In its sixteen year run, The Great Gildersleeve not only grew from what was simply a two dimensional character into a fully realized show. It also established a whole host of tropes that would influence situation comedies to come, most notably that of the rather crazy relative coming in a time of need to take care of children that aren’t his. It also refined some aspects of comedy, including blending what essentially was a small town setting with more sophisticated storytelling. The Great Gildersleeve, like few other shows of its era, proved that comedies weren’t simply all about getting laughs. Listen in as Gildy, Judge Hooker, Birdie and everyone else in Summerfield make laughter and life happen in the twelve original broadcasts of The Great Gildersleeve, Volume 17. Presented as they originally aired, complete with Kraft Foods commercials and restored to sparkling digital quality.
