On This Day, August 25: Jack Benny (700th Show) and Gunsmoke (William Conrad)
Also featured: Ellery Queen.
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, Jack Benny's 700th broadcast party preparations, classic adult Western drama in Dodge City starring William Conrad, interactive armchair Ellery Queen whodunits, live big band dance broadcasts, and historic Spanish coverage of the Liberation of Paris (1940–1957):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story-First Plot Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Los Parisinos Cantan La Marsellesa el Día de la Liberación (RNE — Paris 1944)" | RNE (Shortwave) 1944-08-25 8:30 PM CET |
Sustaining Spanish News Relay |
RNE War Correspondent, Parisians in the Street | RNE Sound Archives | ["News", "World War II", "Historical", "Live", "Spanish"] |
Radio Nacional de España broadcasts live ambient recordings from the streets and boulevards of Paris on Liberation Day, capturing thousands of weeping French citizens spontaneously singing 'La Marseillaise' as Allied tanks roll down the Champs-Élysées. |
| "Grass (William Conrad as Marshal Matt Dillon — L&M Cigarettes)" | CBS (KNX) 1957-08-25 6:30 PM EDT |
Liggett & Myers L&M Filter Cigarettes |
William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Chester) | John Meston, Norman Macdonnell, George Walsh | ["Western", "Drama", "Frontier", "Action", "Historical"] |
"Around Dodge City and in the territory out West, there's just one fast way for a man to deal with the prairie... and that's by law and order." Marshal Matt Dillon intervenes in a vicious range dispute between two stubborn cattlemen whose feud over scorched grazing grass threatens to ignite a bloody prairie war for L&M Cigarettes. |
| "The Adventure of the Pharaoh's Curse (Hugh Marlowe as Ellery Queen — Gulf Oil)" | CBS (WABC) 1940-08-25 7:30 PM EDST |
Gulf Oil Corp. Gulf Pride & Good Gulf Gas |
Hugh Marlowe (Ellery), Marion Shockley (Nikki) | Frederic Dannay & Manfred B. Lee, Ernest Chappell | ["Detective", "Mystery", "Whodunit", "Puzzle", "Interactive"] |
"Match your wits with Ellery Queen, the master detective!" Ellery Queen and Nikki Porter investigate the mysterious poisoning death of an archaeologist inside a private museum exhibition, pausing before the solution to challenge armchair detective guest panelists for Gulf Oil. |
| "Live from the Waldorf-Astoria: Xavier Cugat (Spotlight Bands — Coca-Cola)" | Mutual (WOR) 1946-08-25 9:30 PM EDT |
Coca-Cola Co. Coca-Cola — "Coke Belongs" |
Xavier Cugat Orchestra, Del Courtney | D'Arcy Advertising, Andre Baruch | ["Music", "Latin", "Big Band", "Rumba", "Live"] |
"Spotlight Bands presents Xavier Cugat live from the Starlight Roof of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York!" Rumba King Xavier Cugat leads his orchestra in sensational Latin-swing arrangements of 'The Continental', 'Bim Bam Bum', and 'Brazil' for Coca-Cola. |
| "Live from Jones Beach: Guy Lombardo (Spotlight Bands — Coca-Cola)" | Mutual (WOR) 1947-08-25 9:30 PM EDT |
Coca-Cola Co. Coca-Cola — "Have a Coke" |
Guy Lombardo & Royal Canadians, Kenny Gardner | D'Arcy Advertising, Ted Husing | ["Music", "Big Band", "Sweet", "Swing", "Live"] |
"Spotlight Bands brings you the sweetest music this side of heaven!" Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians perform live from Jones Beach Marine Stadium, delighting thousands with smooth melodies including 'Easter Parade', 'Stardust', and 'Boo-Hoo' for Coca-Cola. |
| "Jack Plans His 700th Broadcast Celebration (Jack Benny — Lucky Strike)" | CBS (KNX) 1949-08-25 8:00 PM EDT |
American Tobacco Lucky Strike — "L.S./M.F.T." |
Jack Benny, Mary Livingstone, Rochester | Sam Perrin & Milt Josefsberg, Don Wilson | ["Comedy", "Sitcom", "Variety", "Vaudeville", "Meta-Comedy"] |
"The Jack Benny Program, starring Jack Benny, with Mary Livingstone, Rochester, Phil Harris, Dennis Day, and yours truly, Don Wilson!" Jack prepares for a massive broadcast milestone celebration with 700 studio guests, agonizing over party catering expenses while Rochester bargains with the caterers for Lucky Strike. |