On This Day, August 28: Yours Truly Johnny Dollar and James Eads
Also featured: Gulf Spray.
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, Charles Russell & Bob Bailey in four investigations on Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar spanning fairgrounds prize hogs, Bavarian tapestry thefts, and gambling loan sharks (1949–1960), the engineering triumph of James Eads on Captains of Industry, and southern variety on The Gulf Spray Show for Gulf Oil (1937–1960):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "The Prize Hog Matter" | CBS (WABC) 1949-08-28 6:30 PM EDT |
Sustaining Mystery Drama |
Charles Russell, Parley Baer | Jaime del Valle (Director) | ["Detective", "Hardboiled", "Mystery", "Comedy", "Insurance"] |
Johnny Dollar is hired as an insurance bodyguard to protect a champion thousand-pound prize breeding hog entered in a county fair. |
| "The Kranesburg Matter (Part 2)" | CBS (WCBS) 1956-08-28 8:05 PM EDT |
Sustaining Mystery Serial |
Bob Bailey, Virginia Gregg | John Dawson (Writer) | ["Detective", "Hardboiled", "Mystery", "Serial", "Art Theft"] |
Johnny Dollar travels to an old Bavarian castle in Kranesburg to verify ownership of priceless stolen medieval tapestries. |
| "The Kranesburg Matter (Part 3)" | CBS (WCBS) 1956-08-28 8:20 PM EDT |
Sustaining Mystery Serial |
Bob Bailey, Virginia Gregg | John Dawson (Writer) | ["Detective", "Hardboiled", "Mystery", "Serial", "Art Theft"] |
Johnny escapes an attempt on his life in a hidden wine cellar and uncovers the body of a murdered art appraiser. |
| "The Deadly Debt Matter" | CBS (WCBS) 1960-08-28 5:05 PM EDT |
Sustaining Mystery Drama |
Bob Bailey (Johnny Dollar) | Jack Johnstone (Writer) | ["Detective", "Hardboiled", "Mystery", "Insurance", "Crime"] |
Johnny Dollar investigates the suspicious car crash death of a heavily indebted gambler whose lucrative double-indemnity policy names a loan shark. |
| "James Eads" | Syndicated Elec 1937-08-28 |
Commercial Regional Sponsors |
Dramatic Historical Cast | Syndicated History Staff | ["Biography", "History", "Engineering", "Docudrama", "Americana"] |
A biographical dramatization depicting engineer James Eads overcoming civil war challenges to construct the iconic steel arch bridge over the Mississippi River. |
| "I Wonder" | CBS (WABC) 1947-08-28 8:30 PM EDT |
Gulf Oil Corporation Gulf Spray / Gulfpride |
Bob Poole (Host) | Gulf Spray Ensemble | ["Variety", "Music", "Comedy", "Pop Standard", "Americana"] |
Bob Poole hosts an evening of breezy southern comedy and smooth musical standards, headlining with the ballad 'I Wonder'. |