# Fibber McGee and Molly - "Identifying the Stranger (Rebroadcast of 10 20 54)" (Old Time Radio, 1955)

An episode of [Fibber McGee and Molly | Old Time Radio](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1858238532), 19 Sep 2026, 15 min.

Audio: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/75236220/524f1bd12bfff6cb_mastered.mp3

Fibber McGee and Molly presents “Identifying the Stranger” (Rebroadcast of 10 20 54), episode 1209, originally broadcast October 20, 1955. This archival recording comes from the long-running radio comedy series Fibber McGee and Molly. In this episode, a stranger’s identity becomes the subject of neighborhood curiosity and comic confusion. The episode’s premise centers on the efforts to sort out just who the unfamiliar visitor might be, without giving away the outcome. Fibber McGee and Molly presents the original broadcast with a newly produced contextual introduction, a short closing announcement, and gently cleaned and mastered audio for a more consistent listening experience. Chapters: 00:00 Victor Sterling Introduction 00:21 Original Broadcast 14:47 Closing Support Old Time Retro Radio at https://www.patreon.com/oldtimeretroradio

## Transcript

[0:00] Speaker 1: October 20th, 1955 is the original broadcast date for this
[0:04] Speaker 1: installment of Fibber McGee and Molly. It is episode number 1209,
[0:10] Speaker 1: Identifying the Stranger. Settle in now for a visit with
[0:14] Speaker 1: Fibber McGee and Molly from their 1955 radio run. Now,
[0:18] Speaker 1: back to the golden age of radio.
[0:21] Speaker 2: Miles Laboratories, makers of Alka-Seltzer, bring you another visit with Fibber, McGee,
[0:26] Speaker 2: and Mollie. Again, we invite you to listen to the
[0:35] Speaker 2: transcribed adventures of Fibber, McGee, and Mollie. The show is
[0:39] Speaker 2: written by Phil Leslie and Ralph Goodman and directed by
[0:42] Speaker 2: Max Hutto. We'll see what's going on in Wistful Vista shortly.
[1:01] Speaker 3: When your tablets are down to four, that's the time
[1:04] Speaker 3: to buy some more.
[1:05] Speaker 4: Well, thanks for the reminder, Eleanor Engle. We do need
[1:08] Speaker 4: some more Alka-Seltzer at our house, especially with the weekend
[1:11] Speaker 4: coming up.
[1:12] Speaker 3: Yes, you never know when a headache or an upset
[1:14] Speaker 3: stomach will come along to spoil the day for you,
[1:17] Speaker 3: your family, or your guests. And it's kind of reassuring
[1:21] Speaker 3: to know that there's always Alka-Seltzer on the shelf, ready
[1:25] Speaker 3: to bring prompt, dependable relief for the pain of a
[1:28] Speaker 3: headache or the discomfort of indigestion. So why not write
[1:32] Speaker 3: it down on your shopping list right now while you
[1:34] Speaker 3: think of it?
[1:36] Speaker 4: One package Alka-Seltzer at drugstore.
[1:41] Speaker 5: Good.
[1:41] Speaker 3: Believe me, you'll be mighty glad you got that extra package.
[1:45] Speaker 3: And be sure you get the real thing, Alka-Seltzer. The
[1:49] Speaker 3: medicine that's so refreshing.
[2:02] Speaker 6: My, that Bond town is crowded this afternoon. I'm glad
[2:06] Speaker 6: to get out of there and head for home. Yeah.
[2:07] Speaker 7: The car's down this way.
[2:09] Speaker 6: Oh, say, wait till I tell you what happened. I
[2:11] Speaker 6: ran into Mrs. Spradley trying on dresses on the third floor.
[2:15] Speaker 6: And you know how she goes around telling everybody she
[2:17] Speaker 6: wears a size 12?
[2:20] Speaker 7: No, no, she never mentioned that to me.
[2:22] Speaker 6: Well, when I bumped into her in the bond town,
[2:24] Speaker 6: she was trying a size 18.
[2:26] Speaker 7: No.
[2:28] Speaker 6: 18, mind you. And it was tight, too.
[2:30] Speaker 7: Well, heavenly day. I just can't wait to tell that
[2:34] Speaker 7: to the boys at the bowling alley.
[2:35] Speaker 6: Oh, now, you're just... Oh, hello, Monica. Monica Miller. Seems
[2:39] Speaker 6: like everybody in town is downtown today. I ran into
[2:42] Speaker 6: at least six people I know.
[2:44] Speaker 5: Well, if it isn't Mr. and Mrs. McGee. Hello.
[2:47] Speaker 6: For goodness sakes, dearie, look who's here.
