# Fibber McGee and Molly - "The Reward" (Old Time Radio, 1956)

An episode of [Fibber McGee and Molly | Old Time Radio](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1858238532), 3 Sep 2026, 15 min.

Audio: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74869247/3379102502af683d_mastered.mp3

Fibber McGee and Molly presents “The Reward,” an archival episode originally broadcast on January 26, 1956. This recording is identified as episode 1279 and stars Jim and Marian Jordan as Fibber and Molly McGee. In this late-period NBC visit to Wistful Vista, Teeny’s discovery of a lost purse sets a small domestic-comedy situation in motion for Fibber and Molly. 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 00:41 Original Broadcast 15:09 Closing Support Old Time Retro Radio at https://www.patreon.com/oldtimeretroradio

## Transcript

[0:00] Speaker 1: Teenie has found a lost purse in Wistful Vista, and
[0:03] Speaker 1: that small discovery brings Fibber and Molly McGee into the matter.
[0:07] Speaker 1: This January 26, 1956 broadcast comes from the program's late
[0:12] Speaker 1: weekday NBC run, Fibber McGee and Molly, The Reward, episode
[0:18] Speaker 1: number 1,279. In its 15-minute format, Jim Jordan is Fibber McGee,
[0:25] Speaker 1: while Marion Jordan plays Molly McGee and Teenie. In the
[0:29] Speaker 1: McGee's residential neighborhood, Teeny's find puts the purse before Fibber
[0:34] Speaker 1: and Molly, setting this domestic situation in motion.
[0:38] Speaker 2: Here is the original broadcast.
[0:41] Speaker 3: Miles Laboratories, makers of Alka-Seltzer, bring you another visit with Fibber, McGee,
[0:46] Speaker 3: and Molly. Fibber, McGee, and Molly Again, we invite you
[0:54] Speaker 3: to listen to the transcribed adventures of Thinner, McGee, and Molly.
[0:58] Speaker 3: The show is written by Phil Leslie and Ralph Goodman
[1:00] Speaker 3: and directed by Max Hutto.
[1:09] Speaker 2: We'll see what's going on in Wistful Vista shortly.
[1:12] Speaker 4: Say, Jack, you're a guy who seems to be on
[1:15] Speaker 4: the go pretty much all the time. Don't you sometimes
[1:17] Speaker 4: have headaches? Oh, I have my share, all right, but
[1:20] Speaker 4: I've learned how to handle them.
[1:21] Speaker 2: Well, what do you mean by that?
[1:22] Speaker 5: Well, whenever a headache starts to slow me down, I
[1:25] Speaker 5: just take time out to drink a glass of Alka-Seltzer.
[1:28] Speaker 5: Presto change-o, I'm back in the swing again.
[1:31] Speaker 6: But I thought Alka-Seltzer was for indigestion.
[1:33] Speaker 5: Oh, it sure is. But Alka-Seltzer is a pain reliever, too,
[1:37] Speaker 5: you know, and a darn good one.
[1:39] Speaker 7: Yes, Alka-Seltzer is a really effective pain reliever. A sparkling,
[1:44] Speaker 7: tangy solution that looks inviting, tastes refreshing, and brings wonderfully
[1:49] Speaker 7: prompt relief for headache, neuralgia, or aching muscles. Get Alka-Seltzer
[1:55] Speaker 7: at your drugstore and try it. Once you do, you're
[1:58] Speaker 7: sure to agree, there's nothing quite like Alka-Seltzer.
[2:13] Speaker 6: I'll get it, Molly. Good, because I have to get
[2:15] Speaker 6: dinner started. Oh, four o'clock already. Goodness, how time flies. Oh, hello, Teenie.
[2:21] Speaker 8: Hi, mister.
[2:22] Speaker 6: Come on in.
[2:24] Speaker 8: How'd you know it was me, mister, hmm? I got
[2:26] Speaker 8: on my mother's hat and grandma's old coat and her
[2:29] Speaker 8: old feather boa and these high heels. How'd you know
[2:33] Speaker 8: it was me, hmm?
[2:36] Speaker 6: Oh, just a lucky guess, I guess. School's out, huh?
[2:40] Speaker 8: I knew I should have put some lipstick on. Let
[2:43] Speaker 8: me see. Maybe I got some lipstick here in this purse.
[2:47] Speaker 8: Let me empty it out on the coffee table here.
