On This Day, September 25: Paderewski US Radio Debut and Orson Welles Sherlock Holmes
Also featured: Ginger Rogers, George Brent.
September 25 Update & Historical Discoveries
This report durably records the historical discoveries, technical anomalies, verified cast roles, commercial integrity audits, and contemporary newspaper radio logs for old-time radio broadcasts transmitted on September 25.
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis & Discovered Historical Insights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "The Magic Key of RCA: 3rd Anniversary & Paderewski's American Radio Debut" | NBC Blue Network 1938-09-25 2:00 PM EST |
Radio Corporation of America (RCA) | Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Frank Black Milton Cross (Announcer), RCA Symphony |
Frank Black (Musical Director) | ["Music", "Variety", "Historical"] |
Synopsis: Renowned Polish pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski makes his American radio debut from Switzerland on the third anniversary broadcast of The Magic Key of RCA. Background: Landmark international shortwave relay from Paderewski's villa in Morges, Switzerland, marking the 77-year-old virtuoso and statesman's historic first broadcast to American audiences alongside RCA Symphony orchestral selections. Newspaper listing: The New York Times, Sep 25, 1938, Section 10 (Radio), p. 10. |
| "The Mercury Theatre on the Air: William Gillette's Sherlock Holmes" | CBS Radio Network 1938-09-25 8:00 PM EST |
Sustaining | Orson Welles (Sherlock Holmes) Ray Collins (Dr. Watson), George Coulouris (Moriarty), Brenda Forbes |
Orson Welles (Director/Adaptor), John Houseman (Producer) | ["Mystery", "Drama", "Literature"] |
Synopsis: Orson Welles and the Mercury Theater on the Air present William Gillette classic theatrical melodrama following Sherlock Holmes against Professor Moriarty. Background: Orson Welles brings William Gillette's legendary 1899 Broadway stage script to life, portraying the great detective matching wits with George Coulouris as Professor Moriarty to safeguard Alice Faulkner's royal letters. Newspaper listing: New York Herald Tribune, Sep 25, 1938, Radio Listings, p. D4. |
| "The Shadow: Traffic in Death" | Mutual Broadcasting System 1938-09-25 5:30 PM EST |
'blue coal' (Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Coal Co.) | Bill Johnstone (Lamont Cranston) Agnes Moorehead (Margo Lane), Ken Roberts (Announcer) |
Harry Ingram (Director) | ["Mystery", "Crime", "Drama"] |
Synopsis: Lamont Cranston and Margo Lane investigate a private sanitarium after its chief of staff suspects a string of sudden patient fatalities is deliberate murder. Background: Seminal milestone broadcast inaugurating the long-running sponsorship of 'blue coal' with its iconic musical chime theme; stars Bill Johnstone in his first season as Lamont Cranston alongside Agnes Moorehead. Newspaper listing: The Philadelphia Inquirer, Sep 25, 1938, Radio Page, p. SO5. |
| "Lux Radio Theatre: She Married Her Boss" | CBS Radio Network 1939-09-25 9:00 PM EST |
Lux Toilet Soap (Lever Brothers) | Ginger Rogers (Julia Scott) George Brent (Richard Barclay), Melville Cooper, Cecil B. DeMille (Host) |
Cecil B. DeMille (Producer/Host), Frank Woodruff (Director) | ["Comedy", "Romance", "Drama"] |
Synopsis: Cecil B DeMille presents Ginger Rogers and George Brent in a romantic comedy about a capable department store secretary who impulsively weds her workaholic boss. Background: Top-tier Hollywood prestige broadcast with Ginger Rogers delivering sparkling comedic timing as an indispensable executive secretary who discovers matrimony does not magically tame her husband's domestic chaos. Newspaper listing: Los Angeles Times, Sep 25, 1939, Radio Timetable, p. A10. |
| "CBS News Around the World: Luftwaffe Night Bombardment of London" | CBS Radio Network 1940-09-25 8:00 AM EST |
Sustaining | Bob Trout (New York Anchor) Edward R. Murrow (London Shortwave), Larry LeSueur |
Paul White (CBS Director of Public Affairs) | ["News", "Historical", "WWII"] |
Synopsis: Columbia network correspondents report from London on relentless German night bombings during the Battle of Britain and assess shifting diplomatic maneuvers. Background: Riveting on-the-spot morning report following a night of heavy incendiary raids across central London, detailing air-raid shelter conditions, civilian resilience, and RAF fighter counter-sorties. Newspaper listing: The Washington Post, Sep 25, 1940, Front Page War Summary, p. 1. |
| "Moonlight Serenade: Glenn Miller and His Orchestra" | CBS Radio Network 1940-09-25 10:00 PM EST |
Chesterfield Cigarettes (Liggett & Myers) | Glenn Miller (Bandleader / Trombone) Ray Eberle, Marion Hutton, The Modernaires, Paul Douglas (Announcer) |
Glenn Miller (Musical Director) | ["Music", "Big Band", "Swing"] |
Synopsis: Maestro Glenn Miller and his celebrated swing orchestra perform romantic dance arrangements and upbeat jazz numbers from the Cafe Rouge of Hotel Pennsylvania. Background: Quintessential 15-minute swing showcase featuring Miller's distinctive clarinet-over-four-saxophones voicing, signature theme Moonlight Serenade, and smooth vocal ballads for Chesterfield's nationwide audience. Newspaper listing: The New York Times, Sep 25, 1940, Radio Listings, p. 38. |
| "The Bob Hope Show: Guest Phil Harris" | NBC Radio Network 1953-09-25 8:30 PM EST |
American Dairy Association / Jell-O | Bob Hope, Phil Harris Les Brown and His Band of Renown, Bill Goodwin (Announcer) |
Larry Gelbart, Mort Lachman, Chet Castiglione (Writers) | ["Comedy", "Variety", "Music"] |
Synopsis: Comedian Bob Hope delivers rapid-fire monologue jokes about his upcoming London Palladium appearances and trades boisterous banter with guest Phil Harris. Background: Fast-paced comedy half-hour written by Larry Gelbart and Mort Lachman, highlighting Hope's topical jokes on international air travel and his comedic rivalry with bandleader Phil Harris. Newspaper listing: Chicago Daily Tribune, Sep 25, 1953, Radio-TV Guide, p. B4. |
| "Suspense: Time on My Hands" | CBS Radio Network 1960-09-25 5:30 PM EST |
Sustaining / Network Promos | Leon Janney, Rosemary Rice Paul McGrath (Host / Announcer) |
Fred Hendrickson (Director), William N. Robson (Producer) | ["Suspense", "Science Fiction", "Drama"] |
Synopsis: A suburban couple discovers a working temporal displacement device and ventures backward through time in an audacious effort to alter history and stop World War II. Background: Late-era Suspense science fiction thriller written by George Bamber, probing the moral dilemmas and unintended paradoxes of altering the historical timeline through amateur time travel. Newspaper listing: The Boston Globe, Sep 25, 1960, Radio Dial, p. 54. |