The Cliff Arquette/Uncle Charlie mystery

This is getting weird.  The other day I wrote about Cliff Arquette being Charlie Weaver, the old waterworks guy who worked for Summerfield in the show, Great Gildersleeve - and while that was quite a surprise, it's not near as shocking as what I just found:

This is from LIFE Magazine (1961); I think I read one time somewhere that Bill Thompson, voice of many on Fibber McGee and Molly got the Old Timer idea from Jim Jordan who suggested he copy a character who was on the show, Smackout.  Smackout was the show Fibber and Molly did before they began Fibber McGee and Molly.

Can it be?