On This Day, September 5: Mercury Theatre and Bing Crosby
Also featured: Nick Carter.
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 Orson Welles's surreal adaptation of G.K. Chesterton's The Man Who Was Thursday on The Mercury Theatre on the Air (1938), Bing Crosby vocal broadcasts with Rosemary Clooney (1961) and guests Harry James and Betty Grable (1962), detective sleuthing on Nick Carter, Master Detective for Old Dutch Cleanser (1948), undercover operations on Bob Barkley, Undercover Agent (1951), and indie college radio on WITR (1997), Orson Welles (1938), Lon Clark (1948), and Bing Crosby (1961, 1962):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "The Man Who Was Thursday with Orson Welles" | CBS (WABC) 1938-09-05 9:00 PM EDST |
Sustaining Literary Showcase |
Orson Welles & Cast | Bernard Herrmann (Score) | ["Drama", "Anthology", "Mercury Theater", "Orson Welles", "GK Chesterton"] |
A Scotland Yard poet infiltrates a secret council of anarchist conspirators named after days of the week, uncovering surreal metaphysical riddles. |
| "My Blue Heaven with Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney" | CBS (KNX) 1961-09-05 10:30 AM EDT |
Sustaining Daytime Music Variety |
Crosby & Clooney | Buddy Cole Trio | ["Music", "Variety", "Bing Crosby", "Rosemary Clooney", "CBS"] |
Bing and Rosie perform vocal duets of 'My Blue Heaven' and classic pop standards accompanied by Buddy Cole's organ and piano. |
| "Guests Harry James and Betty Grable with Bing Crosby" | CBS (KNX) 1962-09-05 10:30 AM EDT |
Sustaining Musical Showcase |
Crosby, James & Grable | Buddy Cole (Music Dir.) | ["Music", "Variety", "Bing Crosby", "Harry James", "Betty Grable"] |
Bing welcomes trumpet virtuoso Harry James and movie star Betty Grable for big band swing numbers and playful Hollywood reminiscences. |
| "The Case of the Quiet Roommate with Lon Clark" | Mutual (WOR) 1948-09-05 6:30 PM EDT |
The Cudahy Packing Co. Old Dutch Cleanser |
Lon Clark & Manson | Jock MacGregor (Director) | ["Detective", "Mystery", "Nick Carter", "Lon Clark", "Old Dutch Cleanser"] |
Nick Carter investigates the unexplained disappearance of a quiet boarding house resident and uncovers a subterranean counterfeiting plant. |
| "Round Trip to Macao with Springbok Radio Players" | Springbok Radio 1951-09-05 |
Sustaining Undercover Espionage |
SABC Dramatic Troupe | SABC Drama Department | ["Espionage", "Adventure", "Bob Barkley", "Springbok", "Undercover"] |
Secret operative Bob Barkley journeys to Portuguese Macao to restore stolen diplomatic currency plates from a casino smuggler. |
| "The Friggin Here Show on WITR" | WITR 89.7 FM 1997-09-05 |
Sustaining College Radio Comedy |
WITR Comedy Players | WITR Student Unit | ["Comedy", "College Radio", "WITR", "Satire", "Improv"] |
College radio hosts perform improvisational sketches, prank phone calls, and campus culture satire on Rochester's indie station. |