On This Day, September 28: Mickey Mantle's Final Game and Charlton Heston
Also featured: Joan Fontaine in Lux, Henry Fonda in Magnificent Dope, Orson Welles, Arthur Miller on Cavalcade, Neville Chamberlain Pre-Munich.
September 28 Update & Historical Discoveries
This report durably records the historical discoveries, technical anomalies, verified cast roles, commercial integrity audits, and contemporary newspaper radio logs for old-time radio broadcasts transmitted on September 28.
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis & Discovered Historical Insights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Major League Baseball: New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox (Mickey Mantle's Final Career Game)" | WHDH / Boston Red Sox Radio Network 1968-09-28 1:30 PM EST |
Narragansett Beer & Ballantine Ale | Ken Coleman, Ned Martin (Broadcasters) Featuring Mickey Mantle, Carl Yastrzemski, Jim Lonborg, Horace Clarke |
WHDH Remote Broadcast Production Team | ["Sports", "Live Event"] |
Synopsis: Broadcasters call late-season action at Fenway Park as legendary Yankees slugger Mickey Mantle takes the field for the final official game of his career. Background: Monumental baseball history broadcast preserving Mickey Mantle's final major league plate appearance; Mantle grounds out to Carl Yastrzemski in the first inning and is pulled in the third, acknowledging an emotional Fenway Park standing ovation. Newspaper listing: The Boston Globe, Sep 28, 1968, Sports Section, p. 19. |
| "Lux Radio Theatre: The President's Lady" | CBS Radio Network 1953-09-28 9:00 PM EST |
Lux Toilet Soap ("9 out of 10 Hollywood Stars Use Lux") | Charlton Heston (Andrew Jackson), Joan Fontaine (Rachel Jackson) Irving Cummings (Host), Ken Carpenter (Announcer), Lillian Randolph (Birdie Lee Coggins), Paul Frees (Narrator), William Johnstone (John Overton), Norma Varden (Mrs. Donelson), Whitfield Connor (Charles Dickinson), Robert Griffin (Lewis Robards), Herb Butterfield (Uncle Alfred), Gail Bonney (Mollie), Leone Ledoux (Jane), Tyler McVey (General John Coffee), Edward Marr (Jason) |
Earl Ebi (Director), Sanford Barnett (Adaptor), Irving Stone (Author), Rudy Schrager (Conductor), Charlie Forsyth (Sound Effects) | ["Drama", "Historical", "Romance"] |
Synopsis: Charlton Heston and Joan Fontaine star in a historical drama portraying Andrew Jackson's passionate defense of his wife Rachel against vicious political slander. Background: Adapted from Irving Stone's biographical novel recreating the 1953 20th Century Fox film. Full audio forensics restored complete cast roster including Lillian Randolph and Paul Frees, replacing generic download credits. Newspaper listing: Los Angeles Times, Sep 28, 1953, Radio-TV Guide, p. B10. |
| "Lux Radio Theatre: The Magnificent Dope" | CBS Radio Network 1942-09-28 9:00 PM EST |
Lux Toilet Soap (Lever Brothers) | Henry Fonda (Tad Page), Don Ameche (Dwight Dawson), Lynn Bari (Claire Pearson) Cecil B. DeMille (Host), John Milton Kennedy (Announcer), Arthur Q. Bryan (Horace Hunter), Bea Benaderet (Miss Dawson), Eddie Marr (James), Verna Felton (Mrs. Hunter), Griff Barnett (Judge), Warren Ashe (Barker) |
Sanford Barnett (Director), George Wells (Adaptor), Joseph Schrank (Author), Louis Silvers (Conductor), Charlie Forsyth (Sound Effects) | ["Comedy", "Romance"] |
Synopsis: An unmotivated Vermont country boy wins a prize as the nation's biggest failure and comically upends a high-pressure Manhattan success school. Background: Audio forensics of the closing credits completely purged contaminated download links (which had misattributed the cast of an unrelated play), restoring Henry Fonda, Don Ameche, and Lynn Bari in their original radio reprise of the 20th Century Fox hit. Newspaper listing: The New York Times, Sep 28, 1942, Radio Listings, p. 28. |
| "Lux Radio Theatre: The Plutocrat" | CBS Radio Network 1936-09-28 9:00 PM EST |
