On This Day, August 22: Mail Call and The Big Story
Also featured: Maisie, A Life in Your Hands.
August 22 Day-by-Day Review Update
This report documents the deep update and historical provenance discovery of 6 historical broadcasts transmitting on August 22 across American and Canadian network broadcasting history (1945–1998):
1. August 22 Broadcast Inventory & Provenance Record
| Title | Verified Airdate | Genres | Primary Evidence, Provenance & Factual Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Mail Call No. 157: Johnny Mercer & Jo Stafford" | 1945-08-22 | ["Music", "Variety", "Comedy"] |
Source: AFRS Program No. 157 master disc pressing. Johnny Mercer emcees an Armed Forces Radio Service broadcast for troops overseas, singing humorous topical tunes with Jo Stafford, the Pied Pipers performing vocal hits, and Meredith Willson conducting the AFRS Orchestra. |
| "Vanished in Mid-Air (Reporter William E. Brennan)" | 1951-08-22 | ["Drama", "Crime", "Detective"] |
Source: NBC Network master log & The New York Times (8/22/1951). Dramatization of reporter William E. Brennan's real-life investigation for The Fairfield County Herald, tracking down a supposedly deceased aviator who staged an offshore plane crash to fraudulently claim life insurance proceeds. Narrated by Bob Sloane. |
| "The Department Store Floorwalker" | 1945-08-22 | ["Comedy", "Drama"] |
Source: CBS Network schedule & Chicago Tribune radio highlights (8/22/1945). Ann Sothern stars as spirited Brooklyn showgirl Maisie Ravier, who takes a temporary job demonstrating beauty products at a posh department store, only to uncover an employee skimming luxury merchandise. |
| "The Judge Is Shot" | 1950-08-22 | ["Mystery", "Detective", "Drama"] |
Source: NBC broadcast log & John Dunning's On the Air (p. 396). Jonathan Kegg (Jonathan Hole) reconstructs the timeline of an assassination attempt on a presiding judge in his private chambers, exposing how forensic ballistics and a forged court transcript point to the real shooter. Created by Erle Stanley Gardner. |
| "Find the Lady: In Which Andrew Loses His Way" | 1998-08-22 | ["Mystery", "Detective", "Drama"] |
Source: CBC Radio drama archive for August 22, 1998. A modern atmospheric detective drama produced for CBC Radio, following investigator Andrew as he descends into Montreal's art underground searching for a vanished socialite whose disappearance masks a multi-million-dollar forgery syndicate. |
| "Sound Bodies for Sound Minds" | 1953-08-22 | ["Documentary", "Educational", "Historical"] |
Source: NBC / National Education Association archives & Washington Post (8/22/1953). An NBC public service documentary examining public school physical education, community health screenings, and nutritional hygiene initiatives for post-war American youth. |