On This Day, August 26: The Whistler and Bing Crosby
Also featured: The Cisco Kid.
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 network and syndicated radio, Bill Forman narrating two sinister Whistler suspense dramas for Signal Oil (a studio sound effects alibi and deadly ivory elephants), Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman recreating The Bells of St. Mary's on The Screen Guild Theater for Lady Esther, John McIntire solving a nightclub poisoning on The Adventures of Bill Lance for Planters Peanuts, and Jack Mather and Harry Lang galloping through two Cisco Kid adventures for Weber's Bread (1945–1952):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story-First Plot Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Brief Pause for Murder (Bill Forman & Elliott Lewis — Signal Oil Whistler)" | CBS West Coast 1946-08-26 9:00 PM PST |
Signal Oil Company Signal Gasoline & Motor Oil |
Bill Forman (Whistler), Elliott Lewis, Lurene Tuttle | Joel Malone, George W. Allen, Marvin Miller | ["Suspense", "Psychological", "Noir", "Crime", "Mystery"] |
"I am the Whistler, and I know many things, for I walk by night! In 'Brief Pause for Murder', an ambitious radio sound engineer murders his wealthy, nagging wife and constructs an elaborate live broadcast alibi using pre-recorded sound effects, only to have a studio technical glitch unmask his crime for Signal Oil." |
| "The Chinese Elephant Puzzle (Bill Forman & William Conrad — Signal Oil Whistler)" | CBS West Coast 1951-08-26 8:30 PM PST |
Signal Oil Company Signal Premium Gasoline |
Bill Forman (Whistler), William Conrad, Joseph Kearns | Adrian Gendot, George W. Allen, Marvin Miller | ["Suspense", "Psychological", "Noir", "Crime", "Mystery"] |
"I am the Whistler, and I know many strange tales, many secrets hidden in the hearts of men and women! In 'The Chinese Elephant Puzzle', a greedy antique dealer murders an eccentric collector for a priceless set of carved ivory Chinese elephants containing a hidden secret compartment, only to find the ivory carvings conceal a deadly booby-trap for Signal Oil." |
| "The Bells of St. Mary's (Bing Crosby & Ingrid Bergman — Lady Esther Screen Guild)" | CBS (KNX/WCBS) 1946-08-26 10:00 PM EDT |
Lady Esther, Ltd. Lady Esther 4-Purpose Cream |
Bing Crosby, Ingrid Bergman, Joan Carroll | Leo McCarey, Harry Kronman, Michael Roy | ["Drama", "Hollywood", "Classics", "Religious", "Music"] |
"The Lady Esther Screen Guild Theater, starring Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman in Leo McCarey's Academy Award-winning The Bells of St. Mary's!" Father Chuck O'Malley and Sister Mary Benedict engage in gentle, heartfelt rivalry as they work together to save their rundown parochial school from closure and inspire a wealthy local businessman to donate a modern building for Lady Esther." |
| "The Case of the Careless Kisser (John McIntire as Bill Lance — Planters Peanuts)" | CBS (KNX/WABC) 1945-08-26 9:00 PM EWT |
Planters Peanuts Planters Peanuts & Peanut Oil |
John McIntire (Bill Lance), Howard McNear | J. Benton Cheney, Dwight Hauser, Frank Goss | ["Detective", "Hardboiled", "Mystery", "Noir", "Crime"] |
"Planters Peanuts presents The Adventures of Bill Lance, starring John McIntire!" Globe-trotting private eye Bill Lance investigates the poisoning death of a handsome nightclub playboy found dead with a smeared lipstick impression on his lapel, uncovering a blackmail syndicate preying on wealthy society women for Planters Peanuts." |
| "The Devil's Highway (Jack Mather & Harry Lang as Cisco & Pancho — Weber's Bread)" | Syndicated 1951-08-26 (Ziv Transcription) |
Interstate Bakeries Weber's Bread & Holsum Bread |
Jack Mather (Cisco), Harry Lang (Pancho) | O. Henry, Jeanne Yantis, Pierre Andre | ["Western", "Juvenile", "Action", "Adventure", "Americana"] |
"Here's adventure! Here's romance! Here's that famous Robin Hood of the Old West, The Cisco Kid!" Cisco and Pancho ride along the sun-scorched, desolate expanse known as 'The Devil's Highway' to rescue a stranded stagecoach from desert bushwhackers holding the passengers for ransom for Weber's Bread. |
| "A Trap of Many Teeth (Jack Mather & Harry Lang as Cisco & Pancho — Weber's Bread)" | Syndicated 1952-08-26 (Ziv Transcription) |
Interstate Bakeries Weber's Bread & Holsum Bread |
Jack Mather (Cisco), Harry Lang (Pancho) | O. Henry, Jeanne Yantis, Pierre Andre | ["Western", "Juvenile", "Action", "Adventure", "Americana"] |
"O. Henry's famous Robin Hood of the Old West, The Cisco Kid!" Cisco and Pancho unravel a deadly bear-trap ambush laid by ruthless frontier claim-jumpers seeking to force an elderly prospector and his granddaughter off their gold claim for Weber's Bread. |