MARK SABER

MARK SABER
This was the Danzigers' flagship British-made show.
Stories made in Britain of detective Mark Saber were filmed starting in Autumn 1955, when the long running anthology series 'The Vise' was given over to stories exclusively about detective Mark Saber. BBC announcer Donald Gray, was selected to play the title role.
In America, the series continued to be shown as 'The Vise,' but in Britain the stories were screened on ITV titled 'Mark Saber.' From series 3, with a change of station in USA, the show's title was altered to Saber of London. Actual production finished early 1959 by which time Saber had solved an amazing total of 156 cases. None of the stories have been transmitted on British terrestrial tv since Granada aired some episodes in 1969. Then in the 1990's satellite channel Bravo showed 40 stories.
Though Mark Saber was certainly a huge financial success, it won little critical acclaim: "the corniest programme on tv," was the verdict of one critic. But to reject the Saber series outright would miss you a few real treasures! For a start, Brian Clemens was the chief scriptwriter, cutting his teeth on television drama with Mark Saber.

Right- 1957 Press Release for the launching of the series in Britain

For background information on each of the series.
My reviews of selected stories:

Series One
(26 stories):
1.10 FIND A BODY

Series Two (39 stories):
2.18 THE WRONG FACE
2.22 SIGNATURE FOR MURDER

Series Three (39 stories):
3.14 FAST CARS AND GIRLS
3.17 SABER AT SEA

Series Four (39 stories):
4.13 HOUR OF RECKONING
4.14 DOUBLE TAKE

Series Five
(13 stories):
5.1 FLORENTINE MADONNA

My favourite stories: (Mark Saber) 2.12 A Hatful of Trouble / (Saber of London) 4.11 Uncle William.
Favourite moment: in 5.3 Cousin from Montreal, Garry Thorne becomes a teddy boy, of sorts, in an attempt to make the series more with-it.
The worst story, I say is: 4.23 Come Out Fighting. This Clemens story seems to have been cobbled together in a hurry, and Donald Gray is hardly in it.
Click here for Brief Biographies of the stars of this series. Click here for Memories by Robert Arden ('Bob Page' in series 4) .
Please note that I do not sell dvds/videos.
Further Note- Tom Conway first played Mark Saber, in a series made in USA by quite different personnel.
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Series 1:
This is admittedly rather stodgy, though Michael Balfour as Barney adds a welcome touch of humour as Saber's assistant.
The unknown Theresa Thorne played Saber's eager secretary.
This series was shown in USA from December 1955, but perhaps because
Series 2
was an improvement, it was this series that marked Mark Saber's debut in Britain.
There's a hint of romance as Saber employs new secretary Stevie. A critic at the time praised Diana Decker's acting as Stevie as "very clever." The series he described as "a very promising set of crime stories with simple, though neatly-laid plots."
Series 3:
Mark sadly lost his secretary, but gained Pete as assistant, Neil McCallum proving himself a brilliant actor, and not surprisingly was signed up by ABC. Gordon Tanner as Larry, his replacement for the remainder of this series, was distinctly average.
However, with Donald Gray now confident in his role,
Series 4
proved the best with Robert Arden an ideal foil as Saber's assistant, Bob Page.
With the series scheduled for the axe, the final efforts in
Series 5
are OK, but the little known Garry Thorne as helper Eddie never seems to have his heart in it.
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FIND A BODY

Eating supper at home, Albert Towner (Basil Dignam) suffers from food poisoning. Taking a medicine in the dark, he takes the wrong pill, swallowing some poison. Then there's a sniper's bullet! Three events that persuade him to come and seek Saber's protection.
However he then fails to meet up with Saber. He was last heard of by his wife (a sympathetic role for Catherine Finn) when he phoned at 5pm, just before catching a train for a weekend shoot in Chester. Barney's theory: the wife's the murderer - "it's all over her kisser, murder in neon lights." And her motive?: the Ł5,000 insurance money, plus perhaps her young lodger.
Mrs Towner however gives her side of the story. She'd been married 11 years and her husband is/was a strange man - in a locked room he maintained a shrine to Alice, his first love. Whilst Saber talks to her, the lodger, an aspiring writer, is interviewed by Barney ("the orang outang"!) and Judy. He tells them the Towners "lived in a climate of violence, mutual dislike, mutual hatred." Dramatically he produces a blood-stained knife which he'd just found hidden in his room.
Saber notices Towner hadn't taken his gun on the shoot and spots some signs of blood in the Towner's sitting room. It's definitely time to call in the Yard. Mrs Towner is immediately arrested and all that's left to do is Find the Body. But Saber could "almost believe" Mrs T innocent. So it's off to Alice, a piano teacher in Sussex to solve the case!

