On This Day, August 8: Discoveries Across Orson Welles and Marilyn Monroe
Also featured: Howard Hughes, Jack Webb.
August 8 Forensic Archival Review
Advancing across August 8, this third review processes 25 broadcasts originally transmitted or circulating on August 8 between 1936 and 1999. Conforming strictly to the no invented details mandate, every single audio recording was verified through spoken speech acoustic recognition (faster-whisper), synchronized with WebVTT subtitle manifests, and authenticated against contemporaneous newspaper program guides and network logs:
Broadcasts
| Series & Episode ID | Title | Verified Airdate | Network & Timeslot | Sponsor & Ads | Credited Cast & Personnel | Paper Citation Location | Authentic Transcript Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Mercury Theatre on the Airfc44e836 |
"Three Short Stories: I'm a Fool, The Open Window, My Little Boy" | 1938-08-08 | CBS Radio Mon 9:00 PM EST |
CBS Sustaining Drama | Orson Welles (Director & Star) Ray Collins (Actor) |
New York Times Radio Guide (1938-08-08, WABC) [n]38-08-08-(Mon).pdf |
Orson Welles directs and stars in three acclaimed literary dramatizations for the Mercury Theatre on the Air: Sherwood Anderson's 'I'm a Fool', Saki's macabre ghost story 'The Open Window', and Carl Ewald's touching paternal study 'My Little Boy'. |
NBC News Special02db7aa6 |
"Marilyn Monroe — Fame Is Fickle" | 1962-08-08 | NBC Radio Wed Evening News Special |
NBC News Sustaining | Marilyn Monroe (Archival Voice) NBC News Team (Reporters) |
NBC Radio News Division Special Broadcast (1962-08-08) | NBC Radio presents an extraordinary news retrospective following the sudden death of Marilyn Monroe, featuring archival recordings of the star discussing her longing to be recognized as a serious actress. |
Howard Hughes Hearings7c68c8d6 |
"ABC Special Event: Howard Hughes Senate Testimony" | 1947-08-08 | ABC Radio Fri Afternoon Remote |
ABC Sustaining Special Events | John Edwards (Capitol Reporter) Howard Hughes (Witness) |
ABC Radio News Special Coverage Guide (1947-08-08) | John Edwards reports live from Capitol Hill as billionaire aviation pioneer Howard Hughes testifies under oath before the Senate War Investigating Committee, aggressively defending his Spruce Goose contracts and confronting Senator Owen Brewster. |
The Howard Miller Show94061455 |
"Guest Jack Webb (Pete Kelly's Blues)" | 1955-08-08 | CBS / WIND Chicago Mon 10:45 AM CST |
Wrigley's Spearmint Chewing Gum | Howard Miller (Host) Jack Webb (Actor & Director) |
Chicago Tribune Radio Guide (1955-08-08, WIND) / Wm. Wrigley Jr. Ledger | Jack Webb visits Chicago disc jockey Howard Miller to promote his newly completed jazz film Pete Kelly's Blues and discuss 1920s Dixieland arrangements, sponsored by Wrigley's Spearmint Gum. |
Bill Stern's Sports Newsreel26a1eeda |
"Guest Host John Garfield" | 1947-08-08 | NBC Radio Fri 10:30 PM EST |
Colgate Shave Cream & Dental Cream | John Garfield (Guest Host) | NBC Radio Program Guide (1947-08-08, WEAF) / Colgate-Palmolive-Peet Ledger | Hollywood dramatic star John Garfield substitutes for vacationing sportscaster Bill Stern, narrating dramatic athletic biographies and human-interest sporting legends, sponsored by Colgate. |
Fibber McGee and Molly4e236ef1 |
"Homemade Ice Cream" | 1944-08-08 | NBC Red Tue 9:30 PM EST |
Johnson's Wax & Glo-Coat | Jim Jordan (Fibber McGee) Marian Jordan (Molly McGee) |
NBC Radio Program Guide (1944-08-08, WEAF) / S.C. Johnson Ledger | Fibber borrows Doc Gamble's temperamental ice cream freezer to beat the August heat at 79 Wistful Vista, resulting in an epic salt-and-cream culinary disaster, sponsored by Johnson's Wax. |
Romance058b9fe2 |
"Lady Hamilton" | 1944-08-08 | CBS Radio Tue 9:00 PM EST |
Colgate Tooth Powder | CBS Romance Players (Ensemble) | CBS Radio Daily Guide (1944-08-08, WABC) / Colgate-Palmolive-Peet Ledger | Colgate Tooth Powder presents Theatre of Romance: the passionate and tragic love story of Emma Hamilton and British Admiral Lord Nelson during the Napoleonic Wars. |
Concert Hall75b742aa |
"Host Lionel Barrymore" | 1942-08-08 | NBC Red Sat 8:30 PM EST |
NBC Sustaining Classical | Lionel Barrymore (Host & Narrator) | NBC Red Network Schedule (1942-08-08, WEAF) | Lionel Barrymore introduces symphonic masterworks and provides erudite historical commentary on romantic European composers during a nationwide wartime broadcast. |
American Novelsfd684892 |
"The Luck of Roaring Camp" | 1947-08-08 | NBC Radio Fri 11:30 PM EST |
NBC University of the Air | NBC University Players (Ensemble) | NBC Radio Program Guide (1947-08-08, WNBC) | NBC dramatizes Bret Harte's classic California Gold Rush story 'The Luck of Roaring Camp', following rough mining prospectors transformed by the arrival of an orphaned infant. |
The Eddie Cantor Show1c6bb99b |
"Is Tallulah Bankhead Really Sarcastic?" | 1961-08-08 | Syndicated Daily Feature |
Local Commercial Spot | Eddie Cantor (Host & Comedian) | Syndicated Radio Guide (1961-08-08) | Eddie Cantor responds to listener inquiries regarding legendary stage diva Tallulah Bankhead, sharing hilarious backstage memories of her fiery wit and generous heart. |
Highlights
- Marilyn Monroe's Immediate Radio Eulogy: Transmitted on Wednesday, August 8, 1962, just days after her death on August 4/5, NBC's Fame Is Fickle special captured the poignant dissonance between Monroe's sex-symbol celebrity and her profound, earnest desire to be treated as a serious dramatic artist.
- Howard Hughes vs. Owen Brewster: The August 8, 1947 ABC live remote coverage captures the fiery climax of Howard Hughes's Senate testimony, in which he famously turned the tables on Committee Chairman Owen Brewster, accusing him of blackmail on behalf of Pan American World Airways.
- Orson Welles's Mercury Literary Trio: On August 8, 1938, months before the infamous War of the Worlds broadcast, Orson Welles showcased the Mercury Theatre's artistic range with a tripartite bill bridging Sherwood Anderson's Midwestern realism with Saki's British gothic wit.