The Vise (later known as Saber of London, also known as Mark Saber) is a British detective TV drama series starring Donald Gray as Mark Saber. It was produced by the Danzigers and broadcast on ABC (1955–1957) and then moved to NBC (1957–1960). The series is a reboot of the ABC Mystery Theater radio and television series. It mostly ran during prime time in the late 1950s.
Background
ABC had originally broadcast a radio and television series called ABC Mystery Theater from 1951 to 1954. In the television series, Mark Saber was played by Tom Conway, a British detective working in an American homicide department, with James Burke as his assistant, Tim Maloney.
The series ended in June 1954. The sponsor, Sterling Drug, had shown repeats of Inspector Mark Saber the previous year and had kept the Friday 9:30 p.m. slot on ABC-TV for the fall, so a new series was needed.
The Danziger brothers began making the new series in England for Sterling Drug, to fill the Friday 9:30 p.m. slot on ABC-TV. It was originally called "Action", their second television series after Mayfair Mystery House, and was renamed The Vise in September 1954.
Cast Per listing in The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present and Encyclopedia of Earth Television Crime Fighters: Donald Gray as Mark Saber Michael Balfour as Barney O'Keefe, Saber's assistant (1955–56) Teresa Thorne as Judy (1958) Diana Decker as Stephanie Ames, Saber's secretary and assistant (1956–57) Neil McCallum as Pete Paulson, Saber's assistant (1957–58) Gordon Tanner as Larry Nelson, Saber's assistant (1958) Robert Arden as Bob Page, Saber's assistant (1958–1960) Colin Tapley as Inspector Parker (1957–1960)
Production
The series was produced by Edward J. and Harry Lee Danziger as a half-hour anthology. The first season, then called Action, was set up at M-G-M British Sudios in Borehamwood, with shooting to start August 16, 1954, with David MacDonald directing, on a further order of 26 telefilms for Sterling Drug. The first 12 episodes were finished by September 22, 1954, and the majority of season 1 was made at M-G-M British.
The second season continued as an anthology but was made at other studios as the Danzigers rented space around London. "Death Walks by Night" was made at Brighton Studios, and in March 1955 the trade noted "Newcomers to Pinewood Studios are the Danziger Brothers who are making a series of 20 minute shorts." "Bond of Hate" (production 45) was made at Twickenham Studios in April 1955.
In 1955, coinciding with the construction of their own studio, the Danzigers changed the format of The Vise from an anthology series to a standard format mystery series completely dedicated to the Mark Saber stories. They rebooted the Mark Saber drama and television series that was running on ABC in the US. Saber, portrayed by Donald Gray, was now a one-armed private detective in London and would be solving mysteries occurring in the UK as well as in Paris and the Riviera. Instead of Maloney, Saber had various assistants. Gray himself was also an amputee.
Screenplays were written by Mark Grantham, Brian Clemens, and others. Episodes were formatted for the half-hour time slot, with two episodes shot every five days. In an interview with Wheeler Winston Dixon, Clemens said that in the four years he wrote for the show, he only went on set with the Danzigers about eight times. The budgets for the episodes were about £17,000 for a feature, and shooting took about 8–10 days. Donald Gray told the press in 1957: "We turn out each film in 2½ days. Sometimes, we're so pressed for time, we film the rehearsals."
The Danzigers moved on to another series while still in production on Saber of London. In late 1958 they were filming Caesar Smith—Interpol Agent with a batch of 39 reported in January 1959. The February 1959 second feature The Great Van Robbery, with Denis Shaw as "Caesar Smith, an Interpol detective from Scotland Yard," served as pilot, before the project was expanded as The Man from Interpol with Richard Wyler in mid-1959. The series was also bought by Sterling Drug and ran on NBC, Saturdays at 10:30 p.m., from January 30, 1960.
British quota registration
Like the Danziger's Calling Scotland Yard / Adventure Theater, The Vise, an anthology produced for US television, episodes were registered with the Board of Trade as British quota films and released theatrically in the UK as supporting shorts and as two-part and three-part compilation features.
