On This Day, August 31: Jungle Jim and Let George Do It
Also featured: Casey Crime Photographer.
August 31 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 31 across exotic comic strip jungle adventures, West Coast hardboiled detective investigations, newspaper flashbulb murder mysteries, and Bicentennial documentary surveys, Matt Crowley as Alex Raymond's Jungle Jim (1940, 1946), Bob Bailey and Virginia Gregg in Let George Do It for Chevron (1953), Staats Cotsworth in Casey, Crime Photographer (1950), Gordon MacRae on Texaco Star Theater (1947), and BBC Radio 4's documentary on Maryland (1940–1975):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "The Big Surprise with Matt Crowley and Ju-Ju" | Hearst Syndication 1940-08-31 |
Hearst Syndicate Comic Strip Serial |
Matt Crowley, Vola | Alex Raymond (Creator) | ["Adventure", "Jungle", "Comics", "Jungle Jim", "Alex Raymond"] |
Jungle Jim and Kolu discover a hidden native ambush party concealed along the riverbank while guiding an archaeological safari through Malaya. |
| "The Lost City of the Bat Men with Matt Crowley" | Hearst Syndication 1946-08-31 |
Hearst Syndicate Comic Strip Serial |
Matt Crowley, Mohr | Alex Raymond (Creator) | ["Adventure", "Jungle", "Comics", "Jungle Jim", "Alex Raymond"] |
Jim investigates tribal folklore surrounding winged nocturnal predators guarding subterranean diamond vaults deep in the uncharted jungle. |
| "Summer Edition with Gordon MacRae and Evelyn Knight" | CBS (WCBS) 1947-08-31 9:30 PM EDT |
The Texas Company Texaco Sky Chief |
Gordon MacRae, Knight | Victor Young Orchestra | ["Music", "Variety", "Texaco Star Theater", "Gordon MacRae", "Texaco"] |
Gordon MacRae and Evelyn Knight headline summer musical variety with Broadway duets and popular standards for Texaco. |
| "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre with Bob Bailey" | Mutual-Don Lee 1953-08-31 9:00 PM EDT |
Standard Oil of Calif. Chevron / Supreme |
Bob Bailey, Gregg | David Victor (Writer) | ["Detective", "Mystery", "Hardboiled", "Let George Do It", "Bob Bailey"] |
George Valentine is hired by a prospector's widow to find a missing claim deed, uncovering a lethal partnership dispute over gold ore. |
| "The Fatal Visitor with Staats Cotsworth" | CBS (WCBS) 1950-08-31 9:30 PM EDT |
Sustaining Newspaper Crime Drama |
Staats Cotsworth, Miner | John Gibson (Ethelbert) | ["Detective", "Mystery", "Journalism", "Casey Crime Photographer", "CBS"] |
Casey stakes out a seaside mansion after a mysterious blackmailer arrives to extort an eccentric retired theatrical producer. |
| "Maryland — The Old Line State with BBC Radio" | BBC Radio 4 1975-08-31 10:15 PM BST |
Sustaining Bicentennial Doc |
BBC Documentarians | BBC Features Dept. | ["Documentary", "History", "Geography", "The States of the Union", "BBC Radio 4"] |
A BBC documentary explores Maryland's colonial origins, Chesapeake Bay maritime traditions, and industrial Baltimore history. |