On This Day, September 5: Fibber McGee and Molly and Pat Novak
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 5 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 5 across three comedic classics on Fibber McGee and Molly starring Jim and Marian Jordan (1939 for Johnson's Wax; 1954, 1955), hardboiled waterfront noir on Pat Novak, For Hire starring Jack Webb (1946), mystery parlor game guessing on Twenty Questions featuring Broadway columnist Danton Walker (1953), and aviation emergency drama on International Airport (1951), Jim & Marian Jordan (1939, 1954, 1955), Jack Webb (1946), and Danton Walker (1953):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "McGee's Fish Fry with Jim and Marian Jordan" | NBC Red (WEAF) 1939-09-05 9:30 PM EDST |
S.C. Johnson & Son Johnson's Wax & Glo-Coat |
Jim & Marian Jordan | Don Quinn (Writer) | ["Comedy", "Sitcom", "Fibber McGee and Molly", "Jim Jordan", "Johnsons Wax"] |
Fibber boasts of catching trophy bass at Dugan's Lake and hosts an elaborate neighborhood fish fry that goes comically awry. |
| "Twin Rock Falls Vacation Trip with Jim and Marian Jordan" | NBC (WNBC) 1954-09-05 |
Sustaining Wistful Vista Comedy |
Jim & Marian Jordan | Phil Leslie (Writer) | ["Comedy", "Sitcom", "Fibber McGee and Molly", "Jim Jordan", "Marian Jordan"] |
Fibber attempts to pack the car trunk for a weekend camping trip to Twin Rock Falls and wreaks havoc in the hallway closet. |
| "McGee's Painted Lawn Chairs with Jim and Marian Jordan" | NBC (WNBC) 1955-09-05 |
Sustaining Wistful Vista Comedy |
Jim & Marian Jordan | Gale Gordon (LaTrivia) | ["Comedy", "Sitcom", "Fibber McGee and Molly", "Jim Jordan", "Marian Jordan"] |
Fibber paints the backyard lawn furniture with quick-drying enamel and inadvertently traps Mayor LaTrivia in wet turquoise paint. |
| "John St. John with Jack Webb" | ABC West Coast 1946-09-05 |
Sustaining Hardboiled Noir |
Jack Webb & Tudor Owen | Richard L. Breen (Writer) | ["Detective", "Noir", "Pat Novak For Hire", "Jack Webb", "Richard L Breen"] |
Waterfront fix-it man Pat Novak is hired to deliver an envelope to a gambler named John St. John and discovers a corpse instead. |
| "Guest Danton Walker with Bill Slater" | Mutual (WOR) 1953-09-05 8:00 PM EDT |
Sustaining Parlor Game Quiz |
Bill Slater & Walker | Mutual Quiz Staff | ["Panel", "Quiz", "Twenty Questions", "Danton Walker", "Mutual"] |
Guest panelist Danton Walker joins the mystery quiz team to identify animate and inanimate objects within twenty clues. |
| "No Time for Love with Springbok Radio" | Springbok Radio 1951-09-05 |
Sustaining Aviation Drama |
SABC Dramatic Troupe | SABC Drama Department | ["Drama", "Anthology", "International Airport", "Aviation", "Springbok"] |
Airport ground control officers coordinate emergency landing logistics for an inbound commercial airliner experiencing hydraulic pressure loss. |