Title Board of Trade registration Length Compilation Registered by / Made by The Yellow Robe 31 Jan 1955 4555 ft The Yellow Robe + Set a Murderer Associated British-Pathe Ltd. / Danziger Productions Ltd.Board of Trade Journal – 5 February 1955 – The Yellow Robe (31 Jan) 4555ft – (The Yellow Robe and Set a Murder), registered by Associated British-Pathe Ltd., made by Danziger Productions Ltd. Retrieved from archive.org The Final Column 2 Mar 1955 4562 ft The Final Column + Dr. Damon's Experiment Associated British-Pathe Ltd. / Danziger Productions Ltd.Board of Trade Journal – 12 March 1955 – The Final Column (2 Mar) 4562ft – (Kine Weekly: The Final Column and Dr. Damon's Experiment), registered by Associated British-Pathe Ltd., made by Danziger Productions Ltd. Retrieved from archive.org Three Cornered Fate 4 Mar 1955 6822 ft The Cruel Test + The Fair and the Fallen + Death on the Boards Paramount Film Services Ltd. / Danziger Productions Ltd.Board of Trade Journal – 12 March 1955 – Three Cornered Fate (4 Mar) 6822ft – (Elm Street: The Cruel Test, The Fair and the Fallen & Death on the Boards), registered by Paramount Film Services Ltd., made by Danziger Productions Ltd. Retrieved from archive.org The Eavesdroppers 12 Mar 1955 2318 ft single Paramount Film Services Ltd. / Danziger Productions Ltd. The Benevolent Burglar 12 Mar 1955 2367 ft single Paramount Film Services Ltd. / Danziger Productions Ltd. Dress Rehearsal 15 Mar 1955 2287 ft single Paramount Film Services Ltd. / Danziger Productions Ltd. Triple Blackmail 15 Mar 1955 6813 ft Behind the Mask + The Deception + Broken Honeymoon Paramount Film Services Ltd. / Danziger Productions Ltd.Board of Trade Journal – 19 March 1955 – The Eavesdroppers (12 Mar) 2318ft, The Benevolent Burglar (12 Mar) 2367ft, Dress Rehearsal (15 Mar) 2287ft, Triple Blackmail (15 Mar) 6813ft – (Elm Street: Behind the Mask, The Deception & Broken Honeymoon), all registered by Paramount Film Services Ltd., made by Danziger Productions Ltd. Retrieved from archive.org The Gamblers 19 Mar 1955 2337 ft single Paramount Film Services Ltd. / Danziger Productions Ltd. The Secret Place 19 Mar 1955 2335 ft single Paramount Film Services Ltd. / Danziger Productions Ltd. The Eighth Window 19 Mar 1955 2296 ft single Paramount Film Services Ltd. / Danziger Productions Ltd.Board of Trade Journal – 22 March 1955 – The Gamblers (19 Mar) 2337ft, The Secret Place (19 Mar) 2335ft, The Eighth Window (19 Mar) 2296ft, registered by Paramount Film Services Ltd., made by Danziger Productions Ltd. Retrieved from archive.org Let Murder Be Done 25 Mar 1955 2414 ft single United Artists Corp. Ltd. / Danziger Productions Ltd.Board of Trade Journal – 2 April 1955 – Let Murder Be Done (25 Mar) 2414ft, registered by United Artists Corp. Ltd., made by Danziger Productions Ltd. Retrieved from archive.org The Corpse in Room 13 15 Mar 1955 2264 ft single Renown Pictures Corp. Ltd. / Danziger Productions Ltd. The Lucky Man 15 Mar 1955 2414 ft single Renown Pictures Corp. Ltd. / Danziger Productions Ltd. Price of Greed 31 Mar 1955 6363 ft The Rattan Trunk + The Serpent Beneath + The Better Chance United Artists Corp. Ltd. / Danziger Productions Ltd. Diamond Expert 31 Mar 1955 4438 ft Gabriel's Choice + The Diamond Expert United Artists Corp. Ltd. / Danziger Productions Ltd. Man in Demand 31 Mar 1955 4394 ft Man in Demand + Price of Vanity United Artists Corp. Ltd. / Danziger Productions Ltd. The Homing Chinaman 31 Mar 1955 2265 ft single United Artists Corp. Ltd. / Danziger Productions Ltd. Double Pay Off 31 Mar 1955 2141 ft single United Artists Corp. Ltd. / Danziger Productions Ltd. Death Walks by Night 31 Mar 1955 2272 ft single Republic Pictures International