[2:49] Speaker 7: Yeah, oh, hi, boy. Molly was just saying how we've
[2:52] Speaker 7: been running to everybody we know. Well, how's it going?
[2:55] Speaker 5: Well, everything's strictly copacetic. How are you folks?
[2:58] Speaker 7: Fine, fine. Sure crowded downtown today, ain't it?
[3:00] Speaker 5: Crowded?
[3:02] Speaker 8: I came down by bus and traffic was moving so
[3:04] Speaker 8: slow that they got a deal where for half fare
[3:06] Speaker 8: you can get out and walk alongside the bus.
[3:08] Speaker 7: Oh?
[3:09] Speaker 8: I told that to the driver and laughed. Didn't even
[3:13] Speaker 8: crack a smile. I think they got orders not to
[3:16] Speaker 8: pay attention to anybody.
[3:17] Speaker 7: Yeah, yeah, they must have. Same thing happens to me, though.
[3:19] Speaker 7: I guess for the safety of the passengers, they gotta
[3:22] Speaker 7: not laugh or else they.
[3:23] Speaker 6: Jerry, I hate to be impolite, but it's getting late.
[3:25] Speaker 7: Oh, yeah.
[3:26] Speaker 5: Well, I gotta get going myself. Nice seeing you folks.
[3:28] Speaker 7: Yeah, nice bumping into you, uh, boy.
[3:30] Speaker 5: Oh, uh, by the way, uh, did you get that
[3:33] Speaker 5: thing fixed, Mr.
[3:33] Speaker 4: McGee?
[3:34] Speaker 8: Huh?
[3:35] Speaker 5: You know, the last time I saw you, you said that.
[3:37] Speaker 7: Oh, that. Oh, yeah, sure. Yeah, that's all took care of.
[3:40] Speaker 2: Good.
[3:41] Speaker 8: I was going to say I'd tend to it myself
[3:42] Speaker 8: for you, but as long as you already.
[3:44] Speaker 7: Oh, yeah, thanks. Just saying. Thanks. It's all okay now.
[3:47] Speaker 5: Well, take care of yourself. Bye, Miss McGee.
[3:49] Speaker 4: Bye.
[3:50] Speaker 6: Give our regards to the family.
[3:52] Speaker 7: Yeah, tell the wife hello for us. Who the heck
[3:56] Speaker 7: is that guy, Molly?
[3:57] Speaker 6: Who is he?
[3:57] Speaker 7: Yeah.
[3:58] Speaker 6: You mean to tell me you stand here on the
[3:59] Speaker 6: street talking to a man with your arm around his
[4:01] Speaker 6: shoulder and you don't know him?
[4:03] Speaker 7: I know him all right. I just don't know who
[4:05] Speaker 7: he is. Oh, well, that's different. Well, who is he?
[4:08] Speaker 6: I haven't the slightest idea.
[4:09] Speaker 5: Huh?
[4:09] Speaker 7: My gosh, you mean you.
[4:10] Speaker 6: Come on, let's go home.
[4:24] Speaker 7: Could be somebody from the Elks.
[4:25] Speaker 6: Watch it, McGee. You nearly ran into that bus.
[4:28] Speaker 7: Oh, I'm sorry, kiddo. I'm trying to place that guy
[4:30] Speaker 7: we ran into a while ago. Must be somebody... Oh,
[4:34] Speaker 7: I know who he is.
[4:34] Speaker 2: Good.
[4:35] Speaker 7: Remember what he said about getting something fixed?
[4:37] Speaker 1: Yes.
[4:37] Speaker 7: That's the clue. Remember that parking ticket I got?
[4:40] Speaker 6: Which one?
[4:41] Speaker 7: Last month outside of Wong's Restaurant. The one I took
[4:44] Speaker 7: to that influential friend of mine at City Hall who
[4:46] Speaker 7: sent me to his nephew's brother-in-law. You don't think that
[4:49] Speaker 7: could be... His nephew's brother-in-law? No, the clerk behind the
[4:52] Speaker 7: window that you gave the five bucks to when we
[4:53] Speaker 7: paid the fine. The shade was halfway down there. No, no, McGee.
[4:57] Speaker 6: That clerk was a woman.
[4:59] Speaker 7: Yeah, that's right.
[4:59] Speaker 2: He was.
[5:00] Speaker 6: Here's our turn.
[5:01] Speaker 7: Boy, this thing sure is annoying.
[5:02] Speaker 6: Here's our turn, McGee.
[5:04] Speaker 7: Something like this on your mind, you just... What'd you say, Molly?
[5:06] Speaker 6: I said stop the car and back up. We missed
[5:08] Speaker 6: our turn.
