On This Day, August 23: Bette Davis and Tarzan
Also featured: Al Pearce.
August 23 Exhaustive Update
This report documents the comprehensive provenance, broadcast scheduling, commercial sponsorship, credited cast, production personnel, alternate circulating titles, and story synopses for historical broadcasts transmitting on August 23 across American network and syndicated broadcasting history (1933–1964):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story-First Plot Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Elmer Blurt's Door-to-Door Vacuum Sales (Camel Cigarettes)" | CBS (KNX) 1940-08-23 7:30 PM EDST |
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Camel Cigarettes & Prince Albert |
Al Pearce (Elmer Blurt), Artie Auerbach, Blanche Stewart, Elvia Allman | Al Pearce (Director), Wendell Niles (Announcer) | ["Comedy", "Variety", "Music", "Vaudeville"] |
Timid low-pressure salesman Elmer Blurt attempts to peddle vacuum cleaners door-to-door in an eccentric apartment building, while madcap man-chasers Brenda and Cobina hunt for eligible bachelors, accompanied by Carl Hoff's swing orchestra. |
| "Hollywood Hotel: Dick Powell with Guests Bette Davis & George Brent (Campbell's Soup)" | CBS (KNX) 1935-08-23 9:00 PM EDST |
Campbell Soup Co. Campbell's Tomato & Vegetable |
Dick Powell (Host), Frances Langford, Bette Davis, George Brent | Bill Bacher (Producer), Ken Niles (Announcer) | ["Variety", "Music", "Drama", "Vocal", "Hollywood"] |
Master of ceremonies Dick Powell and gossip columnist Louella Parsons welcome Warner Bros. screen stars George Brent and Bette Davis to preview their upcoming romantic drama Special Agent, interspersed with vocals by Frances Langford and Dick Powell. |
| "Heartbeat Theatre: Attempted Robbery (The Salvation Army)" | Syndication 1959-08-23 (Transcribed) |
The Salvation Army Public Service Religious Drama |
Olan Soule, Lurene Tuttle, Marvin Miller | Bror Dahlberg (Director), Don McCall (Announcer) | ["Drama", "Anthology", "Religious", "Moral"] |
A desperate, unemployed young father attempts an armed robbery at a neighborhood grocery store, but the compassionate intervention and faith of the storekeeper help him turn away from crime to rebuild his family's life. |
| "Heartbeat Theatre: Love Thy Neighbor (The Salvation Army)" | Syndication 1964-08-23 (Transcribed) |
The Salvation Army Public Service Drama |
Virginia Gregg, Parley Baer, Herb Ellis | Bror Dahlberg (Director), Don McCall (Announcer) | ["Drama", "Anthology", "Religious", "Moral"] |
A bitter suburban feud over a property line boundary wall escalates until a sudden medical emergency forces two stubborn neighbors to put aside their hostility and discover the power of Christian forgiveness. |
| "Tarzan of the Apes #142: Jane and the Sacrificial Temple (James & Joan Pierce)" | Syndication 1933-08-23 (Transcribed Ep 142) |
Local Commercials Regional Advertisers |
James H. Pierce (Tarzan), Joan Burroughs Pierce (Jane) | Edgar Rice Burroughs (Creator), Carlton KaDell | ["Adventure", "Jungle", "Action", "Pulp"] |
In Episode 142 of Tarzan of the Apes, Tarzan battles ferocious native warriors and hungry beasts in the equatorial African jungle, rescuing Jane Porter from an ancient ruined sacrificial temple. |
| "The Adventures of Tarzan: Poachers in the Forbidden Valley (Starring Lamont Johnson)" | Commodore Syndication 1951-08-23 (Transcribed) |
Local Commercials Commodore Advertisers |
Lamont Johnson (Tarzan), Cy Kendall, Gerald Mohr | Walter White Jr. (Producer), Bud Ernest (Director) | ["Adventure", "Jungle", "Action", "Pulp"] |
Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle, pursues ruthless ivory poachers who tricked an innocent scientific safari expedition into dangerous forbidden cannibal territory, battling a stampeding herd of elephants to rescue the survivors. |