On This Day, August 23: Command Performance and The Grey Goose
Also featured: WLS Dinner Bell Finale.
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 and South African broadcasting history (1934–1954):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story-First Plot Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Command Performance #191 (Franchot Tone, Margaret Whiting & Joan Davis)" | AFRS Hollywood 1945-08-23 (AFRS Disc #191) |
Non-commercial War Dept Troop Radio |
Franchot Tone (MC), Margaret Whiting, Joan Davis, King's Men | Lou Bring (Music Director), AFRS Hollywood | ["Variety", "Comedy", "Music", "War"] |
Master of ceremonies Franchot Tone welcomes vocal sensation Margaret Whiting and comedy star Joan Davis for GI troop requests, featuring Whiting singing 'Moonlight in Vermont' and Davis performing an uproarious comedy routine about dating post-war servicemen. |
| "Command Performance #394 (José Ferrer, Betty Garrett & The Modernaires)" | AFRS Hollywood 1949-08-23 (AFRS Disc #394) |
Non-commercial Armed Forces Radio |
José Ferrer (MC), Betty Garrett, The Modernaires | Meredith Willson (Music Director), Hy Averback | ["Variety", "Comedy", "Music", "War"] |
Master of ceremonies José Ferrer leads an energetic GI variety hour with Broadway songstress Betty Garrett and The Modernaires, featuring Garrett singing 'There's No Business Like Show Business' and Ferrer performing a humorous dramatic monologue. |
| "The Diamonds of the Skeleton Coast (Pegasus Motor Oil)" | Springbok Radio 1953-08-23 8:00 PM |
Mobil Oil South Africa Pegasus Motor Oil |
Michael Silver (Captain Grey), Gordon Mulholland, Diane Appleby | Michael Silver (Creator & Writer), SABC Johannesburg | ["Adventure", "Mystery", "Action", "International"] |
Adventurer Captain Grey sails the schooner Grey Goose along South Africa's treacherous Skeleton Coast, outmaneuvering diamond smugglers to restore a sunken crate of industrial gems. |
| "The Misplaced Estate Blueprints (Eddie Holden & Reginald Sharland)" | KNX Los Angeles 1934-08-23 7:15 PM PST |
Southern Pacific Pacific Advertisers |
Eddie Holden (Frank Watanabe), Reginald Sharland (Archie) | Eddie Holden & Reginald Sharland (Writers) | ["Comedy", "Sitcom", "Historical"] |
Houseboy Frank Watanabe and his eccentric British employer the Honorable Archie become accidentally embroiled in a comedic neighborhood misunderstanding when Archie misplaces important estate blueprints in a laundry hamper. |
| "A Musical Salute to Duluth and Lake Superior (Alexander Courage)" | NBC (WNBC) 1952-08-23 8:30 PM EDT |
Sustaining NBC Music Bureau |
Alexander Courage (Conductor), NBC Strings, Skip Farrell, Mary Ellen | Wayne Howell (Announcer), NBC Radio | ["Music", "Easy Listening", "Orchestral", "Vocal"] |
Alexander Courage conducts the NBC orchestra in an atmospheric musical salute to Duluth, Minnesota and Lake Superior, performing lush orchestral arrangements of American regional melodies and popular ballads. |
| "Dinner Bell Roundup Time Series Finale with Arthur C. Page & Lulu Belle and Scotty" | WLS Chicago 1954-08-23 12:00 PM CDT |
Moorman Mfg. Co. MoorMan's Mintrates |
Arthur C. Page (Host), Lulu Belle and Scotty, The Prairie Ramblers | Chuck Acree (Announcer), Ralph Emerson (Organ) | ["Country", "Folk", "Talk", "Agriculture"] |
Broadcaster Arthur C. Page presents the series finale of Dinner Bell Roundup Time live from WLS Chicago, sharing Midwestern crop reports and farm community retrospectives alongside traditional folk harmonies from Lulu Belle and Scotty. |