Inc. (Gt. Britain) / Danziger Productions Ltd. The Very Silent Traveller 31 Mar 1955 2343 ft single Republic Pictures International Inc. (Gt. Britain) / Danziger Productions Ltd. Stranglehold 31 Mar 1955 2252 ft single Republic Pictures International Inc. (Gt. Britain) / Danziger Productions Ltd. Murder of a Ham 31 Mar 1955 2221 ft single Republic Pictures International Inc. (Gt. Britain) / Danziger Productions Ltd. Diplomatic Error 31 Mar 1955 2307 ft single Republic Pictures International Inc. (Gt. Britain) / Danziger Productions Ltd. Count of Twelve 1 Apr 1955 4583 ft Count of Twelve + Blind Man's Bluff Associated British-Pathe Ltd. / Danziger Productions Ltd. One Just Man 1 Apr 1955 4551 ft One Just Man + Death Pays no Dividends Associated British-Pathe Ltd. / Danziger Productions Ltd. The Week-End Guest 1 Apr 1955 2284 ft single Associated British-Pathe Ltd. / Danziger Productions Ltd. The Imperfect Gentleman 1 Apr 1955 2275 ft single Associated British-Pathe Ltd. / Danziger Productions Ltd. Account Closed 1 Apr 1955 2275 ft single Associated British-Pathe Ltd. / Danziger Productions Ltd. Fame and the Fury 1 Apr 1955 2265 ft single Associated British-Pathe Ltd. / Danziger Productions Ltd. The Schemer 1 Apr 1955 2241 ft single Associated British-Pathe Ltd. / Danziger Productions Ltd. Ring of Greed 1 Apr 1955 2204 ft single Associated British-Pathe Ltd. / Danziger Productions Ltd.Board of Trade Journal – 9 April 1955 – The Corpse in Room 13 (15 Mar) 2264ft, The Lucky Man (15 Mar) 2414ft – Renown; Price of Greed (31 Mar) 6363ft, Diamond Expert (31 Mar) 4438ft, Man in Demand (31 Mar) 4394ft, The Homing Chinaman (31 Mar) 2265ft, Double Pay Off (31 Mar) 2141ft – United Artists; Death Walks by Night (31 Mar) 2272ft, The Very Silent Traveller (31 Mar) 2343ft, Stranglehold (31 Mar) 2252ft, Murder of a Ham (31 Mar) 2221ft, Diplomatic Error (31 Mar) 2307ft – Republic; Count of Twelve (1 Apr) 4583ft, One Just Man (1 Apr) 4551ft, The Week-End Guest (1 Apr) 2284ft, The Imperfect Gentleman (1 Apr) 2275ft, Account Closed (1 Apr) 2275ft, Fame and the Fury (1 Apr) 2265ft, The Schemer (1 Apr) 2241ft, Ring of Greed (1 Apr) 2204ft – Associated British-Pathe; all made by Danziger Productions Ltd. Retrieved from archive.org
United Kingdom television
In the United Kingdom the 61 episodes of the first two seasons of The Vise, were syndicated under two titles, The Crooked Path and Tension.
The Crooked Path 26 episodes were shown on British television as The Crooked Path. These comprised most of season 2, excluding The Corpse in Room 13, which had been sold to Renown Pictures for theatrical release, and Dead Man's Evidence, which has not been traced in British newspaper listings. All five theatrical releases purchased by Republic Pictures were included, including The Very Silent Traveler and Murder of a Ham from season 1.UK television listings for The Crooked Path via britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk – first listing 15 September 1959, last listings December 1965.
Tension 35 episodes were shown as Tension. comprising 34 episodes from season 1 and The Corpse in Room 13 from season 2.UK television listings for Tension via britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk – first listings June 1962, last listings late 1963.
Four episodes have not been traced in British newspaper listings under either title – The Eavesdropper, The Yellow Robe and Account Closed from season 1, and Dead Man's Evidence from season 2.Search of britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk June 1962 – December 1965 for Tension and September 1959 – December 1965 for The Crooked Path – no listings traced for The Yellow Robe, Account Closed and Dead Man's Evidence.
Mark Saber