The Saint (radio program)
Genre | Adventure |
---|---|
Running time | 30 minutes |
Country of origin | United States |
Language(s) | English |
Syndicates | Campbell Soups Ford Motor Company |
The Saint was a
Broadcast history
The Saint began its life on radio in January 1945. Most
The second iteration of The Saint on radio was a summer replacement for The Jack Carson Show on CBS. It began June 20, 1945, with Billboard reporting in a preview article, "There's nothing definite now, but it's expected here that if The Saint pulls an acceptable Hooperating for its 13-week spin, starting June 20, it may stay on the air permanently with Carson out ..."[4] Despite that prediction, the program went off when its summer run ended September 12, 1945. Brian Aherne starred, and Campbell Soups was the sponsor.[3]
The show's third version, which began July 9, 1947, was limited to CBS' West Coast network. It ended June 30, 1948.[3] The sponsor was Lever Brothers.[5] Vincent Price starred in this version and in most of the show's episodes in the two versions that followed.[3]
After a year's hiatus, The Saint returned to radio July 10, 1949—this time on Mutual. An announcement in Billboard noted that the program would be sustaining (without a sponsor), but that Mutual "will use trial summer run to showcase show for fall bankrolling."[6] The bankrolling eventually came from Ford Motor Company, and the show lasted through May 28, 1950.[3]
The program's final run began June 11, 1950, as a summer replacement for The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show.[7] The Saint was back on its original network, NBC, for this version, which ended October 14, 1951.[3] The show lasted longer in this version than in any other, despite a negative review of the first episode in Billboard which said much of the script was "confusing and slow-paced" and called star Vincent Price "frightfully dull."[8]
The title role was also played briefly by
Other versions
Besides the versions broadcast in the United States, a six-episode version was broadcast in Ireland in 1940, and a three-episode version was broadcast by the BBC in 1995.[10]
References
- ISBN 0-498-02393-1. Pp. 230–231.
- ^ a b "Barrier To Take Role of 'The Saint'". The Billboard. January 6, 1945. p. 9.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3. Retrieved 2019-09-08.
- ^ ""Saint" To Sub For Carson". The Billboard. May 12, 1945. p. 10.
- ^ ""Saint" Whodunit Dropped by Lever". The Billboard. June 12, 1948. p. 14.
- ^ ""The Saint" Returns As Mutual Sustainer". The Billboard. June 25, 1949. p. 11.
- ^ "The Saint". The Montreal Gazette. June 10, 1950. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
- ^ Bundy, June (June 24, 1950). "The Saint". The Billboard. p. 9.
- ^ Buxton, Frank and Owen, Bill (1972). The Big Broadcast: 1920–1950. The Viking Press. SBN 670-16240-x. P. 206.
- ^ "The Saint". The Digital Deli Too. Retrieved 17 June 2014.