On This Day, August 27: Strange As It Seems and Railroad Hour
Also featured: Jan Masaryk.
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 early transcription services, Revolutionary War financier Haym Salomon on Strange As It Seems, three distinct historic rarities from the Singles & Doubles Collection (1929 Brunswick Panatrope records, 1942 WABC 880 Quiz Club, and 1948 Ben Alexander quiz pilot It's a Living), Gordon MacRae and Dorothy Kirsten in The Railroad Hour for the Association of American Railroads, and Czechoslovak diplomat Jan Masaryk addressing the nation from London on the eve of World War II (1929–1951):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "The Man Who Financed the Revolution (Haym Salomon)" | Mutual (WOR) 1947-08-27 7:30 PM EDT |
Sustaining Historical Curiosities |
John Hix (Host), Gayne Whitman (Narrator) | John Hix Production | ["Docudrama", "Historical", "Biography", "Revolutionary War", "Americana"] |
The extraordinary true history of merchant broker Haym Salomon, who raised critical emergency loans to keep General George Washington's Continental Army fed and equipped during the Revolutionary War. |
| "Brunswick Brevities" | Brunswick Elec 1929-08-27 |
Brunswick Co. Panatrope & Records |
Brunswick Concert Orchestra, Quartette | Brunswick-Balke-Collender | ["Music", "Jazz", "Early Radio", "Pop Standards", "Orchestral"] |
An early electrical transcription concert featuring popular dance hits, operatic medleys, and novelty recordings from the Brunswick record catalogue. |
| "The 880 Quiz Club" | CBS (WABC) 1942-08-27 7:00 PM EWT |
Local Sponsors Audience Quiz |
Quizmaster, Audience Contestants | WABC Production | ["Quiz Show", "Game Show", "Wartime", "Audience Participation", "Americana"] |
Studio contestants test their general knowledge and wartime geography skills to win War Bonds and cash prizes. |
| "It's a Living (Quiz Pilot)" | Mutual (WOR) 1948-08-27 8:30 PM EDT |
Sustaining Quiz Pilot |
Ben Alexander (Host/Quizmaster) | Mutual Production | ["Quiz Show", "Game Show", "Comedy", "Panel Game", "Americana"] |
A comedy quiz program where contestants with unusual occupations and bizarre professions challenge a panel of celebrities to guess what they do for a living. |
| "Danny Freel" | NBC (WNBC) 1951-08-27 8:00 PM EDT |
Assoc. American Railroads AAR Rail Freight |
Gordon MacRae, Dorothy Kirsten | Carmen Dragon, Marvin Miller | ["Musical", "Operetta", "Western", "Romance", "Americana"] |
Baritone Gordon MacRae and soprano Dorothy Kirsten star in an original musical operetta set against the scenic Western frontier railway expansion. |
| "Czech Ambassador Jan Masaryk in London on Polish Crisis" | NBC Red (WEAF) 1939-08-27 6:45 PM EDST |
Sustaining NBC News Address |
Jan Masaryk (Czechoslovak Diplomat) | NBC News Foreign Desk | ["News", "Political", "Wartime", "Historical", "Live Broadcast"] |
Czechoslovak diplomat Jan Masaryk delivers a grave address from London warning that Germany's ultimatum to Poland threatens the freedom of all European democracies. |