The Great Gildersleeve Film Series

 

The Great Gildersleeve

 

The first of the series

 

Peary begins the first 3 films with his "dirty laugh"

Throckmorton’s hiding from Amelia Hooker, Leroy’s vocal teacher.

Amelia’s pleasant enough, but very old fashioned.

Freddy Mercer as Leroy begins the film singing like a girl. What happened?

Didn’t the writers ever listen to the radio show? His character never gets any closer to Leroy throughout the series.

Oddly, he’s the only non-radio supporting character who is in every film.

Marjorie’s friends play a peppy version of Leroy’s song and Birdie starts dancing.

Gildy and Leroy’s printing press.

Amelia gets the idea Gildy needs a woman at home, namely, her.

Unfortunately for Amelia, Gildy means Aunt Emma, played by the wonderful Jane Darwell. Yes, that’s the same Jane Darwell who won an academy award for “The Grapes of Wrath”, and would make her final screen appearance as the "bird lady" in Mary Poppins some 23 years later.

 

Out of gas, Gildy gives Aunt Emma a ride home on Leroy’s paper route scooter.

What else? Gildy crashes!

Brother and sister Hooker pose for portrait, expecting matrimony imminent.

Gildy figures out what Amelia is assuming.

"This is gonna be one of my ba-a-a-d days."

The Hookers vs Gildy over breach of promise.

Hooker threatens Gildy’s guardianship of Majorie and Leroy.

An improbable challenge becomes a publicity stunt, Hooker and Gildy have a footrace.

Gildy will run backwards and downhill, wearing a rear-view mirror.

Hooker nips along smartly.

Gildy jogs backwards along at a steady pace.

Then, stepping on a boy’s skate, takes a tumble and Hooker wins.

Leroy meets "Mr. Smith", the state Governor (incognito), suffering from a cold.

Aunt Emma makes a home remedy for "Mr. Smith".

The remedy has an effect on the Governor.

Gildy finds out he’s the Governor and lets him know.

Gildy’s attempt to bring the Governor to Hooker’s country club for a dinner ends with Hooker’s pals playing tricks on what they think Is a "fake" governor.

Gildy forgives Hooker and invites him to ride with the Governor in a parade.