On This Day, August 25: Grand Ole Opry (Ernest Tubb & Minnie Pearl) and Mr. Chameleon (Bayer)
Also featured: The Mechanical Turk.
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, Ernest Tubb & Minnie Pearl live from Nashville's Ryman Auditorium for Prince Albert, Karl Swenson as Central Police disguise master Mr. Chameleon for Bayer Aspirin, Westinghouse's scientific investigation into the 18th-century 'Mechanical Turk' chess automaton, and Hollywood stars on Father Peyton's Family Theater (1947–1956):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story-First Plot Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Live from the Ryman Auditorium: Ernest Tubb & Minnie Pearl (Prince Albert)" | NBC (WSM) 1956-08-25 9:30 PM CDT |
R.J. Reynolds Prince Albert Tobacco |
Ernest Tubb, Minnie Pearl, Ray Price | WSM Operations, Grant Turner | ["Country", "Western", "Music", "Comedy", "Variety"] |
"Live from the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, it's the Grand Ole Opry, brought to you by Prince Albert Smoking Tobacco!" Ernest Tubb and his Texas Troubadours perform honky-tonk anthems, Ray Price sings 'Crazy Arms', and Cousin Minnie Pearl cracks up the crowd with Grinders Switch gossip for Prince Albert. |
| "The Case of His Brother's Murderer (Karl Swenson as Mr. Chameleon — Bayer)" | CBS (WCBS) 1948-08-25 8:00 PM EDT |
Sterling Drug Inc. Genuine Bayer Aspirin |
Karl Swenson (Mr. Chameleon), Frank Butler | Frank & Anne Hummert, Howard Claney | ["Detective", "Mystery", "Procedural", "Crime", "Drama"] |
"Mr. Chameleon... the famous and dreaded disguise-artist of Central Police Headquarters, brought to you by Genuine Bayer Aspirin!" Disguised as a waterfront dockworker, Mr. Chameleon tracks an elusive underworld assassin who framed an innocent man for the revenge murder of his own brother. |
| "Dr. Whitney Changes His Mind About Kitty (Jane Morgan as Aunt Mary — Albers)" | NBC Pacific 1947-08-25 2:30 PM PST |
Albers Milling / Carnation Albers Flapjack Flour |
Jane Morgan (Aunt Mary), Fred Howard | Virginia Crosby, Jimmy Wallington | ["Drama", "Soap Opera", "Domestic", "Family", "Human Interest"] |
"Aunt Mary, the story of a woman whose life is dedicated to the service of others, presented by Albers Flapjack Flour!" In the small town of Oakdale, Aunt Mary mediates a tense medical crisis as Dr. Whitney admits he misjudged young nurse Kitty's capabilities during an emergency hospital surgery. |
| "Oh, For the Life of a Cowboy (The Chuck Wagon Gang — Mutual)" | Mutual (WOR) 1950-08-25 12:30 PM EDT |
Sustaining Western Music |
The Chuck Wagon Gang, Bob Wills Playboys | Mutual Midwest, Jack Brickhouse | ["Western", "Country", "Music", "Vocal", "Harmony"] |
"Gather round the campfire for the Chuck Wagon Jamboree!" Frontier string bands and cowboy vocalists perform jaunty trail songs and western swing instrumentals, opening with 'Oh, For the Life of a Cowboy' alongside traditional frontier spirituals. |
| "The Automatic Chess Player: The Mechanical Turk (Paul Shannon — Westinghouse)" | Westinghouse 1953-08-25 (KDKA Pittsburgh) |
Westinghouse Corp. Science Education |
Paul Shannon (Narrator), Dr. Phillips Thomas | Westinghouse Research Laboratories | ["Science", "Documentary", "Educational", "Historical", "Technology"] |
"Adventures in Research, presented by Westinghouse!" Dr. Phillips Thomas explores the fascinating 18th-century historical mystery of Wolfgang von Kempelen's 'Mechanical Turk', an alleged chess-playing automaton that defeated Benjamin Franklin and Napoleon, revealing the ingenious clockwork illusion. |
| "Beauty and the Brain (Host Stephen McNally — Father Peyton's Family Theater)" | Mutual (WOR) 1954-08-25 9:00 PM EDT |
Sustaining Family Theater |
Stephen McNally (Host), Jeff Chandler | Father Patrick Peyton, David Young | ["Drama", "Comedy", "Inspirational", "Romantic Comedy", "Human Interest"] |
"Family Theater, dedicated to the rediscovery of the soul of America!" Hollywood leading man Stephen McNally hosts 'Beauty and the Brain', a charming romantic comedy about a brilliant research physicist who falls head-over-heels for a glamorous Broadway showgirl, proving that love defies scientific logic. |