On This Day, September 3: Ellery Queen and Dana Andrews
Also featured: Paul Whiteman.
September 3 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 3 across iconic armchair detective puzzle mysteries, Cold War undercover espionage, lavish big band broadcasts, live hospital swing remotes for wounded servicemen on V-J Day, and University of the Air historical docudramas, Hugh Marlowe as Ellery Queen for Gulf Oil (1939), Dana Andrews in I Was a Communist for the FBI (1952), Paul Whiteman on Radio Hall of Fame (1944), Vincent Lopez on Spotlight Bands (1945), and The Pacific Story (1939–1952):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "The Million Dollar Finger with Hugh Marlowe as Ellery Queen" | CBS (WABC) 1939-09-03 8:00 PM EDST |
Gulf Oil Corp. Gulf Pride Oil & No-Nox Gas |
Hugh Marlowe (Queen) | Santos Ortega & Shockley | ["Detective", "Mystery", "Ellery Queen", "Hugh Marlowe", "Gulf Oil"] |
Ellery Queen challenges armchair detectives to solve the murder of an eccentric diamond merchant clutching a severed wax finger. |
| "Squeeze Play with Dana Andrews as Matt Cvetic" | Syndication / Ziv 1952-09-03 |
Sustaining Cold War Espionage |
Dana Andrews (Cvetic) | Ziv Production Staff | ["Espionage", "Cold War", "I Was A Communist", "Dana Andrews", "Ziv"] |
Undercover operative Matt Cvetic disrupts a party cell's extortion plot targeting a municipal water filtration system. |
| "Blue Room with Paul Whiteman and Philco" | Blue Network 1944-09-03 6:00 PM EWT |
Philco Corporation Philco Radios & Tubes |
Paul Whiteman (Host) | Martha Tilton & Guests | ["Music", "Variety", "Radio Hall Of Fame", "Paul Whiteman", "Philco"] |
Paul Whiteman conducts symphonic dance arrangements of Blue Room and welcomes variety stage headliners. |
| "Vincent Lopez Live from St. Albans Naval Hospital" | Mutual (WOR) 1945-09-03 9:30 PM EWT |
The Coca-Cola Co. Coca-Cola |
Vincent Lopez & Orch. | Lillian Cornell (Vocal) | ["Music", "Big Band", "Spotlight Bands", "Vincent Lopez", "Coca Cola"] |
Vincent Lopez brings his piano orchestra to wounded convalescent sailors at St. Albans Naval Hospital on V-J Day. |
| "Bose: The Indian Quisling with NBC University" | NBC (WEAF) 1944-09-03 11:30 PM EWT |
Sustaining University of the Air |
NBC Dramatic Cast | Arnold Marquis (Writer) | ["Documentary", "History", "Pacific Story", "WWII", "NBC"] |
A historical docudrama chronicling Subhas Chandra Bose's collaboration with Imperial Japan and the formation of the Indian National Army. |
| "The Liberation of Brussels with Douglas Edwards and Charles Collingwood" | CBS (WABC) 1944-09-03 2:30 PM EWT |
Sustaining CBS News Special |
Douglas Edwards (Anchor) | Charles Collingwood | ["News", "WWII", "CBS News", "Douglas Edwards", "Liberation"] |
CBS correspondents report British Second Army armored columns entering liberated Brussels amidst ecstatic civilian street celebrations. |