Honest Harold


(3.2 stars; 8 reviews)

Enjoy the delightful antics of Honest Harold, a beloved character brought to life by Harold Peary. This Old Time Radio series features a total of 38 shows, including an audition episode, showcasing the charm and humor that made the show a favorite among listeners.

Join Harold as he navigates the ups and downs of life, bringing laughter and warmth to your day. The series captures the essence of classic radio entertainment, making it a wonderful addition to any collection.


This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.

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Chapters

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Honest Harold 32:32
Harold Loses His Job 29:30
Renaming Boomer Park 29:30
Shark Repellent 29:30
The Chanteuse 29:30
The Runaway Boy 29:23
50-10-25 Campaign Speech 29:29
Election Plans 29:30
Cousin Raymond Visits 29:30
Getting a Job 29:30
Thanksgiving Play 29:30
The Hummer 29:30
Raymond and Gloria 29:30
Childrens Christmas Party 29:30
New Years Dance 29:30
Warbleware Party 29:30
Lost Sponsor 29:30
Going to New York 29:30
Engaged Twice 29:30
Civic Achievement Award 29:30
Mothers Suitor 29:30
Mistaken Valentines 29:30
Florabelle Returns 29:30
Willis Can't Pass the Physical 29:30
Red Cross Drive 29:30
Income Tax 29:30
Cousin Marvin 29:30
First Day of School 29:30
Modernizing Docs Office 29:30
Cleaning the Cellar 29:30
Circus Day 29:30
Marvin's Gang 29:30
Vying for Class 29:30
Florabelle's New Lover 29:30
Party Invitation 29:30
Marshall for a Day 29:30
Peabody's Sister Takes Over 29:30
Marvin Decides to Stay 29:30

Reviews

Not One or the Other


(3 stars)

As others have pointed out, the early episodes are fun to listen to, but then it somewhere took a turn for a while. I also noticed that there seemed to be quite a few similarities to stories in the "Jack Benny Program," similarities that "The Great Gildersleeve" didn't have. Harold Peary in this now has a relic of a car, like Benny's antique Maxwell, complete with exaggerated engine sputtering. In one Harold episode he's scared of "the Hummer" - a parody of "The Whistler" that Benny did as "The Fiddler." In another Harold has to deal with a male singing group that keeps interrupting him, much like Benny's Sportsman Quartet. Even his Cousin Raymond comes across as something of a Phil Harris type, using slang and boasting all the time. Granted, other shows used similar themes as well, but these are pretty obvious. Don't know if this had anything to do with the move to CBS, maybe using the same writers. It'll be interesting to listen top the later episodes.

Writers didn't do the show justice and so ends Peary's radio days


(2 stars)

After discovering the Great Gildersleeve programs and listening to nearly every show that was made including the Willard Waterman era to find this show with Harold Peary was exciting (at first). The audition show was pretty good but then it went downhill from there until the following spring where they changed some things that made it even more like the old Gildersleeve show but since the original GG was still successful with W. Waterman on NBC there was no reason for this weak imitation to keep going on CBS. Kraft Co. and bad writing on this show finished off radio for Harold Peary and forced him into a bad TV show soon after.

Honest Harold


(4 stars)

Harold Peary role as Honest Harold is somewhat of a continuation of his Gildersleeve role. Same laugh and situations. His fellow actors' roles bear a remarkable resemblance to other Gildersleeve characters. Doc Yak yak (Judge Hooker)and Pete the Marshall (Mr Peavey) His secretary is the same actress (His real life wife) as on GG. Non the less the plots are entertaining and I recommend it.


(4 stars)

I really enjoyed Harold Peary as Honest Harold. It is similar to The Great Gildersleeve. As I understand it, Harold Peary got a lot of requests to sing more but he wasn’t allowed to do this on Gildersleeve.He left Gildersleeve and became Honest Harold where he often broke into song.