On This Day, August 25: Counterspy (Bit-O-Honey & Pepsi) and Captain Starr of Space
Also featured: Stars Over Hollywood.
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, two high-stakes espionage cases on David Harding, Counterspy (Bit-O-Honey & Pepsi-Cola), John Dehner commanding the Space Patrol on Captain Starr of Space, Hollywood guest stars Janet Waldo and Martha Vickers on Stars Over Hollywood, and Death Valley crime with 20 Mule Team Borax (1945–1953):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story-First Plot Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "The Case of the Counterfeit Passports (Don MacLaughlin as David Harding — Bit-O-Honey)" | ABC (WJZ) 1946-08-25 5:30 PM EDT |
Schutter Candy Co. Bit-O-Honey & Old Nick |
Don MacLaughlin (David Harding), Mandel Kramer | Phillips H. Lord, Robert A. Morrison, Bob Hite | ["Espionage", "Detective", "Thriller", "Action", "Procedural"] |
"David Harding, Counterspy, brought to you by Bit-O-Honey!" Chief David Harding and Agent Peters smash an international ring operating out of Lisbon and New York that is forging diplomatic passports to smuggle wanted Axis war criminals across South American borders for Bit-O-Honey. |
| "The Murdering Messenger (Don MacLaughlin as David Harding — Pepsi-Cola)" | ABC (WJZ) 1949-08-25 7:30 PM EDT |
Pepsi-Cola Co. Pepsi-Cola — "More Bounce!" |
Don MacLaughlin, Mandel Kramer, Santos Ortega | Phillips H. Lord, Robert A. Morrison, Bob Hite | ["Espionage", "Detective", "Thriller", "Action", "Procedural"] |
"Washington calls David Harding, Counterspy, brought to you by Pepsi-Cola!" When a diplomatic courier carrying top-secret military rocket schematics is poisoned aboard a transcontinental express train, David Harding tracks a ruthless foreign syndicate that planted an assassin as a courier messenger. |
| "The Red Moon of Jupiter (Starring John Dehner as Captain Starr — ABC)" | ABC (WABC) 1953-08-25 5:30 PM EDT |
Sustaining Sci-Fi Space Opera |
John Dehner (Capt. Starr), Carleton Young | Antony Ellis (Writer/Dir.), Ray Erlenborn | ["Sci-Fi", "Space Opera", "Adventure", "Action", "Futuristic"] |
"Captain Starr of Space! Commander of the Space Patrol flagship Magellan!" Captain Starr navigates his cosmic cruiser into the radiation storms surrounding Jupiter's moon Io to rescue a stranded team of planetary geologists besieged by alien energy vortexes. |
| "The Star in the Window (Guest Star Janet Waldo — Dari-Rich Chocolate Milk)" | CBS (KNX) 1945-08-25 12:30 PM EWT |
Bowey's Inc. Dari-Rich Chocolate Milk |
Janet Waldo (Guest Star), Elliott Lewis | Paul Pierce (Dir.), Marvin Miller | ["Drama", "Romance", "Anthology", "Hollywood", "Domestic"] |
"Dari-Rich presents Stars Over Hollywood, starring Janet Waldo!" A patriotic young wartime store clerk who places a blue star banner in her window discovers that the decorated pilot she has been pen-paling with has returned home under an assumed identity to test her true feelings for Dari-Rich Chocolate Milk. |
| "No Soft Soap (Guest Star Martha Vickers — Carnation Evaporated Milk)" | CBS (KNX) 1951-08-25 12:30 PM EDT |
Carnation Co. Carnation Evaporated Milk |
Martha Vickers (Guest Star), Gerald Mohr | Paul Pierce (Dir.), Marvin Miller | ["Comedy", "Romance", "Anthology", "Hollywood", "Satire"] |
"Carnation Milk presents Stars Over Hollywood, starring Martha Vickers!" Glamorous film star Martha Vickers plays an ambitious advertising copywriter who refuses to give 'soft soap' compliments to an eccentric billionaire client, sparking a whirlwind battle of wits and unexpected romance for Carnation Milk. |
| "A Close Shave (Robert Haag as Sheriff Mark Chase — 20 Mule Team Borax)" | CBS (KNX) 1950-08-25 9:00 PM EDT |
Pacific Coast Borax 20 Mule Team Borax & Boraxo |
Robert Haag (Sheriff Chase), Donald Randolph | Ruth Cornwall Woodman, John Reed King | ["Western", "Detective", "Police", "Mystery", "Comedy"] |
"20 Mule Team Borax presents Death Valley Sheriff!" Sheriff Mark Chase and his colorful deputy Cassandra Drinkwater investigate a suspicious string of payroll robberies near Baker, cornering a disguise artist who operates as the town barber and uses straight razors to intimidate victims for Boraxo. |