On This Day, August 31: Vin Scully at Ebbets Field and Jack Smith
Also featured: Allen Ludden.
August 31 Update
This report documents the historical provenance, broadcast scheduling, commercial sponsorship, credited cast, production personnel, alternate circulating titles, serial story metadata, and pure narrative synopses for broadcasts transmitting on August 31 across historic Major League Baseball play-by-play, network pop music programs, intercollegiate quiz competitions, probate legal dramas, and suspense thrillers, Vin Scully broadcasting the New York Giants visiting the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field (1957), Jack Smith and guest Dinah Shore for Tide (1945, 1951), Allen Ludden moderating The College Quiz Bowl (1955), Warren William in Strange Wills (1946), and Theater Five (1945–1964):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres & Serial Arc | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Summertime Pop Melodies with Jack Smith" | CBS (WABC) 1945-08-31 7:15 PM EWT |
Procter & Gamble Tide Detergent / Oxydol |
Jack Smith, Clark Sisters | Earl Sheldon Orchestra | ["Music", "Variety", "Pop", "Jack Smith", "Tide"] |
Jack Smith performs cheerful wartime pop tunes and swing arrangements with vocal harmony support from The Clark Sisters. |
| "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening with Jack Smith and Dinah Shore" | CBS (WCBS) 1951-08-31 7:15 PM EDT |
Procter & Gamble Tide Washing Powder |
Jack Smith, Dinah Shore | Frank DeVol Orchestra | ["Music", "Variety", "Pop", "Jack Smith", "Dinah Shore"] |
Jack Smith and guest Dinah Shore sing popular Academy Award hits including In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening. |
| "New York Giants at Brooklyn Dodgers (Part 4)" | WMGM New York 1957-08-31 1:30 PM EDT |
Schaefer / Lucky Strike Schaefer Beer |
Vin Scully, Doggett | Dodgers Radio Network | ["Sports", "Baseball", "MLB", "Dodgers", "Vin Scully"]Arc: New York Giants at Brooklyn Dodgers (August 31, 1957) (Part 4 of 4) |
Broadcasters call late innings action from Ebbets Field during the final season before both historic franchises relocate to California. |
| "Colgate University vs. Mount Holyoke College with Allen Ludden" | NBC (WEAF) 1955-08-31 8:30 PM EDT |
Sustaining Intercollegiate Quiz |
Allen Ludden (Moderator) | John Moses (Producer) | ["Quiz", "Game Show", "College Quiz Bowl", "Allen Ludden", "NBC"] |
Undergraduate student scholars from Colgate and Mount Holyoke compete in a fast-paced varsity intellectual buzzer quiz. |
| "The Story of Emily with Warren William" | Teleways / Synd. 1946-08-31 |
Sustaining Probate Legal Drama |
Warren William, Culver | Kenneth Webb (Director) | ["Drama", "Legal", "Mystery", "Strange Wills", "Warren William"] |
Probate attorney John O'Brien executes an eccentric spinster's will requiring her greedy relatives to care for stray alley cats. |
| "The Scream with ABC Radio Drama" | ABC Network 1964-08-31 |
Sustaining Audio Suspense Revival |
ABC Repertory Ensemble | Ted Bell (Director) | ["Suspense", "Thriller", "Horror", "Theater Five", "ABC"] |
A wealthy hypochondriac living alone in a secluded cliffside mansion is terrorized by recurring late-night screams from the coastline. |