On This Day, August 24: The Falcon and My Friend Irma
Also featured: Peter Salem.
August 24 Exhaustive Update
This report documents the comprehensive provenance, broadcast scheduling, commercial sponsorship, credited cast, production personnel, alternate circulating titles, serial multi-part narrative arcs, and story synopses for historical broadcasts transmitting on August 24 across American network, hardboiled detective mysteries, female-led domestic sitcoms, and live Town Hall political debates (1944–1954):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story-First Plot Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Jane's High-Society Suitor (Marie Wilson & Cathy Lewis — CBS)" | CBS (WCBS) 1954-08-24 9:30 PM EDT |
Sustaining CBS Sitcom Series |
Marie Wilson (Irma), Cathy Lewis (Jane), John Brown (Al) | Cy Howard (Creator), Parke Levy, Frank Bingman | ["Comedy", "Sitcom", "Domestic", "Female Lead", "Americana"] |
Well-meaning but hopelessly scatterbrained Irma Peterson attempts to assist roommate Jane Stacy in preparing for a dinner date with a wealthy Wall Street broker, accidentally mixing up the guest list with Al's racetrack betting bookies. |
| "The Case of the Silent Butler (Les Damon as The Falcon — NBC)" | NBC (WNBC) 1952-08-24 4:30 PM EDT |
Sustaining NBC Mystery Series |
Les Damon (The Falcon), Ken Lynch (Billy O'Hara) | Michael Arlen, Richard Lewis, Ed Herlihy | ["Detective", "Mystery", "Hardboiled", "Noir", "Crime"] |
"The Falcon... that fabulous character, Michael Waring..." Freelance adventurer Michael Waring investigates the mysterious poisoning of an elderly industrialist in a Long Island mansion, where the key witness is a deaf-mute butler who held the secret combination to a looted wall safe. |
| "The Case of the Silent Butler (AFRS Rebroadcast — Les Damon)" | AFRS 1952-08-24 (Rebroadcast) |
Sustaining Armed Forces Radio |
Les Damon (The Falcon), Ken Lynch, Mandel Kramer | Michael Arlen, Richard Lewis | ["Detective", "Mystery", "Hardboiled", "Noir", "Crime"] |
Michael Waring outmaneuvers a ruthless ring of blackmailers who framed a wealthy estate's mute butler for homicide and jewel theft, cracking the case with help from Sergeant Billy O'Hara. |
| "The Riddle of the Senator's Murder (George Petrie as The Falcon — Mutual)" | Mutual (WOR) 1953-08-24 8:00 PM EDT |
Sustaining Mutual Crime Series |
George Petrie (Michael Waring), Robert Dryden | Michael Arlen, Carlo D'Angelo, Bob Maurer | ["Detective", "Mystery", "Hardboiled", "Political", "Crime"] |
Returning to Washington D.C. from an undercover overseas intelligence assignment, Michael Waring solves the suspicious midnight rooftop death of an anti-corruption U.S. Senator before state secrets are auctioned to a foreign cartel. |
| "The Affair of the Terrified Trumpet (Santos Ortega as Peter Salem — Mutual)" | Mutual (WOR) 1952-08-24 5:30 PM EDT |
Sustaining Mutual Mystery Series |
Santos Ortega (Peter Salem), Jack Grimes (Marty) | Louis Vittes (Writer), Himan Brown, Frank Waldecker | ["Detective", "Mystery", "Procedural", "Crime", "Music"] |
Astute small-town sleuth Peter Salem and young assistant Marty travel to a Manhattan jazz club to investigate deadly threats against a famous trumpet virtuoso whose improvised solos conceal secret underworld numbers racket drop codes. |
| "Post-War Foreign Policy & International Peace (George V. Denny Jr. — Reader's Digest)" | Blue (WJZ) 1944-08-24 8:30 PM EWT |
Reader's Digest Association Sponsor |
George V. Denny Jr., Sen. Claude Pepper, Norman Thomas | The Town Hall Inc. New York, Gene Hamilton | ["Public Affairs", "Debate", "Historical", "World War II", "Politics"] |
"Town Hall Tonight!" Moderator George V. Denny Jr. hosts a fiery live debate from Town Hall New York on America's post-war foreign policy, international peace organizations, and global economic reconstruction following the impending Allied victory in World War II for Reader's Digest. |