On This Day, September 4: Betty Grable and Tarzan
Also featured: Tennessee Ernie Ford.
September 4 Update
This report documents the historical provenance, broadcast scheduling, commercial sponsorship, credited cast, production personnel, alternate circulating titles, serial story arcs, and pure narrative synopses for broadcasts transmitting on September 4 across Hollywood pin-up icon Betty Grable and Mel Blanc joining Kay Kyser on G.I. Journal for AFRS, James Pierce starring in Part 70 of Edgar Rice Burroughs' The Diamond of Asher on Tarzan, Tennessee Ernie Ford sharing motoring safety advice on The Ford Road Show, an aging steam engineer braving trestle washouts on Heartbeat Theatre for The Salvation Army, Arlene Francis on Betty and Bob, and John Brown's Broadway gambler antics on The Damon Runyon Theater, Betty Grable & Mel Blanc (1943), James Pierce (1933), Tennessee Ernie Ford (1957), and Arlene Francis (1933–1960):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Guest Betty Grable and Mel Blanc with Kay Kyser" | AFRS Transcription 1943-09-04 |
Armed Forces Radio Troop Entertainment |
Betty Grable & Mel Blanc | Kay Kyser & Ish Kabibble | ["Variety", "Comedy", "GI Journal", "Betty Grable", "Mel Blanc"] |
Hollywood star Betty Grable joins bandleader Kay Kyser and Mel Blanc for GI comedy sketches, pin-up banter, and musical swing hits. |
| "The Diamond of Asher: Escape from the Cannibal Cave (Part 70)" | Syndication 1933-09-04 |
Foulds / Signal Oil Sustaining Western |
James Pierce & Burroughs | Edgar Rice Burroughs | ["Adventure", "Jungle", "Tarzan", "James Pierce", "Edgar Rice Burroughs"] |
Tarzan leads an expedition of explorers through subterranean caverns, avoiding hostile jungle tribes to protect the sacred diamond idol. |
| "Highway Driving and Road Safety with Tennessee Ernie Ford" | CBS Radio 1957-09-04 |
Ford Motor Co. Ford Division |
Tennessee Ernie Ford | Green Valley Boys | ["Talk", "Variety", "Ford Road Show", "Tennessee Ernie Ford", "Ford"] |
Tennessee Ernie Ford shares folksy humor, country gospel songs, and practical highway motoring advice for Labor Day travelers. |
| "McDevitt's Last Run with The Salvation Army" | Mutual / Syndication 1960-09-04 |
The Salvation Army Public Service |
Dramatic Repertory Cast | Don Forbes (Dir.) | ["Drama", "Anthology", "Heartbeat Theatre", "Salvation Army", "Railroad"] |
An aging railroad locomotive engineer facing mandatory retirement navigates a perilous washed-out mountain trestle during an unexpected thunderstorm. |
| "Rebuilding the Drake Estate with Arlene Francis" | Syndication 1947-09-04 |
Sustaining Daytime Drama |
Arlene Francis & Frank | Frank and Anne Hummert | ["Soap Opera", "Drama", "Betty and Bob", "Arlene Francis", "Carl Frank"] |
Betty Drake attempts to resolve a bitter family estate conflict while supporting Bob through difficult financial restructuring at his publishing firm. |
| "Cemetery Bait (Syndicated Master) with John Brown" | Syndication / Mayfair 1949-09-04 |
Sustaining Broadway Comedy |
John Brown (Broadway) | Russell Hughes & Runyon | ["Comedy", "Drama", "Damon Runyon Theater", "John Brown", "Damon Runyon"] |
A superstitious Broadway racetrack gambler buys a burial plot from an anxious undertaker, triggering unexpected fortune on a long-shot horse. |