On This Day, September 1: Laurence Olivier and Bing Crosby
Also featured: Rosemary Clooney, Father Knows Best.
September 1 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 September 1 across H.G. Wells speculative theater classics, breezy morning vocal pop duets, beloved domestic sitcoms, Australian flying doctor adventures, and Arkansas country comedy, Sir Laurence Olivier in The Country of the Blind on Theatre Royal (1954), Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney (1961), Robert Young in Father Knows Best (1949), Lum and Abner for Frigidaire (1948), and The Flying Doctor (1938–1961):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "H.G. Wells's The Country of the Blind with Sir Laurence Olivier" | BBC / Towers London 1954-09-01 |
Sustaining Prestige Drama |
Sir Laurence Olivier | H.G. Wells (Author) | ["Drama", "Sci-Fi", "Theatre Royal", "Laurence Olivier", "HG Wells"] |
A mountaineer falls into an isolated Andean valley whose blind inhabitants reject his claims about sight and prepare to remove his eyes. |
| "Anything You Can Do with Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney" | CBS (WCBS) 1961-09-01 10:45 AM EDT |
Sustaining Morning Music |
Bing Crosby, Clooney | Buddy Cole and His Trio | ["Music", "Pop", "Vocal", "Bing Crosby", "Rosemary Clooney"] |
Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney exchange humorous vocal banter and duet on Irving Berlin's Anything You Can Do. |
| "Pleasing the Prospective Insurance Client with Robert Young and General Foods" | NBC (KFI) 1949-09-01 8:30 PM EDT |
General Foods Post 40% Bran Flakes |
Robert Young, Whitley | Ed James (Writer) | ["Comedy", "Sitcom", "Father Knows Best", "Robert Young", "Post Cereals"] |
Jim Anderson enlists his family's help to impress an eccentric insurance client only for a series of dinner mishaps to derail the business pitch. |
| "Wonder If Abner Got His Inheritance with Chester Lauck and Norris Goff (Frigidaire)" | CBS (KNX) 1948-09-01 10:00 PM EDT |
General Motors Frigidaire Appliances |
Lauck (Lum), Goff (Abner) | Lauck & Goff (Writers) | ["Comedy", "Rural", "Lum And Abner", "Chester Lauck", "Frigidaire"] |
Lum anxiously waits for the morning mail delivery to discover whether Abner has inherited a substantial fortune from a distant relative. |
| "The Emergency Outpost with James McKechnie" | BBC Light Prog. 1959-09-01 |
Sustaining Australian Adventure |
James McKechnie (Doc) | Ernest Dudley (Writer) | ["Adventure", "Medical", "Flying Doctor", "Australia", "BBC"] |
Dr. Halliday flies his medical aircraft through a severe dust storm to deliver emergency antivenom to a remote Australian cattle station. |
| "Guests Grace George and William A. Brady with Rudy Vallee (Alternate)" | NBC Red (WEAF) 1938-09-01 8:00 PM EDST |
Standard Brands Royal Gelatin Desserts |
Rudy Vallee, George | William A. Brady | ["Music", "Variety", "Rudy Vallee", "Royal Gelatin", "NBC Red"] |
Rudy Vallee presents dramatic excerpts performed by actress Grace George and producer William A. Brady alongside orchestral selections. |