In Chicago he became a regular on "Fibber McGee and Molly", where he originated the Gildersleeve character as a McGee neighbor and nemesis in 1938. ("You're a "haaa-aa-aard" man, McGee" was a famous catch-phrase.) The character actually went through several first names and occupations before settling on Throckmorton Philharmonic Gildersleeve and his ownership of the Gildersleeve Girdleworks. He also worked on the horror series "Lights Out" and other radio programs, but his success and popularity as Gildersleeve set the stage for the character's own program, which became the peak of his career.