On This Day, August 24: Arthur Miller (Columbia Workshop) and Groucho Marx
Also featured: Gene Autry.
August 24 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 24 across American network, syndication, and modern audio drama history (1942–2003):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story-First Plot Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "The Adventure of the Great American (John Patrick Lowrie as Sherlock Holmes)" | Jim French Synd. 2003-08-24 (Imagination Theater) |
Regional Advertisers Washington Sponsors |
John Patrick Lowrie (Holmes), Lawrence Albert (Watson) | M.J. Elliott (Writer), Jim French (Producer) | ["Detective", "Mystery", "Victorian", "Crime", "Audio Drama"] |
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are consulted by a flamboyant American railroad tycoon whose life has been threatened by a secret society of vengeful Pinkerton defectors operating in London's West End. |
| "All Out for Comedy (Arthur Miller Satire — Columbia Workshop)" | CBS (WABC) 1942-08-24 10:30 PM EWT |
Sustaining CBS Dramatic Presentation |
Frank Readick, Joseph Julian, Karl Swenson | Arthur Miller (Writer), Bernard Herrmann, William N. Robson | ["Comedy", "Experimental", "Satire", "Drama", "Anthology"] |
In an experimental wartime radio satire penned by Arthur Miller, a frustrated radio sound-effects engineer and a frantic comedy writer attempt to stage a Broadway-caliber revue while battling studio sound mishaps and live microphone gremlins. |
| "Back in the Saddle Again (Starring Gene Autry & Pat Buttram — Doublemint Gum)" | CBS (WCBS) 1947-08-24 7:00 PM EDT |
Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. Doublemint Chewing Gum |
Gene Autry, Pat Buttram, Cass County Boys | Olive Cooper (Writer), Gene Autry, Charlie Lyon | ["Western", "Music", "Country", "Vocal", "Comedy"] |
America's favorite singing cowboy Gene Autry welcomes listeners to Melody Ranch for Wrigley's Doublemint Gum, performing cowboy classics including 'Back in the Saddle Again', trading comedic banter with Pat Buttram, and sharing Western dramatic sketches. |
| "The Secret Word Is 'Book' (Starring Groucho Marx — DeSoto-Plymouth)" | CBS (WCBS) 1959-08-24 8:00 PM EDT |
DeSoto-Plymouth DeSoto-Plymouth Dealers |
Groucho Marx (Host), George Fenneman (Announcer) | John Guedel (Producer), Bernie Smith | ["Comedy", "Quiz", "Game Show", "Humor", "Talk"] |
"Say the secret word and win a hundred dollars!" Groucho Marx skewers mismatched contestant pairs—including an eccentric rare-book collector and a wrestling promoter—with lightning-fast ad-libs before testing their trivia prowess for DeSoto-Plymouth. |
| "Presidential Calculations (Quizmaster Joe Kelly with Joel Kupperman — Alka-Seltzer)" | NBC (WNBC) 1947-08-24 4:00 PM EDT |
Miles Laboratories Alka-Seltzer & One-A-Day |
Joe Kelly (Quizmaster), Joel Kupperman, Naomi Cooks | Louis G. Cowan (Creator/Producer), Bob Murphy | ["Quiz", "Game Show", "Youth", "Educational", "Panel"] |
Quizmaster Joe Kelly challenges child math and history prodigies Joel Kupperman and Naomi Cooks with complex listener questions, including calculating the chronological queue length of U.S. Presidents up to 1896, rewarding correct answers with war bonds for Alka-Seltzer. |
| "Reading the Sunday Funnies: Blondie, Flash Gordon & Popeye (Puck Comic Weekly)" | Hearst Synd. 1947-08-24 9:00 AM EDT |
Hearst Newspapers Puck — The Comic Weekly |
The Comic Weekly Man (Narrator), Ed Herlihy | Hearst Entertainment Radio Features | ["Juvenile", "Comics", "Storytelling", "Humor", "Americana"] |
The Comic Weekly Man brings Sunday newspaper funny pages to life for eager young listeners, dramatically reading and voicing the latest syndicated adventures of Blondie, Prince Valiant, Flash Gordon, and Popeye. |