On This Day, September 3: Sam Spade and Rocky Jordan
Also featured: Official Detective.
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 hardboiled private eyes in San Francisco, international cafe owners in Cairo, true crime magazine police investigations, criminological poison pen mysteries, children's family audio drama, and university educational science programs, Howard Duff as Sam Spade for Wildroot (1950), Jack Moyles as Rocky Jordan (1950), Craig McDonnell in Official Detective (1953), Glenn Langan in Mystery Is My Hobby (1947), Adventures in Odyssey (1988), and The Human Adventure (1944–1988):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "The Farmer's Daughter Caper with Howard Duff as Sam Spade" | NBC (KNBC) 1950-09-03 5:30 PM EDT |
Wildroot Co. Wildroot Cream-Oil |
Howard Duff (Spade) | Lurene Tuttle & Spier | ["Detective", "Hardboiled", "Sam Spade", "Howard Duff", "Wildroot"] |
Sam Spade is hired by a rural agricultural magnate to locate his run-away daughter in San Francisco, uncovering an extortion syndicate. |
| "Ace High Straight with Jack Moyles as Rocky Jordan (East Coast)" | CBS (WCBS) 1950-09-03 6:30 PM EDT |
California Packing Del Monte Canned Foods |
Jack Moyles (Rocky) | Jay Novello & Roman | ["Detective", "Mystery", "Rocky Jordan", "Jack Moyles", "Del Monte"] |
Rocky Jordan protects a desperate American poker player accused of murdering a shady dealer inside an underground Cairo gaming club. |
| "The Case of the Kissing Fool with Craig McDonnell" | Mutual (WOR) 1953-09-03 8:00 PM EDT |
Sustaining Police Procedural |
Craig McDonnell (Britt) | William Sweets (Writer) | ["Police", "Procedural", "Official Detective", "Craig McDonnell", "Mutual"] |
Police detectives investigate a daring jewelry store bandit who leaves lipstick marks on store display counters after every robbery. |
| "The Case of 65 Women with Glenn Langan as Barton Drake" | Syndication 1947-09-03 |
Sustaining Detective Mystery |
Glenn Langan (Drake) | Norman Field (Danton) | ["Detective", "Mystery", "Mystery Is My Hobby", "Glenn Langan", "Syndicated"] |
Criminologist Barton Drake investigates why sixty-five elderly widows living in a secluded retirement manor are targeted by poison pen letters. |
| "The Pet and the Pendulum with Hal Smith as Whit" | Syndication 1988-09-03 |
Focus on the Family Christian Ministry |
Hal Smith (Whit) | Katie Leigh & Phil Lollar | ["Family", "Moral", "Adventures In Odyssey", "Hal Smith", "Focus On The Family"] |
Whit teaches Odyssey youth responsible pet care when a temporary dog-sitting assignment turns into a series of household mishaps. |
| "Heredity vs. Environment with University of Chicago" | Mutual (WGN) 1944-09-03 9:00 PM EWT |
Sustaining Educational Science |
U of Chicago Faculty | Sherman H. Dryer (Dir) | ["Educational", "Science", "The Human Adventure", "Mutual", "Docudrama"] |
A scientific dramatization analyzing genetic twin studies and environmental influences on human psychological development. |