speaker 8: What's that?
[7:56] Speaker 7: Put your hands over your eyes. Be surprised what a
[7:59] Speaker 7: difference it makes. Which way they go? Oh, I see them.
[8:02] Speaker 7: There they are racing up Main Street.
[8:04] Speaker 8: Oh, this is awful. After looking for that bookend for
[8:06] Speaker 8: years and then something like this has to happen.
[8:08] Speaker 7: Well, that's life, daughter. I got an uncle doing it.
[8:11] Speaker 5: Doing what? Life.
[8:13] Speaker 11: Uncle Normal, we call him, because he's different from the
[8:15] Speaker 11: rest of the family.
[8:16] Speaker 7: His wife, Emily, she.
[8:17] Speaker 8: There they go, up Elm Street.
[8:19] Speaker 11: That's impossible, daughter. She's in San Francisco and he's in
[8:22] Speaker 11: San Quentin.
[8:23] Speaker 7: Uncle Normal is.
[8:24] Speaker 8: I mean the cab, the lady with my bookend.
[8:26] Speaker 11: We'll catch her, daughter. You got the little thingamajig that
[8:28] Speaker 11: you push on his nose and bells ring?
[8:30] Speaker 8: Yes, yes, hurry. Hang on.
[8:34] Speaker 7: Which way are they? Oh, looks to me like they're
[8:36] Speaker 7: heading for the railroad station.
[8:38] Speaker 8: Oh, dear, I don't know where the woman's going or
[8:40] Speaker 8: anything about her. If I don't get that book in now,
[8:42] Speaker 8: it may wind up in South America.
[8:43] Speaker 11: There they go, down the ramp, into the station. Oh,
[8:46] Speaker 11: that's a big station, daughter, full of strangers. No telling
[8:49] Speaker 11: where she's headed for.
[8:50] Speaker 8: I've got a plan. Wheel into the station there, and
[8:52] Speaker 8: I'll go to the information desk. I'll catch her before
[8:54] Speaker 8: she gets on a train if I have to. Now,
[9:10] Speaker 8: if you'll just please turn on the public address system
[9:12] Speaker 8: and page her for me, sir.
[9:13] Speaker 2: I'll... Now, let me get this straight, lady.
[9:15] Speaker 4: You want me to call somebody for you on the
[9:17] Speaker 4: public address system, right?
[9:18] Speaker 8: If you please. It's terribly important.
[9:20] Speaker 4: But you don't know the party's name.
[9:21] Speaker 8: No, but.
[9:22] Speaker 4: Well, how do you expect me to page her for
[9:24] Speaker 4: you when you don't know who she is?
[9:25] Speaker 7: Line number 17... Now.
[9:29] Speaker 8: Look, it's very simple. Look, all you have to do
[9:33] Speaker 8: is take this little box and hold it to the microphone,
[9:35] Speaker 8: you see?
[9:35] Speaker 5: Box?
[9:36] Speaker 8: Just hold your hand around it so you cover these
[9:38] Speaker 8: holes in the back of it and push on the
[9:39] Speaker 8: little man's nose.
[9:41] Speaker 7: Well, we get all kinds here, lady. I'm game for anything.
[9:45] Speaker 2: Press on his nose, huh? Like this?
[9:49] Speaker 8: That's it. Hold him close to the microphone.
[9:51] Speaker 7: Hey, his ears are moving. This ain't gonna blow up
[9:54] Speaker 7: or something.
[9:54] Speaker 8: No, please believe me. I'll explain later, but right now.
[9:58] Speaker 5: What is this thing anyway?
[10:00] Speaker 8: It's some kind of a Chinese music box.
[10:02] Speaker 4: Sounds more like a Chinese torture. Well, of all the silly...
[10:11] Speaker 4: It worked.
[10:11] Speaker 8: Here she comes, waving my bookend.
[10:14] Speaker 7: Oh, it's you, the lady from the oddity shop.
[10:17] Speaker 9: Oh, I'm so glad to see you.
[10:18] Speaker 8: You're glad?
[10:19] Speaker 9: Do you know what you did.
[10:20] Speaker 5: You silly girl?
[10:21] Speaker 8: You took the wrong package.
[10:23] Speaker 5: Ah, now don't be embarrassed, my dear.
[10:25] Speaker 7: Happens to me all the time.
[10:26] Speaker 8: It's just lucky for you we were both at the
[10:28] Speaker 8: same railroad station at the same time. Yes, wasn't it?
[10:31] Speaker 5: It certainly is a small world.
[10:32] Speaker 8: Here's your bookend.
[10:33] Speaker 5: My dear.
[10:34] Speaker 8: Thanks, and here's your thingamabob.
[10:36] Speaker 5: Oh, I do hope we'll meet again sometime.
[10:39] Speaker 9: This has been such fun.
[10:40] Speaker 7: All aboard, train 17. What?
[10:43] Speaker 5: There's our train, my dear.
[10:44] Speaker 8: We'd better hurry. You run along. If I'm not there
[10:46] Speaker 8: when they toot the whistle, tell them to start without me. Well,
[10:48] Speaker 8: all right. I'll see you in the dining car.
[10:51] Speaker 5: Bye.
[10:51] Speaker 13: Oh, dear, don't close that gate.
[10:54] Speaker 5: Will you?
