On This Day, August 31: Sherlock Holmes and Judy Canova
Also featured: Samuel Beckett.
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 audio detective drama, hillbilly musical comedy, experimental radio theater, and courtroom docudramas, John Patrick Lowrie in The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton (2008), Judy Canova with Mel Blanc and Ruby Dandridge on CBS (1943) and NBC (1946), Jackson Beck as antique sleuth Gregory Hood (1950), Samuel Beckett's Rough for Radio on NPR's Earplay (1980), and Famous Jury Trials (1943–2008):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "The State vs. Thatcher Lomas" | ABC (WJZ) 1946-08-31 8:30 PM EDT |
Sustaining Courtroom Docudrama |
Dramatic Voice Cast | Maurice Franklin (Judge) | ["Courtroom", "Legal", "True Crime", "Famous Jury Trials", "ABC"] |
Attorneys cross-examine forensic accountants to expose how an apparent suicide was staged to cover embezzlement. |
| "Getting the Pig Back to Rancho Canova" | CBS (WABC) 1943-08-31 8:30 PM EWT |
Colgate-Palmolive Palmolive Shave / Halo |
Judy Canova, Mel Blanc | Gordon Jenkins Orchestra | ["Comedy", "Hillbilly", "Variety", "Judy Canova", "Mel Blanc"] |
Judy Canova creates hilarious mayhem across town while trying to recapture her runaway prize pig Roscoe. |
| "Just Back from Cactus Junction" | NBC (WEAF) 1946-08-31 10:00 PM EDT |
Colgate-Palmolive Halo Shampoo / Dental |
Judy Canova, Dandridge | Charles Dingle & Staff | ["Comedy", "Hillbilly", "Variety", "Judy Canova", "Colgate"] |
Judy returns from her country vacation in Cactus Junction with a trunk full of eccentric souvenirs and farm gossip. |
| "The Forgetful Murderer with Jackson Beck" | ABC (WJZ) 1950-08-31 8:30 PM EDT |
Sustaining Antique Detective Mystery |
Jackson Beck, McGovern | Boucher & Green (Writers) | ["Detective", "Mystery", "Gregory Hood", "Jackson Beck", "Antiques"] |
San Francisco antique dealer Gregory Hood investigates an amnesiac collector accused of strangling an art appraiser. |
| "Microcosm / Samuel Beckett's Rough for Radio / Always in Love with Amy" | NPR Network 1980-08-31 |
NEA / CPB Grants Experimental Showcase |
Earplay Ensemble | Samuel Beckett (Playwright) | ["Experimental", "Drama", "NPR", "Samuel Beckett", "Earplay"] |
An avant-garde audio showcase featuring Samuel Beckett's minimalist psychological radio play exploring memory and isolation. |
| "The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton with John Patrick Lowrie" | Imagination Theater 2008-08-31 |
Sustaining Audio Detective Drama |
John Patrick Lowrie, Albert | M.J. Elliott & Conan Doyle | ["Detective", "Mystery", "Sherlock Holmes", "Conan Doyle", "Jim French"] |
Holmes and Watson disguise themselves as burglars to break into the mansion of London's most ruthless blackmailer. |