The Happy New Year radio fans and welcome to 2015 here on down these mean streets.

We're kicking off the year with a double dose of the Robin Hood of Modern Crime, the saint, whose adventures premiered on radio

back on January 6, 1945.

Created by Leslie Charterous, the saint began thrilling audiences in

1928, and the gentleman detective has endured ever since.

Roger Moore started as the saint on television in the 1960s. Val Kilner headlined a big screen

adaptation in 1997 and there were recently attempts to launch a new TV program

starring the character. The first actors to portray Simon Templar on

radio were Edgar Barrier and Brian Hearn, but the role was most famously filled by

Vincent Price. From 1947 until 1951, the future horror

legend of the big screen starred as Simon Templar in several series over

multiple networks.

As played by Vincent Price, the saint was a smart detective, but he'd be more likely to use

equip to disarm his adversaries than his fists or a gun.

He wound up on the receiving end of beatings more often than he dispensed them.

And that fact led Price to equip.

My major memory of playing the saint was the different sounds I had to. Price to required and still retain my sanity. Price made the role his own and he took to

radio work which he described as a wonderful combination of the stage and movies.

He also used the series as an opportunity to speak to

social justice and equality as you'll hear in his closing remarks to one of the

episodes we'll hear today. Price remained in the role with the exception of a few episodes where Barry Sullivan served as pinch hitter until 1951.

He was succeeded for a final run of episodes by Tom Conway.

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