Archival Dispatch: August 23 Calendar Walk — Burns and Allen, The Blue Beetle, and Ripley's Believe It or Not
Date:
Author: radio index
Reading: 4 min
Tags: August 23, Calendar Walk, The Burns and Allen Show, George Burns, Gracie Allen, Tony Martin, Grape-Nuts, The FBI in Peace and War, Martin Blaine, Lava Soap, Wildroot Cream-Oil, The Blue Beetle, Frank Lovejoy, Frank Ferrin, The Shadow of Fu Manchu, Sax Rohmer, Hanley Stafford, Gale Gordon, Romance Rhythm and Ripley, Robert L Ripley, Believe It or Not, Toni Home Wave, Alternate Titles, Original Filenames
August 23 Exhaustive Archival Metadata Enrichment (Increment 25)
This archival dispatch documents the comprehensive provenance, broadcast scheduling, commercial sponsorship, credited cast, production personnel, alternate circulating titles, and story synopses for historical broadcasts transmitting on August 23 across American network and syndication broadcasting history (1937–1951):
1. August 23 Archival Inventory (Increment 25)
| Original Circulating Filename & Alternate Titles | Canonical Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story-First Plot Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Burns_Allen_1937_08_23.mp3 Alt: Episode 20, Gracies Pet Bird |
"Gracie's Insulting Runaway Parrot (Grape-Nuts Flakes)" | NBC Red (WEAF) 1937-08-23 8:00 PM EDST |
General Foods Corp. Grape-Nuts & Grape-Nuts Flakes |
George Burns, Gracie Allen, Tony Martin (Tenor), Henry King Orchestra | George & Willie Burns (Writers), Ken Niles (Announcer) | ["Comedy", "Sitcom", "Music", "Variety"] |
Gracie Allen drives George crazy when she adopts a runaway parrot that only recites insults about George's singing voice, while Tony Martin serenades listeners with romantic hit ballads backed by Henry King's Orchestra. |
FBI_Peace_War_1945_08_23.mp3 Alt: Stolen Payroll Heist, Lava Soap FBI 1945 |
"The War Plant Payroll Robbery (Lava Soap)" | CBS (WABC) 1945-08-23 8:30 PM EWT |
Procter & Gamble Lava Heavy Duty Soap |
Martin Blaine (Agent Sheppard), Craig McDonnell, Ralph Bell | Frederick L. Collins (Author), Max Marcin (Director) | ["Police", "Procedural", "Detective", "True Crime"] |
Federal Bureau of Investigation special agents trace marked bank notes to capture an armed gang of war plant payroll robbers hiding out in an abandoned mountain quarry cabin. |
FBI_Peace_War_1951_08_23.mp3 Alt: Tip-off Man, Underworld Tip-Off Man |
"The Underworld Tip-Off Man (Lava Soap & Wildroot Cream-Oil)" | CBS (WCBS) 1951-08-23 8:30 PM EDT |
Lava Soap & Wildroot Lava Soap & Wildroot Cream-Oil |
Martin Blaine (Agent Sheppard), Walter Kinsella, Mandel Kramer | Jacques Finke (Writer), Len Sterling (Announcer) | ["Police", "Procedural", "Detective", "True Crime"] |
FBI agents investigate a string of precision jewelry warehouse heists, discovering that a trusted insurance claims adjuster is secretly the underworld 'tip-off man' providing safe combinations to safe-cracking crews. |
Blue_Beetle_1940_08_23.mp3 Alt: Dancing Ghost Part 2, Frank Lovejoy Dan Garret |
"The Dancing Ghost of Rocking Hill (Part 2) — Starring Frank Lovejoy" | Frank Ferrin Syndication 1940-08-23 (Transcribed) |
Local Commercials Co-op Advertisers |
Frank Lovejoy (The Blue Beetle), Joan Alexander, Humphrey Davis | Charles Nicholas (Creator), Frank Ferrin (Producer) | ["Superhero", "Action", "Adventure", "Mystery"] |
In Part 2 of The Dancing Ghost of Rocking Hill, rookie patrolman Dan Garret downs mysterious Vitamin 2X to transform into the hooded crimefighter The Blue Beetle, investigating eerie glowing apparitions on Rocking Hill to uncover an extortion gang's counterfeiting laboratory. |
Fu_Manchu_1939_08_23.mp3 Alt: Grebble Smith Prisoners, Si-Fan Captives 63 |
"The Si-Fan Captives in the Thames Dungeon (Episode 63)" | Radio Attractions 1939-08-23 (Transcribed Ep 63) |
Local Commercials Syndicated Advertisers |
Hanley Stafford (Dr. Fu Manchu), Gale Gordon, Paula Winslowe | Sax Rohmer (Author), Frank Bingman (Announcer) | ["Adventure", "Mystery", "Thriller", "Pulp"] |
In Episode 63 of The Shadow of Fu Manchu, Scotland Yard commissioner Sir Denis Nayland Smith and inspector Grebble are captured by the Si-Fan secret society in an underground Thames dungeon, facing Fu Manchu's deadly venomous spiders while struggling to free themselves from iron shackles. |
Ripley_1945_08_23.mp3 Alt: Believe It or Not 1945, Toni Home Wave Ripley |
"Believe It or Not with Robert L. Ripley (Toni Home Wave)" | CBS (WABC) 1945-08-23 10:00 PM EWT |
Toni Home Permanent Toni Home Wave Kit |
Robert L. Ripley (Host), Linda Keene, Ray Bloch and his Orchestra | Charles Powers (Director), Frank Gallop (Announcer) | ["Variety", "Music", "Docudrama", "Oddities"] |
Renowned globetrotter Robert L. Ripley presents incredible Believe It or Not dramatic accounts of human survival and bizarre historical coincidences, interspersed with smooth vocal performances from Linda Keene and orchestra numbers from Ray Bloch. |
2. Archival Verification Summary
- Target Calendar Day: August 23
- Broadcasts Resolved This Increment: 6
- Cumulative Resolved on August 23: 150
- Target Repositories Synchronized:
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