[5:09] Speaker 4: Oh.
[5:09] Speaker 7: Oh, I'll go around the block. You see what I mean?
[5:12] Speaker 7: This is awful.
[5:12] Speaker 6: I wish we'd never run into that guy. Me too,
[5:14] Speaker 6: and he looks so familiar. Well, it's somebody we know.
[5:17] Speaker 7: Sure it is. Must be a real good friend of
[5:19] Speaker 7: mine from the way we slapped each other on the back,
[5:21] Speaker 7: him and me.
[5:21] Speaker 6: Mm-hmm.
[5:23] Speaker 7: That ratted anyway. I won't get a minute's rest till
[5:25] Speaker 7: I remember. Hey, I know what I'll do. What? I'll
[5:28] Speaker 7: drop you off at the house, then I'll drive over
[5:30] Speaker 7: and see Doc Gamble.
[5:31] Speaker 6: We don't need a doctor. We need a detective.
[5:33] Speaker 7: Most of our friends are patients of Doc's, and he'll
[5:35] Speaker 7: know that guy.
[5:35] Speaker 6: Say, wait a minute. Wait a minute. I know who
[5:38] Speaker 6: that man is.
[5:38] Speaker 1: Who?
[5:39] Speaker 7: Who?
[5:40] Speaker 6: No. Now that I think of it, he's bald. Anyway,
[5:43] Speaker 6: he's out of town.
[5:44] Speaker 7: Who? Oh, you know.
[5:46] Speaker 6: I forget his name. You know the man we met
[5:48] Speaker 6: the time we went to the... With those people from.
[5:51] Speaker 7: Never mind. I got one guy to worry about already.
[5:53] Speaker 7: Let's not start out on another one. You hop out
[5:55] Speaker 7: and run on in the house and I'll go check
[5:57] Speaker 7: with Doc Gamble. I'll remember that friend of mine's name
[6:00] Speaker 7: if I have to ask everybody.
[6:11] Speaker 2: In just a moment, we'll try to straighten out the McGee's.
[6:15] Speaker 3: Mother, I know you want to give your children every
[6:17] Speaker 3: possible advantage. I've never met a good mother who didn't.
[6:21] Speaker 3: So you probably know your children must have enough vitamins
[6:25] Speaker 3: to maintain normal growth and development, keep alert and energetic
[6:29] Speaker 3: as they should be. Now, your meals, no matter how
[6:32] Speaker 3: well planned, may not always contain enough vitamins because vitamins
[6:36] Speaker 3: have a way of getting lost in cooking and processing
[6:39] Speaker 3: of food. That's why so many mothers buy one-a-day brand
[6:44] Speaker 3: multiple vitamin tablets to fortify their meals. You see, one-a-day
[6:48] Speaker 3: brand multiple vitamins supply all the vitamins children and adults
[6:53] Speaker 3: normally need to take. The youngsters like taking them, too,
[6:57] Speaker 3: because one-a-day brand multiple vitamins are small and smooth-coated, so
[7:01] Speaker 3: they're easy to swallow, and they leave no aftertaste. There's
[7:05] Speaker 3: no strain on the family budget either. You can buy
[7:08] Speaker 3: this protection for less than three cents a tablet. So
[7:12] Speaker 3: protect your family from vitamin shortage. Fortify your meals with
[7:17] Speaker 3: one-a-day brand multiple vitamin tablets.
[7:20] Speaker 6: Sold at drugstores everywhere.
[7:32] Speaker 7: So I came over to see if you can think
[7:34] Speaker 7: who this guy is, Doc. Sort of a tall, thin guy, dark-complected,
[7:37] Speaker 7: and wearing a topcoat with a mustache. Have you checked
[7:40] Speaker 7: the dry cleaners? The dry cleaners? Yeah. There can't be
[7:43] Speaker 7: many topcoats around with mustaches, and I'm sure if they
[7:46] Speaker 7: have a customer like that... Oh, cut it out, Fatso.
[7:49] Speaker 7: This is serious. Gee whiz, if I don't remember who
[7:52] Speaker 7: this guy is, it'll drive me daffy. The way I figured,
[7:55] Speaker 7: he's probably a patient of yours. How do you figure that? Well,
[7:57] Speaker 7: he's a friend of mine, whoever he is, and I
[7:59] Speaker 7: recommend all my friends when they need a doctor to
[8:01] Speaker 7: come to you.
[8:01] Speaker 5: Well, thank you.
[8:02] Speaker 7: And this guy must have been to see you because
[8:04] Speaker 7: he looked awful. What? I was just kidding, Doc. Come on, think, boy.
