On This Day, August 29: Molle Mystery Theatre and Mutual Radio Theater
Also featured: Howard Miller.
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 British BBC broadcasting, two classic hardboiled mysteries on The Mollé Mystery Theatre adapted from Ben Hecht and Cornell Woolrich for Mollé Shaving Cream (1944–1947), Andy Griffith hosting Mutual Radio Theater directed by Fletcher Markle (1980), Chicago disc jockey Howard Miller chatting with pop singer Georgia Gibbs (1955–1957), and Muiris Ó Súilleabháin's Gaelic Blasket Island memoir Twenty Years A-Growing on BBC Radio 4 (1944–1980):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "The Great Blasket Island Boyhood" | BBC Radio 4 1977-08-29 |
Sustaining BBC Drama |
Niall Tóibín, Repertory | Muiris Ó Súilleabháin | ["Drama", "Biography", "Irish", "Folklore", "Adaptation"] |
A lyrical memoir dramatization capturing the Gaelic folklore, fishing traditions, and coming-of-age rituals of an Irish island youth. |
| "Guest Georgia Gibbs" | CBS (WCBS) 1955-08-29 10:45 AM EDT |
Commercial Network Sponsors |
Howard Miller, Gibbs | Howard Miller Staff | ["Music", "Disc Jockey", "Pop", "Interview", "Variety"] |
Chicago disc jockey Howard Miller interviews pop vocalist Georgia Gibbs about her latest chart recordings and plays recent releases. |
| "Top Chicago Chart Hits with Howard Miller" | CBS (WCBS) 1957-08-29 10:45 AM EDT |
Commercial Network Sponsors |
Howard Miller (DJ) | Howard Miller Staff | ["Music", "Disc Jockey", "Top 40", "Rock and Roll", "Pop"] |
Howard Miller plays current top-forty jukebox favorites and comments on emerging rock and pop record trends. |
| "Crime Without Passion" | NBC (WEAF) 1944-08-29 9:00 PM EWT |
Centaur / Sterling Mollé Shaving Cream |
Bernard Lenrow (Barnes) | Ben Hecht (Author) | ["Mystery", "Crime", "Legal Drama", "Suspense", "Noir"] |
A brilliant criminal defense lawyer constructs an elaborate alibi to conceal an accidental shooting, only to be trapped by microscopic clues. |
| "Silent as the Grave" | NBC (WNBC) 1947-08-29 10:00 PM EDT |
Centaur / Sterling Mollé Shaving Cream |
Bernard Lenrow (Barnes) | Cornell Woolrich (Author) | ["Mystery", "Suspense", "Noir", "Psychological", "Crime"] |
A young wife desperately attempts to hide incriminating evidence when she suspects her husband of committing an unsolved neighborhood homicide. |
| "Armando Paz: El Encanto" | Mutual 1980-08-29 10:30 PM EDT |
Sustaining Drama Anthology |
Andy Griffith (Host) | Fletcher Markle (Director) | ["Drama", "Adventure", "Crime", "Mystery", "Modern OTR"] |
A charismatic international jewel thief masquerading as a wealthy diplomat infiltrates an exclusive Caribbean resort gala. |