[2:49] Speaker 6: No, Teeny, don't do that.
[2:56] Speaker 8: Oh, I told Willie not to put that cowbell in there.
[2:59] Speaker 8: No room.
[3:01] Speaker 6: Gee whiz, Teenie.
[3:03] Speaker 8: Yeah, no lipstick. Whoever owns this purse sure must be
[3:07] Speaker 8: a sloppy lady. Look at that mess, will ya?
[3:10] Speaker 6: Well, uh, whoever owns this purse... Isn't that your mother's? No.
[3:16] Speaker 8: I found it at the bus stop on the corner.
[3:18] Speaker 6: What?
[3:18] Speaker 8: Mm-hmm. I was waiting at the bus stop for Willie
[3:21] Speaker 8: Toops on account that he had to stay in school
[3:24] Speaker 8: a while, and I found this purse. So that's why
[3:28] Speaker 8: I'm all dressed up like a lady. Me and Willie
[3:30] Speaker 8: are playing Mr. and Mrs.
[3:33] Speaker 2: Mr. and Mrs.
[3:34] Speaker 6: Mm-hmm.
[3:35] Speaker 8: Willie said he'd get the car out. That's his scooter,
[3:38] Speaker 8: you see. And he'd get the car out and go
[3:40] Speaker 8: to Kramer's Drugstore and do some shopping. So I gave
[3:43] Speaker 8: him $ 5.
[3:44] Speaker 2: What?
[3:46] Speaker 6: You gave Willie?
[3:47] Speaker 2: $ 5.
[3:47] Speaker 8: Mm-hmm. And I said I'd come over here and gab
[3:51] Speaker 8: with Miss McGee like Miss Toops does when Mr. Toops
[3:54] Speaker 8: goes to the drugstore.
[3:55] Speaker 6: Now, wait a minute. Hold everything, sis.
[3:58] Speaker 8: Hmm?
[3:59] Speaker 6: Look, Teenie, you just can't pick up a purse at
[4:02] Speaker 6: a bus stop and start spending money out of it.
[4:05] Speaker 6: That's wrong. That money belongs to the lady that lost
[4:08] Speaker 6: the purse.
[4:10] Speaker 8: Who is she? What's her name?
[4:12] Speaker 6: I don't know who she is.
[4:13] Speaker 8: Well, then how do you know it's her money? Maybe
[4:16] Speaker 8: she stole it. Maybe she found it.
[4:21] Speaker 2: Yeah.
[4:22] Speaker 8: Maybe she found the money. And if she found it
[4:25] Speaker 8: and then lost it and I found it, why can't
[4:28] Speaker 8: I keep it? Why can't I, mister?
[4:31] Speaker 6: Because it's not yours.
[4:33] Speaker 8: It's not hers either if she found it.
[4:35] Speaker 6: How do you know she found it?
[4:36] Speaker 2: Who?
[4:37] Speaker 6: The lady that lost it. Maybe she didn't find it
[4:39] Speaker 6: at all.
[4:40] Speaker 2: Oh, no.
[4:40] Speaker 8: No, she didn't find it, mister. I found it, remember?
[4:43] Speaker 6: I don't mean this time. I mean, how do you
[4:45] Speaker 6: know she found it before?
[4:46] Speaker 8: Before what?
[4:47] Speaker 6: Before you lost it or found it. Hmm? That ratatini
[4:51] Speaker 6: you said the lady found the money before you lost
[4:53] Speaker 6: the purse. Or before you lost the money. Found the money.
[4:55] Speaker 6: I said if she found it and you found it
[4:57] Speaker 6: and she lost... Let's start all over.
[4:59] Speaker 2: Okay.
[5:00] Speaker 8: Okay. Now, listen careful this time, mister. I was at
[5:06] Speaker 8: the bus stop waiting for Willie Toops, and I found
[5:09] Speaker 8: this purse.
[5:10] Speaker 6: Yes, and I'm trying to explain, Diotini, that we've got
[5:13] Speaker 6: to find out who lost the purse and give it
[5:16] Speaker 6: back to her. It is not honest for you to
[5:18] Speaker 6: take money out of it and spend it.
[5:19] Speaker 8: Oh, I didn't spend any of it, mister.
[5:21] Speaker 2: Oh, no. Oh, good.
[5:23] Speaker 8: I just gave five dollars to Willie Toops. He's the
[5:26] Speaker 8: one spending it. Oh, can that Willie Toop spend money?
