Le Saint à Londres

Forget Val Kilmer -- to find out what the Saint is all about, watch this entry, or 1938's Saint in New York or 1941's The Saint's Vacation. These three are closer to Charteris's literary creation (with Ian Ogilvy's TV series, Return of The Saint, in the late Seventies) than anything else. As Simon Templar, George Sanders is ruthless, cool, clinical and just on the right side of legality by a cat's whisker. Directed by John Paddy Carstairs (whom Leslie Charteris dedicated a book of short stories to 'for all the nice things he's (sic) done for the Saint)), the only director to work on both the films and the Roger Moore TV series, this hits the spot in a way most other entires don't. While Moore made the character his own, no one played Charteris's Saint better than Sanders on screen and Vincent Price on radio. Do youself a favour and watch this film to find out why.

The third in RKO's series about Simon Templar, aka The Saint, wonderfully played by the charming George Sanders. This one has The Saint battling counterfeiters while dealing with a rich girl who wants in on the action. David Burns plays an American pickpocket who acts as the Saint's sidekick. Presumably someone thought the contrast between Burns' "dem mugs" Dugan and Sanders' eloquent and sophisticated Simon Templar would be funny. It is amusing for a minute then Burns wears out his welcome. Ralph Truman and Henry Oscar are formidable foes for our hero. Presumably because of the London setting, Jonathan Hale's Inspector Fernack is absent in this one. He's missed. Inspector Teal is the English equivalent, played by Gordon McLeod. He would return in the later Saint films starring Hugh Sinclair. Anything with Sanders is worth watching but this is one of my least favorite Saint films. It's slow-going and not terribly compelling.

Society girl Penny Parker (Sally Gray) describes what she has heard about the Saint: "He's supposed to be tall and handsome, and he's supposed to have a cross-shaped scar...." She pauses as Simon Templar, with whom she has been dancing, reaches over to light her cigarette, baring his right wrist. She takes a glance and coolly resumes: "A cross-shaped scar on his right wrist."

George Sanders is back as Simon Templar in this easygoing mystery. Sally Gray and David Burns are his two loyal sidekicks: the three leads together make up a fun trio—as different as can be, and yet enjoying each other's company immensely.

Gray is the girl who begins tagging along after Templar pretty much as soon as she realizes his identity, offering assistance, getting in the way, and saving his life once or twice. Burns is fun as Dugan, the American ex-convict (from Leavenworth, not Sing Sing!) who hires on as Templar's valet and performs various duties. Part comic relief, part right hand man, Dugan has a clear philosophy: "Me? I figure to do just like I'm told, and then maybe muscle in on the fireworks later on."

The mystery plot itself is nothing spectacular; it follows a high class gang's scheme to print off a large stack of foreign money, and the Saint's efforts to ferret out and capture their leader, Bruno Lang (played with suave nastiness by Henry Oscar).

My favorite line: Penny Parker explaining to Dugan that the Saint isn't really a criminal…. "He's more like a sort of Robin Hood." "Yeah?" Dugan snaps suspiciously. "Who's this guy Hood?"

Overall, it's simple but lots of fun, with Sanders excellent as always as the irresistible Simon Templar.

George Sanders is "The Saint in London," having just returned from New York. This time he's involved in stopping a gang's attempt to steal one million pounds in foreign currency and take it out of the country. Along the way, the consulate from that country is forced to authorize the currency production. He gets away from his captors and is picked up by the Saint, but eventually dies.

The Saint has an entanglement with Inspector Claud Teal, who nevertheless works with him. And there's a lovely woman in the picture, played by Sally Gray, who insists on being part of the caper.

George Sanders was a wonderful actor and gives The Saint a lightness and smoothness, so the movie flows beautifully. It's not much of a story, but the characterizations and Sanders' performance carry it. Recommended for a fun, breezy watch.

Though the plot of "The Saint in London" does lack the elements of a true mystery, the players find the right sense of whimsy needed for this sort of light caper movie. The interplay between Sanders as Simon Templar and Sally Gray as his new-found female helper reminds me a little of the wonderful back-and-forth between John Steed and Emma Peel in the original Avengers series. This movie won't keep you on the edge of your seat, but it might cause you to sit back in the chair and just enjoy yourself for a while.