On This Day, August 26: Straight Arrow and Bell Telephone Hour
Also featured: CBSRMT.
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 British radio, Howard Culver starring as Comanche warrior Straight Arrow for Nabisco Shredded Wheat, Metropolitan Opera star Gladys Swarthout singing on The Bell Telephone Hour, Himan Brown's macabre mystery Black Widow on CBS Radio Mystery Theater, Mason Adams on Pepper Young's Family for Camay Soap, Frank Lovejoy on Stand By for Adventure, and Julian Cowley on The Strangeseeker (1946–2007):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story-First Plot Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Games Without Frontiers: Boundary Stones & Folklore (Julian Cowley — Resonance FM)" | Resonance 104.4 2007-08-26 11:00 PM |
Sustaining Experimental Radio Art |
Julian Cowley (The Strangeseeker) | Julian Cowley | ["Horror", "Occult", "Experimental", "British", "Mystery"] |
"The Strangeseeker on Resonance 104.4 FM London!" In 'Games Without Frontiers', the mysterious narrator investigates folklore concerning boundary stones, ancient ley lines, and cursed rural ritual games where boundary transgressions unleash uncanny psychic manifestations across the English countryside. |
| "The Ruby of the Sun God (Frank Lovejoy & Lawson Zerbe — Stand By for Adventure)" | Syndicated 1946-08-26 (Ziv Series) |
Local Merchants Globetrotter Anthology |
Frank Lovejoy, Lawson Zerbe, Jackie Kelk | Jerry Devine, Frank Gallop | ["Adventure", "Action", "Travelogue", "Exotic", "Short Form"] |
"Stand By for Adventure! Gathered in a quiet corner of the world, four men whose lives are packed with thrilling exploits share their true adventures!" In 'The Ruby of the Sun God', the archaeologist recounts a perilous expedition into the Andean cloud forests of Peru, escaping headhunter blowguns to secure a sacred Incan sun gem from a crumbling temple. |
| "Badmen Cross the Bravo (Howard Culver as Straight Arrow — Nabisco)" | Mutual (KHJ/WOR) 1948-08-26 5:00 PM EDT |
National Biscuit Co. Nabisco Shredded Wheat |
Howard Culver (Straight Arrow), Fred Howard | Sheldon Stark, Frank Bingman | ["Western", "Adventure", "Action", "Juvenile", "Americana"] |
"Nabisco Shredded Wheat presents Straight Arrow! Kane-wah, the golden palomino horse Fury, and the mysterious Comanche warrior Straight Arrow!" Steve Adams rides as Straight Arrow to stop a ruthless gang of cattle renegades who cross the Rio Bravo to pillage border ranches, utilizing his silent bow and golden arrows to capture the rustlers for Nabisco. |
| "Gladys Swarthout in Carmen & Concert Standards (Donald Voorhees — Bell Telephone Hour)" | NBC (WEAF) 1946-08-26 9:00 PM EDT |
Bell System American Telephone & Telegraph |
Gladys Swarthout, Donald Voorhees Orchestra | Wallace Magill, Floyd Mack | ["Music", "Classical", "Operatic", "Vocal", "Symphonic"] |
"The Bell Telephone Hour, presented each week for your musical enjoyment by the Bell Telephone System!" Maestro Donald Voorhees leads the Bell Telephone Orchestra in Bizet and Saint-Saëns, featuring celebrated mezzo-soprano Gladys Swarthout performing 'Habanera' from Carmen and beloved American concert standards for the Bell System. |
| "Jerry Describes His Daily Activities (Episode #2844 — Mason Adams — Camay Pepper Young)" | NBC (WNBC) 1948-08-26 3:30 PM EDT |
Procter & Gamble Camay Soap ("Soap of Beauties") |
Mason Adams (Pepper), Marion Barney | Elaine Carrington, Richard Stark | ["Drama", "Soap Opera", "Domestic", "Family", "Americana"] |
"Camay Soap presents Pepper Young's Family, created and written by Elaine Carrington!" In Elmwood, young Jerry amuses and touches Mother Young by providing a delightfully earnest, minute-by-minute account of his neighborhood adventures, while Pepper weighs an important business proposal for Camay. Note: Multi-part serial narrative arc (Elmwood Family Chronicles — Episode 2844). |
| "Black Widow (Joan Lovejoy & Robert Dryden — CBSRMT / Himan Brown)" | Syndicated 1998-08-26 (Himark Series) |
Sustaining Radio Mystery Theater |
E.G. Marshall (Host), Joan Lovejoy, Dryden | Elspeth Eric, Himan Brown | ["Mystery", "Horror", "Macabre", "Suspense", "Anthology"] |
"Welcome to the terrifying world of the macabre! This is E.G. Marshall welcoming you to the fear you can hear!" In 'Black Widow', a wealthy, reclusive widow's third husband begins to suspect his new bride possesses the lethal instincts of an arachnid when he falls victim to a creeping, paralyzing venom inside their secluded mansion. |