On This Day, August 30: Will Rogers and Ann Sothern's Maisie
Also featured: Erle Stanley Gardner.
August 30 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 30 across American network radio, British BBC broadcasting, and Canadian CBC drama, Will Rogers delivering Great Depression political wit with Al Goodman for Gulf Oil (1933), Ann Sothern starring as Maisie selling vacuum cleaners for Eversharp (1946), Erle Stanley Gardner's courtroom series A Life in Your Hands for Raleigh Cigarettes (1949), The Big Story honoring reporter Lee Fuhrman of The Atlanta Constitution for Pall Mall (1950), Richard Briers and Prunella Scales in Marriage Lines (1963), and CBC's The Mystery Project (1933–1997):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "The Bed" | BBC Light Prog 1963-08-30 |
Sustaining BBC Comedy |
Richard Briers, Scales | Richard Waring (Writer) | ["Sitcom", "Comedy", "Domestic", "Marriage", "British"] |
Newlyweds George and Kate Starling become embroiled in comical domestic disputes while attempting to shop for a new bedroom suite. |
| "Enough Rope Will Hang the Killer (Lee Fuhrman)" | NBC (WNBC) 1950-08-30 10:00 PM EDT |
American Tobacco Pall Mall Famous Cigarettes |
Robert Sloane, Cast | Lee Fuhrman (Reporter) | ["True Crime", "Journalism", "Docudrama", "Newspaper", "Investigation"] |
Crusading reporter Lee Fuhrman follows a subtle rope-fiber clue to clear an innocent suspect and trap a fugitive strangler. |
| "Maisie Sells Vacuum Cleaners" | CBS (WABC) 1946-08-30 8:00 PM EDT |
Eversharp, Inc. Schick Injector Razors / Pens |
Ann Sothern (Maisie) | Adventures of Maisie Staff | ["Comedy", "Sitcom", "Female Lead", "Working Woman", "Urban"] |
Maisie takes a door-to-door vacuum cleaner sales job and accidentally stumbles into a suburban marital misunderstanding. |
| "The Murder of Jonathan Vance" | NBC (WNBC) 1949-08-30 8:00 PM EDT |
Brown & Williamson Raleigh Cigarettes |
Carlton KaDell (Kincaid) | Erle Stanley Gardner (Creator) | ["Courtroom", "Legal Drama", "Mystery", "Detective", "Erle Stanley Gardner"] |
Courtroom investigator Jonathan Kincaid cross-examines key witnesses to reconstruct a fatal home invasion and exonerate an accused nephew. |
| "Find the Lady: In Which Andrew Loses a Chequebook" | CBC Radio 1997-08-30 |
Sustaining Mystery Drama |
Canadian Audio Cast | CBC Mystery Project Staff | ["Mystery", "Detective", "Modern OTR", "Canadian", "Serial"] |
A financial accountant discovers unauthorized forged checks drawn against his firm's accounts and races to locate a missing bookkeeper. |
| "With Al Goodman and The Revelers" | NBC (WEAF) 1933-08-30 9:00 PM EDST |
Gulf Oil Corp. Gulfpride Motor Oil |
Will Rogers (Host) | Al Goodman & Revelers | ["Comedy", "Variety", "Humor", "Political Satire", "Americana"] |
Cowboy philosopher Will Rogers delivers home-spun political commentary on Depression-era restoration programs and introduces close-harmony vocals. |