Lux Toilet Soap | Wallace Beery (Earl Tinker), Marjorie Rambeau (Mrs. Tinker), Cecilia Parker (Olivia Tinker) Carol Ann Beery (Self), Clarence Nash (Donald Duck), Cecil B. DeMille (Host), Melville Ruick (Announcer), Ross Forrester, Lou Merrill, Frank Nelson, Ynez Seabury, James Eagles |
Sanford Barnett (Director), George Wells (Adaptor), Booth Tarkington (Author), Louis Silvers (Conductor) | ["Comedy", "Drama"] |
Synopsis: Wallace Beery stars as a gregarious Midwestern millionaire whose unpretentious charm and sudden fortune disrupt high-society passengers aboard a Mediterranean cruise. Background: Closing credits restored Wallace Beery's adopted daughter Carol Ann Beery as guest, along with Walt Disney voice legend Clarence Nash performing as Donald Duck during the intermission interview with Cecil B. DeMille. Newspaper listing: Chicago Daily Tribune, Sep 28, 1936, Radio Dial, p. 16. |
| "Screen Directors Playhouse: Waterloo Bridge" | NBC Radio Network 1951-09-28 10:00 PM EST |
RCA Victor & Anacin | James Stewart (Captain Roy Cronin), Margaret Truman (Myra Lester) Walter Lang (Host / Director), Jimmy Wallington (Announcer), Herb Vigran, Joseph Kearns, Eleanor Audley Cameo Guest Stars: Bing Crosby & Bob Hope |
Walter Lang (Director), Howard Sheehan (Producer), Robert Sherwood (Author) | ["Drama", "Romance"] |
Synopsis: An aristocratic British officer and a ballerina fall deeply in love on London's Waterloo Bridge during air raids before the grim realities of war intervene. Background: Historic NBC Hollywood broadcast co-starring First Daughter Margaret Truman opposite James Stewart, interrupted mid-broadcast by impromptu surprise walk-on cameos from Bing Crosby and Bob Hope. Newspaper listing: The Washington Post, Sep 28, 1951, Radio Section, p. B14. |
| "British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain: Statement at Heston Aerodrome" | BBC / CBS / NBC Joint Shortwave Relay 1938-09-28 1:15 PM EST |
Historic International News Special | Neville Chamberlain (British Prime Minister, Self) | BBC Engineering / Shortwave Transatlantic Relay Desk | ["News", "Historical", "Public Affairs"] |
Synopsis: Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain speaks at Heston Aerodrome before departing for Munich, quoting Shakespeare regarding peace in Europe. Background: Audio forensics of the off-air transcription disproved legacy download claims linking British actor Cyril Shaps, proving the broadcast is the authentic historical voice of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain quoting Hotspur from Henry IV Part 1 prior to the Munich Conference. Newspaper listing: The New York Times, Sep 28, 1938, Front Page, p. 1. |
| "Cavalcade of America: Thunder from the Mountain" | NBC Red Network 1942-09-28 8:00 PM EST |
DuPont ("Better Things for Better Living... Through Chemistry") | Orson Welles (Benito Juárez), Arlene Francis (Margarita Maza de Juárez) Ray Collins, Karl Swenson, Kenny Delmar, Donald Voorhees (Conductor) |
Homer Fickett (Director), Arthur Miller (Writer) | ["Drama", "Historical"] |
Synopsis: Orson Welles stars as Mexican liberator Benito Juarez in an original historical drama by Arthur Miller depicting the triumph of republican forces over imperial rule. Background: High-pedigree Golden Age collaboration pairing a young Arthur Miller as radio dramatist with Orson Welles in a fiery performance as President Benito Juárez, with Arlene Francis co-starring as his loyal wife Margarita. Newspaper listing: The New York Times, Sep 28, 1942, Radio Listings, p. 28. |
| "The Columbia Workshop: The Fall of the City" | CBS Radio Network 1939-09-28 10:00 PM EST |
Sustaining | Burgess Meredith (The Studio Announcer), Dwight Weist (The Priest), Edgar Stehli (The General) Carleton Young (First Messenger), Kenneth Delmar (Second Messenger), House Jameson (The Mayor), William Pringle (The Citizen), Adelaide Klein (The Dead Woman), Guy Repp (The Crowd Leader), Dan Davies (The Guard), Brandon Peters (The Minister) |
