On This Day, August 26: Mr. District Attorney (Vitalis) and Jane Wyatt
Also featured: Dan Duryea.
August 26 Exhaustive Update
This report documents the comprehensive provenance, broadcast scheduling, commercial sponsorship, credited cast, production personnel, alternate circulating titles, serial multi-part narrative arcs, and story synopses for historical broadcasts transmitting on August 26 across American and international networks, Jay Jostyn busting a defense plant payoff racket on Mr. District Attorney for Vitalis, Charles Webster and Julie Stevens solving a trunk murder on The Abbott Mysteries for Helbros Watches, two sparkling Skippy Hollywood Theatre productions starring Jane Wyatt and Dan Duryea for Skippy Peanut Butter, South Africa's domestic comedy Little Things in Life, and Plantation Jubilee (1942–1975):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story-First Plot Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "The Fed Up with Women's Lib (Michael Mayer — Springbok Radio)" | Springbok Radio 1975-08-26 1:45 PM SAST |
Sustaining 15-Min Domestic Sitcom |
Michael Mayer, Diane Appleby, Douglas Bristow | Michael Mayer (Writer/Dir.) | ["Comedy", "Sitcom", "Domestic", "Family", "International"] |
"Little Things in Life, the lighthearted domestic adventures of suburban family life!" In 'The Fed Up with Women's Lib', a suburban husband tries to prove domestic household independence by taking over cooking and household chores for the weekend, creating complete kitchen catastrophe and comic marital truce. |
| "The Case of the Phony Payoff (Jay Jostyn as Mr. District Attorney — Vitalis)" | NBC Red (WEAF) 1942-08-26 9:30 PM EWT |
Bristol-Myers Co. Vitalis & Sal Hepatica |
Jay Jostyn (Mr. DA), Vicki Vola, Len Doyle | Phillips H. Lord, Edward Byron, Fred Cole | ["Police Procedural", "Detective", "Legal", "Crime", "Action"] |
"Mr. District Attorney, champion of the people, defender of truth, brought to you by Vitalis and Sal Hepatica!" District Attorney Paul Garrett and investigator Harrington bust a corrupt municipal racket shaking down defense plant contractors with extortionate payoffs under threat of manufactured labor strikes for Vitalis. |
| "The Purple Trunk (Charles Webster & Julie Stevens — Helbros Watches)" | Mutual (WOR) 1945-08-26 5:30 PM EWT |
Helbros Watch Co. Helbros "Time for Lifetime" |
Charles Webster (Pat), Julie Stevens (Jean) | Frances Crane, Carlo De Angelo, Frank Waldecker | ["Detective", "Mystery", "Hardboiled", "Comedy", "Crime"] |
"Helbros Watch Company presents The Abbott Mysteries, starring Pat and Jean Abbott!" San Francisco detective Pat Abbott and his witty wife Jean investigate when a stylish socialite buys an antique purple steamer trunk at an estate auction, only to discover the trunk conceals the body of a missing heiress and a cache of stolen jewels for Helbros Watches. |
| "Park Avenue Peasant (Jane Wyatt & Arthur Treacher — Skippy Theatre)" | Syndicated (KFI) 1944-08-26 (Hollywood Star Drama) |
Rosefield Packing Skippy Peanut Butter |
Jane Wyatt, Arthur Treacher, Hans Conried | Les Mitchel, Robert Libott, Del Sharbutt | ["Comedy", "Romance", "Drama", "Americana", "Hollywood"] |
"Skippy Peanut Butter presents the Skippy Hollywood Theatre, starring lovely Jane Wyatt!" In the sparkling romantic comedy 'Park Avenue Peasant', a wealthy Manhattan society debutante played by Jane Wyatt poses as an ordinary rural working girl to test the sincerity of her aristocratic suitors, leading to delightful country-club mayhem for Skippy Peanut Butter. |
| "The Sound of Her Voice (Dan Duryea & Lurene Tuttle — Skippy Theatre)" | Syndicated (KFI) 1949-08-26 (Hollywood Star Drama) |
Rosefield Packing Skippy Peanut Butter |
Dan Duryea, Lurene Tuttle, Elliott Lewis | Les Mitchel, Del Sharbutt | ["Drama", "Noir", "Suspense", "Psychological", "Mystery"] |
"From Hollywood! Skippy Peanut Butter brings you the Skippy Hollywood Theatre, starring Dan Duryea!" In 'The Sound of Her Voice', a blind criminal defense attorney played by Dan Duryea recognizes the distinct vocal inflection of a female witness as belonging to a ruthless blackmailer from his past who framed an innocent defendant for Skippy Peanut Butter. |
| "Southern Spirituals & Country Folk (Plantation Jubilee Singers — SESAC)" | Syndicated 1949-08-26 (SESAC Transcription) |
Local Merchants Traditional Folk Series |
Plantation Jubilee Singers, Curley Fox | SESAC Transcriptions (Nashville) | ["Music", "Country", "Folk", "Gospel", "Americana"] |
"Plantation Jubilee! Traditional folk harmonies and foot-stomping country gospel melodies!" The Plantation Jubilee Singers perform uplifting Southern spirituals and rustic country folk favorites including 'Swing Low, Sweet Chariot', 'Down by the Riverside', and 'Old Joe Clark'. |