On This Day, August 26: Beulah and Fibber McGee
Also featured: Charles Paris Mysteries.
August 26 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 26 across American and British radio, Marlin Hurt and Bob Corley starring in The Beulah Show (audition and Tums installment), Francis Matthews beginning Duds on the Fringe on BBC's Charles Paris Mysteries, Jim & Marian Jordan on Fibber McGee and Molly for Pet Milk, Martha Tilton and The Sons of the Pioneers on Dr. Pepper's 10-2-4 Time, and Alan Burgess's reconstruction of the Andrea Doria sinking on Disaster! (1942–1985):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story-First Plot Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "The Initial Network Audition (Marlin Hurt as Beulah — CBS KNX)" | CBS (KNX) 1945-08-26 (Audition Show) |
Sustaining Network Audition |
Marlin Hurt (Beulah/Bill), Hugh Studebaker | Phil Leslie, Helen Mack, Marvin Miller | ["Comedy", "Sitcom", "Domestic", "Americana", "Vaudeville"] |
"CBS presents the audition broadcast for The Beulah Show, starring Marlin Hurt!" Spun off from Fibber McGee and Molly, Beulah takes charge of the Henderson household, trying to keep Harry Henderson from buying an overpriced jalopy from her smooth-talking boyfriend Bill Jackson. |
| "Bob Corley as Beulah with Harry Henderson (Tums for the Tummy)" | NBC (WEAF) 1946-08-26 8:00 PM EDT |
Lewis-Howe Co. Tums & Nature's Remedy |
Bob Corley (Beulah), Hugh Studebaker | Phil Leslie, Helen Mack, Don Wilson | ["Comedy", "Sitcom", "Domestic", "Americana", "Vaudeville"] |
"Tums for the Tummy presents The Beulah Show, starring Bob Corley!" Beulah tries to help Harry Henderson prepare for a lodge meeting speech while dealing with an overflowing laundry tub and unexpected neighborhood callers for Tums. |
| "Duds on the Fringe (Part 1 — Francis Matthews & Brenda Blethyn — BBC Charles Paris)" | BBC Radio 4 1985-08-26 7:45 PM |
Sustaining Theatrical Mystery |
Francis Matthews, Brenda Blethyn, Martin Jarvis | Simon Brett, Jeremy Paul | ["Detective", "Mystery", "Comedy", "British", "Theatrical"] |
"BBC Radio 4 presents Simon Brett's Charles Paris Mysteries, starring Francis Matthews!" Unemployed, alcoholic actor and amateur sleuth Charles Paris travels to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to direct an amateur Oxford student revue, only to uncover a sinister theatrical feud when the lead comic dies under suspicious circumstances. Note: Multi-part serial narrative arc (Duds on the Fringe — Part 1 of 4). |
| "Martha Tilton & The Sons of the Pioneers (Dr. Pepper 10-2-4 Time)" | Syndicated 1942-08-26 (Dr. Pepper #12) |
Dr. Pepper Co. Dr. Pepper Carbonated Drink |
Martha Tilton, Sons of the Pioneers | Benton & Bowles, Marvin Miller | ["Music", "Country", "Western Swing", "Pop Standards", "Variety"] |
"Drink a bite to eat at 10, 2, and 4 o'clock! It's 10-2-4 Time for Dr. Pepper!" Martha Tilton sings melodic pop standards, joined by The Sons of the Pioneers performing western campfire harmonies including 'Cool Water' and 'Tumbleweeds' for Dr. Pepper. |
| "Molly's New Bedroom Mirror (Jim & Marian Jordan — Pet Milk Fibber McGee)" | NBC (WNBC/KFI) 1954-08-26 10:00 PM EDT |
Pet Milk Co. Pet Evaporated Milk |
Jim Jordan (Fibber), Marian Jordan (Molly) | Phil Leslie, Ralph Goodman, Harlow Wilcox | ["Comedy", "Sitcom", "Domestic", "Family", "Americana"] |
"Pet Milk presents Fibber McGee and Molly!" Fibber undertakes a disastrous home improvement project to hang Molly's new full-length bedroom mirror, managing to hammer through the hall lath and plaster into the infamous hall closet for Pet Milk. |
| "Ships in the Night: Sinking of the Andrea Doria (Howard Marion-Crawford — BBC)" | BBC Home 1956-08-26 8:30 PM |
Sustaining Maritime Docudrama |
Howard Marion-Crawford, James McKechnie | Alan Burgess | ["Maritime", "Docudrama", "Historical", "British", "Drama"] |
"BBC Home Service presents Disaster! True chronicles of courage and catastrophe at sea!" In 'Ships in the Night', Alan Burgess reconstructs the catastrophic collision between the ocean liner SS Andrea Doria and the MS Stockholm in dense Nantucket fog, recounting the desperate midnight evacuation of over 1,600 passengers. |