On This Day, August 31: Martin Kane and Grand Ole Opry
Also featured: Nikola Tesla.
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 hardboiled detective mysteries, legendary country barn dances, undercover detective procedurals, and Westinghouse science education dramas, Lee Tracy starring as Martin Kane, Private Eye on NBC (1952), Hank Snow and Minnie Pearl headlining the Grand Ole Opry for Prince Albert (1957), Karl Swenson in Frank & Anne Hummert's Mr. Chameleon (1949), and Westinghouse's Adventures in Research featuring Nikola Tesla and celestial stargazing (1943–1957):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "The Stolen Formula with Lee Tracy" | NBC (WEAF) 1952-08-31 4:30 PM EDT |
U.S. Tobacco Co. Sano / Model Tobacco |
Lee Tracy, Kinsella | Charles Isaacs (Writer) | ["Detective", "Mystery", "Hardboiled", "Martin Kane", "NBC"] |
Martin Kane investigates the shooting of a chemical research scientist and tracks a competitor attempting to smuggle patented synthetic rubber formulas abroad. |
| "Guest Hank Snow and the Rainbow Ranch Boys with Prince Albert" | NBC / WSM 1957-08-31 9:30 PM EDT |
R.J. Reynolds Prince Albert Tobacco |
Hank Snow, Minnie Pearl | WSM Production Staff | ["Country", "Music", "Grand Ole Opry", "Hank Snow", "Prince Albert"] |
Hank Snow headlines the Ryman Auditorium stage with honky-tonk country classics alongside rustic comedy routines from Minnie Pearl. |
| "The Mistreated Wife Murder Case with Karl Swenson" | CBS (WCBS) 1949-08-31 8:00 PM EDT |
Sustaining Disguise Detective Drama |
Karl Swenson, Cordner | Frank & Anne Hummert | ["Detective", "Mystery", "Disguise", "Mr Chameleon", "CBS"] |
The master of disguise adopts a colorful dialect persona to solve the bludgeoning murder of an estranged society spouse found in her art studio. |
| "Let's Go Stargazing with Dr. Phillips Thomas" | Westinghouse Synd. 1943-08-31 |
Westinghouse Corp. Institutional Science |
Dr. Phillips Thomas, Shannon | KDKA Pittsburgh Prod. | ["Science", "Astronomy", "Educational", "Westinghouse", "Adventures in Research"] |
Westinghouse scientists explain optical telescope lenses, celestial spectroscopy, and stellar distance measurements across the night sky. |
| "A Tooth for a Tooth with Paul Shannon" | Westinghouse Synd. 1948-08-31 |
Westinghouse Corp. Institutional Science |
Paul Shannon (Narrator) | KDKA Pittsburgh Prod. | ["Science", "History", "Educational", "Westinghouse", "Adventures in Research"] |
A dramatization explores the history of dental surgery, the development of porcelain teeth, and modern dental amalgam materials. |
| "The Immigrant Inventor (Nikola Tesla) with Paul Shannon" | Westinghouse Synd. 1954-08-31 |
Westinghouse Corp. Institutional Science |
Paul Shannon, Ensemble | KDKA Pittsburgh Prod. | ["Science", "Biography", "Nikola Tesla", "Westinghouse", "Adventures in Research"] |
The story chronicles Nikola Tesla's arrival in America and his breakthrough inventions in alternating current electricity and induction motors. |