On This Day, September 3: The Fat Man and Bob
Also featured: Ray, Anatole France.
September 3 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 September 3 across hardboiled Dashiell Hammett detective investigations starring J. Scott Smart for Pepto-Bismol, early Boston station deadpan satire with Bob and Ray, classic French literature on The NBC Theater, matriarchal daytime family drama, and powerhouse big band concerts, J. Scott Smart as The Fat Man (1948), Bob and Ray on WHDH (1948, 1949), The NBC Theater (1950), Virginia Payne in Today's Children (1948), and Stan Kenton (1948–1952):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "A Bargain with Murder with J. Scott Smart as The Fat Man" | ABC (WJZ) 1948-09-03 8:00 PM EDT |
Norwich Pharmacal Pepto-Bismol |
J. Scott Smart (Runyon) | Ed Begley & Hammett | ["Detective", "Mystery", "The Fat Man", "J Scott Smart", "Dashiell Hammett"] |
Brad Runyon investigates a cut-rate department store liquidation where a crooked insurance appraiser was murdered during inventory. |
| "A Trip to Clinton's Clothes with Bob and Ray on WHDH" | WHDH Boston 1948-09-03 |
Clinton Clothing Co. Boston Haberdashers |
Bob Elliott & Ray Goulding | Bob & Ray Staff | ["Comedy", "Satire", "Bob and Ray", "Bob Elliott", "Ray Goulding"] |
Bob and Ray satirize local haberdashery store promotions and stage an unscripted deadpan commercial parody. |
| "Closing Up the Summer House with Bob and Ray on WHDH" | WHDH Boston 1949-09-03 |
Sustaining Local Boston Comedy |
Bob Elliott & Ray Goulding | Bob & Ray Staff | ["Comedy", "Satire", "Bob and Ray", "Bob Elliott", "Ray Goulding"] |
Bob and Ray parody post-Labor Day weekend rituals as suburbanites scramble to shutter Cape Cod rental cottages. |
| "The Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard by Anatole France with NBC Drama" | NBC (WNBC) 1950-09-03 2:00 PM EDT |
Sustaining Literary Drama |
NBC Dramatic Repertory | Anatole France (Author) | ["Drama", "Anthology", "The NBC Theater", "Anatole France", "Literature"] |
An elderly French scholar risks criminal abduction charges to rescue an orphaned student from cruel guardians and place her in a caring home. |
| "Mother Moran's Family Council with Irna Phillips" | NBC (WNBC) 1948-09-03 2:15 PM EDT |
General Mills Wheaties & Bisquick |
Virginia Payne (Moran) | Murray Forbes & Phillips | ["Soap Opera", "Drama", "Todays Children", "Irna Phillips", "General Mills"] |
Mother Moran gathers her grown children together to reconcile marital tensions before a family business decision takes effect. |
| "Live at the Blue Note in Chicago with Stan Kenton and His Orchestra" | Syndication / AFN 1952-09-03 |
Sustaining Jazz Concert |
Stan Kenton & Orch. | Conte Candoli & Ferguson | ["Music", "Jazz", "Stan Kenton", "Blue Note", "AFN"] |
Stan Kenton leads his innovations-in-modern-music orchestra through dynamic brass section features live at Chicago's Blue Note jazz club. |