On This Day, August 26: Gang Busters (Palmolive & Tide) and Green Hornet
Also featured: Les Brown.
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 international networks, two true-crime masterworks from Phillips H. Lord's Gang Busters (Col. Schwarzkopf tracking bank robber Larry Devol for Palmolive and John McIntire busting an armored-car syndicate for Tide), Al Hodge as The Green Hornet, Les Brown and his Band of Renown live from the Hollywood Palladium on AFRS, Armand Denis exploring the Okavango delta for General Motors, and Karl Weber as frontier physician Dr. Sixgun (1936–1966):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story-First Plot Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Acid Makes the Test (Al Hodge as The Green Hornet — Mutual)" | Mutual (WXYZ) 1940-08-26 8:00 PM EDST |
Sustaining Vigilante Superhero Drama |
Al Hodge (Green Hornet), Raymond Hayashi (Kato) | George W. Trendle, Charles Livingstone, Fielden Farrington | ["Superheroes", "Crime", "Action", "Adventure", "Vigilante"] |
"The Green Hornet, creating dynamic action for law and order!" Britt Reid investigates a fraudulent chemical supply firm selling watered-down disinfectant acid to city public hospitals, using an undercover test and the Black Beauty's smoke screen to corner the crooked suppliers. |
| "Live at the Hollywood Palladium (Les Brown & His Band of Renown — AFRS)" | AFRS 1950-08-26 (Live Remote) |
U.S. Armed Forces Armed Forces Radio |
Les Brown Orchestra, Lucy Ann Polk, Stumpy Brown | AFRS Hollywood, Carlton KaDell | ["Music", "Big Band", "Swing", "Jazz", "Live"] |
"One Night Stand! Music from the bandstands of the nation for the men and women of the Armed Forces!" Les Brown and his Band of Renown broadcast live from the Hollywood Palladium, tearing into 'I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm', 'Sentimental Journey', and featuring Lucy Ann Polk singing 'Crazy He Calls Me'. |
| "The Lost Tribe of Bushmen of the Okavango (Part 3 — Armand Denis — GM Safari)" | SABC Radio 1966-08-26 (Commercial Relay) |
General Motors GM South Africa Trucks |
Armand Denis (Narrator), Michaela Denis | Armand Denis, Des Bartlett | ["Documentary", "Adventure", "Nature", "Exotic", "Travel"] |
"General Motors On Safari with Armand and Michaela Denis!" In Part 3 of their Okavango expedition, the naturalists track an isolated nomadic clan of Kalahari Bushmen through the delta swamps, documenting ancient hunting rituals and click-language folklore for General Motors. Note: Multi-part serial narrative arc (The Lost Tribe of Bushmen of the Okavango — Part 3). |
| "The Gray Stallion (Karl Weber as Dr. Ray Matson — NBC Western)" | NBC (WNBC) 1954-08-26 8:30 PM EDT |
Sustaining Western Frontier Drama |
Karl Weber (Dr. Sixgun), Bill Griffis (Pablo) | Russell Hughes, Harry Bubeck, Bob Warren | ["Western", "Drama", "Medical", "Action", "Frontier"] |
"Dr. Sixgun! The story of a frontier physician who carries a medical bag in one hand and a loaded Colt .45 in the other!" Dr. Ray Matson treats a championship bronco buster who has developed paralyzing psychological terror after a near-fatal trampling, helping the cowboy confront his fear to break a vicious wild gray stallion. |
| "The Case of Larry Devol (Part 2 of 2 — Col. Schwarzkopf — Palmolive)" | CBS (WABC) 1936-08-26 10:00 PM EDST |
Colgate-Palmolive Palmolive Shave & Dental Cream |
Col. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, Frank Lovejoy | Phillips H. Lord (Creator/Dir.), Ray Kelly | ["Police Procedural", "Docudrama", "Crime", "Action", "Historical"] |
"Calling the police! Calling the G-men! Gang Busters, presented by Palmolive Shave Cream!" In Part 2, Col. H. Norman Schwarzkopf narrates the multi-state manhunt for desperate midwestern bank bandit Larry Devol as FBI agents and state troopers close in on his fortified rural hideout for Palmolive. Note: Multi-part serial narrative arc (The Case of Larry Devol — Part 2 of 2). |
| "The Case of Niemi and Maloney (John McIntire — Tide)" | CBS (WCBS) 1950-08-26 9:00 PM EDT |
Procter & Gamble Tide ("Tide's In, Dirt's Out!") |
John McIntire (Narrator), Larry Haines | Phillips H. Lord, William Sweets, Jerry Sears | ["Police Procedural", "Docudrama", "Crime", "Action", "Historical"] |
"Gang Busters, brought to you by Tide!" Police detectives unravel a series of coordinated armored car robberies perpetrated by ruthless criminal duo Niemi and Maloney, tracking them through forensic ballistic analysis of stolen firearms for Tide. |