[10:54] Speaker 8: Yeah, don't leave her in wistful vista. I certainly was
[10:59] Speaker 8: lucky to get this bookend back I'd better go right
[11:01] Speaker 8: home and put it safely on the shelf.
[11:14] Speaker 13: It's me, McGee Oh, hi, kiddo I was wondering what... Hey,
[11:19] Speaker 13: where have you been? You look like you got caught
[11:21] Speaker 13: in the middle of a fast game of tennis on
[11:22] Speaker 13: a wet court A.
[11:24] Speaker 8: Very apt description, sweetheart Because that's exactly how I feel Oh,
[11:29] Speaker 8: I'm bushed.
[11:30] Speaker 13: Well, here, sit down, sit down. What's in the package?
[11:32] Speaker 8: Wait till I tell you. You'll be so surprised.
[11:35] Speaker 5: Oh?
[11:35] Speaker 8: Remember that bookend we lost the mate to? The ones
[11:38] Speaker 8: Aunt Sarah gave us? You know, the one with the
[11:40] Speaker 8: hand-carved dragon on it? It's been kicking around the attic
[11:43] Speaker 8: ever since.
[11:43] Speaker 13: Oh, you mean the one that I told that guy
[11:45] Speaker 13: that that was a genuine piece of jade in the
[11:46] Speaker 13: dragon's eye?
[11:48] Speaker 8: What guy?
[11:49] Speaker 13: The guy from the Whistle Vista Antique Shop. He stopped
[11:51] Speaker 13: by the other day buying junk. I convinced him that
[11:53] Speaker 13: thing was hand-carved jade and gypped him out of a
[11:55] Speaker 13: half a buck for it. What? Yeah, pretty shrewd, huh?
[12:00] Speaker 13: What anybody wants with one bookend, I'll never know. But
[12:02] Speaker 13: you know them antique guys. He'll probably sell it to
[12:04] Speaker 13: some silly dame that's only got one book and thinks
[12:06] Speaker 13: one bookend is enough. But what you got in the package, kiddo?
[12:09] Speaker 13: Got a surprise of some kind for me? I just
[12:11] Speaker 13: love surprises.
[12:30] Speaker 2: Fibber and Molly will be right back.
[12:34] Speaker 6: This is John Wald inviting you to leave Whistle Vista
[12:36] Speaker 6: for a moment, long enough to take a quick look
[12:38] Speaker 6: into the future, for a preview of some listening highlights
[12:41] Speaker 6: NBC has in store for you in the fall. To
[12:44] Speaker 6: begin with, there's Lux Radio Theater, which returns to the
[12:47] Speaker 6: air next Tuesday, September 14th. It's radio's greatest dramatic show.
[12:52] Speaker 6: presenting your favorite Hollywood stars in one-hour adaptations of the
[12:56] Speaker 6: finest motion pictures ever produced. Next Tuesday, the premiere Lux
[13:00] Speaker 6: Radio Theater production is the inspiring story Wuthering Heights, starring
[13:05] Speaker 6: Merle Oberon. And now, to look just a little further ahead,
[13:10] Speaker 6: the excitement of college football is almost here, and NBC
[13:13] Speaker 6: will bring you complete coverage of the top game of
[13:16] Speaker 6: the week beginning Saturday, September 18th. There's the best in comedy, too,
[13:20] Speaker 6: coming your way on NBC with Art Linkletter in People
[13:24] Speaker 6: Are Funny and that favorite funny man Bob Hope in
[13:27] Speaker 6: The Bob Hope Show.
[13:28] Speaker 2: It's all brought to you in the Big Fall lineup
[13:31] Speaker 2: on NBC.
[13:47] Speaker 13: Ready for bed, Molly?
[13:48] Speaker 8: Yes, you'd better lock up good, though. Mabel Toops was
[13:50] Speaker 8: telling me there have been prowlers in the neighborhood.
[13:52] Speaker 12: Yeah?
[13:53] Speaker 8: Mabel heard a noise last night, snapped on the bed lamp,
[13:55] Speaker 8: and saw a man's foot sticking out from under her bed.
[13:58] Speaker 13: Wow, my gosh.
[13:59] Speaker 5: A burglar?
[13:59] Speaker 8: No, Mort Toops. He heard the noise, too.
[14:01] Speaker 5: Oh.
[14:02] Speaker 13: Well, I'll check the back door. Good night.
[14:04] Speaker 8: Good night, all.
[14:05] Speaker 12: Good night.
[14:18] Speaker 6: Fibber McGee and Molly is an NBC Radio Network production
[14:22] Speaker 6: transcribed with Bill Thompson as the old-timer, Elvia Allman as
[14:25] Speaker 6: the woman, Joe Forte as the antique shop proprietor, and
[14:28] Speaker 6: Frank Gerstle as the man in the information booth. This
[14:32] Speaker 6: is John Wald inviting you to join us again tomorrow
[14:35] Speaker 6: to see Mr. McGee try to exchange his sports shirt.
[14:38] Speaker 2: Good night.
[14:38] Speaker 9: © BF-WATCH TV 2021.
[14:55] Speaker 3: Part of the news brings you the issue of the
[14:57] Speaker 3: day tonight on most NBC radio stations.
[15:09] Speaker 1: Wistful Vista grows quiet after Molly's bookend. Follow Fibber McGee
[15:13] Speaker 1: and Molly for more classic broadcasts.

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