On This Day, August 25: Stan Kenton (Innovations in Jazz) and The Big Story
Also featured: King Thrushbeard.
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, progressive jazz concert masterworks, Pulitzer-caliber newspaper reporting drama, classic fairy tale theater, waterfront police procedurals, early 1930s slapstick comedy, and daytime dramatic romance (1931–1959):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story-First Plot Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "The Million Dollar Swindle: Ella Fleishman of The Omaha World-Herald (Pall Mall)" | NBC (WNBC) 1948-08-25 10:00 PM EDT |
American Tobacco Co. Pall Mall Famous Cigarettes |
Robert Sloane (Narrator), Joan Alexander, Santos Ortega | Bernard J. Prockter, Harry Ingram, Ernest Chappell | ["Detective", "Procedural", "Docudrama", "Journalism", "Crime"] |
"Tonight, to Ella Fleishman of The Omaha World-Herald, goes the Pall Mall award of five hundred dollars for a notable journalistic achievement!" Ace reporter Ella Fleishman exposes a million-dollar Midwest real estate confidence swindle preying on elderly widows for Pall Mall. |
| "Innovations in Modern Music (Stan Kenton & His Orchestra — NBC)" | NBC (WNBC) 1953-08-25 9:30 PM EDT |
Sustaining Progressive Jazz Showcase |
Stan Kenton Orchestra, June Christy (Vocalist) | Bill Russo & Pete Rugolo, NBC Music, Don Pardo | ["Music", "Jazz", "Big Band", "Progressive Jazz", "Concert"] |
Visionary progressive jazz innovator Stan Kenton leads his legendary 21-piece orchestra, performing complex modern compositions including 'Artistry in Rhythm' and 'City of Glass', discussing progressive orchestration techniques with vocalist June Christy. |
| "The Stolen Diamond Collar (F. Chase Taylor & Budd Hulick — CBS)" | CBS (WABC) 1931-08-25 7:15 PM EDST |
Sustaining Early Comedy Serial |
F. Chase Taylor (Black), Budd Hulick (Blue) | F. Chase Taylor (Writer), Frank Knight | ["Comedy", "Satire", "Detective", "Slapstick", "Early Radio"] |
Bumbling private investigators Black and Blue (early radio pioneer F. Chase Taylor and Budd Hulick) stumble through a riotous jewel heist case, confusing every clue and tripping over each other in an effort to restore a dowager's diamond necklace. |
| "King Thrushbeard (Starring Alexander Scourby & Marian Seldes — NBC)" | NBC (WRCA) 1959-08-25 8:05 PM EDT |
Sustaining Classic Drama Series |
Alexander Scourby, Marian Seldes, Donald Buka | Brothers Grimm, Kenneth MacGregor, Fred Collins | ["Drama", "Fairy Tale", "Literature", "Romance", "Anthology"] |
A lavish radio dramatization of the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale: when a haughty and vain royal princess scorns every suitor, she is married to a humble traveling minstrel (King Thrushbeard in disguise) to learn humility and true love. |
| "The Waterfront Protection Shakedown (Craig McDonnell as Captain Drake — Mutual)" | Mutual (WOR) 1946-08-25 5:00 PM EDT |
Sustaining Police Procedural |
Craig McDonnell (Jim Drake), Vicki Vola | William Sweets (Dir.), Jerry McGill, Carl Warren | ["Detective", "Procedural", "Police", "Crime", "Action"] |
"Under Arrest! The drama of police action against crime!" Police Captain Jim Drake and the homicide squad launch an undercover operation to smash an extortion and protection racket terrorizing merchant sailors along the metropolitan docks. |
| "Penny Reports to Her Boss (Jone Allison as Penny Ross — Kroger Bread)" | Syndicated 1947-08-25 (Ziv Radio) |
The Kroger Co. Country Club Bread |
Jone Allison (Penny Ross), Michael Fitzmaurice | Frederic W. Ziv Company, Ed Herlihy | ["Drama", "Soap Opera", "Romance", "Music", "Domestic"] |
Aspiring commercial singer Penny Ross reports for her first critical assignment at the Manhattan advertising agency, navigating workplace jealousy and romantic sparks with executive Barry Winters for Kroger Bread. |