Night Out With the Boys

Originally Aired: April 22, 1941 Fibber McGee & Molly #284, "Night Out With the Boys," finds Fibber restless and fidgety, driving Molly to distraction with his boredom. When Gildersleeve arrives and invites McGee to join him at the Elks club, Molly initially resists until Gildy spins an elaborate tale about a patriotic game called "Three Cheers for the Red, White and Blue." The truth, of course, is that there's a high-stakes poker game planned, and Molly seems perfectly aware of the deception even as she gives them permission to go. McGee and Gildersleeve set off in high spirits, determined to paint the town red. They stop to collect the Old Timer, urging him to assert his independence from "Mama," though their pep talk backfires spectacularly. They also encounter Harlow Wilcox, who declines their poker invitation in favor of attending a floor show at the Biltmore. As the evening unfolds, their grand night out with the boys faces various comic complications that threaten to deflate their masculine bravado.