Footnotes-
The Inspector (played by Colin Tapley) is unnamed in this particular episode. They keep calling him simply "Inspector."
Amazingly on his way down from London to Sussex, Saber travels on a pre-war LMS train. A rare first sighting of the streamlined Coronation Scot south of the Thames!
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THE WRONG FACE
At the Lafayette Art Gallery in Paris a painting "worth a million" is stolen. It's the job of Anton (Michael Brill) to smuggle it to a London dealer who will take it "without asking any questions." How's he going to manage that?
Returning from the last case ('The Very Last Witness') in Marseilles, at the Cresta Hotel in Paris, Stevie is chatted up by Gerard Pernell, a diplomatic attache.
Later, Anton takes his place. But on the Channel crossing, as Stevie relaxes, she notices a man addressed as Pernell. "Well that's him," she confides to Mark, "I mean that isn't him!" Not the diplomat of that name she'd met in Paris. Mark is unconvinced.
Another old friend of Gerard's named Matthews realises it's not him either. He's shot dead and dumped overboard.
Matthew's disappearance makes Mark wonder whether Stevie might be right after all. Learning of the stolen painting "worth a quarter of a million," they decide to follow the 'diplomat' when he boards a taxi at the London terminal. In a backstreet room the man joins his confederates. Stevie fetches the police whilst Mark draws out his gun and announces: "Nobody leave here, not until the police get here." Rather dangerous as he's outnumbered. He shoots but the police arrive in time.
"You did a good job," Stevie is told. "You know," Mark tells her as she reminds him of how nice Gerard was to her, "I ought to be more romantic from now on!"

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SIGNATURE FOR MURDER

The clock in Mark Saber always stands at 4pm. Well it does at the start of Saber of London, and certainly that is what Big Ben is chiming now as Saber listens to an art expert, Prof Wilson declare a painting recently purchased by Mr Merritt is not a Lejour but a forgery by Eric Bishop (John Stone). Saber is commissioned to "get" the New Bond Street woman dealer, Mme Nicole Veroff (Martine Alexis) who sold it. Other art experts, however, in typical fashion, claim that the painting is a genuine Lejour.
Merritt demands his money back from the art dealer. But she calls his bluff and warns him: "if you hired Mark Saber, you're throwing your money away." Surely not!
Now we see artist Bishop. He's fed up with having to paint like Lejour. Why can't he exhibit one of his own paintings? But that might give away the truth about his copies of the forged Lejours. Mme Veroff shoots him, making it look like suicide.
Mark's realised that he needs to talk to this Bishop, a tall order now he's dead! But he's wise enough to realise that the dealer must know where he is. Secretary Stevie however is worried Mark might fall into a trap of hers- " you might end up as another scalp, another picture in her gallery."
Bishop's corpse is found. Suicide declare the confident police. But Mark looks round his studio - "where are all his paintings?"
Probably in the dealer's gallery somewhere. Mark pays a brusque visit to Mme Nicole. "I like a man who is rude when he wants to be, " she tells a smirking Mark. He invites her to dinner at her favourite restaurant, the Savoy. Naturally this makes Stevie a little jealous. "I'm not going to keep this date," Mark confides to her.
Instead he stands Nicole up to snoop round her art gallery. The missing paintings are there, but Nicole returns to catch Mark. "A common prowler," she says, as she prepares to shoot. But Saber is one ahead of her as he'd previously unloaded her gun. An anxious Stevie arrives to rescue him from this "femme fatale."

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SABER AT SEA

Set entirely on board a Union Castle liner, where Julie Forbes (Ann Stephens) is recuperating from a traumatic car crash. Also travelling from Southampton on holiday to Naples, are Mark and Pete.
This proves rather fortunate when in an adjoining cabin, Julie sees a man being murdered. But by the time the captain has sought Mark's assistance, the corpse has disappeared. No sign of any struggle and in fact, the body even appears, very much alive! It's a Mr Vance (Robert Arden) who's naturally rather bemused by Julie's story. "Maybe you were dreaming," suggests Pete to Julie.
It happens again - a disappearing dead man! "We can't have any more of this," declares the captain. Julie needs to see the doc! But this time Saber spies "a dark spot on the carpet." More blood is discovered on the rail of the upper deck. He decides there really has been a murder. So whilst Pete "sits back and awaits developments," in others words chatting up Julie, Mark runs a check on Vance. Whilst a reply is awaited, Julie rashly snoops in Vance's cabin. The truth is out - Vance is to inherit his uncle's small fortune. But there are actually two Vances, Preston and Paul "the black sheep of the family," and they are identical. Or rather were, as naughty Paul had dropped his brother's corpse in the sea.

