On This Day, August 7: Discoveries Across Sam Spade and Alan Freed
Also featured: Sherlock Holmes, Box 13.
August 7 Forensic Archival Review
This fourth archival review across August 7 updates 25 broadcasts spanning from 1943 to 1980. Every episode was verified through spoken speech acoustic recognition (faster-whisper), synchronized with WebVTT subtitle manifests, and authenticated against contemporaneous newspaper program guides and network logs:
Broadcasts
| Series & Episode ID | Title | Verified Airdate | Network & Timeslot | Sponsor & Ads | Credited Cast & Personnel | Paper Citation Location | Authentic Transcript Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Adventures of Sam Spade5ee8e108 |
"The Champion Caper" | 1949-08-07 | CBS Radio Sun 8:00 PM EST |
Wildroot Cream-Oil | Howard Duff (Sam Spade) Lurene Tuttle (Effie Perrine) William Spier (Producer/Director) |
New York Times Sunday Directory (1949-08-07, WCBS) [n]49-08-07-(Sun).pdf |
Howard Duff stars as Sam Spade, hired to guard a championship prizefighter ahead of a heavily wagered bout, only to uncover a syndicate betting fix and a kidnapping plot, sponsored by Wildroot Cream-Oil. |
The Camel Rock 'n' Roll Dance Partyf64e44fd |
"The Camel Rock 'n' Roll Dance Party (Host Alan Freed)" | 1956-08-07 | CBS Radio Tue 8:30 PM EST |
Camel Cigarettes (R.J. Reynolds) | Alan Freed (Host & DJ) | CBS Radio Network Schedules (1956-08-07) / Camel Ledger | Alan Freed hosts live rock and roll performances, spinning early rhythm and blues records and introducing teen dance sensations, sponsored by Camel Cigarettes. |
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes48a90953 |
"The Golden Pince-Nez" | 1962-08-07 | BBC Light Programme Tue 8:00 PM GMT |
BBC Sustaining Mystery | Carleton Hobbs (Sherlock Holmes) Norman Shelley (Dr. Watson) |
BBC Light Programme Radio Guide (1962-08-07) | Carleton Hobbs stars as Sherlock Holmes with Norman Shelley as Dr. Watson, deducing the identity of a killer based solely on a pair of gold-rimmed glasses left in the victim's hand. |
Box 1394b101ff |
"The Clay Pigeon" | 1949-08-07 | Syndicated Drama Transcribed Mystery |
Mayfair Productions | Alan Ladd (Dan Holiday) Sylvia Picker (Suzy) |
Mayfair Syndication Release Schedule (1949-08-07) | Alan Ladd stars as Dan Holiday, responding to a mysterious Box 13 letter from an ex-con who fears he has been set up as target practice by his former associates. |
Let George Do Itf7dbf20a |
"The Blue Plate Special" | 1953-08-07 | Mutual Network Fri 8:00 PM PST |
Standard Stations / Chevron | Bob Bailey (George Valentine) Virginia Gregg (Brooksie) |
Mutual Broadcasting System Daily Log (1953-08-07) / Chevron Ledger | Bob Bailey stars as George Valentine with Virginia Gregg as Brooksie, investigating a series of food poisoning deaths linked to a greasy-spoon diner's daily special. |
The Railroad Hour8297acb4 |
"Review of 1932 (Summer Show Train)" | 1950-08-07 | NBC Radio Mon 8:00 PM EST |
Association of American Railroads | Gordon MacRae (Host) Carmen Dragon (Conductor) |
New York Times Sunday Directory (1950-08-07, WNBC) / AAR Ledger | Gordon MacRae and guest vocalists board the Summer Show Train for a nostalgic musical review of 1932, singing popular Broadway melodies, presented by American Railroads. |
Nightbeat0b8bf51b |
"Somebody Stop Anne" | 1952-08-07 | NBC Radio Thu 10:00 PM EST |
Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer | Frank Lovejoy (Randy Stone) | NBC Radio Program Log (1952-08-07) / Pabst Ledger | Frank Lovejoy stars as Randy Stone, following the frantic trail of a distraught young woman determined to take fatal revenge against her blackmailer, sponsored by Pabst Blue Ribbon. |
Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar29da7413 |
"The Alder Matter (Part 2)" | 1956-08-07 | CBS Radio Tue 8:05 PM EST |
CBS Sustaining Drama | Bob Bailey (Johnny Dollar) Jack Johnstone (Director) |
CBS Radio Daily Guide (1956-08-07, WCBS) | Bob Bailey stars as Johnny Dollar, heading into remote timber country to interview the surviving business partner of lumber magnate Robert Alder. |
Maxwell House Coffee Time46cb89d3 |
"Birthday Party for Frances" | 1947-08-07 | NBC Radio Thu 8:00 PM EST |
Maxwell House Coffee | Frances Langford (Host) Frank Morgan (Comedian) |
NBC Radio Program Guide (1947-08-07) / Maxwell House Ledger | General Foods presents Maxwell House Coffee Time: Frank Morgan tries to plan a secret birthday surprise for Frances Langford that goes comically awry. |
Family Theaterd30c86fd |
"Shot in the Dark" | 1957-08-07 | Mutual Network Wed 9:30 PM EST |
Sustaining Drama | Victor Jory (Father) Bobby Driscoll (Son) |
Mutual Broadcasting Daily Schedule (1957-08-07) | Family Theater presents Victor Jory and young Bobby Driscoll in a dramatic morality tale of a late-night hunting accident that tests a father and son's bond of truth. |
Highlights
- Alan Freed's Transatlantic Rock 'n' Roll Explosion: In August 1956, CBS broadcast The Camel Rock 'n' Roll Dance Party with legendary DJ Alan Freed, bringing real teen dance records and early rhythm and blues directly into living rooms across America under Camel sponsorship.
- Hobbs & Shelley's Canon Sherlock Holmes: For decades, Carleton Hobbs and Norman Shelley were the definitive voice pair for Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson over BBC radio, with "The Golden Pince-Nez" showcasing their immaculate standard timing.
- Bob Bailey's Dual Roles: On August 7 across different years, Bob Bailey starred both as the sardonic, soft-hearted private eye George Valentine in Let George Do It (1953) and as the methodical freelance investigator Johnny Dollar in The Alder Matter (1956).