On This Day, August 28: The Falcon and Life with Luigi
Also featured: America's Town Meeting.
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, James Meighan, Les Damon, and Les Tremayne in three exciting cases as The Falcon for Kraft Foods (1945–1952), J. Carrol Naish & Hans Conried in citizenship night-school comedy on Life with Luigi for Wrigley's Gum, and fiery national debates on post-war price controls and Korean War inflation on America's Town Meeting of the Air (1945–1952):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Murder Shows Its Hand" | Mutual (WOR) 1945-08-28 8:30 PM EWT |
Sustaining Detective Drama |
James Meighan (The Falcon) | Drexel Drake (Creator) | ["Detective", "Hardboiled", "Mystery", "Action", "Noir"] |
Michael Waring investigates when a wealthy bridge tournament player is poisoned at the card table with a hand of spades. |
| "Murder Has the Last Word" | Mutual (WOR) 1949-08-28 7:00 PM EDT |
Sustaining Detective Drama |
Les Damon, Ken Lynch | Richard Lewis (Director) | ["Detective", "Hardboiled", "Mystery", "Action", "Noir"] |
Michael Waring investigates the shooting murder of a sharp-tongued radio gossip columnist who was blackmailing Broadway stars. |
| "The Case of the Careless Corpse" | NBC (WNBC) 1952-08-28 8:00 PM EDT |
Kraft Foods Company Miracle Whip / Velveeta |
Les Tremayne (The Falcon) | Gene Wang (Writer) | ["Detective", "Hardboiled", "Mystery", "Action", "Noir"] |
Michael Waring pursues a cunning hitman who left a dead gangster in the wrong hotel room to frame an innocent bellhop. |
| "Shultz and Olson Not in Luigi's Class" | CBS (WCBS) 1951-08-28 9:00 PM EDT |
Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. Spearmint Chewing Gum |
J. Carrol Naish, H. Conried | Cy Howard (Creator) | ["Sitcom", "Comedy", "Immigration", "Domestic", "Americana"] |
Luigi's evening citizenship night-school class descends into comical arguments when Schultz and Olson get into a dispute over history exams. |
| "What Should We Do About the High Cost of Living?" | ABC (WJZ) 1947-08-28 8:30 PM EDT |
Sustaining Public Affairs Forum |
George V. Denny Jr. | Congressional Panel | ["Public Affairs", "Debate", "Economics", "History", "Civics"] |
Economists, consumer advocates, and politicians engage in a fiery national debate over post-war price decontrol, food costs, and wage strikes. |
| "How Can We Stop Inflation?" | ABC (WJZ) 1951-08-28 9:00 PM EDT |
Sustaining Public Affairs Forum |
George V. Denny Jr. | Civic Panel & Economists | ["Public Affairs", "Debate", "Economics", "History", "Civics"] |
A live audience and political panel debate federal credit controls, wage caps, and consumer purchasing power during the Korean War. |