On This Day, August 26: Mystery House (Bela Lugosi) and Bob
Also featured: Ray, Speed Gibson.
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, Bela Lugosi and John Carradine in Charles Michelson's syndicated thriller Mystery House, Evelyn MacGregor singing Irving Berlin hits on The American Melody Hour for Bayer Aspirin, Bruce Foote starring as François Villon in The Vagabond King on WGN's Chicago Theater of the Air, two classic Bob and Ray satires (the Boston flea circus in 1948 and Mary Backstayge on a coal barge in 1952), and Elliott Lewis in Speed Gibson of the International Secret Police (1939–1955):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story-First Plot Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "A Notch for Riordan's Gun (Bela Lugosi & John Carradine — Mystery House)" | Syndicated 1944-08-26 (Transcription) |
Local Sponsors Syndicated Thriller Series |
Bela Lugosi (Host), John Carradine, Nanette Fabray | Charles Michelson (Prod./Dir.), Frank Gallup | ["Mystery", "Horror", "Crime", "Western", "Thriller"] |
"Welcome to Mystery House! Step inside where the strange and terrifying dwell!" A notorious frontier gunman seeking to retire to a peaceful cattle valley is framed for a saloon payroll robbery by a corrupt marshal eager to carve a final notch in his own revolver. |
| "I've Got the Sun in the Morning (Evelyn MacGregor & Bob Hannon — Bayer Aspirin)" | CBS (WABC) 1946-08-26 8:00 PM EDT |
Sterling Drug Inc. Bayer Aspirin & Phillips' |
Evelyn MacGregor, Bob Hannon, Frank Black Orchestra | Frank and Anne Hummert, Ford Bond | ["Music", "Vocal", "Light Classical", "Standards", "Showtunes"] |
"The American Melody Hour, brought to you by Bayer Aspirin!" Contralto Evelyn MacGregor and tenor Bob Hannon lead lush orchestral interpretations of Irving Berlin's new Broadway smash 'I've Got the Sun in the Morning and the Moon at Night' from Annie Get Your Gun, followed by Victor Herbert melodies for Bayer Aspirin. |
| "The Vagabond King by Rudolf Friml (Bruce Foote & Marion Claire — WGN Mutual)" | Mutual (WGN) 1955-08-26 9:00 PM CDT |
Sustaining Symphonic Operetta Showcase |
Bruce Foote (François Villon), Marion Claire | Henry Weber (Cond.), Marvin Miller | ["Operetta", "Musical", "Classics", "Historical", "Vocal"] |
"The Chicago Theater of the Air, originating live from the WGN Radio Playhouse in Chicago!" Rudolf Friml's beloved romantic operetta The Vagabond King is staged with full orchestra, starring Bruce Foote as Parisian rogue poet François Villon and Marion Claire as Katherine rallying the Parisian populace against the Duke of Burgundy. |
| "Roving Reporter Ray Goulding at the Flea Circus (Bob & Ray — WHDH Boston)" | WHDH Boston 1948-08-26 2:15 PM EDT |
Sustaining Boston Radio Satire |
Bob Elliott, Ray Goulding | Bob Elliott, Ray Goulding | ["Comedy", "Satire", "Improv", "Parody", "Americana"] |
"Matinee with Bob and Ray on WHDH in Boston!" Roving reporter Ray Goulding conducts a deadpan remote audio interview live from a miniature flea circus in downtown Boston, struggling to interview a trained flea trainer whose star performers keep hopping away into the audio console. |
| "Mary Backstayge & The Monongahela River Barge (Bob & Ray — NBC)" | NBC (WNBC) 1952-08-26 5:45 PM EDT |
Sustaining Soap Opera Parody |
Bob Elliott (Wally Ballou), Ray Goulding (Mary) | Bob Elliott, Ray Goulding, Paul Taubman | ["Comedy", "Satire", "Parody", "Soap Opera", "Improv"] |
"And now, Mary Backstayge, Noble Wife! The story of an everyday family struggling with everyday problems!" In this brilliant soap opera parody, Mary and Harry Backstayge travel down the Monongahela River on an open coal barge, while roving radio reporter Wally Ballou interviews the barge captain about imaginary sunken treasure. |
| "Speed Confronts the Black Leopard (Part 36 — Elliott Lewis as Speed Gibson)" | Syndicated 1939-08-26 (Transcription) |
Local Sponsors Aviation Adventure Serial |
Elliott Lewis (Speed), John Gibson (Clint) | Virginia Cooke, Chuck Frederick, Ray Erlenborn | ["Adventure", "Juvenile", "Aviation", "Espionage", "Action"] |
"Ceiling zero! Speed Gibson of the International Secret Police!" 15-year-old ace aviator Speed Gibson and Secret Police operative Clint Barlow make a forced landing in the steaming Burmese jungle, where Speed is confronted by a snarling black leopard guarding the hidden temple hideout of the Octopus gang. Note: Multi-part serial narrative arc (The Secret of the Octopus Clan — Part 36). |