Gildersleeve on Broadway

Surprisingly good entry in the Gildersleeve series. The laughs are non-stop, thanks to Peary, a fine script and cast, plus razor sharp direction. Seems Gildy is out to save the drugstores in his town, that is, if he can get past his fiancée, two girlfriends, and a wise-cracking LeRoy. It's a constant shuffle of characters in and out that suggests madcap, but is too smooth to be frenetic. Listen closely for a number of gag lines that are occasionally inspired. Peary's in fine blustery form, while pairing him with the squeaky Billie Burke is like hearing a tuba next to Tweety-Bird. Actually the title is somewhat misleading since only New York City and not Broadway Avenue is the setting.

I love it when droopy-face Peavy (Le Grande) impersonates Gildy's wife—it may make you re- think the whole institution of marriage. Then there's ditzy Burke's lunatic brother who thinks he's William Tell, while Gildy's his favorite apple-head target. Anyway, it's non-stop amusement beautifully orchestrated by director Douglas. In fact the series as a whole benefited greatly from his expert hand, as a list of his superior credits shows. Too bad, these small town characters are now largely a thing of the past. As the series shows, there's a lot of gentle humor to be mined among the non-glamorous.