On This Day, August 31: Mr. District Attorney and Abbott Mysteries
Also featured: Skippy Hollywood Theatre.
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 network legal procedurals, lighthearted married sleuth mysteries, and dramatic anthology showcases, Jay Jostyn as Mr. District Attorney on NBC (1949) and ABC (1952), Les Tremayne in the season finale of The Abbott Mysteries (1947), and a triple-bill of Skippy Hollywood Theatre featuring Lurene Tuttle (1946), Eve Arden (1950), and Alan Mowbray (1946–1952):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "As Ye Sow with Jay Jostyn" | NBC (WEAF) 1949-08-31 9:30 PM EDT |
Bristol-Myers Co. Ipana / Vitalis |
Jay Jostyn, Vicki Vola | Jerry Devine (Writer) | ["Police Procedural", "Courtroom", "Mr District Attorney", "Jay Jostyn", "NBC"] |
Paul Garrett prosecutes an unscrupulous agricultural speculator who sells blighted seed grain to desperate farmers. |
| "The Case of the 15-Year-Old Trail with Jay Jostyn" | ABC (WJZ) 1952-08-31 9:30 PM EDT |
Sustaining Crime Legal Drama |
Jay Jostyn, Len Doyle | Mr. DA Staff | ["Police Procedural", "Courtroom", "Mr District Attorney", "Jay Jostyn", "ABC"] |
The District Attorney reopens an unsolved armed bank robbery when a buried getaway car is unearthed fifteen years later. |
| "Painting the Town with Les Tremayne (Season Finale)" | Mutual (WOR) 1947-08-31 5:30 PM EDT |
Sustaining Detective Mystery |
Les Tremayne, Reinheart | Frances Crane (Author) | ["Detective", "Mystery", "Abbott Mysteries", "Les Tremayne", "Mutual"] |
Pat and Jean Abbott investigate the murder of an eccentric modern art collector discovered poisoned in his studio gallery. |
| "The Great Man with Lurene Tuttle" | Syndicated Drama 1946-08-31 |
Rosefield Packing Skippy Peanut Butter |
Lurene Tuttle, Lewis | Les Mitchel (Director) | ["Drama", "Anthology", "Lurene Tuttle", "Skippy Peanut Butter", "Syndicated"] |
A dedicated theatrical agent sacrifices her own personal happiness to build a temperamental young actor into a marquee star. |
| "Farewell to Birdie McKeever with Eve Arden" | CBS (WCBS) 1950-08-31 10:30 PM EDT |
Rosefield Packing Skippy Peanut Butter |
Eve Arden, Gale Gordon | Les Mitchel (Director) | ["Comedy", "Drama", "Eve Arden", "Skippy Peanut Butter", "CBS"] |
A sharp-witted legal secretary takes matters into her own hands to save her bumbling boss from losing his biggest corporate client. |
| "A Matter of Business with Alan Mowbray" | Syndicated Drama 1951-08-31 |
Rosefield Packing Skippy Peanut Butter |
Alan Mowbray, Tuttle | Les Mitchel (Director) | ["Comedy", "Drama", "Alan Mowbray", "Skippy Peanut Butter", "Syndicated"] |
A suave British aristocrat resorts to sophisticated confidence games to maintain his lavish lifestyle in post-war London. |