- Born
- Died
- Birth nameHarrold Jese Pereira de Faria
- A talented singer as a child, Peary later went into radio in 1925. By 1929, he had his own radio show and got his big break in 1935 when he was cast in the Fibber McGee and Molly Show as Throckmorton Gildersleeve. In 1939, Peary was making a personal appearance in a theatre promoting the Fibber McGee and Molly Show and casually did what would be his trademark giggle. It caught on with the audience and Peary incorporated it in the Gildersleeve character. Peary eventually got his own radio show, The Great Gildersleeve, which debuted on 8-31-41 and ran for 17 years. It was one of the longest-running comedy shows in radio history, leaving the air in 1958. Peary left the Gildersleeve radio show in 1951. He went on to make numerous feature films, four of them based on the Great Gildersleeve radio show. His career in films tapered off by the '50s, but he became busy in television and records in that decade. His last film appearance was in 1964; TV appearances continued into the early '70s.- IMDb Mini Biography By: dbowman@adcomsys.net
- SpousesCallie Juanita Parker(February 14, 1964 - December 11, 1977) (her death)Gloria Holliday(June 24, 1947 - March 26, 1956) (divorced, 1 child)Eleanor Virginia "Betty" Jourdaine(May 14, 1929 - June 20, 1947) (divorced)
- Gildersleeve giggle.
- Peary's radio program, "The Great Gildersleeve," is considered by many to be broadcasting history's first "spin-off," with the character having appeared on "Fibber McGee and Molly" originally.
- He was awarded 2 Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for radio at 1639 Vine Street and for television at 1719 Vine Street in Hollywood, California.
- Profiled in "Old-Time Radio Memories" by Mel Simons (BearManor Media).
- He had a son, Harold Jose Faria (born March 9, 1947), with his second wife, Gloria. In 1958, when Harold was 11, he changed his name to Page Peary.
- Best known for playing Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve on radio in the 1940s.
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