On This Day, August 28: Johnny Madero and Bob and Ray
Also featured: The Shadow.
August 28 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 28 across American network radio and syndication, Jack Webb as San Francisco waterfront sleuth Johnny Madero, Bob and Ray's famous satire The Slow-Talkers of America, Speed Gibson's aerial secret police adventure, Captain Bligh's survival voyage on Famous Escapes, Orson Welles & Agnes Moorehead in The Shadow: Death Under the Chapel for Blue Coal, and Bob Crosby's Bobcats swinging for Coca-Cola (1937–1952):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Murder at the Race Track" | Mutual (WOR) 1947-08-28 8:00 PM EDT |
Commercial Mystery Sponsors |
Jack Webb, Gale Gordon | Herb Meadow (Writer) | ["Detective", "Hardboiled", "Noir", "Crime", "Mystery"] |
San Francisco waterfront boatman Johnny Madero gets framed for murder after agreeing to place an illegal bet for a crooked jockey. |
| "The Slow-Talkers of America" | NBC (WNBC) 1952-08-28 5:45 PM EDT |
Sustaining Comedy Revue |
Bob Elliott, Ray Goulding | Bob and Ray Writing Team | ["Comedy", "Satire", "Parody", "Sketch", "Improv"] |
Bob and Ray satirize public broadcasting interviews with an agonizingly sluggish meeting of the Slow-Talkers of America and spoof radio soap operas. |
| "Dynamite Must Be Used" | Syndicated Elec 1937-08-28 |
Commercial Juvenile Sponsors |
Elliott Lewis, John Gibson | Virginia Cooke (Creator) | ["Aviation", "Adventure", "Juvenile", "Secret Agent", "Serial"] |
Ace pilot Speed Gibson and Inspector Clint Barlow use high explosives to blast open an underground smuggling cavern ruled by the Octopus gang. |
| "The Escape of Captain Bligh" | Syndicated Elec 1938-08-28 |
Commercial Historical Drama |
Syndicated Dramatic Cast | Historical Showcase Staff | ["Historical", "Docudrama", "Maritime", "Adventure", "Anthology"] |
Cast adrift in an open launch following the mutiny on the Bounty, Captain William Bligh navigates perilous open seas to Timor. |
| "Death Under the Chapel" | Mutual (WOR) 1938-08-28 5:30 PM EDST |
Delaware Lackawanna Blue Coal |
Orson Welles, Agnes Moorehead | Edward Hale Bierstadt | ["Superhero", "Mystery", "Supernatural", "Crime", "Noir"] |
Lamont Cranston clouds men's minds to solve a murderous plot involving ancient catacombs, hidden crypts, and stolen jewels beneath a cemetery chapel. |
| "Bob Crosby and his Orchestra" | NBC Blue (WJZ) 1943-08-28 9:30 PM EWT |
The Coca-Cola Co. "Have a Coke!" |
Bob Crosby and his Bobcats | Liz Tilton | ["Music", "Big Band", "Dixieland", "Swing", "Military"] |
Bob Crosby and his Bobcats perform Dixieland swing from an army training airfield, featuring Liz Tilton singing 'They're Either Too Young or Too Old'. |