On This Day, September 5: Duke Ellington and Jack Benny
Also featured: Calling All Cars.
September 5 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 5 across Duke Ellington live from Broadway's Hurricane Restaurant (1943), Jack Benny's satirical Labor Day broadcast on The Jell-O Program (1932), true-crime LAPD reports on Calling All Cars for Rio Grande Oil (1934), Latin swing on The Rudy Vallee Show with Shirley Ross and Xavier Cugat (1940), the pilot of You Don't Say! featuring the BBC Navy Lark troupe (1970), and patriotic airs by the USAF Concert Band on Serenade in Blue (1954), Jack Benny (1932), James E. Davis (1934), Rudy Vallee (1940), and Duke Ellington (1943):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Marks on the Bedroom Screen with Chief James E. Davis" | CBS Pacific (KNX) 1934-09-05 8:00 PM PST |
Rio Grande Oil Co. Cracked Gasoline |
Chief Davis & Lindsley | Warren Lewis (Director) | ["Police Procedural", "Crime", "Calling All Cars", "James E Davis", "Rio Grande"] |
LAPD radio patrolmen examine slashed window screens and telltale footprint casts to capture a nocturnal residential burglar in Glendale. |
| "Guest Shirley Ross and Xavier Cugat with Rudy Vallee" | NBC Red (WEAF) 1940-09-05 9:30 PM EDST |
National Dairy Products Sealtest Dairy & Ice Cream |
Vallee, Ross & Cugat | Xavier Cugat Orchestra | ["Variety", "Comedy", "Rudy Vallee", "Shirley Ross", "Sealtest"] |
Rudy Vallee welcomes singing star Shirley Ross and Xavier Cugat's Latin rhythms for an hour of musical romance and satirical skits. |
| "Pilot Episode with The Navy Lark Team" | BBC Radio 4 1970-09-05 |
Sustaining British Comedy Panel |
Phillips, Pertwee & Murray | Alastair Scott Johnston | ["Comedy", "Panel", "You Dont Say", "Leslie Phillips", "BBC"] |
Cast members from The Navy Lark test their comedic wits against studio celebrity contestants in a fast-paced word association game. |
| "Live from the Hurricane Restaurant, NYC with Duke Ellington" | Mutual (WOR) 1943-09-05 11:30 PM EWT |
Sustaining Big Band Swing Remote |
Ellington, Hodges & Nance | Mutual Remote Unit | ["Music", "Jazz", "Big Band", "Duke Ellington", "Mutual"] |
Duke Ellington leads his orchestra in live performances of 'Take the A Train', 'Don't Get Around Much Anymore', and virtuosic swing solos from Broadway's Hurricane Club. |
| "Jack Benny Interviews Labor Leader Meyer Walker" | NBC Red / Blue 1932-09-05 8:00 PM EDST |
General Foods Corp. Jell-O Gelatin Dessert |
Jack Benny & Livingstone | Harry Conn (Writer) | ["Comedy", "Variety", "The Jello Program", "Jack Benny", "Jell-O"] |
Jack Benny satirizes Labor Day parades and conducts a farcical radio interview with a fictitious union organizer. |
| "US Air Force Band and The Singing Sergeants" | Syndicated Radio 1954-09-05 |
US Air Force Recruiting Service |
USAF Band & Sergeants | Col. George S. Howard | ["Music", "Concert", "Serenade in Blue", "US Air Force", "Military"] |
The USAF Concert Band and vocal ensemble The Singing Sergeants perform patriotic marches, popular standards, and military hymns. |