On This Day, August 25: Stan Freberg (Lone Psychiatrist) and Sinatra
Also featured: Dorsey (Lucky Strike), Phillips H. Lord.
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, Stan Freberg's legendary western satire The Lone Psychiatrist with Billy May's Orchestra, Tommy Dorsey & Frank Sinatra headlining Your All-Time Hit Parade for Lucky Strike, Phillips H. Lord busting GI postwar housing rackets on Special Investigator, Malcolm Bradbury's satire on BBC Radio 4, and Fred Waring on GE (1943–1975):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story-First Plot Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "All-Time Hit Parade: Frank Sinatra & Martha Tilton (Tommy Dorsey — Lucky Strike)" | NBC (WEAF) 1943-08-25 8:00 PM EWT |
American Tobacco Lucky Strike Cigarettes |
Tommy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra, Martha Tilton | Foote, Cone & Belding, Basil Ruysdael | ["Music", "Big Band", "Swing", "Pop", "Vocal"] |
"The Lucky Strike All-Time Hit Parade, brought to you by Lucky Strike Cigarettes! Tommy Dorsey leads his orchestra in America's all-time favorite musical melodies, featuring Frank Sinatra's swooning vocals on 'Night and Day' alongside Martha Tilton and The Pied Pipers for Lucky Strike." |
| "The Lone Psychiatrist (Stan Freberg & Daws Butler — Billy May Orchestra)" | CBS (KNX) 1957-08-25 7:30 PM EDT |
Sustaining Satirical Comedy |
Stan Freberg, Daws Butler, June Foray | Stan Freberg, Billy May, Babette Tweed | ["Comedy", "Satire", "Parody", "Sketch", "Vocal"] |
"The Stan Freberg Show! A completely un-inhibited half hour of satire and music!" Stan Freberg skewers Western pop radio tropes in 'The Lone Psychiatrist', featuring a psychoanalyst who rides through the Old West on a couch treating neurotic gunslingers and masked vigilantes with Billy May's Orchestra. |
| "The Dream House Swindle (Phillips H. Lord as Special Investigator — Nor'way)" | Mutual (WOR) 1946-08-25 8:30 PM EDT |
Commercial Solvents Nor'way Anti-Freeze |
Phillips H. Lord, Donald Cook | Phillips H. Lord (Creator), Frank Gallop | ["Detective", "Procedural", "True Crime", "Crime", "Drama"] |
"Special Investigator, bringing you authentic exposés of rackets and swindles!" The Special Investigator goes undercover to bust a ruthless postwar real estate racket selling fake prefabricated suburban 'dream houses' to returning GI veterans and their families. |
| "Rates of Exchange by Malcolm Bradbury (Martin Jarvis — BBC Radio 4)" | BBC Radio 4 1975-08-25 8:30 PM BST |
Sustaining BBC Drama Workshop |
Martin Jarvis, Nigel Stock, Penelope Wilton | Malcolm Bradbury, Richard Wortley | ["Drama", "British", "Literary", "Satire", "Human Interest"] |
"Author's Studio, the contemporary radio drama workshop from BBC Radio 4!" Malcolm Bradbury's witty academic satire explores the awkward encounters and cultural miscommunications of an innocent British linguist attending a fraught literary conference behind the Iron Curtain. |
| "The Battle of Beef Stew Hill (Host Ken Banghart — U.S. Army)" | U.S. Army Synd. 1957-08-25 (Procurement Div.) |
Sustaining Army Recruiting |
Ken Banghart (Host), John Beal | U.S. Army Band, Ken Banghart | ["Military", "Drama", "Action", "Historical", "Americana"] |
"Proudly We Hail, presented by the United States Army and Air Force!" Host Ken Banghart presents 'The Battle of Beef Stew Hill', recounting the gritty heroism of a stranded frontline infantry platoon that defends an isolated ridge against heavy odds while subsisting entirely on C-ration beef stew. |
| "The Japanese Sandman (Fred Waring & The Pennsylvanians — General Electric)" | NBC (WEAF) 1947-08-25 10:00 AM EDT |
General Electric GE Household Appliances |
Fred Waring Pennsylvanians, Jane Wilson | Waring Enterprises, Bill Bivens | ["Music", "Choral", "Easy Listening", "Vocal", "Pop"] |
"The Fred Waring Show, brought to you by General Electric!" Fred Waring leads his magnificent 60-voice chorus and orchestra in lush morning harmonies, featuring an enchanting arrangement of 'The Japanese Sandman' alongside popular American standards for General Electric appliances. |