On This Day, August 27: Jungle Jim and Texaco Star Theater
Also featured: Joe, Ethel Turp.
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 and the BBC, Yorkshire clockmaker drama on BBC Radio Playhouse, two Alex Raymond comic strip adventures on Jungle Jim (1938 wounded leopard, 1949 serpent pit), James Melton welcoming Met Opera soprano Jarmila Novotná on Texaco Star Theater, Damon Runyon's Brooklyn comedy The Affairs of Joe and Ethel Turp, and post-war economic debate on Wake Up America (1938–1975):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "The Silver Lining" | BBC Radio 4 1975-08-27 3:30 PM |
Sustaining BBC Afternoon Play |
BBC Dramatic Repertory | BBC Radio Drama | ["Drama", "British", "Human Interest", "Crafts", "Anthology"] |
An elderly Yorkshire craftsman attempts to preserve his independent clockmaking workshop despite corporate buyout offers. |
| "The Wounded Beast" | Syndicated Elec 1938-08-27 |
King Features Comic Strip Syndication |
Matt Crowley (Jim), Gerald Mohr (Kolu) | Alex Raymond (Creator) | ["Adventure", "Jungle", "Action", "Comics", "Juvenile"] |
Jim Bradley and Kolu track an enraged, rogue wounded leopard terrorizing a rubber plantation village before poachers strike again. |
| "The Temple of the Cobra" | Syndicated Elec 1949-08-27 |
Commercial Juvenile Adventure |
Matt Crowley (Jim), Gerald Mohr (Kolu) | Alex Raymond (Creator) | ["Adventure", "Jungle", "Action", "Comics", "Juvenile"] |
Jim Bradley braves a subterranean serpent pit to rescue a kidnapped botanist from a fanatical jungle cult. |
| "Guest Jarmila Novotná" | CBS (WABC) 1944-08-27 9:30 PM EWT |
The Texas Company Texaco Sky Chief & Havoline |
James Melton, Jarmila Novotná | Al Goodman Orchestra | ["Music", "Variety", "Classical", "Opera", "Vocal"] |
Host James Melton welcomes Czech opera diva Jarmila Novotná for romantic operatic duets, Broadway standards, and Texaco musical revue. |
| "The Brooklyn Bridge Bet" | CBS (WABC) 1941-08-27 8:30 PM EDST |
Sustaining Brooklyn Comedy |
Jackson Beck, Patsy Campbell | Damon Runyon (Stories) | ["Sitcom", "Comedy", "Domestic", "Marriage", "Brooklyn"] |
Joe and Ethel Turp get entangled in a neighborhood dispute when Uncle Ben wagers a family heirloom on an impossible Brooklyn walking race. |
| "How Can We Guard Against Post-War Depression?" | NBC Blue (WJZ) 1944-08-27 3:00 PM EWT |
American Economic Foundation | Fred G. Clark, Dr. William Withers | Dr. Ruth Alexander | ["Public Affairs", "Economics", "Debate", "Historical", "Panel"] |
Prominent economists and labor analysts debate government reconversion policies and industrial planning to prevent an economic slump following WWII victory. |