On This Day, August 25: Boston Blackie (Rinso) and Perry Como (Kix)
Also featured: CBS Mystery Theater.
August 25 Exhaustive Update
This report documents the comprehensive provenance, broadcast scheduling, commercial sponsorship, credited cast, production personnel, alternate circulating titles, serial multi-part narrative arcs, and story synopses for historical broadcasts transmitting on August 25 across American network, Chester Morris as Boston Blackie battling wartime gas counterfeiters for Rinso, E.G. Marshall & Norman Rose on Himan Brown's CBS Radio Mystery Theater, J. Edgar Hoover endorsed cases on This Is Your FBI, two thrilling episodes of High Adventure, and early Perry Como vocals with Ted Weems on Beat The Band for Kix (1940–1998):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story-First Plot Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Counterfeit Gas Coupons (Chester Morris as Boston Blackie — Rinso)" | NBC (WEAF) 1944-08-25 10:00 PM EWT |
Lever Brothers Rinso ("Anti-Sneeze") & Lifebuoy |
Chester Morris (Blackie), Richard Lane (Faraday) | Jack Boyle, Arthur Hanna, Harlow Wilcox | ["Detective", "Hardboiled", "Crime", "Mystery", "Action"] |
"Boston Blackie, enemy to those who make him an enemy, friend to those who have no friend, brought to you by Rinso!" When a nationwide wartime black-market syndicate floods the city with forged gasoline ration stamps and frames an honest garage mechanic for murder, Boston Blackie outwits Inspector Faraday to trap the counterfeiters at their waterfront printing press. |
| "Sting of Death (Host E.G. Marshall & Norman Rose — Himan Brown)" | CBSRMT Rebroadcast 1998-08-25 (Network Relay) |
Sustaining Radio Mystery Theater |
E.G. Marshall (Host), Norman Rose, Marian Seldes | Himan Brown (Producer/Dir.), Murray Burnett | ["Horror", "Suspense", "Mystery", "Occult", "Anthology"] |
"Welcome to the terrifying world of your imagination! The CBS Radio Mystery Theater, brought to you by Himan Brown, hosted by E.G. Marshall!" In 'Sting of Death', an obsessive entomologist breeds a deadly swarm of genetically mutated South American killer bees to exact lethal vengeance against the academic rivals who ridiculed his research. |
| "The Black Market Hijacking (Stacy Harris as Agent Jim Taylor — Equitable Life)" | ABC (WJZ) 1950-08-25 8:30 PM EDT |
Equitable Life Equitable Life Assurance |
Stacy Harris (Agent Taylor), Karl Swenson | Jerry Devine (Dir.), Larry Keating | ["Police", "Procedural", "True Crime", "Action", "Drama"] |
"This Is Your FBI, officially endorsed by J. Edgar Hoover and presented by the Equitable Life Assurance Society!" Special Agent Jim Taylor leads Federal agents in breaking up an armed interstate truck hijacking syndicate that is stealing commercial refrigerated meat shipments to supply illicit black-market distributors for Equitable Life. |
| "The Golden Idol of the Andes (Santos Ortega — Mutual High Adventure)" | Mutual (WOR) 1948-08-25 8:30 PM EDT |
Sustaining Exotic Action Adventure |
Santos Ortega, Bill Johnstone, Joan Alexander | George Lowther (Writer), Carl Caruso | ["Adventure", "Action", "Exotic", "Treasure", "Anthology"] |
"High Adventure! Stories of far places, danger, and daring deeds!" A veteran South American bush pilot is hired by a ruthless explorer to fly an expedition into an unexplored Andean crater in search of an ancient Incan golden idol, only to find the mountain caldera guarded by volcanic fissures and deadly headhunters. |
| "The Same Guns (Larry Haines — Mutual High Adventure)" | Mutual (WOR) 1953-08-25 8:30 PM EDT |
Sustaining Action Anthology |
Larry Haines, Mason Adams, Joseph Julian | George Lowther (Writer/Dir.), Fred Foy | ["Adventure", "Action", "Espionage", "Crime", "Anthology"] |
"High Adventure!" An undercover intelligence operative infiltrating an international arms smuggling ring in the Mediterranean port of Tangier realizes with dread that the very assault weapons he arranged to smuggle have been turned against his own rebel allies. |
| "Perry Como & Marilyn Maxwell with Ted Weems (Garry Moore — Kix Cereal)" | NBC Red (WEAF) 1940-08-25 6:30 PM EDST |
General Mills Kix Corn Flakes & Wheaties |
Ted Weems Orchestra, Garry Moore, Perry Como | Russell M. Seeds Agency, Fort Pearson | ["Music", "Game Show", "Big Band", "Comedy", "Variety"] |
"It's time to Beat The Band, brought to you by Kix!" Emcee Garry Moore tosses rapid-fire musical questions sent in by listeners to maestro Ted Weems and his sharp orchestra, featuring vocal solos by a young Perry Como and future film star Marvel (Marilyn) Maxwell, where musicians who miss a song pay a 50-cent forfeit into the kitty for Kix. |