Episode 149 - Saints Preserve Us (The Saint)
Down These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)
Jack Mooney
4.5 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 3 January 2016
⏱️ 64 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The Saint hit radio in January 1945, but Leslie Charteris' "Robin Hood of Modern Crime" didn't find long-lasting success on the air until 1947 when big screen star Vincent Price donned Simon Templar's halo. In honor of his radio anniversary, we'll hear two mysteries starring the Saint. Price is Templar in "No Hiding Place" (originally aired on November 19, 1950). Then, Tom Conway steps in as the heavenly hero in "Death of a Cowboy" (originally aired on July 1, 1951).
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The On January 6th, the 1945, Simon Templar, better known as the saint, came to radio. |
| 0:29.7 | Leslie Charters' Robin Hood of Modern Crime had thrilled readers since he was introduced in |
| 0:35.0 | 1928 and the character enjoyed big-screen success from the late 1930s into the 1940s. |
| 0:41.6 | Given that, radio was the logical next step for the saint, and he brought |
| 0:46.8 | his signature style of crime fighting to the airwaves for nearly 200 episodes. Edgar barrier was the first to play the saint on American |
| 0:56.0 | radio. He starred in a 13 episode run that was produced with heavy involvement |
| 1:00.6 | from saint creator Leslie Chartress. Some of the episodes were |
| 1:04.4 | adaptations of Charterus's stories and he also provided ideas to writers for |
| 1:09.2 | original episodes. The Barrier Series didn't catch on with audiences, however, and it left the air in April of 1945. |
| 1:18.0 | None of Barrier's full episodes are known to survive, but we have an excerpt of one of his shows. It |
| 1:24.8 | aired as a teaser for an upcoming episode of the Armed Forces Radio Services |
| 1:29.3 | Mystery Playhouse. Sit down, Mr. Templar. |
| 1:33.0 | So you are the famous gentleman known as a state, I know. |
| 1:37.0 | Sometimes my friend saw me, that. |
| 1:38.0 | Mr. Templar, we are faced here with a serious matter, a very serious matter. |
| 1:42.0 | So it would seem. So serious, in fact, I have been a... case here with a serious matter, a very serious matter. |
| 1:42.6 | So it would seem. |
| 1:43.6 | So serious in fact that I have been obliged to adopt rather extraordinary measures. |
| 1:48.0 | Like sending around a phony Dick to pick me up. |
| 1:51.0 | You knew he was a phony? pony my dear that had a friend |
| 1:54.6 | he didn't really think that others over there could successfully impersonate an officer |
| 1:58.6 | of the law did you why I uh I am shall we get down to? The saint wasn't away from radio for long. |
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