[5:31] Speaker 6: My gosh, I forgot all about him. I better head
[5:34] Speaker 6: him off before he... Hey, Kramer's Drugstore, you said, huh?
[5:37] Speaker 8: Yeah, that's where he went. He's going to buy three
[5:39] Speaker 8: dollars worth of lollipops and about a dollar's worth of
[5:43] Speaker 8: bubble gum. Hello?
[5:44] Speaker 6: Hello, operator? Give me Kramer's Drugstore, quick. Boy, I thought
[6:00] Speaker 6: I'd never get Teenie straightened out. I know. I had
[6:03] Speaker 6: to finally give her a buck out of my own
[6:05] Speaker 6: pocket to buy her and Willie Toop's lollipops. In order
[6:07] Speaker 6: to get the five bucks I had Kramer take away
[6:09] Speaker 6: from Willie at the drugstore or back to put in
[6:11] Speaker 6: the purse. I heard you from the kitchen. And for that,
[6:15] Speaker 6: she agrees to let me keep the purse and find
[6:17] Speaker 6: out who the owner is and return it to her.
[6:19] Speaker 6: Provided I give Teenie the reward, if any. Oh, you
[6:22] Speaker 6: really made a sharp deal. Well, I gave the kid
[6:24] Speaker 6: a lesson in honesty. That's the main thing.
[6:26] Speaker 2: Sure.
[6:27] Speaker 9: How do you plan to track down the owner of
[6:29] Speaker 9: this collection of mishmash, anyhow? Any identification in it?
[6:33] Speaker 6: Haven't found any so far. I'll track her down, though,
[6:36] Speaker 6: don't you worry. Car keys. No name on them. Matches
[6:42] Speaker 6: from every place. Six dollars and eighty cents in money.
[6:45] Speaker 6: A lot of business cards from different firms.
[6:50] Speaker 2: Aha!
[6:50] Speaker 6: That's my first clue. What do you mean? Elementary, my dear.
[6:53] Speaker 6: I'll merely call this law firm here and ask them
[6:56] Speaker 6: which client of theirs has a well-wore alligator purse containing $ 6. 80,
[6:59] Speaker 6: a lot of matches, car keys with no name on them,
[7:03] Speaker 6: three pieces of clean.
[7:14] Speaker 2: In just a moment, we'll try to straighten out the McGee's.
[7:18] Speaker 7: All of us like to have fun, I'm sure. And
[7:20] Speaker 7: most of us know that fun is good for us.
[7:23] Speaker 6: But how about you?
[7:24] Speaker 7: Do you always feel up to enjoying your fun? There
[7:27] Speaker 7: may be times when you don't feel good, from a headache, perhaps,
[7:31] Speaker 7: or an upset stomach, or just from general achiness. Well,
[7:35] Speaker 7: believe me, that's the time when Alka-Seltzer.
[7:38] Speaker 6: Can be a real friend in need.
[7:41] Speaker 7: Drop one or two Alka-Seltzer tablets into a glass of
[7:43] Speaker 7: water like this.
[7:45] Speaker 6: Listen to it fizz. Then drink it.
[7:52] Speaker 7: This Action in the Glass changes Alka-Seltzer tablets into a liquid,
[7:57] Speaker 7: a relief-giving liquid that's easy and natural for your system
[8:01] Speaker 7: to absorb. And Action in the Glass supercharges Alka-Seltzer with
[8:05] Speaker 7: lively bubbles. This soothing liquid speeds relief. You'll like Alka-Seltzer
[8:11] Speaker 7: for refreshing relief. That speedy Alka-Seltzer, the favorite of so
[8:17] Speaker 7: many for relief that does so much.
[8:30] Speaker 2: Yes.
[8:32] Speaker 9: Ah, yes, I see. Well, we were just hoping, sir.
[8:36] Speaker 9: There's a card in the purse that says, uh, eat
[8:39] Speaker 9: at Al's Drive-In, and my husband thought you might remember
[8:41] Speaker 9: a customer that, uh, I see. Well, thank you anyway.
[8:46] Speaker 8: Bye.
[8:47] Speaker 1: What'd he say?
[8:48] Speaker 6: No soap.
[8:49] Speaker 2: Hmm.
[8:50] Speaker 9: Well, that was the last business card she had in there.
[8:53] Speaker 9: No driver's license.
