On This Day, August 27: 21st Precinct and Battle of Britain
Also featured: Bulldog Drummond.
August 27 Update
This report documents the historical provenance, broadcast scheduling, commercial sponsorship, credited cast, production personnel, alternate circulating titles, and pure narrative synopses for broadcasts transmitting on August 27 across American network radio, Everett Sloane as Captain Frank Kennelly in John Meston's 21st Precinct, Edward R. Murrow and William L. Shirer's live coverage of the Battle of Britain on CBS News of the World, Irene Dunne and Fred MacMurray in Bright Star, Sammy Kaye on Swing and Sway for Serutan, Ned Wever in Bulldog Drummond, and Gene Raymond as Craig Rice's Chicago lawyer The Amazing Mr. Malone (1940–1955):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "The Name" | CBS (WCBS) 1955-08-27 9:30 PM EDT |
Sustaining Police Docudrama |
Everett Sloane (Kennelly), Ken Lynch | John Meston (Writer/Director) | ["Police", "Procedural", "Crime", "Docudrama", "Action"] |
Captain Kennelly investigates a series of forged prescriptions for narcotics, confronting a corrupt orderly impersonating a licensed surgeon. |
| "Air Raids Over London & The Battle of Britain" | CBS (WABC) 1940-08-27 8:00 AM EDST |
Sustaining World News Round-up |
Edward R. Murrow, William L. Shirer | Elmer Davis, CBS News | ["News", "Journalism", "Wartime", "Historical", "Live Broadcast"] |
Edward R. Murrow and William L. Shirer report live from London and Berlin on overnight Luftwaffe bombing raids and RAF defensive scrambles across southeastern England. |
| "The Department Store Merger Scoop" | Syndicated (Ziv) 1953-08-27 8:00 PM |
Commercial Newspaper Comedy |
Irene Dunne (Kenyon), Fred MacMurray | Frederic W. Ziv Company | ["Comedy", "Journalism", "Romance", "Newspaper", "Americana"] |
Hillsdale Morning Gazette editor Susan Kenyon and ace reporter George Harvey uncover a corrupt city councilman profiting from a downtown zoning variance. |
| "Wartime Swing & Sweet Melodies" | NBC Blue (WJZ) 1944-08-27 1:30 PM EWT |
Serutan Co. Serutan |
Sammy Kaye, Billy Williams, Three Kaydets | NBC Blue Production | ["Music", "Sweet Band", "Pop Standards", "Vocal", "Big Band"] |
Sammy Kaye and his orchestra perform wartime pop standards including 'I'm Making Believe', sweet swing ballads, and romantic poetry readings. |
| "The Case of the Trick Killer" | Mutual (WOR) 1945-08-27 8:00 PM EWT |
Sustaining Mystery Adventure |
Ned Wever (Drummond), Luis Van Rooten | Mutual Dramatic Staff | ["Detective", "Mystery", "British", "Adventure", "Crime"] |
Captain Hugh 'Bulldog' Drummond investigates when a magician's assistant is murdered with a prop dagger that fails to retract during a stage illusion. |
| "The Case of the Fatal Fortune" | NBC (WNBC) 1950-08-27 6:00 PM EDT |
Sustaining Legal Mystery |
Gene Raymond (Malone), Larry Haines | Craig Rice (Creator) | ["Detective", "Legal", "Hardboiled", "Mystery", "Crime"] |
Chicago criminal lawyer John J. Malone defends a penniless art student framed for the poisoning of an eccentric millionaire patron. |