Simon Templar, AKA "The Saint" was not a Saint…in fact; the name was the underworld's sobriquet for this radio detective, who often did a little bad to get the goods on his criminal of choice. "The Saint" is a bon vivant who savors detection as an art form. He's nothing like his American hard-boiled detectives-in-arms such as Sam Spade or Phillip Marlowe, although closer in spirit is The Fat Man, and closer still, Nero Wolfe. The Chinese-English crime novelist Leslie Charteris wrote over a hundred "Saint" adventures. When in 1947 "The Saint" was developed for radio, the first choice was Tom Conway. He quickly stepped aside, however, and legendary Vincent Price went on to give the radio public an astounding performances. "The Saint's" crime fighting is sophisticated. He's usually sharp enough to stick to slinging witty words like arrows, since he's the "Robin Hood of Modern Crime".
Lawrence Dobkin is "Louie," the (Brooklyn) Cab Driver, who keeps "The Saint" streetwise while getting him across town. A congenial cast of characters is always on hand, thanks to the witty scripts. It's the singular sound and style of Mr. Vincent Price that gives "The Adventures Of The Saint" a halo. |