[8:54] Speaker 6: No ID. Let's sum it all up like Hemingway Savage,
[8:58] Speaker 6: the great detective, does. Now, so far, we got a
[9:00] Speaker 6: set of car keys, no name on them, a cigarette
[9:03] Speaker 6: lighter with the initials HZ on it, and we know
[9:06] Speaker 6: from the business cards in it that she could have
[9:07] Speaker 6: ate at Al's drive-in or been to see a lawyer,
[9:10] Speaker 6: a real estate man, a beauty shop to have her
[9:12] Speaker 6: hair done. Hey, you know what? What? I'm stumped. But
[9:17] Speaker 6: I'm not giving up. This thing is a challenge to
[9:20] Speaker 6: me now. I'm going to look through this purse for
[9:22] Speaker 6: secret compartments, false bottoms, stuff like that there. Oh, great.
[9:26] Speaker 6: You got a fine tooth comb? Because that's what I'm
[9:27] Speaker 6: going to go through this with. I'll find out who
[9:30] Speaker 6: this H.Z. is or my name ain't Hemingway... Fibber McGee.
[9:37] Speaker 9: McGee, where are you?
[9:47] Speaker 6: Oh, who are you calling?
[9:48] Speaker 2: Shh.
[9:48] Speaker 7: Shh.
[9:49] Speaker 6: Hello, is this Miss Harriet Zimbley? For goodness sakes, H.Z.,
[9:54] Speaker 6: how did you... This is Mr. McGee. Did you lose
[9:57] Speaker 6: a purse this afternoon with $ 6.
[9:58] Speaker 2: 80 and.
[10:00] Speaker 6: Oh oh you did how'd you ever find out shh
[10:04] Speaker 6: molly well a little girl in our neighborhood found it
[10:07] Speaker 6: miss zimbly i've got it here right now in my
[10:09] Speaker 6: home oh that's all right No, no, no, that isn't necessary.
[10:14] Speaker 6: I've got your address. Her address, too? How did you...
[10:16] Speaker 6: I'll be happy to. In 15 minutes.
[10:18] Speaker 2: Goodbye.
[10:19] Speaker 9: I'm really amazed, McGee. I looked all through that person.
[10:22] Speaker 9: Don't tell me there was a secret compartment in it
[10:24] Speaker 9: or something.
[10:25] Speaker 3: Nope.
[10:25] Speaker 6: Checked every inch. My, you are a detective. How'd you
[10:28] Speaker 6: do it? Well, I simply used a little deduction and
[10:31] Speaker 6: added a dash of common sense.
[10:33] Speaker 10: And then I looked under the strap here and I
[10:35] Speaker 10: found this label, Ms. McGee, with the lady's name on it.
[10:38] Speaker 6: Oh, hello, Lester. I didn't even know you were here.
[10:40] Speaker 10: We've been sitting in the den figuring this thing out,
[10:43] Speaker 10: me and Mr.
[10:43] Speaker 9: McGee.
[10:44] Speaker 6: Yeah, yeah, less help. We worked on it together. I see.
[10:49] Speaker 10: First, I kind of thought that Mr. McGee ought to
[10:51] Speaker 10: call all the HZs in the phone book, you see.
[10:53] Speaker 6: Of course, I should have thought of that. Can't be
[10:56] Speaker 6: very many HZs.
[10:57] Speaker 2: Just three.
[10:59] Speaker 10: Henrietta Zambledecker, Hortense Zizinouski, and Harriet Zimbali. Whilst he was
[11:05] Speaker 10: trying to decide which one to call first, though, I
[11:08] Speaker 10: found this label under the strap with her name and
[11:10] Speaker 10: phone number on it.
[11:11] Speaker 2: Mr.
[11:12] Speaker 10: McGee did all the rest.
[11:13] Speaker 6: Yeah, well, I'm kind of tired, Molly. I think I'll
[11:15] Speaker 6: go rest a while. Call me when dinner's ready, will you?
[11:18] Speaker 6: Wait a minute.
[11:18] Speaker 9: What about the purse? You told the woman you'd bring
[11:21] Speaker 9: it over in 15 minutes.
[11:22] Speaker 2: Well, I'll take it to her, Ms. McGee.
[11:24] Speaker 10: I'm on my way downtown to pick Sally up anyhow.
[11:27] Speaker 10: I go right by there.
[11:28] Speaker 6: Good boy, Les.
[11:29] Speaker 2: Good.