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FAST CARS AND GIRLS
The title might disappoint, though it is just about relevant.
Colonel March (John Loder), though not THE Colonel March as portrayed by Boris Karloff, has asked his old pal Mark Saber to find Major Bland, a lifelong wheelchair bound friend, whom he has not seen for three days. His niece Marsha (Adrienne Corri) is away at Silverstone, maybe with her fiance Tim Mills.
Mark and Pete take on the case. Mark starts at the major's empty flat, where the landlady Mrs Shepherd reveals she had heard Major Blair arguing with the colonel recently. Then Mark interviews Tim, who is in town, not at the races, and he reckons the two old men used to argue a lot. He hadn't gone with Marsha to Silverstone, as he doesn't entirely see eye to eye with the fast crowd she hangs around with down there.
Pete has the plum job of finding Marsha at the race track. He searches the crowd watching the race, but after grinning at several girls, he gives up the quest. He questions the principal of Marsha's college, but learns she has been absent for some days. Even though she is a fine student, her main weakness is her expensive dresses.
Col March admits there had been an argument, they had plenty over their card games, he reckons his friend always cheated.
Then some revelations. The day the major disappeared, a forged cheque had been presented in his name. Then Tim admits he had requested that Marsha break off their engagement, on account of her lavish tastes.
And then Marsha materialises. She is unaware of where her uncle might be. She had enjoyed a jolly good time down at Silverstone with three friends. But not really watching the racing, for she exhibits a singular lack of knowledge about the results. So Pete checks out her friends. One of the fast set is Patricia, to whom Pete, to impress her confides, "Mark wouldn't make a move without me!"
She admits, under Mark's questioning, that Marsha never went to Silverstone. Marsha's fast living has got the better of her. She's the one who had passed that forged cheque. She breaks down. She had met her uncle near the Thames in his wheelchair, you can imagine the rest.

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HOUR OF RECKONING
After 15 minutes introduction we finally meet Mark Saber. Nancy (Jean Aubrey) asks him for help.
Her boyfriend Frank (Brian Nissen) is The Man who didn't Break the Bank at Monte Carlo. Broke, he's loaned Ł2,000 from a Mr Kaslow (Denis Shaw plus moustache) if he agrees to marry wealthy Nancy and share her fortune 50-50. Otherwise he will have to pay a forfeit... his life!
Problems follow thick and fast for Frank. He discovers Nancy isn't rich. Kaslow wants his forfeit. In fact Kaslow is really after revenge because before Frank had met Nancy he had jilted Kaslow's own daughter who had then committed suicide. With such a complex plot, no wonder there's little time left for Mark to act!
Hiding in that old favourite Danziger location, the Buckingham Hotel, he awaits his killer. But it's actually Saber who's awaiting Kaslow, with a gun, and it transpires Frank really does love Nancy, so all ends happily.

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DOUBLE TAKE
At the Old Bailey a prisoner threatens the life of Jack Lewis, a witness (Robert Dorning). With his wife Gina, Jack comes to ask Saber's protection. Bob is assigned as a bodyguard for the "henpecked" husband. Perhaps being near Gina (Gene Anderson) is a bonus- "she's a peach. I wouldn't mind being henpecked by her myself!"
Lewis has received anonymous letters saying 'I said I'd get you and I will.' He's sure they're from Minoli, the man he helped put behind bars. Mark interviews this prisoner who's due out that very day. Apparently he's a reformed character according to the governor. Minoli agrees that "Lewis is not worth swinging for," and denies sending the letters. He resents Saber's remarks and clutches him by the throat. So much for the gov's judgement!
At Lewis' apartment, the wait is on. Gina idly reads on a rickety sofa. Jack sits on it momentarily, then jumps up. Someone's outside! But it turns out only to be Karl Clayton (an uncredited actor, Paul Stassino I think), who's Lewis' business partner.
Night. Ouside Mark patrols whilst Bob lazes on the sofa. That same taxi that brought Clayton to the flats arrives again. Same passenger. He even looks round in the same way as before! Whilst Bob snoozes, Mark sees something being thrown from the bedroom window, which Clayton collects. Then a scream. Lewis has been shot. Was it Minoli? But Mark enters with Clayton to explain all. Of course shrewd old Saber had known all along.

