On This Day, August 28: Rudy Vallee and Dennis Day
Also featured: Jeff Regan.
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, Rudy Vallee & John Barrymore sparring with wrestler Nat Pendleton for Sealtest, Dennis Day's babysitting chaos for Colgate, Charles Egelston as Shuffle Shober in Ma Perkins, Ronald Colman adapting George Bernard Shaw's Cashel Byron's Profession, Jack Webb investigating murder at an illegal casino on Jeff Regan, Investigator, and Herbert Marshall solving Himalayan murders on Hollywood Star Playhouse (1941–1950):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Guest Nat Pendleton" | NBC Red (WEAF) 1941-08-28 8:00 PM EDST |
Standard Brands Sealtest Dairy |
Rudy Vallee, John Barrymore | Nat Pendleton, Xavier Cugat | ["Variety", "Comedy", "Hollywood", "Music", "Parody"] |
Olympic wrestler turned screen heavy Nat Pendleton joins Rudy Vallee and John Barrymore for burlesque wrestling sketches and physical comedy. |
| "The Babysitting Dilemma" | NBC (WNBC) 1948-08-28 10:00 PM EDT |
Colgate-Palmolive Colgate Dental / Lustre-Creme |
Dennis Day, Barbara Eiler | Dink Trout, Paula Winslowe | ["Sitcom", "Comedy", "Domestic", "Music", "Vocal"] |
Dennis Day volunteers to babysit the mayor's unruly infant nephew in an ill-fated scheme to earn money for an engagement ring. |
| "Lacking Evidence, Shuffle Leaves" | CBS (WABC) 1950-08-28 1:15 PM EDT |
Procter & Gamble Oxydol / Dreft |
Virginia Payne, Charles Egelston | Robert Hardy Andrews (Creator) | ["Soap Opera", "Drama", "Small Town", "Serial", "Americana"] |
Shuffle Shober prepares to depart Rushville in defeat after failing to uncover proof exonerating his close friend from embezzlement charges. |
| "Cashel Byron's Profession" | Syndicated Elec 1948-08-28 |
Commercial Regional Sponsors |
Ronald Colman (Host) | Lawrence & Lee (Adapters) | ["Drama", "Literary Anthology", "Classics", "Romance", "British"] |
Host Ronald Colman presents George Bernard Shaw's story of a world-champion prizefighter who falls in love with a wealthy high-society heiress. |
| "The Man in the Door" | CBS (WABC) 1948-08-28 9:00 PM EDT |
Sustaining Hardboiled Detective |
Jack Webb, Wilms Herbert | E. Jack Neuman (Creator) | ["Detective", "Hardboiled", "Noir", "Crime", "Mystery"] |
Hardboiled private investigator Jeff Regan probes the murder of a night-club bouncer found shot dead in the doorway of an illegal gambling den. |
| "Flute in the Night" | CBS (WABC) 1950-08-28 8:00 PM EDT |
The Emerson Drug Co. Bromo-Seltzer |
Herbert Marshall (Host/Star) | Dramatic Repertory | ["Drama", "Mystery", "Suspense", "Anthology", "Hollywood"] |
A retired British army officer in the Himalayan foothills suspects supernatural forces when an eerie flute melody precedes a series of mysterious poisonings. |