Podcast Summary: "Saint 1951-02-18 Next of Kin"

Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Host: Harolds Old Time Radio
Episode: Saint 1951-02-18 Next of Kin
Original Air Date: February 18, 1951
Summary Date: October 14, 2025

Overview of the Episode

In this classic episode of "The Saint" starring Vincent Price, the suave and clever Simon Templar navigates a web of murder, family secrets, and inheritance. The plot revolves around a failed murder attempt for inheritance, a mysterious death, and a fortune that hangs in the balance, all set around a young girl, Virginia Maddox. With sharp dialogue, memorable characters, and intricate plotting, the episode perfectly exemplifies postwar radio detective drama.

Key Discussion & Plot Points

1. The Middle-of-the-Night Warning (01:29–05:10)

• Simon Templar ("The Saint") is awoken at 4 a.m. by Blanco, a criminal acquaintance, who confesses knowledge of an imminent murder.
• Blanco reveals a "big job" involving murder (03:03), admits he rigged the crime but has reservations, and insists Simon is the only one who can stop it by noon.
• Discussion alludes to the supposed death of gangster Frank Kane in Central America, but Blanco hints Kane might still be alive (04:02).
• Before he can reveal more, they are interrupted and Blanco is shot (04:31). His dying words warn the Saint to "worry about the girl…don't let them kill her" (04:46).

Memorable Quote:
Blanco: "Not this kind of thing, Saint. This is one line I draw, and it's a straight line, you hear?" (02:17)

2. Tracing Connections at the Bar (05:10–07:30)

• The Saint investigates at a familiar after-hours bar, questioning bartender Morgan and patron Violet, who has violet-colored hair and a history with the deceased (05:39).
• Violet resists answering about Blanco and suspects Templar is a cop.
• Simon inquires about Frank Kane, causing Violet distress—she claims she’s his widow (07:58).

Memorable Quote:
Violet: "How do you torture me like this? You know Frank's dead." (07:58)

3. Following the Trail to the Garage (08:31–11:12)

• Simon visits the Central Garage on 55th Street, learning about mechanics’ shifts and that Blanco was using an alias ("Stevens") (09:07).
• He checks records and finds Blanco worked on two vehicles: a Hudson and a foreign car registered to Virginia Maddox (10:47).
• The car’s suspicious double maintenance draws his attention.

4. The Maddox Household: Family, Fortune, and Danger (11:31–19:02)

• Templar visits the Maddox house and meets Virginia, the precocious eight-year-old who owns a luxury car (13:29).
• Interactions uncover the family structure: Virginia's father left her a fortune, with Roger Pierce as her legal guardian (18:17).
• Templar suspects members of the household, particularly the chauffeur Carson, who may be connected to the criminal plot (14:04).
• Templar reveals the link between the attempted murder and the potential to inherit Virginia's fortune—her father's suspicious "death" in "Central (not South) America" (13:35, 18:40).

Memorable Quote:
Virginia: "You’re a detective, just like in the comic book." (14:08)
Templar: "We comic book detectives know everything." (16:05)

5. Another Attempted Murder: Violet is Poisoned (19:26–22:13)

• Simon finds Violet at home; as he warns her that she's next, she drinks poisoned whiskey and collapses (20:01).
• She tries to convey a final clue: a picture on the table, her only relative (20:49).

Memorable Quote:
Templar: "You're next on the list. You dropped your glass." (20:17)

6. The Garage Showdown: Revealing the Conspiracy (22:13–25:04)

• The Saint confronts Morgan at the Central Garage, piecing together the murder plot using mechanical sabotage (23:03). The foreign car was tampered with to cause a fatal crash on a mountain road—a route Virginia takes to a party.
• Morgan tries to distance himself, insisting he's "nobody's next of kin" (23:45).
• Templar reveals Morgan is really Carson, the chauffeur—Frank Kane after plastic surgery and a new name (24:10).
• The motive: murder both Virginia and her mother to inherit her fortune.

Memorable Exchange:
Templar: "It's Kane with a new name and a new face. Yeah, but with the same old trigger eye." (24:10)

7. Final Confrontation & Resolution (25:04–27:12)

• Back at the Maddox house, Simon exposes the scheme: Violet's dying clue, a wedding photo labeled with each member's name, uncovers that Mrs. Anders and Morgan (Carson/Kane) were married, Anders is Rose, and Roger Pierce is Violet's brother and Virginia's uncle (26:22).
• The plot: once both of Virginia's parents were dead, Pierce would be her only surviving relative and inherit her fortune.
• Templar turns them over to the police.

Key Reveal:
Templar: "Because Mr. Pierce, under your picture, Violet affectionately wrote, 'my dear brother Roger.'" (26:37)

8. Epilogue: A Gift for Virginia (27:12–28:06)

• Simon brings Virginia a new doll, delighting the child. She confides she only pretended not to like dolls "to be sophisticated" (27:42).

Sweet Moment:
Virginia: "But Mr. Templar, I’ll tell you a secret."
Templar: "What, Virginia?"
Virginia: "I just said that to be sophisticated." (27:42)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You're the only one. You gotta stop it, Saint. You gotta. And you only got till noon.” — Blanco (02:57)
• “Sawed through until it’s hanging together by the proverbial hair. One sharp turn … the steering system collapses and there’s an accident.” — Templar (23:08)
• “A little girl who is going to a party … has too much money. If she should happen to fall off that mountain in this car, some happy next of kin would have a very happy fortune.” — Templar (23:31)
• “It's Kane with a new name and a new face … with the same old trigger eye.” — Templar (24:10)
• “Because Mr. Pierce, under your picture Violet affectionately wrote, ‘my dear brother Roger.’” — Templar (26:37)
• "But Mr. Templar, I'll tell you a secret. I just said that to be sophisticated." — Virginia (27:42)

Timeline of Important Segments

• 01:29 – 05:10: Blanco's warning, murder scheduled by noon
• 07:58: Violet claims to be Frank Kane's widow
• 09:07 – 10:47: Discovery of Blanco/Stevens’s connection to Maddox car
• 13:29 – 16:17: The Maddox household, the set-up for murder
• 20:01 – 20:44: Violet is poisoned, tries to reveal the killer
• 23:03: Templar finds car sabotage; exposes murder method
• 24:10 – 24:22: Carson revealed as Frank Kane; murder motive exposed
• 26:37: Violet’s wedding photo reveals Roger as the uncle and villain
• 27:12 – 27:46: Epilogue and gift to Virginia

Conclusion

This episode of "The Saint" is an excellent showcase of Golden Age radio mystery: a twisting plot, strong characterization, and Vincent Price’s wit and charm. The story unravels layers of deception, murder for inheritance, and culminates with justice for the innocent. Simultaneously thrilling and witty, it remains a compelling listen decades after its original broadcast.