On This Day, August 26: Brownstone Theater and Jekyll
Also featured: Hyde, Rocky Jordan.
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, Gertrude Warner in Peg o' My Heart on Brownstone Theater, Keith Eden in the terrifying conclusion of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde on Australia's The Witch's Tale, Jack Moyles in the Middle Eastern intrigue of A Man Named Jordan, Morton Downey on The Coke Club, Sons of the Pioneers on Stars on Parade, and Rudy Vallee with comic Lou Holtz for Royal Gelatin (1937–1955):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story-First Plot Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Peg o' My Heart (Gertrude Warner & Jackson Beck — Mutual Brownstone Theater)" | Mutual (WOR) 1945-08-26 8:30 PM EWT |
Sustaining Gaslight Romance Anthology |
Gertrude Warner (Peg), Jackson Beck (Jerry) | J. Hartley Manners, Jock MacGregor, Frank Waldecker | ["Romance", "Comedy", "Drama", "Broadway", "Historical"] |
"Brownstone Theater, presenting the gaslight romances and Broadway favorites of yesteryear!" In J. Hartley Manners' beloved comedy-drama Peg o' My Heart, Gertrude Warner stars as spirited Irish-American lass Peg O'Connell, who arrives in England to live with snobbish aristocratic relatives and scandalizes polite society while capturing the heart of a handsome gentleman. |
| "The Ballad of Davy Crockett (The Sons of the Pioneers — National Guard #248)" | Syndicated 1951-08-26 (Guard Series #248) |
U.S. National Guard Hometown Guard Recruitment |
Bobby Sherwood, Sons of the Pioneers | National Guard Bureau, Lyle Van | ["Music", "Country", "Americana", "Folk", "Military"] |
"Stars on Parade! Presented by your hometown National Guard!" Bobby Sherwood welcomes The Sons of the Pioneers performing rugged frontier ballads including 'The Ballad of Davy Crockett' and 'Cool Water', supporting the nationwide recruitment campaign for the Army National Guard. |
| "Evalina & Irish Ballads (Morton Downey & Leah Ray — Coca-Cola)" | Mutual (WOR) 1946-08-26 12:15 PM EDT |
The Coca-Cola Co. Coca-Cola ("Have a Coke!") |
Morton Downey (Tenor), Leah Ray | D'Arcy Advertising, David Ross | ["Music", "Vocal", "Variety", "Pop Standards", "Short Form"] |
"The Coke Club, starring the world's most beloved tenor, Morton Downey, brought to you by Coca-Cola!" Irish minstrel Morton Downey sings the Broadway melody 'Evalina' and 'When Irish Eyes Are Smiling', joined by vocalist Leah Ray and Jimmy Lytell's Orchestra for a refreshing midday Coca-Cola interlude. |
| "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Part 2 of 2 — Keith Eden — 3DB Melbourne Witch's Tale)" | 3DB Melbourne 1937-08-26 9:30 PM AEST |
Sustaining Australian Macabre Drama |
Old Nancy (Narrator), Keith Eden (Jekyll/Hyde) | Alonzo Deen Cole, Robert Louis Stevenson | ["Horror", "Occult", "Supernatural", "Classics", "Macabre"] |
"The Witch's Tale! The 100-year-old Witch of Salem, Old Nancy, and her black cat Satan invite you to listen to a tale of terror!" In the conclusion of Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll runs out of the pure chemical salt necessary to reverse his transformation, watching in helpless horror as the murderous fiend Edward Hyde permanently seizes control of his mind and body. Note: Multi-part serial narrative arc (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde — Part 2 of 2). |
| "The Spring of Moses (Part 2 — Jack Moyles as Rocky Jordan — Suez Ambush)" | Syndicated 1955-08-26 (Audition Pilot #2) |
Sustaining Hardboiled Cairo Mystery |
Jack Moyles (Rocky Jordan), Paul Frees (Mustapha) | Larry Roman, G.K. Thomas, Larry Thor | ["Detective", "Hardboiled", "Exotic", "Noir", "Adventure"] |
"A Man Named Jordan, starring Jack Moyles as Rocky Jordan, proprietor of the Cafe Tambourine in Cairo!" In Part 2 of the audition serial 'The Spring of Moses', Rocky Jordan is knocked unconscious by antiquities smugglers and wakes bound in the bottom of a felucca drifting down the Suez Canal, where the ruthless rogue Mustapha threatens his life unless Rocky surrenders the key to the ancient treasure vault. Note: Multi-part serial narrative arc (The Spring of Moses — Part 2). |
| "Lou Holtz & The Yacht Club Boys (Rudy Vallee — Royal Gelatin Hour)" | NBC Red (WEAF) 1937-08-26 8:00 PM EDST |
Standard Brands Royal Gelatin & Fleischmann |
Rudy Vallee, Lou Holtz, Yacht Club Boys | Standard Brands Ent., Graham McNamee | ["Variety", "Music", "Comedy", "Vaudeville", "Pop Standards"] |
"The Royal Gelatin Hour, starring Rudy Vallee and his Connecticut Yankees, brought to you by Royal Gelatin!" Rudy Vallee introduces dialect comedian Lou Holtz spinning hilarious 'Sam Lapidus' Broadway stories, accompanied by crooning hits and musical satire from The Yacht Club Boys for Royal Gelatin. |