Saint, The

The Saint was a long-running radio adventure program in the United States that featured a character “a swashbuckling, devil-may-care Robin Hood type who, in his attempt to help people, remained just one step ahead of the police and crooks—both of whom he combatted.”

The character, Simon Templar (also known as “The Saint”), was created by author Leslie Charteris and was well known to audiences from his appearances in books, magazines, and motion pictures. Several versions of the program appeared on different networks, including NBC, CBS, and Mutual, from 1945 to 1951.

The Stars

The role of Simon Templar, the suave and sophisticated adventurer known as “The Saint,” was portrayed by a number of talented actors over the course of the radio series.

The initial version that debuted in 1945 starred Edgar Barrier in the title role, while later iterations featured Brian Aherne, Vincent Price, Tom Conway, and Barry Sullivan as The Saint.

Supporting cast members included Louise Arthur as Patricia Holm, Templar’s assistant, and Lawrence Dobkin as Louie, the cab driver.

John Brown played the role of Inspector Fernack, Templar’s adversary, and Ken Christy portrayed Hoppy, Templar’s sidekick.

Key Dates

• The Saint first hit the airwaves on January 4, 1945, with the initial broadcast airing over NBC.
• This version, sponsored by Bromo-Seltzer, ran until March 31, 1945.
• A second iteration of the series debuted on CBS on June 20, 1945, as a summer replacement for The Jack Carson Show, with Brian Aherne in the lead role.
• This version ended on September 12, 1945.
• The third version of The Saint was limited to CBS’ West Coast network and ran from July 9, 1947, to June 30, 1948, with Vincent Price as the star.
• After a year-long hiatus, the program returned to the air on July 10, 1949, this time on the Mutual network, with Price once again portraying The Saint.
• This version, sponsored by Ford Motor Company, lasted until May 28, 1950.
• The final run of The Saint began on June 11, 1950, as a summer replacement for The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show on NBC, and concluded on October 14, 1951.

Other Information

The Saint radio program was based on the popular character created by author Leslie Charteris, who oversaw the adaptation of his published works for the series. The program’s introduction noted that The Saint was “known to millions from books, magazines, and motion pictures.”

In addition to the radio versions, the character of Simon Templar has also appeared in numerous film adaptations, including The Saint in New York (1938), The Saint Strikes Back (1939), and The Saint in London (1939), as well as a 1997 feature film starring Val Kilmer. A television series titled The Saint, starring Roger Moore, also aired from 1962 to 1969.  The radio series was sponsored by a variety of companies over the years, including Bromo-Seltzer, Campbell Soups, Ford Motor Company, and Lever Brothers. While the initial reviews were mixed, with one critic describing the first episode of the 1950 version as “confusing and slow-paced,” the program managed to maintain a loyal following and enjoyed a relatively long run on the airwaves.