[8:09] Speaker 7: I'll describe him again. He's about 40, maybe a little older,
[8:14] Speaker 7: with icy blue eyes and a sort of a hunted look,
[8:17] Speaker 7: which ain't hard to understand if you've heard the kind
[8:18] Speaker 7: of jokes he tells. He's got a kind of a
[8:20] Speaker 7: weak chin, you know, like.
[8:23] Speaker 6: Sort of a happy, carefree type with warm brown eyes
[8:26] Speaker 6: and a strong chin.
[8:27] Speaker 7: Hmm.
[8:29] Speaker 6: Doesn't sound like anyone you know. Well, he's probably some
[8:33] Speaker 6: very good friend of McGee's because I know we know him.
[8:35] Speaker 6: He looks so familiar. Yes, you know how annoying a
[8:39] Speaker 6: thing like this can be. I've got the man's name
[8:41] Speaker 6: right on the tip of my mind.
[8:44] Speaker 4: Yes.
[8:45] Speaker 6: Well, thanks anyhow, Mabel.
[8:47] Speaker 7: Bye. It's me, kiddo.
[8:50] Speaker 6: Well, I hope you found out who the man is,
[8:51] Speaker 6: because I've called everybody in town and.
[8:53] Speaker 7: Nope. Doc Gamble didn't know, and neither did Kramer at
[8:56] Speaker 7: the drugstore. And I even described him to Cora at
[8:58] Speaker 7: Walt's Malt Shop.
[8:59] Speaker 6: What did Cora say?
[9:00] Speaker 7: She said, from my description, he either sounded like Mort
[9:02] Speaker 7: Toops or Zazu Pitts. Frankly, I think the whole thing
[9:06] Speaker 7: is ridiculous. Let's forget it.
[9:07] Speaker 6: Well, I'll second that motion.
[9:09] Speaker 7: Sure. So we meet a guy on the street that
[9:10] Speaker 7: knows us. So what?
[9:11] Speaker 6: That's what I say.
[9:12] Speaker 7: Lots of people knows us. We're going to go worry
[9:15] Speaker 7: about every guy that stops to yell, hello, we'd be
[9:17] Speaker 7: in a heck of a mess.
[9:18] Speaker 6: You're right.
[9:19] Speaker 7: Yes, sir. Sure wish I knew who that guy is. Molly.
[9:38] Speaker 5: Molly.
[9:39] Speaker 1: Hmm?
[9:40] Speaker 7: You asleep?
[9:41] Speaker 6: Momentarily, yes.
[9:43] Speaker 7: Oh, sorry.
[9:44] Speaker 6: Still trying to think who the man was, are you?
[9:46] Speaker 7: Yeah, but you keep sleeping. Let me worry about it.
[9:49] Speaker 6: Glad to.
[9:51] Speaker 5: Hmm.
[9:52] Speaker 7: Said something about, did I ever get it fixed? Suppose
[9:56] Speaker 7: he's the mechanic I had the hassle with over our
[9:58] Speaker 7: washing machine and... No, no. That guy promised to kill
[10:02] Speaker 7: me next time he saw me. This guy was friendly. Yes. Well,
[10:06] Speaker 7: I'll think of him. Don't you worry about it. You sleep.
[10:10] Speaker 7: I'll work it out. Just close your little eye. The
[10:13] Speaker 7: End Hey, now, it's not Fred Krupp. Because the first
[10:29] Speaker 7: thing Fred would have said was, how about that five, Yomi? Anyway,
[10:32] Speaker 7: Fred's in Philly because... Deary. Oh, I woke you up again,
[10:36] Speaker 7: didn't I?
[10:36] Speaker 6: It's not your fault. I guess I'm just not a
[10:38] Speaker 6: light sleeper.
[10:39] Speaker 7: Not a light sleeper?
[10:40] Speaker 6: Yes, I can't sleep with the light on.
[10:42] Speaker 7: Oh, oh, that. Yeah, I forgot the light. I meant
[10:45] Speaker 7: to turn it off after I looked up those names
[10:47] Speaker 7: in our address book, but.
[10:48] Speaker 6: Oh, look, McGee, it's 4 a.m. Let's get a couple
[10:51] Speaker 6: of hours sleep anyway, please.
[10:53] Speaker 7: I'll turn the light out. You go on back to sleep.
[10:55] Speaker 7: I won't disturb you anymore. Where are you going? Well,
[10:58] Speaker 7: I can't sleep anyway. I'm going to go downstairs and
[11:00] Speaker 7: fix myself a sandwich, see if I can figure out
[11:02] Speaker 7: who the heck that guy was. I'll get it yet.
