"I have a hobby of reforming burglars."
Simon Templar, famously known as the Saint (Louis Hayward), returns to London from New York and learns that a woman he cared for, Julie (uncredited), has died in an accident, plunging her car off a bridge during a high-speed chase. Templar discovers that Julie had somehow gotten involved with a gang of gamblers who blackmailed people into working for them and conveniently resorted to murder for their ends. As Templar investigates -- to the chagrin of friendly adversary Chief Inspector Teal (Charles Victor) -- he encounters a woman named Carol (Naomi Chance of Wings of Danger) and a flirtatious hostess named Kate (Jane Carr), one or both of whom may be working for the mysterious boss of the gang. Templar also has a brief dalliance with a sluttish blonde acquaintance of the chief, an unnamed woman played by Diana Dors (who briefly livens up the picture but not enough to do it much good). William Russell, Fred Johnson and Sam Kydd also have supporting roles in this uninspired late Saint adventure that barely has any suspense or excitement. Hayward is fine as Templar and the other actors are all good.
Verdict: Distinctly minor fifties entry in the shady sleuth sub-genre. **.
Ahh, the Saint...George Sanders was my favorite, and didn't his lookalike/soundalike brother Tom Conway also play it? Hayward was good too, but as a child of the 60s-70s I also picture the elegant and gorgeous Roger Moore (also my favorite Bond). Though I love Val Kilmer, he was unmemorable in the role in the 1990s...it was not a good film.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bill, for educating us all on the impact of these long-running serials!!
-Chris
My pleasure! George Sanders also played the Falcon, a Saint knock-off (along with so many others), and Tom Conway took over that role as his real/fictional brother -- or something like that; I don't think Conway ever played the Saint.
ReplyDeleteI always thought that Conway was better-looking than his brother, but maybe it was just the mustache.
The Val Kilmer Saint movie was not that hot, you're right.
Thank you for the clarification!! Tom Conway played in the Falcon series, of course!
ReplyDeleteTom Conway played the Saint on the radio.
ReplyDeleteThank you -- Indeed he did! And other radio Saints included Barry Sullivan and no less than Vincent Price!
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