On This Day, August 29: Gunsmoke and Space Patrol
Also featured: Buddy Clark.
August 29 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 29 across American network radio and syndication, William Conrad starring as Marshal Matt Dillon braving flooded prairies on Gunsmoke (1953), Buzz Corry & Cadet Happy battling cosmic pirates on Space Patrol for Ralston Purina (1953), Buddy Clark's romantic melodies for Bourjois on Here's to Romance (1943), Arnold Marquis' The Pacific Story, Masters of Mystery, and CBS wartime news (1943–1956):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "CBS World News Today (Allied Air Strikes Over Europe)" | CBS (WABC) 1943-08-29 2:30 PM EWT |
Sustaining Wartime News |
John Daly, W. Shirer | CBS Foreign Desk | ["News", "World War II", "Journalism", "Aviation", "Live Report"] |
CBS correspondents report on Allied heavy bomber strikes against Axis rail hubs in Germany and naval maneuvers in the Mediterranean. |
| "Spring Freshet" | CBS (WCBS) 1953-08-29 8:00 PM EDT |
Sustaining Adult Western |
William Conrad, P. Baer | John Meston (Writer) | ["Western", "Drama", "Frontier", "Law Enforcement", "Americana"] |
Marshal Matt Dillon rides through torrential prairie floodwaters to rescue a trapped homesteader and arrest a fugitive horse thief. |
| "The Case of the Silent Strings" | Syndicated Elec 1956-08-29 |
Commercial Regional Sponsors |
Dramatic Mystery Cast | Syndicated Drama Staff | ["Mystery", "Detective", "Suspense", "Music", "Anthology"] |
A concert violinist discovers a lethal cyanide capsule concealed within his antique Stradivarius instrument pegbox. |
| "Lyrical Melodies with Buddy Clark and Ray Bloch" | NBC Blue (WJZ) 1943-08-29 6:05 PM EWT |
Bourjois, Inc. Evening in Paris Perfume |
Buddy Clark, Ray Bloch | Bourjois Production Staff | ["Music", "Vocal", "Romance", "Pop Standard", "Variety"] |
Popular baritone Buddy Clark serenades listeners with romantic Broadway ballads and pop standards alongside Ray Bloch's orchestra. |
| "Monsoon Asia — Adventurer and International Rivalry" | NBC (WEAF) 1943-08-29 11:30 PM EWT |
Sustaining Docudrama |
Dramatic Repertory | Arnold Marquis (Writer) | ["Documentary", "Docudrama", "History", "Asian History", "Colonial"] |
A historical documentary tracing European colonial expansion, spice trade rivalries, and naval conflicts across Southeast Asia. |
| "The Trap on Planet X" | ABC (WJZ) 1953-08-29 10:30 AM EDT |
Ralston Purina Co. Instant Ralston / Chex |
Ed Kemmer, Lyn Osborn | Lou Huston (Writer) | ["Sci-Fi", "Adventure", "Juvenile", "Space Opera", "Action"] |
Commander Buzz Corry and Cadet Happy investigate a deactivated space beacon and find themselves ambushed by interstellar outlaw pirates. |