Podcast Summary

Podcast: The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio | Daily Mystery Dramas
Episode: The Saint: Mr. Important (EP4931)
Original Air Date (Drama): October 15, 1947
Podcast Date: March 16, 2026
Host: Adam Graham
Star: Vincent Price as Simon Templar, "The Saint"

Episode Overview

This episode features a vintage radio mystery from The Saint, starring Vincent Price as the suave, witty crime fighter Simon Templar. “Mr. Important” (an alternate title to avoid spoilers) dives into Templar’s pursuit of the underworld’s most elusive boss, following the murder of a close friend. The story’s rapid-fire dialogue, atmospheric noir elements, and Price’s iconic performance combine for an action-packed, suspense-filled adventure.

Key Discussion Points & Plot Breakdown

1. Setting the Stage

[01:29]

• Adam Graham introduces the episode, noting the rarity of this Los Angeles-originating 1947 recording with Price, distinguishing it from the more common NBC runs.
• He sets expectations for a hard-boiled, fast-paced story, featuring Templar going after a killer in a city thick with corruption.

2. The Mystery Unfolds

Templar Shakes Down the Town’s Tough ([03:13]–[07:13])

• Simon Templar (Vincent Price) is offered a payoff to leave town: “Five grand, Saint, just to leave town and forget you ever been here.” (McGarrett, 03:54)
• Templar refuses, insisting:

  "That's not my price, Maguire. I want the man who killed John Daniels." – Simon Templar ([04:11])

• A tense showdown leads Maguire to reveal key names, under Templar’s persistent pressure: Rose Taylor and Al Bon.

  “Rose Taylor and Albon. I warned you, Saint. You ain't scoring against this team.” – Maguire ([06:40])

Encounter with Rose Taylor ([07:13]–[09:04])

• Templar seeks out Rose, one of the few who might know the boss’s identity.

  • “The man behind the men behind the guns. Rose. Mr. Important.” – Templar ([07:40])
  • “That’s no small music, mister. That’s the whole opera.” – Rose ([07:47])

• Rose, terrified, refuses to talk:

  “In this town, the best way to stay healthy is to stay afraid.” – Rose Taylor ([07:52])

• Suddenly, Rose is murdered—shot by an unseen assailant while Templar is in the room.

Accused and Interrogated ([09:16]–[12:14])

• District Attorney Richards accuses Templar:

  “I'm holding you for murder. You were in the same room when Rose Taylor was killed.” – D.A. Richards ([09:20])

• Templar claims a setup and vows to deliver “Mr. Important” by 10am the next day.

The Web Widens ([12:14]–[16:05])

• Templar meets Rose's sister and is taken at gunpoint to Al Bon, supposed to know the big boss’s identity.
• Al Bon, a former criminal now handling the books, confides he’d called the Treasury to expose his boss for tax evasion (for a 10% cut):

  “It’s like this. The Big boy pulls in seven figures a year...of course he don’t pay no taxes...So I thought he should. Out of patriotism, of course. Yeah, out of patriotism. They always treated me so nice in Leavenworth…Out of patriotism and 10%, Saint.” – Al Bon ([15:10])

• A booby-trapped package explodes, killing Al before he can reveal the boss’s name.

3. Noir Dialogue & Suspect Banter

The Femme Fatale and Templar ([18:20]–[20:26])

• Templar banters in a bar with the sister, mixing flirtation and suspicion:

  “Little girls who don't want to be followed shouldn't wear Chanel Number five and strapless evening gowns. Particularly the latter.” – Templar ([18:31])

The Professor – A Twist in the Underworld ([20:42]–[25:23])

• Templar is abducted by “The Professor,” a neurotic ex-academic and the gang’s enforcer.
• A battle of wits ensues; Templar exploits the Professor’s intense insect phobia to force his release, conjuring a panic attack:

  "There’s a fly on your sleeve, Professor..." ([25:02]) "Now you can save me. Please help me." – The Professor ([25:23])

4. The Solution & Showdown

The Reveal and the Double Life ([25:23]–[26:41])

• Templar makes his audience with District Attorney Richards, revealing the DA as the secret ringleader:

  “Being a district attorney is a wonderful cover up for a crumb bum, isn't it, Richards?” – Templar ([26:37])

  • Richards: “You’re insane.” ([26:41])
  • Templar flips Richards’ own office intercom, broadcasting the confession.

  "Oh, it’s already done. I took the trouble to switch on your Intercom. Richard, I'm afraid our conversation wasn't very private." – Templar ([27:10])

Final Confrontation ([27:34]–[28:10])

• Templar subdues Richards, ending with trademark wit:

  “I'm sorry I tore up your chandelier, but my old grandmother always taught me to put out the lights before going to sleep.” – Templar ([28:10])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You must have got into the fire escape. Down. Get down.” ([09:07])
  – Classic radio suspense as shots ring out

• “My skull’s been creased before by experts. In fact, it has more treads in it than Goodrich puts in his tires.” – Templar to the Professor ([23:23])

• “It’s amazing how few people in this town admit to knowing anything—must be grasped in the public school system.” – The Saint ([19:14])

Adam Graham’s Commentary

[31:17]

• Praises the cleverness of the alternate title to avoid spoiling the twist (that the DA is the criminal mastermind).

• Highlights the episode’s fast-paced, action-heavy adaptation—eschewing book-style elaborate plots for a confrontational, hard-boiled radio style.

• Applauds Vincent Price’s “special touches,” particularly the tense scene with the bug-phobic Professor:

  “I love the idea of him convincing the professor that he had to untie him because of the professor's extreme bug phobia. I mean, that's a scene Vincent Price can play... a very exciting story right from the word go.” – Adam Graham ([31:17])

• Notes the trend in radio adaptations to adjust the style for the hard-boiled detective boom.

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Section | Timestamp | |---------|-----------| | Host’s Episode Introduction | 01:29–03:13 | | Templar confronts Maguire | 03:13–07:13 | | Rose Taylor Interrogation and Murder | 07:13–09:16 | | DA Richards Accuses Templar | 09:16–12:14 | | Confrontation with Rose’s Sister & Al Bon | 12:14–16:05 | | Al Bon’s Confession & Death | 15:44–16:05 | | Bar Banter & Aftermath | 18:20–20:26 | | Professor’s Breakdown | 20:42–25:23 | | Final Showdown (DA Richards Revealed) | 25:23–28:10 | | Host’s Commentary & Analysis | 31:17–34:10 |

Tone & Language

The episode is laced with classic noir wit, rapid-fire comebacks, and Price’s cultivated charm—a blend of sardonic humor, bravado, and tension. The dialogue leans hard into hard-boiled stylings and radio melodrama, with colorful metaphors and brisk pacing throughout.

For New Listeners

If you love hard-boiled detective stories, clever plotting, and the velvet-voiced Vincent Price, this episode is a standout old-time radio gem. The twist ending, brisk action, and noir atmosphere make it as captivating today as it was in 1947.