On This Day, August 25: Johnny Dollar (Bob Bailey) and Cincinnati Red Stockings (DuPont)
Also featured: Shakespeare.
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, Bob Bailey as Johnny Dollar investigating a Pullman train sleeper car arson homicide, Robert Montgomery dramatizing the historic birth of professional baseball on DuPont's Cavalcade of America, Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice courtroom climax, Bill Stern interviewing sports icons Gene Sarazen & Bob Cousy for Colgate, and Army Air Corps defense aviation (1940–1957):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story-First Plot Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "The Smoky Sleeper Matter (Bob Bailey as Johnny Dollar — CBS)" | CBS (KNX) 1957-08-25 5:30 PM EDT |
Sustaining Insurance Investigator |
Bob Bailey (Johnny Dollar), Virginia Gregg | Jack Johnstone (Producer/Dir.), Robert Ryf | ["Detective", "Hardboiled", "Mystery", "Procedural", "Crime"] |
"Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar! Starring Bob Bailey!" Johnny Dollar investigates a suspected arson fire that gutted a luxury Pullman sleeping car on a westbound cross-country passenger train, uncovering a murder engineered to silence an industrial whistleblower. |
| "The Bomber Assembly Line (Narrator Frank Gallup — Army Air Corps)" | NBC Red (WEAF) 1940-08-25 1:30 PM EDST |
Sustaining Aviation Defense Docudrama |
Frank Gallup (Narrator), Ted de Corsia | U.S. Army Air Corps & CAA | ["Aviation", "Documentary", "Military", "Historical", "Action"] |
"Wings Over America, documenting the winged power of the United States!" A gripping pre-war documentary dramatizing the frantic expansion of American long-range bomber production and the rigorous tactical flight training of Army Air Corps cadet pilots. |
| "The Merchant of Venice: The Quality of Mercy (Part 2 — Walter Hampden & Peggy Wood)" | NBC Blue (WJZ) 1941-08-25 9:30 PM EDST |
Sustaining Literary Classics Drama |
Walter Hampden (Shylock), Peggy Wood (Portia) | William Shakespeare, Lester Vail, Kelvin Keech | ["Drama", "Classics", "Shakespeare", "Literature", "Courtroom"] |
"The Cavalcade of Literature presents William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice!" In Part 2 of Shakespeare's timeless drama, Portia disguises herself as a young lawyer to enter the Venetian court and plead for Antonio's life, famously debating the quality of mercy against Shylock's pound-of-flesh bond. |
| "The Red Stockings: Birth of Pro Baseball (Robert Montgomery — DuPont Cavalcade)" | NBC (WEAF) 1947-08-25 8:00 PM EDT |
E.I. du Pont de Nemours "Better Things for Better Living" |
Robert Montgomery (Harry Wright), Karl Swenson | Arthur Miller, Homer Fickett, Ted Pearson | ["Drama", "Historical", "Biography", "Sports", "Baseball"] |
"The Cavalcade of America, brought to you by DuPont!" Hollywood star Robert Montgomery portrays pioneer manager Harry Wright in the true story of the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings, who revolutionized American sports by establishing the nation's very first openly professional baseball team and embarking on an unforgettable undefeated inaugural season for DuPont. |
| "Guest Golf Champion Gene Sarazen (Bill Stern — Colgate Shave Cream)" | NBC (WEAF) 1944-08-25 10:30 PM EWT |
Colgate-Palmolive Colgate Brushless Shave Cream |
Bill Stern (Host), Gene Sarazen (Golf Legend) | Ted Collins, Carl Frank | ["Sports", "News", "Documentary", "Golf", "Biography"] |
"The Colgate Sports Newsreel, starring Bill Stern, brought to you by Colgate Brushless Shave Cream!" Legendary sportscaster Bill Stern welcomes golf champion Gene Sarazen to recount his unforgettable 'Shot Heard 'Round the World' double-eagle at the 1935 Masters, alongside thrilling human-interest sports anecdotes for Colgate. |
| "Guest Basketball Sensation Bob Cousy (Bill Stern — Colgate Dental Cream)" | NBC (WNBC) 1950-08-25 10:30 PM EDT |
Colgate-Palmolive Colgate Dental Cream & Shave |
Bill Stern (Host), Bob Cousy (Celtics Rookie) | Joseph Mansfield, Carl Frank | ["Sports", "News", "Documentary", "Basketball", "Biography"] |
"Bill Stern's Sports Newsreel, brought to you by Colgate!" Bill Stern interviews collegiate basketball sensation and incoming Boston Celtics rookie point guard Bob Cousy, sharing incredible stories of grit, underdog victories, and sportsmanship from the athletic world for Colgate. |