On This Day, August 31: Edward R. Murrow and Mr.
Also featured: Mrs. North, Norman Corwin.
August 31 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 31 across wartime frontline foreign correspondence, lighthearted married detective mysteries, Norman Corwin BBC/CBS wartime docudramas, grand jury crime procedurals, and literary review panels, Edward R. Murrow and William L. Shirer comparing blitzkrieg raids over London and Berlin (1940), Alice Frost and Joseph Curtin in Mr. and Mrs. North for Colgate (1948), Norman Corwin and Bernard Herrmann's An American in England (1942), Nat Polen in Indictment (1958), and Budd Schulberg discussing The Disenchanted (1940–1964):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "The Scream with ABC Radio Drama (Network Master 2)" | ABC Network 1964-08-31 |
Sustaining Audio Suspense Drama |
ABC Repertory Company | Ted Bell (Director) | ["Suspense", "Thriller", "Horror", "Theater Five", "ABC"] |
In this alternate network master, a secluded cliffside recluse attempts to trace a recurring terrifying scream across the misty rocky coastline. |
| "Budd Schulberg's The Disenchanted with John K.M. McCaffery" | ABC (WJZ) 1950-08-31 10:00 PM EDT |
Sustaining Literary Critique Panel |
John K.M. McCaffery, Budd Schulberg | Martin Stone (Producer) | ["Literature", "Discussion", "Interview", "Budd Schulberg", "ABC"] |
Author Budd Schulberg debates critics over his controversial roman à clef novel depicting the decline of a 1920s literary icon. |
| "The Case of the Protection Racket with Nat Polen" | CBS (WCBS) 1958-08-31 5:05 PM EDT |
Sustaining Grand Jury Drama |
Nat Polen, Ensemble | Eleanore Tanney (Writer) | ["Police Procedural", "Courtroom", "Legal", "Indictment", "CBS"] |
Assistant District Attorney Tom Blaine presents grand jury evidence indicting waterfront mobsters extorting small shipping merchants. |
| "Air Raids on London and Berlin with Edward R. Murrow and William L. Shirer" | CBS (WABC) 1940-08-31 6:45 PM EDST |
Sustaining CBS War News Round-Up |
Murrow, Shirer, Trout | Paul White (News Dir.) | ["News", "WWII", "History", "Edward R Murrow", "William Shirer"] |
Edward R. Murrow and William L. Shirer contrast daily civilian life in London and Berlin during reciprocal retaliatory air bombing raids. |
| "The Yanks Are Here with Joseph Julian and Bernard Herrmann" | CBS (WABC) 1942-08-31 10:00 PM EWT |
Sustaining Wartime Morale Drama |
Joseph Julian, Ensemble | Norman Corwin & Bernard Herrmann | ["Drama", "WWII", "Norman Corwin", "Bernard Herrmann", "CBS"] |
Norman Corwin dramatizes the arrival and everyday encounters of American GIs building air bases across wartime rural England. |
| "The Silent Passenger with Alice Frost and Joseph Curtin" | CBS (WCBS) 1948-08-31 8:30 PM EDT |
Colgate-Palmolive Colgate Shave / Halo |
Alice Frost, Joseph Curtin | Lockridge (Creators) | ["Detective", "Mystery", "Comedy", "Mr and Mrs North", "Colgate"] |
Pam and Jerry North discover an unconscious man in the backseat of their taxicab with a stolen museum medallion in his coat. |