On This Day, August 26: Perry Mason and Jack Benny on Family Theater
Also featured: Will Rogers Jr..
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 and syndicated radio, Erle Stanley Gardner's Perry Mason defending Ed Beekman's kidnapped daughter for Tide, Jack Benny hosting Barry Sullivan in The Wise Guy on Family Theater, Vincent Price as Simon Templar in The Saint, Will Rogers Jr. on Rogers of the Gazette, Gennett's juvenile serial The Adventures of Sonny and Buddy, and Dan Seymour's Sing It Again (1935–1954):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story-First Plot Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "The Wise Guy (Jack Benny & Barry Sullivan — Family Theater)" | Mutual (WOR) 1953-08-26 9:30 PM EDT |
Sustaining Family Rosary Crusade |
Jack Benny (Host), Barry Sullivan, Barbara Eiler | Father Patrick Peyton, David Young | ["Drama", "Noir", "Inspirational", "Moral", "Family"] |
"Family Theater! As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he! Hosted by Jack Benny!" In 'The Wise Guy', a cocky, cynical big-city advertising executive (Barry Sullivan) who believes every human relationship is a transactional con game receives a profound moral awakening when he spends time in a small-town rehabilitation home. |
| "The Prize Fight Case (Vincent Price as Simon Templar — The Saint Series Variant)" | NBC (WEAF/KNX) 1951-08-26 7:30 PM EDT |
Sustaining Hardboiled Detective Drama |
Vincent Price (Simon Templar), John Hoyt | Leslie Charteris, Helen Mack, Don Stanley | ["Detective", "Hardboiled", "Adventure", "Crime", "Mystery"] |
"The Saint, starring Vincent Price as Simon Templar, the Robin Hood of modern crime!" The Saint investigates the backstage poisoning of an honest welterweight boxing contender who refused to throw a match for underworld racketeers, trapping the gambling kingpin before the championship bout. |
| "C.J. Griffith, Journalism Student (Will Rogers Jr. — Rogers of the Gazette)" | CBS (WCBS/KNX) 1953-08-26 8:30 PM EDT |
Sustaining Small-Town Newspaper Drama |
Will Rogers Jr. (Tom), Georgia Ellis | Ray Buffum, Jaime del Valle | ["Comedy", "Drama", "Americana", "Journalism", "Small Town"] |
"Rogers of the Gazette, starring Will Rogers Jr. as Tom Rogers, owner and editor of the Illyria Weekly Gazette!" Editor Tom Rogers mentors eager college journalism student C.J. Griffith, who nearly causes a town-wide riot by publishing sensationalized, unverified rumors about the mayor's zoning committee. |
| "The Secret Treehouse Code (Part 3 — Billy Lee & Tommy Cook — Sonny and Buddy)" | Syndicated 1935-08-26 (Gennett Series) |
Local Merchants Junior Adventure Serial |
Billy Lee (Sonny), Tommy Cook (Buddy) | Carl Webster, George Hicks | ["Adventure", "Children's", "Juvenile", "Americana", "Short Form"] |
"The Adventures of Sonny and Buddy! Thrilling backyard exploits and mysteries for boys and girls!" Sonny and Buddy decipher a coded map left in an old treehouse, leading them on a treasure hunt across Farmer Jenkins' blackberry orchard to discover a buried tin box from the Gold Rush days. Note: Multi-part serial narrative arc (The Secret Treehouse Code — Part 3). |
| "The Phantom Voice Mystery Melody (Dan Seymour & Alan Dale — Sing It Again)" | CBS (WCBS) 1950-08-26 8:00 PM EDT |
Carter Products Carter's Little Liver Pills |
Dan Seymour (Host), Alan Dale, Judy Lynn | Lester Gottlieb, Ray Bloch | ["Game Show", "Music", "Pop Standards", "Quiz", "Variety"] |
"Sing It Again, the big musical jackpot show on CBS, with master of ceremonies Dan Seymour and the music of Ray Bloch!" Radio listeners across the nation receive live telephone calls to identify the multi-thousand-dollar 'Phantom Voice' singing riddle and guess mystery song parodies for jackpot prizes. |
| "The Case of Ed Beekman's Daughter (Episode #74 — John Larkin & Joan Alexander — Tide Perry Mason)" | CBS (WCBS) 1954-08-26 2:15 PM EDT |
Procter & Gamble Tide ("Tide's In, Dirt's Out!") |
John Larkin (Perry), Joan Alexander (Della) | Erle Stanley Gardner, Irving Vendig | ["Detective", "Courtroom", "Legal", "Drama", "Short Form"] |
"Tide presents Perry Mason, radio's most famous defense attorney, created by Erle Stanley Gardner!" Perry Mason and confidential secretary Della Street investigate the disappearance of client Ed Beekman's estranged daughter, uncovering that she was abducted by blackmailers demanding the deed to Beekman's chemical laboratory for Tide. Note: Multi-part serial narrative arc (Ed Beekman's Daughter — Episode 74). |