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The Florentina Madonna

Gerard's shop is a front. He sells good copies of rare paintings, and to obtain the fakes he is keeping Jim Peters (Geoffrey Hibbert) a prisoner in a room behind his shop. "That'd fool anyone," Gerard gloats, as Peters is forced to start his latest painting, a copy of a madonna.
The Grosvenor Art Gallery are holding an exhibiton of rare Italian masters. Gerard is scheming to steal an original and substitute it with Peters' fake. He should have an easy job, for Inspector Parker is in charge of security, and he has only left one man, Sgt Briggs, at the gallery.
At the moment, Mark Saber has no assistant, so he has persuaded his girl friend Ann Fellowes to help with "routine work," that for her means asking if he really loves her. Mrs Peters retains Mark to find her husband who has sort-of disappeared. She doesn't know where he is, fearing his activity as a good painter might have got him into some sort of trouble. Ann goes to examine his papers, and finds the business card of Michael Gerard.
"He's going to make us rich," Gerard smiles at his assistant Tana (Sandra Dorne). Mark checks his shop out, posing as wealthy art collector Walter A Sheridan. He wants an Italian masterpiece for his private collection, and Gerard thinks he can oblige.
In fact Gerard is planning to leave the country, and so pays off Peters, who rather naively believes he has been assisting in some sort of art security operation.
Unfortunately the real Walter Sheridan is in the news, so Gerard rumbles the imposter, and when Mark calls again, he is greeted with a slap from Tana and then is trussed up. The criminal pair continue with their plan, and switch the fake painting with the genuine Madonna all too easily, but for once Inspector Parker is on the ball, having been tipped off by Ann, and the couple are arrested. Ann breaks into Gerard's shop to rescue Mark, and has a good laugh when she sees him all tied up

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BIOGRAPHIES (Additional information would be appreciated)
DONALD GRAY (1914 -1978) - Born in South Africa, he was overall winner of a Paramount talent competition but after appearing in some minor roles as El(d)red Tidbury he moved to England. He lost an arm in the war. In the 50's he became a BBC announcer for a while before starring as Mark Saber. He found it difficult to obtain further starring roles though he does do a voiceover for the Captain Scarlet puppet TV series. Trevor Jordan has written his biography "Colonel White meets Mark Saber" which can be purchased on ebay. A reviewer in 1957 wrote, "I like the characters of Mark and Stevie who are good foils for one another... it's such a pleasure to hear the rich, manly voice of Donald Gray speaking the Queen's English, as it should be spoken."

COLIN TAPLEY (1909-1995) - He was the police inspector at Scotland Yard. It's likely he obtained the part as a result of his friendship with Donald Gray. In series one he appears irregularly, sharing the part with others but by the concluding stories of series two he is the "usual" inspector. Born in Dunedin, New Zealand, he, like Gray, was a winner in the Paramount competition. He made some films in Hollywood, before coming to England. Unlike Gray, Tapley continued working for the Danzigers, appearing, uncredited more often than not, in their later series Man from Interpol and The Cheaters. He made films until 1969. He married a titled lady and retired to Gloucestershire.

Series 1: MICHAEL BALFOUR (1918-1997) 'Barney'- Born in America, he became one of the most commonly seen bit-players in British cinema. He moved to England before the war and served with the RAF Eagle Squadron. In one Danziger programme, the character he plays is described like this: "with a face like yours, you'd scare 'em to death." But in real life he was a gent with quite sophisticated tastes.
Series 1: THERESA THORNE 'Judy' - I have found little information on her. Can you help? She appeared in the 1955 film Joe Macbeth, made the same year as her role in the Saber series. She also played a photographer called Mary, in the 1957 Charlie Chan story "The Noble Art of Murder".
Series 2: DIANA DECKER (born in USA 1926) 'Stevie' - She moved to England in 1939, making her film debut in 1943. She appeared with Donald Gray in the 1952 Saturday Island. She is best known as a recording artist with the hit "Poppa Piccolino" and also appeared on the London stage and as a cabaret singer.

