On This Day, September 2: V-J Day All-Star Special and Carmen Miranda
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 2 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 2 across monumental historic V-J Day victory celebrations, Latin-American musical comedy revues, deductive clerical detective drama, fast-paced police thrillers, adventure serials, and celebrity bond drives, the historic AFRS Command Performance V-J Day Special featuring Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Bob Hope (1945), Carmen Miranda and Keenan Wynn on The Chase and Sanborn Program (1945), Karl Swenson as Father Brown (1945), Call the Police for Lever Brothers (1947), I Love a Mystery (1952), and Guest Star (1945–1952):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Victory over Japan Day All-Star Special with AFRS" | AFRS Shortwave 1945-09-02 |
Armed Forces Radio Victory Celebration |
Bing Crosby, Sinatra, Hope | AFRS Production Staff | ["Variety", "Music", "Comedy", "AFRS", "Command Performance"] |
An all-star ensemble of Hollywood and Broadway entertainers performs comedy, music, and celebratory anthems for Allied servicemen on Victory over Japan Day. |
| "Guests Keenan Wynn and Carmen Miranda with Frances Langford" | NBC (KFI) 1945-09-02 8:00 PM EWT |
Standard Brands Chase & Sanborn Coffee |
Frances Langford, Miranda | Spike Jones & City Slickers | ["Variety", "Music", "Comedy", "Chase And Sanborn", "Carmen Miranda"] |
Comedian Keenan Wynn and Brazilian bombshell Carmen Miranda join Frances Langford and Spike Jones for musical parodies celebrating post-war peace. |
| "The Blue Cross with Karl Swenson, Bill Griffis, and Mutual" | Mutual (WOR) 1945-09-02 5:00 PM EWT |
Sustaining Clerical Detective |
Karl Swenson (Brown) | G.K. Chesterton (Author) | ["Detective", "Mystery", "Father Brown", "GK Chesterton", "Karl Swenson"] |
Father Brown outwits the notorious French master criminal Flambeau by swapping a valuable sapphire-encrusted silver crucifix with a confectioner's replica. |
| "The Double Double Cross with Joseph Julian and Lever Brothers" | NBC (WNBC) 1947-09-02 9:00 PM EDT |
Lever Brothers Rinso & Lifebuoy |
Joseph Julian (Grant) | Amzie Strickland & Kramer | ["Police", "Crime", "Call The Police", "Lever Brothers", "NBC"] |
Police Commissioner Bill Grant sets a trap for rival hijackers after a warehouse theft ring turns on its own syndicate boss. |
| "The Cobra King Strikes Back (Part 2) with Russell Thorson" | Mutual (WOR) 1952-09-02 10:15 PM EDT |
Sustaining Adventure Serial |
Russell Thorson, Boles | Carlton E. Morse (Writer) | ["Adventure", "Mystery", "I Love A Mystery", "Russell Thorson", "Mutual"] |
Jack Packard and Doc Long navigate the shadowy backstreets of Tangier dodging assassins sent by the mysterious Cobra King cult. |
| "Guest Comedian Jerry Colonna with U.S. Treasury Department" | Syndication 1951-09-02 |
U.S. Treasury Dept. Defense Savings Bonds |
Jerry Colonna (Comic) | The Skylarks & Zimmerman | ["Variety", "Comedy", "Music", "Jerry Colonna", "Guest Star"] |
Mustachioed comic Jerry Colonna sings operatic parodies and encourages civilian purchases of United States Defense Savings Bonds. |