On This Day, September 4: Orson Welles' Shadow and Jean Arthur
Also featured: Buddy Clark.
September 4 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 4 across Orson Welles and Agnes Moorehead confronting poison dart traps in The Black Buddha on The Shadow for Blue Coal, Jean Arthur and Fred MacMurray in Somerset Maugham's marital farce Too Many Husbands for AFRS, popular crooner Buddy Clark joining Percy Faith on The Carnation Contented Hour, British naval comedy on The Navy Lark, and historical penal colony escapes from Devil's Island, Orson Welles (1938), Jean Arthur (1944), Buddy Clark (1949), Jon Pertwee (1966), and Famous Escapes (1938–1966):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "The Black Buddha with Orson Welles as The Shadow" | Mutual (WOR) 1938-09-04 5:30 PM EDST |
DL&W Coal Company 'blue coal' Home Heating |
Orson Welles (Shadow) | Agnes Moorehead & Bierstadt | ["Detective", "Mystery", "The Shadow", "Orson Welles", "Blue Coal"] |
The Shadow investigates a string of sudden deaths surrounding an antique jade-inlaid black Buddha statue harboring a deadly poison dart trap. |
| "The Black Buddha with Orson Welles and Agnes Moorehead" | Mutual (WOR) 1938-09-04 5:30 PM EDST |
DL&W Coal Company 'blue coal' Home Heating |
Orson Welles & Margot | Ken Roberts & Staff | ["Detective", "Mystery", "The Shadow", "Orson Welles", "Agnes Moorehead"] |
Lamont Cranston uses his power to cloud men's minds to intercept an occult smuggling ring murdering rival collectors for a cursed black statuette. |
| "Too Many Husbands with Jean Arthur and Fred MacMurray" | AFRS Transcription 1944-09-04 |
Armed Forces Radio Troop Entertainment |
Jean Arthur & MacMurray | Maugham (Author) | ["Comedy", "Romance", "Front Line Theater", "Jean Arthur", "Fred MacMurray"] |
A remarried wartime widow finds her domestic life thrown into hilarious chaos when her presumed-dead first husband returns home from a Pacific island. |
| "Guest Buddy Clark with Percy Faith and His Orchestra" | NBC (WNBC) 1949-09-04 10:00 PM EDT |
Carnation Milk Co. Carnation Evaporated Milk |
Buddy Clark (Vocalist) | Percy Faith & Jimmy Wallington | ["Music", "Concert", "Contented Hour", "Buddy Clark", "Carnation"] |
Crooner Buddy Clark joins Percy Faith's orchestra in swinging pop melodies and romantic ballads. |
| "Where Is Troutbridge? with Stephen Murray and Jon Pertwee" | BBC Light Programme 1966-09-04 1:30 PM BST |
Sustaining British Naval Sitcom |
Stephen Murray & Pertwee | Lawrie Wyman & Phillips | ["Comedy", "Sitcom", "The Navy Lark", "Stephen Murray", "Jon Pertwee"] |
The bumbling crew of HMS Troutbridge returns from shore leave to discover that their frigate has mysteriously vanished from the naval dockyard. |
| "The Escape from Devil's Island with Dramatic Cast" | Syndication / WOR 1938-09-04 |
Sustaining Historical Anthology |
Dramatic Radio Cast | Syndicated Production Staff | ["Drama", "History", "Famous Escapes", "Devils Island", "Syndicated"] |
A French political prisoner executes an audacious jungle and shark-infested sea raft escape from the penal colony of Devil's Island. |