On This Day, September 4: Carlton E. Morse's I Love a Mystery and Sicily Paratroopers
This report documents the historical provenance, broadcast scheduling, commercial sponsorship, credited cast, production personnel, alternate circulating titles, serial story metadata declarations, and pure narrative synopses…
September 4 Update
This report documents the historical provenance, broadcast scheduling, commercial sponsorship, credited cast, production personnel, alternate circulating titles, serial story metadata declarations, and pure narrative synopses for broadcasts transmitting on September 4 across five classic serial storylines created by Carlton E. Morse on I Love a Mystery spanning 1939 to 1952 (featuring Jack Packard and Doc Long tackling San Francisco conspirators, Nicaraguan vampire bat tombs, Arizona desert snipers, penthouse gilded cages, and Chinatown opium cobra assassins), alongside William N. Robson's Peabody Award-winning WWII docudrama on the Allied airborne invasion of Sicily on The Man Behind the Gun, Carlton E. Morse (1939, 1944, 1950, 1951, 1952), and William N. Robson (1939–1952):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Arc Metadata | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Paratroopers in the Invasion of Sicily with William N. Robson" | CBS (WABC) 1943-09-04 7:00 PM EWT |
Sustaining WWII Docudrama |
CBS Dramatic Repertory | William N. Robson & Herrmann | ["Docudrama", "WWII", "The Man Behind The Gun", "William N Robson", "CBS"] |
null |
American airborne paratroopers drop behind enemy lines in Sicily under darkness to seize strategic bridgeheads ahead of the Allied invasion fleet. |
| "Battle of the Century (Part 4) with Jack and Doc" | NBC Red (WEAF) 1939-09-04 7:15 PM EDST |
Standard Brands Fleischmann's Yeast |
Michael Raffetto & Barton | Carlton E. Morse (Creator) | ["Adventure", "Mystery", "I Love A Mystery", "Carlton E Morse", "Fleischmanns"] |
{"title": "Battle of the Century", "part": 4, "total_parts": 15} |
Jack Packard, Doc Long, and Reggie York track a mysterious foreign operative across San Francisco's cable car lines. |
| "The Temple of Vampires (Part 10) with Jack and Doc" | CBS (WABC) 1944-09-04 7:00 PM EWT |
Procter & Gamble Oxydol Granulated Soap |
Michael Raffetto & Barton | Carlton E. Morse (Creator) | ["Adventure", "Horror", "I Love A Mystery", "Carlton E Morse", "Oxydol"] |
{"title": "The Temple of Vampires", "part": 10, "total_parts": 15} |
Trapped inside a subterranean Mayan tomb in Nicaragua, Jack and Doc search for a hidden stone mechanism while avoiding bloodthirsty vampire bats. |
| "Murder in Turquoise Pass (Part 11) with Jack and Doc" | Mutual (WOR) 1950-09-04 10:15 PM EDT |
Sustaining Mystery Serial |
Russell Thorson & Jim Boles | Carlton E. Morse (Creator) | ["Adventure", "Mystery", "I Love A Mystery", "Carlton E Morse", "Mutual"] |
{"title": "Murder in Turquoise Pass", "part": 11, "total_parts": 15} |
Jack Packard and Doc Long navigate a perilous canyon pass in the Arizona desert to confront an elusive sniper guarding an abandoned silver mine. |
| "The Girl in the Gilded Cage (Part 2) with Jack and Doc" | Mutual (WOR) 1951-09-04 10:15 PM EDT |
Sustaining Mystery Serial |
Russell Thorson & Jim Boles | Carlton E. Morse (Creator) | ["Adventure", "Mystery", "I Love A Mystery", "Carlton E Morse", "Mutual"] |
{"title": "The Girl in the Gilded Cage", "part": 2, "total_parts": 15} |
Jack and Doc investigate a bizarre penthouse aviary where an eccentric millionaire keeps his terrified heiress stepdaughter under armed surveillance. |
| "The Cobra King Strikes Back (Part 4) with Jack and Doc" | Mutual (WOR) 1952-09-04 10:15 PM EDT |
Sustaining Mystery Serial |
Russell Thorson & Jim Boles | Carlton E. Morse (Creator) | ["Adventure", "Mystery", "I Love A Mystery", "Carlton E Morse", "Mutual"] |
{"title": "The Cobra King Strikes Back", "part": 4, "total_parts": 15} |
Jack and Doc face a deadly trap inside a waterfront Chinatown opium den when a hooded cult assassin unleashes venomous hooded snakes. |