On This Day, August 27: Mr. Ace and Ginny Simms
Also featured: Basil Rathbone, Meet the Press.
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 radio, Goodman & Jane Ace in The Cases of Mr. Ace, Ginny Simms honoring a French Underground war hero for Philip Morris, Basil Rathbone in The Tales of Fatima for Fatima Cigarettes, pioneer serial The Travels of Mary Ward, and two historic broadcasts of Meet the Press (Whittaker Chambers's landmark 1948 Alger Hiss espionage testimony, and William P. Bundy's 1967 Vietnam War foreign policy defense) (1936–1967):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Eddie Ace Wins Chinese Lottery" | CBS (WCBS) 1947-08-27 8:00 PM EDT |
Sustaining Comedy-Mystery |
Goodman Ace, Jane Ace | Goodman Ace (Writer) | ["Comedy", "Mystery", "Detective", "Satire", "Americana"] |
Eddie Ace accidentally purchases a winning ticket in an underground Chinatown lottery syndicate, attracting crooked gamblers demanding a share of the purse. |
| "Sgt. John Rooney's Story in Occupied France" | NBC (WEAF) 1944-08-27 8:00 PM EWT |
Philip Morris Philip Morris Cigarettes |
Ginny Simms, Sgt. John Rooney | Frank Morgan, Stardusters | ["Music", "Variety", "Wartime", "Military", "Vocal"] |
Vocalist Ginny Simms interviews decorated Army Sergeant John Rooney regarding his covert rescue missions behind German lines with the French Underground. |
| "Intent to Kill" | CBS (WCBS) 1949-08-27 9:30 PM EDT |
Liggett & Myers Fatima Cigarettes |
Basil Rathbone, Dan Seymour | Gail Ingram (Writer) | ["Mystery", "Detective", "Thriller", "Anthology", "Crime"] |
Basil Rathbone assists police when an aspiring Broadway playwright receives a package containing a ticking clockwork bomb postmarked from Greenwich Village. |
| "Crossing the Great Plains (Episode 14)" | Syndicated 1936-08-27 Episode #14 |
Commercial Transcription Sponsors |
Mary Ward, Repertory Cast | Syndicated Dramatic Staff | ["Adventure", "Historical", "Western", "Pioneers", "Serial"] |
Mary Ward and her pioneer traveling companions face broken wagon axles and summer thunderstorms while crossing the Nebraska territory. |
| "Whittaker Chambers & The Hiss Espionage Allegations" | Mutual (WOR) 1948-08-27 10:00 PM EDT |
Sustaining Public Affairs |
Whittaker Chambers, Lawrence Spivak | Martha Rountree (Producer) | ["News", "Interview", "Political", "Espionage", "Historical"] |
Whittaker Chambers repeats without congressional immunity his public allegations that former State Department official Alger Hiss was a member of an underground Communist apparatus. |
| "William P. Bundy & Vietnam Foreign Policy" | NBC (WNBC) 1967-08-27 1:00 PM EDT |
Sustaining NBC News Analysis |
William P. Bundy, Lawrence Spivak | Lawrence E. Spivak (Producer) | ["News", "Interview", "Political", "Wartime", "Historical"] |
Assistant Secretary of State William P. Bundy faces sharp questioning regarding South Vietnamese presidential elections, bombing campaigns, and escalation in Southeast Asia. |