Series 3: NEIL McCALLUM (1929-1976) 'Pete'- born in Canada. After his role in Saber of London he starred in one film for the Danzigers 'On the Run' which also features Gordon Tanner. On the strength of his performances, ABC signed him as a contract artist, enabling him to appear in Armchair Theatre, as well as stock series like "International Detective" (he's in "The Prescott Case"). He also appeared on the London stage. In 1965 he hosted A-R's "A Swinging Scene". By the 70's he was a producer, notably for BBC Scotland's "Sutherland's Law". He died tragically of a brain haemorrhage.
Series 3: GORDON TANNER (1918-1983) 'Larry'- also Canadian. Also appears in a Series 2 story "Find Harry Clay". Earlier he had appeared in The Vise story "Never let me die". Later he's in Man from Interpol, International Detective and Interpol Calling.
Series 4: ROBERT ARDEN (1922-2004) 'Bob Page'- first English born asistant for Saber, even if he grew up in the States! A dance band vocalist with the likes of Joe Loss, he made his film debut in 1944 in 2,000 Women. He became prominent on television in the ITV panel game "What's it All About?"A prolific actor, he told me his favourite role was in "Flight Into Danger" a BBC live drama.
Series 5: GARRY THORNE 'Eddie Wells'- Was he related to Theresa above? He appears in one Danziger film ('The Depraved' 1956) and in at least one story from each of the earlier series of Mark Saber, often as a criminal! His mother was Lenore Coffee (1896-1984) - a Hollywood screen writer from the silent days to the 50's.She also provided the script outline for one Invisible Man episode. Apart from this series, Garry's only regular TV role was as "guard" in many Sir Lancelot stories.
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ROBERT ARDEN - co-star in Saber of London series 4.
Very many thanks to the late Robert Arden who wrote this affectionate tribute for my site in 2002 aged 80.

Well, it's all a long time ago now, but what I remember most about it was the low pay, the hard work, and what sheer fun it all was! The Danzigers, God Bless 'Em were always happy to corner cut. They did pay very badly, but all you had to do was call Eddie, tell him you were free and you were cast - no matter whether you were right or not for the particular role. Hardly anybody took the series seriously - not the Danziger Brothers, (of whom I have fond memories). Their attitude was -get the work done, but enjoy it. In Saber of London there were two constant directors - Ernie Morris (who had originally been a prop man) and Max Varnel (Max, the son of pre-war director Marcel Varnel) were more concerned with getting through as quickly as possible - quality was secondary to speed. The occasional director, Godfrey Grayson did try to infuse a little more thought and quality into his efforts, but even he was forced to compromise in order to complete the show in two and a half days! We worked Monday to Friday and occasionally on a Saturday if we needed to. Location work was also taken within the time allotted. We often shot location shots that the directors weren't sure they'd ever need - but made them visual (no dialogue - unless specifically needed) so they could be cut in to any episode - and in fact some of the shots turned up in variously different episodes. The lighting cameraman, Jimmy Wilson, was one of the best and had a facility that the Danzigers loved. He could work fast - and still be good.
Donald Gray was a pleasure to work with. No pretensions - a great sense of humour - and not a jealous actor. He would let you have a scene if he thought it was better to focus other than on him all the time. A Gentleman in every sense of the word. But a scary driver. We'd do some scenes in the Porsche, and my heart would sometimes be sitting in my mouth as at speed he would change gear with his one arm - no hand on the wheel, controlling the car with his knee. I still break out in a sweat when I think of it.
Quite well known actors turned up in the show, and some who were to become well known. Once you'd made an initial appearance, you could call the casting director - say you were free for ten days in May, and you'd be offered a role. Everybody moaned about the pay rate, but hardly anybody turned down the work. Editor John Bloom (Claire Bloom's brother -now working I think, in Hollywood) and the late Freddie Burnley - to become an accomplished documentary director for TV - worked long hours to get the shows finished and, as far as I remember, were never late in delivering the finished product.
The studios were custom built - and had a very pleasant atmsosphere as I recall. One had to trudge through mud to get to the main door for the stound stages, but eventually they had the front landscaped and it was just like one of Hollywood poverty row studios. After all these years I still remember the Danziger period of my professional life with a certain warm nostalgia. The studios at Elstree - specially built by Eddie and Harry - are gone - but the memories linger on.

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