[11:05] Speaker 7: I'm getting closer all the time. I've already eliminated all
[11:08] Speaker 7: our relatives and friends, and now I'm down to enemies.
[11:11] Speaker 6: Oh, close the door, if this isn't the silliest.
[11:14] Speaker 7: Poor kid. She's as restless about this thing as I am.
[11:18] Speaker 7: just so annoying to have a guy that you know
[11:20] Speaker 7: you know the guy just as well as you know
[11:22] Speaker 7: any guy you know to have a guy like that's
[11:24] Speaker 7: name slip my mind like this it's just ridiculous to
[11:28] Speaker 7: keep me awake like this but maybe if i put
[11:31] Speaker 7: on a pot of coffee and think hard sounds like
[11:34] Speaker 7: somebody in our backyard Oh, it's time for the milkman already.
[11:38] Speaker 7: Gee whiz, I've been up all.
[11:42] Speaker 7: Hey, quiet out there. My wife's trying to sleep. Now look, Mulligan,
[11:47] Speaker 7: what's the big idea of falling all over.
[11:48] Speaker 5: You told me you got this back step fixed, McGee.
[11:51] Speaker 5: That board is as loose as it ever was.
[11:53] Speaker 8: And I'm going to put these busted courts on your
[11:55] Speaker 8: bill again every time you.
[11:56] Speaker 7: Well, for the... Hey, Molly, it's him.
[11:59] Speaker 6: Hey, Molly, it's our milkman. That's who it was downtown.
[12:02] Speaker 6: Mulligan the milkman.
[12:03] Speaker 7: They ought to make them guys walk around town in
[12:05] Speaker 7: their uniforms. How do they expect people to recognize them
[12:08] Speaker 7: in civvies? If this ain't the silly....
[12:24] Speaker 2: Fibber and Molly have a final word for you to come.
[12:28] Speaker 4: Say, if a cold should catch up with you this
[12:30] Speaker 4: week and make you feel miserable... Try Tabcin for relief. Yes,
[12:35] Speaker 4: find out how Tabcin can relieve sniffles, sneezes, watery eyes,
[12:39] Speaker 4: feverish feeling, headache, and general.
[12:41] Speaker 5: Aches and pains.
[12:42] Speaker 4: Once you try Tabcin, I'm sure you'll always depend on
[12:46] Speaker 4: it to bring quick relief for the discomforts of colds.
[12:49] Speaker 4: Get Tabcin at your drugstore. That's T-A-B-C-I-N, Tabcin, the bright
[12:56] Speaker 4: red tablets in the bright red package.
[13:09] Speaker 6: That's who the man was, our milkman.
[13:11] Speaker 7: Yeah. Remember the time a thing like this happened to
[13:13] Speaker 7: Uncle Dennis? No, I don't think I do. He was
[13:15] Speaker 7: down in front of Grogan's Grill on Oak Street. He
[13:17] Speaker 7: stood there talking to a guy for 40 minutes, and
[13:19] Speaker 7: he couldn't place the guy to save his life.
[13:21] Speaker 6: It's very provoking.
[13:22] Speaker 7: Luckily, I come along and told him who he was
[13:24] Speaker 7: talking to. Who? A mirror. He said the face looked familiar, but.
[13:28] Speaker 6: Never mind. Okay.
[13:30] Speaker 7: So long, everybody.
[13:31] Speaker 6: Goodbye for now.
[13:38] Speaker 2: Fibber, McGee, and Molly, transcribed, is brought to you Mondays
[13:41] Speaker 2: through Fridays at this time by Miles Laboratories, makers of Alka-Seltzer.
[14:01] Speaker 2: Arthur Q. Bryan plays Dr.
[14:03] Speaker 5: Gamble.
[14:03] Speaker 2: The milkman was Jess Kirkpatrick. Well, tomorrow, McGee gets a
[14:08] Speaker 2: chance to display the fortitude bred into him by virtue
[14:11] Speaker 2: of his hardy pioneer stock. The water department turns off
[14:16] Speaker 2: his water to work on the pipes, and he suffers
[14:18] Speaker 2: through a dry day with little sympathy from Mrs. McGee
[14:22] Speaker 2: of the team of Fibber, McGee, and Molly. This is
[14:25] Speaker 2: John Wald inviting you to join the fun tomorrow.
[14:36] Speaker 4: Hear the news with Pauline Frederick weekdays on most NBC
[14:39] Speaker 4: radio stations.
[14:48] Speaker 1: We leave Fibber McGee and Molly with Identifying the Stranger.
[14:52] Speaker 1: Follow Fibber McGee and Molly for more classic broadcasts.

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