On This Day, August 31: Chandu the Magician and Meet the Press
Also featured: Lincoln Highway.
August 31 Update
This report documents the historical provenance, broadcast scheduling, commercial sponsorship, credited cast, production personnel, alternate circulating titles, serial story metadata, and pure narrative synopses for broadcasts transmitting on August 31 across American occult adventure serials, political press conferences, roadside drama anthologies, police procedurals, and pioneer Western serials, Gayne Whitman in Chandu the Magician for White King Soap (1932), Senator James H. Duff and Secretary of Labor James P. Mitchell on Meet the Press (1952, 1958), William Gaxton in Lincoln Highway (1940), Police Headquarters (1943), and The Travels of Mary Ward (1932–1958):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres & Serial Arc | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "The Crossroads Inn with William Gaxton" | NBC Red (WEAF) 1940-08-31 11:00 AM EDST |
Shinola Shoe Polish Shinola 2-in-1 Polish |
William Gaxton, McIntire | Kenneth Webb (Director) | ["Drama", "Anthology", "Comedy", "William Gaxton", "Shinola"] |
A fast-talking Broadway promoter stranded at a rural roadside diner on the Lincoln Highway helps a waitress save her family business. |
| "The Phantom Fur Thief" | Syndicated Police 1943-08-31 |
Sustaining Police Procedural |
Dramatic Cast Ensemble | Police HQ Staff | ["Police Procedural", "Detective", "Crime", "Investigation", "Syndicated"] |
Detectives set up rooftop stakeouts across the garment district to catch an elusive cat burglar targeting high-end fur vaults. |
| "Crossing the Western Prairie (Episode 8)" | Syndicated Pioneer 1936-08-31 |
Sustaining Historical Pioneer Serial |
Dramatic Voice Ensemble | Pioneer Radio Staff | ["Historical", "Pioneer", "Western", "Serial", "Early Radio"]Arc: The Travels of Mary Ward (Part 8) |
Pioneering settlers endure severe dust storms and wagon breakdowns while crossing the uncharted Nebraska plains. |
| "The Temple of the Black Sun (Episode 126)" | KHJ / Don Lee 1932-08-31 8:00 PM PST |
White King Soap White King Granulated |
Gayne Whitman, MacDonald | Harry A. Earnshaw (Writer) | ["Adventure", "Occult", "Magic", "Chandu", "White King"]Arc: The Black Sun Mystery (Part 126) |
Chandu utilizes occult astral projection to locate Princess Nadji before the sinister sorcerer Roxor executes his sacrificial ritual. |
| "Senator James H. Duff on the 1952 Presidential Campaign" | NBC (WEAF) 1952-08-31 4:00 PM EDT |
Revere Copper & Brass Revere Ware |
Martha Rountree, Duff | Lawrence E. Spivak | ["News", "Interview", "Politics", "Meet the Press", "NBC"] |
Pennsylvania Senator James H. Duff defends Dwight D. Eisenhower's foreign policy platform and general election strategy under cross-examination. |
| "Secretary of Labor James P. Mitchell on National Labor Day" | NBC (WEAF) 1958-08-31 6:00 PM EDT |
Sustaining Public Affairs News |
Ned Brooks, Mitchell | Lawrence E. Spivak | ["News", "Interview", "Politics", "Meet the Press", "NBC"] |
Secretary of Labor James P. Mitchell fields questions regarding union anti-racketeering legislation, unemployment statistics, and the national economy. |