On This Day, August 27: The Saint and Richard Diamond
Also featured: The Thin Man.
August 27 Update
This report documents the historical provenance, broadcast scheduling, commercial sponsorship, credited cast, production personnel, alternate circulating titles, and pure narrative synopses for broadcasts transmitting on August 27 across American network radio, Joan Caulfield and John Hoyt in Family Theater, frontier ministry drama on Author's Playhouse, Vincent Price as The Saint busting a baby adoption racket for Breeze Detergent, Dick Powell in Blake Edwards's Richard Diamond, Private Detective for Rexall 1¢ Sale, and Les Damon & Claudia Morgan in Dashiell Hammett's The Thin Man for Woodbury Soap (1941–1957):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Sylvia" | Mutual (WOR) 1957-08-27 9:30 PM EDT |
Sustaining Family Theater |
Stephen McNally, Joan Caulfield, John Hoyt | Jaime del Valle, Patrick Peyton | ["Drama", "Inspirational", "Marriage", "Hollywood", "Anthology"] |
A devoted husband uncovers a hidden medical diagnosis his wife Sylvia concealed to spare him sorrow, renewing their bond of love. |
| "Beyond the Cross" | NBC Blue (WJZ) 1941-08-27 9:00 PM EDST |
Sustaining Literary Drama |
Karl Weber, Muriel Bremner | Wynn Wright (Director) | ["Drama", "Literature", "Frontier", "Spiritual", "Anthology"] |
A brooding frontier minister in a remote mountain settlement struggles to maintain his faith when faced with a superstitious town feud. |
| "The Case of the Baby Adoption Racket" | CBS (WABC) 1947-08-27 8:00 PM EDT |
Lever Brothers Breeze Detergent |
Vincent Price (Saint), Ken Christy | Leslie Charteris (Creator) | ["Detective", "Mystery", "Crime", "Suspense", "Hardboiled"] |
Simon Templar exposes a corrupt private adoption agency blackmailing prospective adoptive parents and threatening newborn infants. |
| "The Eddie Garrett Case" | NBC (WNBC) 1949-08-27 7:00 PM EDT |
Rexall Drug Co. Rexall 1¢ Sale |
Dick Powell, Virginia Gregg, Ed Begley | Blake Edwards (Writer) | ["Detective", "Hardboiled", "Noir", "Comedy", "Crime"] |
Private investigator Richard Diamond is hired to protect a nervous ex-convict who witnessed a fatal gangland rubout on the waterfront. |
| "The Eddie Garrett Case" | NBC (WNBC) 1949-08-27 7:00 PM EDT |
Rexall Drug Co. Rexall 1¢ Sale |
Dick Powell, Virginia Gregg | Blake Edwards (Writer) | ["Detective", "Hardboiled", "Noir", "Comedy", "Crime"] |
Private investigator Richard Diamond is hired to protect a nervous ex-convict who witnessed a fatal gangland rubout on the waterfront. |
| "Twinkle, Twinkle, Where's the Star?" | NBC Red (WEAF) 1941-08-27 8:00 PM EDST |
Andrew Jergens Woodbury Facial Soap |
Les Damon (Nick), Claudia Morgan (Nora) | Dashiell Hammett (Creator) | ["Detective", "Comedy", "Mystery", "Sophisticated", "Marriage"] |
Nick and Nora Charles investigate the mysterious backstage disappearance of a temperamental Broadway musical starlet on opening night. |