Gale Gordon

Gale Gordon
(1906 – 1995)

Gale Gordon was born on June 30, 1906 into a vaudevillian family.  His mother, Gloria Gordon, was also classic radio performer and had a role on My Friend Irma later in life.  His family moved to England when he was young and returned to the United States in 1915.  In 1926, Gale Gordon made his debut on the radio singing and playing a ukulele. 
By 1933, he had become the highest paid radio actor in Hollywood on shows such as Tarzan, Lux Radio Theater, Flash Gordon, Jungle Jim, and Sherlock Holmes.

Gordon got his break on comedy radio as "Mayor Latrivia" on Fibber McGee & Molly Show.  It was on radio comedy that his career hit its second stride as a character actor.  He is best known for his roles of undermined authority figures with snooty names like blustery Principal Osgood Conklin or the hotheaded bank manager Rudolph Atterbury.

He began working on old time radio shows a lot sometimes performing on three or more shows per day.  Radio fans best remember Gale Gordon for his role on Our Miss Brooks as Osgood Conklin, the hub-bubbing Madison High School principal of Connie Brooks (Eve Arden).  On My Favorites Husband he shared the radio microphone with another zany redhead, Lucille Ball, and they developed a life long friendship and working relationship.

Gale Gordon died on 30 June 1995 of cancer at the Redwood Terrace Heath Centre in Escondido, California.  Gale Gordon had a long working life on radio and television and is truly an important figure of American old time radio history.

This extensive collection encompasses many of Gale Gordon's great performances in various popular old time radio series including Calling all Cars, Cinnamon Bear, Flash Gordon, Fibber McGee and Molly , Front Page Drama, Fu Manchu, Good News , Casebook of Gregory Hood, Lux Radio Theater, My Favorite Husband, Our Miss Brooks, Phil Harris and Alice Faye, Speed Gibson, Tarzan, and also includes many other rare appearances (which are included on Vol. 2 Misc).