Episode 9542: The Saint - "Santa Claus Is No Saint" - Christmas Episode (12-24-50)

INTRO: Bob Camardella Remembers The Cleftones "Heart & Soul" (1961)

In Santa Claus Is No Saint (12-24-50), the 'Robin Hood Of Modern Crime' forgoes bow and quiver to don whiskers and a red suit, for the highest of purposes: entertaining tots on Christmas Eve.  The Saint's troubles begin in earnest, however, when "a tot, twenty years later" shows up at his door, armed with a gun and the notion that Simon Templar is actually one 'Fats' Boylen. It seems that Mr. Boylen was hired to play Santa at a society party, but chose to leave early, as did a box of jewellery belonging to the hostess, Carla Worth.

The tension in the story comes not from the 'who dunnit' aspects of the tale, as we know all along who 'done it'.  The mystery is who Fats Boylen is working for, who has formed criminal alliances with whom, and whether these alliances will stand the tests of time and greed. The humor in the episode, and there is much, comes from both The Saint's quirky methods of interrogation and investigation, and the comedic reactions and reflections of his irregular (in more ways than one) companion, Louis the Cabby.

Santa Claus Is No Saint is a perfect showcase for the radio talents of the two stars, Vincent Price as the suave Simon Templar and Lawrence Dobkin as the strictly proletarian Louis the Cabby. Both bring the perfect blend of casual nonchalance and stoic self-assuredness to their characters (although Louis' self-assuredness may be more wishful thinking than he would care to admit).

THIS EPISODE:

Episode Notes From Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod and The Internet Archive. Along for the sleigh-ride are Mary Shipp as Sally Walters, a cream puff trying to pass as a hard dame, and Betty Lou Gerson as the wealthy-and-it-shows, yet never ostentatious, and ultimately entrancing, Carla Worth.  Hy Averback plays Hudson, Ted Osborne is Claude, and Stanley Farrar is Humphrey, the butler. Time = Minutes 33:19.