Terence De Marney

Actor who played Simon Templar, alias The Saint, on Radio

The Saint on Old-Time Radio

The Saint was first brought to life on the radio in 1940 by Terence De Marney (aka Terrance De Marney) on Radio Athlone. It was then a five-year wait before NBC picked up the option, and featured Edgar Barrier as Simon Templar, alias The Saint. Later in 1945, Brian Aherne took over the role when the show switched over to CBS. Then in 1947, probably the most famous Radio Saint of all-time, Vincent Price, added his golden voice to the role. Vincent Price was once quoted as saying the most difficult thing about the show was coming up with new and unique ways to get conked on the head. After a large number of episodes, Price finally left and his replacement Barry Sullivan only lasted a few episodes before the show was cancelled. It was resurrected due to public demand, with Vincent Price returning to save the day. In 1951, Tom Conway (George Sanders' brother), of The Falcon fame, played The Saint for the last few episodes, with Lawrence Dobkin stepping in for a single episode when Conway was unavailable. Between 1953 and 1957, Tom Meehan starred as The Saint on Springbok Radio in South Africa (in English) with fresh adaptations of the original Charteris stories. It wasn't until 1995 that the Saint returned to radio with new episodes, with Paul Rhys portraying The Saint in three scripts taken directly from the orginal Charteris stories.

Obituary

From THE LONDON TIMES Obituary, Wednesday May 26, 1971

Terence de Marney, the actor and director, died in an accident yesterday at the age of 62.

Born In London on March 1, 1909, his career in the theatre began in 1923 and continued almost without interruption, taking in occasional film, radio and television parts, ever since. De Marney's career embraced a multitude of styles. His first stage appearance in 1923 was as a page boy in a sketch at the Coliseum. A year later he was the office boy in Brewster's Millions and Jim Hawkins in an adaptation of Treasure Island at the Strand. He toured with Mrs. Patrick Campbell in The Last of Mrs. Cheyne and in 1930 played Gustave in The Lady of the Camellias. He toured South Africa as Raleigh in Journey's End, spent 1931 as director of the Connaught Theatre, Worthing, and in 1932, with his brother, the actor Derrick de Marney, he founded the Independent Theatre Cub at the Kingsway Theatre, where he directed Emil Ludwig's Versailles and an adaptation of Schnitzler's novel Fraulein Else. In 1934 he played Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet at the Open Air Theatre and Giovanni in 'Tis Pity She's a Whore at the Arts.

In the 1930s he played in sketches with which he toured the country's variety theatres in a revival of Sutton Vane's Outward Bound and in a variety of thrillers. This was, in a sense, the pattern of his Later career which included Agatha Christie's Ten little Niggers and Dear Murderer, a revival of Du Marier's Trilby; he directed Louis Golding's Magnolia Street Story and Master Crook, originally called Cosh Boy. With his brother he alternated as Slim Callaghan in Meet Slim Callaghan at the Garrick and carried on the same role in the play's sequel Slim Carves, which he produced and directed. He also appeared in the radio serial role as the Count of Monte Cristo.

With Percy Robinson he wrote the stage thrillers, Whispering Gallery, Wanted for Murder and The Crime of Margaret Foley, and he collaborated with Ralph Stock to write Search. In 1962 two very diverse roles in William Saroyan's double bill Talking to You provided him with an opportunity to demonstrate the extremes of his style in a single evening.

Terence de Marney obviously relished the sinister, the indefinably frightening and the strange, but his range was not limited to them and he could provide romantic charm and sheer physical excitement. He acted decisively and whenever it was necessary with real authority. Without plunging into extravagance he had the art of harnessing the audience's imagination to the service of any play in which he appeared.

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Other Actors Who've Played The Saint

Portrals of Simon Templar on Film in Movie Motion Pictures:

Louis Hayward, George Sanders, Hugh Sinclair, Jean Marais, and Val Kilmer

The Saint Radio shows on Old-Time Radio:

Vincent Price, Barry Sullivan, Brian Aherne, Edgar Barrier, Felix Marten, Lawrence Dobkin, Paul Rhys, Terence De Marney, Tom Conway, and Tom Meehan

Actors who played The Saint on Television TV Programs:

Roger Moore, Ian Ogilvy, Andrew Clarke, Simon Dutton, and Adam Rayner

Starring as The Saint in Photoplay:

Leslie Charteris