On This Day, August 25: Benny Goodman (Palomar) and Abbott
Also featured: Costello, Rumpole (BBC).
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, King of Swing Benny Goodman live from the Palomar Ballroom for Camel Cigarettes, Bud Abbott & Lou Costello's hysterical drugstore soda jerk comedy, John Mortimer's Old Bailey legal comedy starring Maurice Denham as Horace Rumpole, Nelson Eddy's operatic concerts on The Electric Hour, mystic occult serials with Mandrake the Magician, and rural mystery on The Country Sheriff (1936–1980):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story-First Plot Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Too Hot to Handle (Floyd Buckley as Sheriff Matt Clark — CBS)" | CBS (WABC) 1945-08-25 8:00 PM EWT |
Sustaining Rural Law Enforcement |
Floyd Buckley (Sheriff Clark), Donald Cook | George Lowther, John Dietz, Warren Sweeney | ["Detective", "Police", "Rural", "Crime", "Mystery"] |
"The Country Sheriff, starring Floyd Buckley as Sheriff Matt Clark!" In quiet Green River County, Sheriff Matt Clark investigates an arson fire at the local lumber mill, discovering a stash of stolen war surplus explosives that are literally too hot to handle. |
| "Lou Gets a Job in a Drugstore (Bud Abbott & Lou Costello — ABC)" | ABC (WJZ) 1948-08-25 9:00 PM EDT |
Sustaining Summer Comedy |
Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Mel Blanc | John Grant, Eddie Forman, Michael Roy | ["Comedy", "Sitcom", "Slapstick", "Vaudeville", "Parody"] |
"The Abbott and Costello Show! Starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello!" Bud forces Lou to get a job as a soda jerk and pharmacy clerk at Mr. Fields' drugstore, where Lou mixes up prescription pills, explodes the soda fountain, and serves mustard ice cream sundaes. |
| "Sing Me a Swing Song (Benny Goodman & Gene Krupa — Camel Cigarettes)" | CBS (WABC) 1936-08-25 9:30 PM EDST |
R.J. Reynolds Camel Cigarettes & Prince Albert |
Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa, Helen Ward | William Esty & Co., Dan Seymour | ["Music", "Big Band", "Swing", "Jazz", "Vocal"] |
"It's the Camel Caravan starring Benny Goodman, the King of Swing, brought to you by Camel Cigarettes!" Benny Goodman and his legendary orchestra ignite the airwaves with scorching swing arrangements, featuring Helen Ward singing 'Sing Me a Swing Song (And Let Me Dance)' and Gene Krupa's powerhouse drumming for Camels. |
| "The Mystery of the Clay Golem (Part 1 — Raymond Edward Johnson as Mandrake)" | Mutual (WOR) 1941-08-25 5:30 PM EDST |
Sustaining Comic Strip Adventure |
Raymond Edward Johnson (Mandrake), Juano Hernandez | Lee Falk, Carlo De Angelo, Frank Gallop | ["Adventure", "Magic", "Occult", "Mystery", "Action"] |
"Invoking the mystic powers of the East... Mandrake the Magician, and his powerful companion Lothar!" In Part 1 of The Mystery of the Clay Golem, Mandrake uses his master hypnotic illusions to thwart a sinister occultist who has animated a giant clay golem to terrorize a mountain village. |
| "Song of the Open Road & Shortnin' Bread (Nelson Eddy — The Electric Hour)" | CBS (WABC) 1946-08-25 4:30 PM EDT |
Electric Light Co. 170 Electric Light & Power |
Nelson Eddy (Baritone), Nadine Conner | Robert Armbruster, Frank Graham | ["Music", "Classical", "Operetta", "Vocal", "Concert"] |
"The Electric Hour, starring America's favorite baritone Nelson Eddy, brought to you by 170 Electric Light and Power Companies!" Nelson Eddy serenades listeners with operatic highlights, Broadway showtunes, and folk classics including 'Shortnin' Bread' and 'Song of the Open Road' with Robert Armbruster's Orchestra. |
| "The Defence of Guthrie Featherstone (Maurice Denham as Rumpole — BBC)" | BBC Radio 4 1980-08-25 8:15 PM BST |
Sustaining BBC Legal Comedy-Drama |
Maurice Denham (Rumpole), Michael Gough | John Mortimer (Writer), Ian Cotterell | ["Comedy", "Drama", "Legal", "Courtroom", "British"] |
"Rumpole of the Bailey, by John Mortimer, starring Maurice Denham as Horace Rumpole!" Old Bailey barrister Horace Rumpole is unexpectedly called upon to defend his pompous Head of Chambers, Guthrie Featherstone, QC, when Featherstone is embarrassingly caught shoplifting a box of chocolates from a West End department store. |