On This Day, August 31: Groucho Marx and Dad's Army
Also featured: Gene Autry.
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 American network quiz comedy, British Home Guard sitcoms, Western musical variety, child prodigy trivia contests, and classic Sunday funnies readings, Groucho Marx waiting for the secret word book on You Bet Your Life (1959), Arthur Lowe as Captain Mainwaring in Dad's Army on BBC Radio 4 (1976), Gene Autry and Pat Buttram on Melody Ranch for Wrigley Gum (1947), The Quiz Kids (1947), and Uncle Don reading Puck The Comic Weekly (1947, 1952):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Is There Honey Still for the Tea? with Arthur Lowe" | BBC Radio 4 1976-08-31 12:27 PM BST |
Sustaining British Sitcom |
Arthur Lowe, Le Mesurier | Perry & Croft (Writers) | ["Comedy", "British", "Sitcom", "Dads Army", "BBC Radio 4"] |
Captain Mainwaring and the Walmington-on-Sea Home Guard platoon fight to save Godfrey's cottage from demolition to make way for an aerodrome runway. |
| "The Stagecoach Gold Shipment with Pat Buttram" | CBS (WCBS) 1947-08-31 7:00 PM EDT |
Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. Doublemint Gum |
Gene Autry, Pat Buttram | Carl Cotner Orchestra | ["Western", "Music", "Variety", "Gene Autry", "Wrigley"] |
Gene Autry foils an ambush on a mountain stagecoach transporting mine payroll gold before performing western cowboy songs. |
| "Secret Word 'Book' with Groucho Marx" | NBC (WEAF) 1959-08-31 8:00 PM EDT |
Toni Home Perms DeSoto-Plymouth |
Groucho Marx, Fenneman | Bernie Smith (Producer) | ["Comedy", "Quiz", "Game Show", "Groucho Marx", "NBC"] |
Groucho Marx interviews eccentric contestants, aiming ad-lib barbs at their professions while waiting for someone to say the secret word book. |
| "Why Didn't the Words 'Armed Assault' Disturb Police? with Joe Kelly" | NBC (WEAF) 1947-08-31 4:00 PM EDT |
Miles Laboratories Alka-Seltzer / One-A-Day |
Joe Kelly (Quizmaster) | Louis G. Cowan (Producer) | ["Quiz", "Game Show", "Education", "Quiz Kids", "Alka-Seltzer"] |
Quizmaster Joe Kelly challenges child prodigies with rapid-fire questions covering astronomy, world geography, history, and word puzzles. |
| "Reading the Sunday Funnies with Uncle Don (1947)" | WOR New York 1947-08-31 8:30 AM EDT |
Hearst Newspapers Puck The Comic Weekly |
Don Carney ("Uncle Don") | WOR Studio Staff | ["Children", "Comics", "Early Radio", "Uncle Don", "WOR"] |
Uncle Don acts out color comic strips from the Sunday newspaper funnies with sound effects and character voices for young listeners. |
| "Reading the Sunday Funnies with Uncle Don (1952)" | WOR New York 1952-08-31 8:30 AM EDT |
Puck The Comic Weekly Hearst Comics |
Don Carney ("Uncle Don") | WOR Studio Staff | ["Children", "Comics", "Early Radio", "Uncle Don", "WOR"] |
Uncle Don narrates Blondie, Popeye, and Flash Gordon Sunday comic pages with whimsical sound effects and club announcements. |