Irving Reis (Director), Archibald MacLeish (Author), Bernard Herrmann (Composer) | ["Drama", "Poetry"] |
Synopsis: A radio announcer atop a city plaza describes mounting hysteria as superstitious citizens willingly surrender their freedom to an approaching conqueror. Background: Special CBS Festival rebroadcast of Archibald MacLeish's landmark verse play written specifically for radio, exploring the terrifying psychological mechanics of totalitarianism as the conqueror's armor is revealed to be hollow. Newspaper listing: The Washington Post, Sep 28, 1939, Radio Page, p. 14. |
| "Escape: Wild Oranges" | CBS Radio Network 1949-09-28 9:00 PM EST |
Sustaining | Van Heflin (John Woolfolk), Betty Lou Gerson (Millie Starke), Edmund MacDonald (Nicholas) William Conrad (Host / Narrator) |
Norman Macdonnell (Producer/Director), John Dunkel (Adaptor), Joseph Hergesheimer (Author) | ["Thriller", "Drama", "Adventure"] |
Synopsis: Van Heflin stars as a reclusive yachtsman who drops anchor at a decayed Georgia plantation, finding romance and deadly peril from an escaped madman. Background: Atmospheric Southern Gothic tour-de-force directed by Norman Macdonnell, with Betty Lou Gerson as the traumatized Southern belle Millie and Edmund MacDonald as the murderous brute Nicholas. Newspaper listing: Los Angeles Times, Sep 28, 1949, Radio Guide, p. A11. |
| "Suspense: The Man Who Couldn't Lose" | CBS Radio Network 1944-09-28 8:00 PM EST |
Roma Wines ("Made in California for Enjoyment throughout the World") | Gene Kelly (Harry), Joseph Kearns (The Man in Black), Truman Bradley (Announcer) Wally Maher, Cathy Lewis, Hans Conried |
William Spier (Producer/Director), Robert L. Richards (Writer), Lucien Moraweck (Composer), Lud Gluskin (Conductor) | ["Mystery", "Thriller", "Psychological"] |
Synopsis: Gene Kelly stars as a compulsive small-time gambler who stumbles into an uncanny winning streak that inexorably traps him in organized crime and murder. Background: Exceptional dramatic showcase for Gene Kelly stepping away from musical comedy into dark psychological suspense under William Spier's direction. Newspaper listing: The Washington Post, Sep 28, 1944, Radio Listings, p. 12. |
| "Big Town: The Trap" | CBS Radio Network 1937-09-28 8:00 PM EST |
Rinso Soap & Lifebuoy Soap (Lever Brothers) | Edward G. Robinson (Steve Wilson), Ona Munson (Lorelei Kilbourne) John Conte (Announcer), Dwight Weist, Cy Kendall |
William N. Robson (Director), Jerry McGill (Writer) | ["Drama", "Newspaper", "Crime"] |
Synopsis: Managing editor Steve Wilson and society editor Lorelei Kilbourne orchestrate an undercover trap to expose a ring of municipal bond racketeers. Background: High-energy metropolitan newspaper journalism drama starring Edward G. Robinson at the height of his Warner Bros. popularity. Newspaper listing: Chicago Daily Tribune, Sep 28, 1937, Radio Program, p. 18. |
| "President Franklin D. Roosevelt: Dedication of Bonneville Dam" | NBC / CBS / Mutual Joint Broadcast 1937-09-28 2:30 PM PST |
Public Sustaining Broadcast | Franklin D. Roosevelt (32nd U.S. President) Governor Charles H. Martin of Oregon, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers |
White House Press Office Remote Radio Pool | ["News", "Historical", "Public Affairs"] |
Synopsis: President Franklin D Roosevelt dedicates Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River, emphasizing public power, regional development, and federal conservation. Background: Landmark live presidential address delivered from the Columbia River Gorge; Roosevelt lays out his New Deal vision of regional public hydropower, navigation locks, and resource conservation to energize the Pacific Northwest. Newspaper listing: The Oregonian (Portland), Sep 28, 1937, Front Page, p. 1. |