On This Day, August 28: Lum and Abner and Bing Crosby
Also featured: Enchanted Hour.
August 28 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 28 across American network radio and syndication, four classic comedy storylines from the Jot 'Em Down Store on Lum and Abner for Alka-Seltzer (1941–1946), soprano Marion Claire in The Enchanted Hour, and Bing Crosby & Rosemary Clooney trading breezy pop duets (1941–1962):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Strange Box Left at Bank (Broadcast)" | NBC Blue (WJZ) 1941-08-28 8:15 PM EDST |
Miles Laboratories Alka-Seltzer / One-A-Day |
Chester Lauck, Norris Goff | Pine Ridge Writers | ["Sitcom", "Comedy", "Rural", "Americana", "Dialect"] |
Lum and Abner treat an abandoned ticking wooden crate delivered to the Pine Ridge bank with extreme panic, suspecting it contains an explosive. |
| "The Mysterious Locked Box (Transcription)" | Syndicated Elec 1941-08-28 |
Miles Laboratories Alka-Seltzer |
Chester Lauck, Norris Goff | Pine Ridge Writers | ["Sitcom", "Comedy", "Rural", "Americana", "Dialect"] |
Lum and Abner attempt to pry open a heavy padlocked iron box deposited at the Jot 'Em Down Store before the owner returns. |
| "Squire's Confession" | NBC Blue (WJZ) 1942-08-28 8:15 PM EWT |
Miles Laboratories Alka-Seltzer / One-A-Day |
Chester Lauck, Norris Goff | Pine Ridge Writers | ["Sitcom", "Comedy", "Rural", "Americana", "Dialect"] |
Squire Skimp visits the store and makes an unexpected confession regarding his disputed ownership of a neighbor's timberland. |
| "The Talking Dog of Pine Ridge" | ABC (WJZ) 1946-08-28 8:00 PM EDT |
Miles Laboratories Alka-Seltzer |
Chester Lauck, Norris Goff | Pine Ridge Writers | ["Sitcom", "Comedy", "Rural", "Americana", "Dialect"] |
Abner convinces himself that an orphaned stray hound can speak English after hearing ventriloquism tricks played by neighborhood pranksters. |
| "Late Summer Symphony" | Mutual (WOR) 1949-08-28 10:30 PM EDT |
Sustaining Classical Concert |
Henry Weber Orchestra | Marion Claire (Soprano) | ["Music", "Classical", "Opera", "Symphonic", "Vocal"] |
Soprano Marion Claire performs operatic arias and romantic concert pieces accompanied by Henry Weber and the symphony orchestra. |
| "What Can I Do" | CBS (WCBS) 1962-08-28 10:30 AM EDT |
Commercial Daytime Sponsors |
Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney | Buddy Cole Trio | ["Music", "Vocal", "Easy Listening", "Pop Standard", "Variety"] |
Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney trade lighthearted banter and perform jazz standards and acoustic pop duets with the Buddy Cole Trio. |