Here’s the schedule for NBC’s experimental station W2XBS in New York City for the week beginning Sunday, July 21st, 1940, straight from television listings printed in The New York Times. The station was off the air on Sunday and Saturday. Otherwise, it was a relatively packed schedule, with lots of films and variety acts, plus boxing and several events from the World’s Fair.
Monday, July 22nd, 1940 [1]
9:00-11:00PM – Amateur boxing at Jamaica Arena.Tuesday, July 23rd, 1940 [2]
3:30-4:30PM – Films: Cairo to teh cape, Tuning In, Last of the Mohicans, Let’s See America, The Cameraman.
9:00-10:00PM – Film: Below the Deadline.Wednesday, July 25th, 1940 [3]
3:30-4:30PM – Soap Box Derby, at the World’s Fair.
6:45-7:00PM – News, Lowell Thomas.
9:00-10:00PM – Variety: Paul Wing’s Spelling Bee; Captain Charles Scully Demonstrating Life-Saving Methods; Roberta, Dancer; Harmony Team.Thursday, July 26th, 1940 [4]
3:30-4:30PM – Fashion Review, from World’s Fair.
9:00-10:00PM – Film: Atlantic Crossing.Friday, July 27th, 1940 [5]
3:30-4:30PM – Film: Typhoon Treasure.
6:45-7:00PM – News Bulletins.
9:10-10:00PM – Variety: Yola Galli, Songs; Gus Van, Novelty Music; Dance Congress Stars; John Taylor Arms, on Making an Etching.
Sources:
1 “Today on the Radio.” New York Times. 22 Jul. 1940: 26.
2 “Today on the Radio.” New York Times. 23 Jul. 1940: 27.
3 “Today on the Radio.” New York Times. 24 Jul. 1940: 35.
4 “Today on the Radio.” New York Times. 25 Jul. 1940: 15.
5 “Today on the Radio.” New York Times. 26 Jul. 1940: 20.
And yet another “obscure” British film, “Typhoon Treasure” (this one released the previous year in the U.S.), starring Campbell Copelin, Gwen Munro, Joe Valli and Kenneth Brampton [what a cast!], was featured on Saturday afternoon, the 27th. I’m quite positive it was also a mainstay of early “movie shows” on local New York TV in the late ’40s and early ’50s as well.
The annual “Soap Box Derby”, under the corporate sponsorship of General Motors’ Chevrolet division, was held at the World’s Fair on the 25th. When they sponsored “BEWITCHED” in the mid-’60s, they also
“influenced” a December 1966 episode involving Samantha helping a young Derby contestant to not only to win the race, but also helping father and son become closer to each other in the process! Nice episode…
Wednesday’s variety hour included an early televisualization of the “NBC Spelling Bee,” a radio feature from 1937-’41. Emcee Paul Wing brought the Bee back to TV on at least one more occasion, over commercially licensed WNBT in August, 1941.
“Below the Deadline,” Tuesday’s feature film, was a 1936 poverty flick starring Russell Hopton as a policeman framed for a jewel robbery.
“Atlantic Crossing” does not turn up in a search for 1930s features, but may have been Monogram’s “Atlantic Flight,” a 1937 vehicle for real-life, record-smashing pilot Dick Merrill.