Saber of London
Encyclopedia
Saber of London is a half-hour 1950s
detective
television series about a British
police captain named Mark Saber, who works, in the original version of the program, in the homicide
department of a large American
city. Tom Conway
portrayed Mark Saber from October 1951 to June 1954. Donald Gray
, a native of South Africa
, played the part from December 1955 through May 1960.
The debonair Saber wore pinstriped suits and sported a pencil-thin mustache. He tracked down criminals by his brilliant use of deduction as well as regular police methods. Saber always got the culprit he pursued. His assistant, the more traditional Sergeant Tim Moloney, was first played by James Burke
. A succession of actors comprised the supporting cast. One of the longest performing of the cast members was Colin Tapley
as Inspector Parker of Scotland Yard
. The program also had different titles during its nearly nine-year run: Mystery Theater, Inspector Mark Saber - Homicide Squad, The Vise
, and finally Saber of London. In syndication
and in rebroadcasts on Saturday afternoons on NBC from 1957–1961, the series was entitled Detective's Diary.
The series aired at various times on ABC
between 1951 and 1957, with a year and a half absence from the screen between June 1954 and December 1955. Saber of London was renamed and switched to NBC
beginning in September 1957, when it aired at 7:30 p.m. EST on Fridays, opposite Leave It to Beaver
, then on CBS
, and The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin
on ABC. In the 1958-1959 season, Saber of London switched to 7 p.m. Sundays, opposite CBS's Lassie. In its last year, 1959–1960, it was moved a half-hour earlier just outside of prime time
to 6:30 EST on Sundays.
The 1955-1957 segments, which aired on ABC at 9:30 EST on Fridays, were called The Vise. In those particular sixty-five episodes, Saber was a private detective who, with one arm, worked exclusively in Europe
, London, Paris, and The Riviera
. The Vise is so titled as a reference to people impacted in "the vise" of fate by their own actions or misdeeds. In The Vise, Saber greets his viewers, accordingly: "I'm Mark Saber - and this is London".
Danziger Production in London filmed Saber of London. In the 1950s, Danziger was considered an expert at producing low-cost films and could complete two episodes of the series each week.
1950s
The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...
detective
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
television series about a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
police captain named Mark Saber, who works, in the original version of the program, in the homicide
Homicide
Homicide refers to the act of a human killing another human. Murder, for example, is a type of homicide. It can also describe a person who has committed such an act, though this use is rare in modern English...
department of a large American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
city. Tom Conway
Tom Conway
Tom Conway was a British film and radio actor, and elder brother of actor George Sanders.-Early life:...
portrayed Mark Saber from October 1951 to June 1954. Donald Gray
Donald Gray
Donald Gray was a South African actor, probably best remembered for providing the voices to Colonel White, Captain Black and the Mysterons in the TV series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons and for being the reason that Donald Marshall Gray changed his name to Charles Gray when he became an actor...
, a native of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, played the part from December 1955 through May 1960.
The debonair Saber wore pinstriped suits and sported a pencil-thin mustache. He tracked down criminals by his brilliant use of deduction as well as regular police methods. Saber always got the culprit he pursued. His assistant, the more traditional Sergeant Tim Moloney, was first played by James Burke
James Burke (actor)
James Burke was an American actor born in New York City. He made his stage debut in New York around 1912 and went to Hollywood in 1933. He made over 200 film appearances during his career, which ranged from 1932 to 1964...
. A succession of actors comprised the supporting cast. One of the longest performing of the cast members was Colin Tapley
Colin Tapley
Colin Tapley was a British actor. Born in New Zealand, he served in the Royal Air Force and an expedition to Antarctica before winning a Paramount Pictures talent contest and moving to Hollywood. He acted in several films before returning to Britain during the Second World War as a flight...
as Inspector Parker of Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard is a metonym for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service of London, UK. It derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became...
. The program also had different titles during its nearly nine-year run: Mystery Theater, Inspector Mark Saber - Homicide Squad, The Vise
The Vise
The Vise is a half-hour dramatic anthology television series which aired at 9:30 p.m. EST on Fridays on ABC from December 1955 to June 1957....
, and finally Saber of London. In syndication
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
and in rebroadcasts on Saturday afternoons on NBC from 1957–1961, the series was entitled Detective's Diary.
The series aired at various times on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
between 1951 and 1957, with a year and a half absence from the screen between June 1954 and December 1955. Saber of London was renamed and switched to NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
beginning in September 1957, when it aired at 7:30 p.m. EST on Fridays, opposite Leave It to Beaver
Leave It to Beaver
Leave It to Beaver is an American television situation comedy about an inquisitive but often naïve boy named Theodore "The Beaver" Cleaver and his adventures at home, in school, and around his suburban neighborhood...
, then on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, and The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin
The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin
The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin is an American children's television program which originally aired in 166 episodes on ABC from October 1954 until August 1959. It starred child actor Lee Aaker as Rusty, a boy orphaned in an Indian raid, who was being raised by the soldiers at a US Cavalry post known...
on ABC. In the 1958-1959 season, Saber of London switched to 7 p.m. Sundays, opposite CBS's Lassie. In its last year, 1959–1960, it was moved a half-hour earlier just outside of prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
to 6:30 EST on Sundays.
The 1955-1957 segments, which aired on ABC at 9:30 EST on Fridays, were called The Vise. In those particular sixty-five episodes, Saber was a private detective who, with one arm, worked exclusively in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, London, Paris, and The Riviera
The Riviera
The Riviera is an historic site at 270 Huntington Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts.The building was constructed in 1923 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995....
. The Vise is so titled as a reference to people impacted in "the vise" of fate by their own actions or misdeeds. In The Vise, Saber greets his viewers, accordingly: "I'm Mark Saber - and this is London".
Danziger Production in London filmed Saber of London. In the 1950s, Danziger was considered an expert at producing low-cost films and could complete two episodes of the series each week.