On This Day, August 25: David Niven (Evelyn Waugh) and Don Ameche
Also featured: Sgt. Preston.
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, British BBC panel comedy, psychological Amazon jungle dramas starring David Niven, frontier railroad construction epics starring Don Ameche, Klondike Mountie adventures, Charlie Chan mysteries, and classic daytime radio serials (1930–2003):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story-First Plot Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Breaking Records (Nicholas Parsons, Clement Freud, Paul Merton — BBC)" | BBC Radio 4 2003-08-25 6:30 PM BST |
Sustaining Panel Game Show |
Nicholas Parsons, Clement Freud, Paul Merton | Claire Jones (Producer), Ian Messiter | ["Comedy", "Panel Show", "Game Show", "British", "Improvisation"] |
Chairman Nicholas Parsons invites panel veterans Clement Freud, Paul Merton, Linda Smith, and Ross Noble to speak for 60 seconds on subjects including 'Breaking Records' without hesitation, repetition, or deviation. |
| "The Iron Trail of the Northwest (Don Ameche — Great Northern Railway)" | NBC Blue (WJZ) 1930-08-25 9:00 PM EDST |
Great Northern Railway The Empire Builder Train |
Don Ameche, Harvey Hays (Old Pioneer) | Raymond Scudder (Writer), Vincent Pelletier | ["Historical", "Drama", "Frontier", "Railroad", "Americana"] |
"The Great Northern Railway presents The Empire Builders!" The Old Pioneer recounts the thrilling frontier history of laying railroad tracks through the snowbound Cascade Mountains, overcoming rockslides and blizzards to unite the Pacific Northwest. |
| "The Case of the Talking Doll (Ed Begley as Charlie Chan — Feen-a-Mint)" | Mutual (WOR) 1947-08-25 8:30 PM EDT |
Pharmaco Inc. Feen-a-Mint & Chooz |
Ed Begley (Charlie Chan), Leon Janney (Son) | Earl Derr Biggers, Chick Vincent, Dorian St. George | ["Detective", "Mystery", "Procedural", "Crime", "Action"] |
Honolulu detective Charlie Chan and his Number One Son solve the bizarre homicide of an eccentric mechanic whose robotic talking doll conceals a wax recording exposing his murderer for Feen-a-Mint. |
| "Ellen and Jim Return to Simpsonville (Florence Freeman — Bayer Aspirin)" | NBC (WNBC) 1950-08-25 4:45 PM EDT |
Sterling Drug Inc. Bayer Aspirin & Haley's M-O |
Florence Freeman (Ellen Brown), Wendy Drew | Frank & Anne Hummert, Arthur Hanna, George Ansbro | ["Drama", "Soap Opera", "Romance", "Domestic", "Family"] |
"Young Widder Brown, the story of Ellen Brown, a woman facing the problems of raising two children alone in the small town of Simpsonville..." Ellen and Dr. Anthony Loring navigate emotional turmoil upon their return to Simpsonville, confronting town gossip for Bayer Aspirin. |
| "The Man Who Liked Dickens (Starring David Niven & Herbert Marshall — AFRTS)" | AFRTS 1959-08-25 (Literary Drama) |
Sustaining Armed Forces Radio |
David Niven, Herbert Marshall, Lurene Tuttle | Evelyn Waugh (Author), Del Sharbutt | ["Drama", "Psychological", "Literature", "Macabre", "Suspense"] |
An English explorer lost deep within the Amazon jungle is rescued by an eccentric reclusive settler who holds him hostage under armed guard, forcing him to read the complete novels of Charles Dickens aloud for eternity. |
| "The Klondike Claim Jumpers (Jay Michael as Sgt. Preston — WXYZ/Mutual)" | Mutual (WXYZ) 1938-08-25 7:30 PM EDST |
Sustaining Northwest Mounted Police |
Jay Michael (Sgt. Preston), King the Dog | George W. Trendle & Fran Striker, Bob Hite | ["Western", "Adventure", "Action", "Frontier", "Crime"] |
"On, King! On, you huskies!" Sergeant William Preston of the Northwest Mounted Police and his noble lead dog Yukon King trek into a blizzard-swept Yukon gulch to protect a prospector's rich gold strike from ruthless claim jumpers. |