[11:30] Speaker 6: Well, you helped to solve the mystery anyhow, so you
[11:32] Speaker 6: can take the bow, son. And if there's any reward,
[11:36] Speaker 6: just drop it off at Teeny's house. Teeny found it,
[11:38] Speaker 6: you know. Well, I'll rest a while now, Molly. Call
[11:41] Speaker 6: me when you.
[11:53] Speaker 2: Mr.
[11:53] Speaker 10: McGee.
[11:54] Speaker 2: Oh, Mr.
[11:55] Speaker 10: McGee.
[11:55] Speaker 6: We're in the kitchen, Lester, doing the dishes.
[11:57] Speaker 10: Oh, I'm sorry to barge in like this without knocking,
[12:00] Speaker 10: but look what the lady gave me for a reward.
[12:03] Speaker 6: I rushed right back here to show you. Fifty dollars.
[12:06] Speaker 6: Fifty dollars?
[12:07] Speaker 10: That's right.
[12:08] Speaker 6: Oh, but she only had six dollars and some change
[12:10] Speaker 6: in the purse. Yeah.
[12:12] Speaker 10: In the top of it, that is.
[12:13] Speaker 6: The top?
[12:15] Speaker 10: And 15,700 more in the false bottom.
[12:17] Speaker 2: What?
[12:18] Speaker 6: False bottom? I looked all over that.
[12:21] Speaker 10: It's a secret compartment. You see, one of the lumps
[12:24] Speaker 10: in the alligator skin releases a catch. Heavenly days. I'll
[12:28] Speaker 10: run on over and give Teenie a reward. She's the
[12:31] Speaker 10: richest kid I know now.
[12:34] Speaker 6: Well, I think I'll go lie down again, Molly. I
[12:37] Speaker 6: got a kind of a splitting headache.
[12:39] Speaker 7: I got a kind of a splitting headache.
[12:54] Speaker 2: Deborah and Molly have a final word for you to come.
[12:57] Speaker 4: Mother, do some days seem extra long because you feel
[13:00] Speaker 4: too tired too much of the time? Well, you know,
[13:03] Speaker 4: one of the common causes of a tired, pepless feeling
[13:05] Speaker 4: is a shortage of vitamins. And your meals may not
[13:08] Speaker 4: always contain enough of these essential food elements. Vitamins have
[13:12] Speaker 4: a way of getting lost in the cooking, storing, and
[13:15] Speaker 4: processing of food. That's why it's wise to fortify your
[13:19] Speaker 4: family meals with one-a-day brand multiple vitamin tablets. They supply
[13:23] Speaker 4: all the vitamins anyone normally needs to take. Easy-to-take, one-a-day
[13:28] Speaker 4: brand multiple vitamin tablets are low in cost, and they
[13:31] Speaker 4: include vitamin B12. Protect your family from vitamin shortage. Tell
[13:37] Speaker 4: your druggist you want one-a-day brand multiple vitamin tablets in
[13:41] Speaker 4: the blue box with the big red one.
[13:51] Speaker 6: Oh, yes, Sally.
[13:52] Speaker 8: Wonderful.
[13:53] Speaker 6: I'll tell him. Who's that?
[13:55] Speaker 9: Sally Nelson. Says Teeny's mother just insisted that Lester keep
[13:59] Speaker 9: half the reward.
[14:00] Speaker 6: $ 25. Well, good for him. What am I supposed to do?
[14:03] Speaker 6: Roll on the floor? And now listen.
[14:04] Speaker 9: Lester wants to split the $ 25 with you.
[14:07] Speaker 6: Gonna bring it over in the morning. Yeah? Ah, good
[14:11] Speaker 6: old Lester. Swell kid, Lester. McGee, quit rolling on the floor.
[14:17] Speaker 6: Get up from there, silly. Okay. So long, everybody. See
[14:21] Speaker 6: you tomorrow.
[14:22] Speaker 2: Bye. Les Nelson is played by Robert Easton.
[14:46] Speaker 3: This is John Wall saying goodbye and hoping we'll have
[14:49] Speaker 3: the pleasure of your company again soon.
[14:51] Speaker 2: So long. Hear the dramatic story Woman in My House
[14:59] Speaker 2: weekdays on most NBC radio stations.
[15:11] Speaker 1: Our visit to Wistful Vista ends with the reward. Follow
[15:14] Speaker 1: Fibber McGee and Molly for more classic broadcasts.

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