Le Saint reprend du service

Saint Takes Over, The (1940)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Fifth film in RKO's series has George Sanders once again returning as The Saint. This time out his buddy is accused of a crime he didn't commit and disgraced so The Saint comes back to America to clear his name. While all of this is going on, we have a female going around seeking vengeance for the death of her brother but that's not all because mobsters are tied into a robbery. I must admit upfront that I haven't been overly impressed with any of the films from the series that Sanders has appeared in. I think the original film in the series was good but the three sequels were all fair at best. I'd call this one of the best of the Sanders films but it really starts off quite boring as the film spends way too much time trying to set up its story instead of delivering the goods. The second half of the film really picks up and leads to a nice ending and I really wish the first half had moved as well as the second. The highlight of the film is a scene where The Saint and a couple other men are trying to scare a confession out of a man but of course things don't go as planned. Sanders also delivers the best performance I've seen from him in the series and it's backed by a good music score.

George Sanders and Wendy Barrie sit at the bar discussing a man in trouble. "Maybe he needs a guardian angel," suggests Sanders. "Or a patron saint," she replies. He pauses and squints at her: "Aren't they just about the same?"

Sanders is back as Simon Templar in this darker-than-usual Saint entry. Wendy Barrie is a fellow traveler whom Templar rescues from card sharps on board ship—and who turns out to be involved in the very case that has brought the Saint to New York once again.

The Saint's old friend and sometime nemesis Inspector Fernack is at the center of this plot—framed by mobsters who have planted $50,000 in his safe, Fernack is on suspension from the force. Jonathan Hale is strong as usual as Fernack, this time appreciative (mostly) of Templar's arrival on the scene to assist him.

Barrie's excellent performance—as a strong but sad, even tragic, figure—helps distinguish this film as one of the best in the Saint series. The interplay between Barrie and Sanders is especially good; while the plot may look like a formula B mystery, these are two highly skilled actors offering full performances.

Neatly constructed, it's an efficient but polished production. This is a good one.

P.S. Lest I give the idea that this movie is overly grim, I should mention that Paul Guilfoyle is quite good as a not very bright safecracker….and that any B movie fan will smile to see the great Cy Kendall listed in the opening credits as "Cyrus W. Kendall."

"The Saint Takes Over" stars George Sanders as Simon Templar, aka "The Saint" in this 1940 entry into the series. It also stars Wendy Barrie, Jonathan Hale and Paul Guilfoyle. On board ship en route to the U.S., The Saint meets and tries to make time with a woman (Wendy Barrie) who gives him the brushoff. Simon is coming to New York to help Inspector Fernack, now thoroughly discredited due to a gangster frame-up; $50,000 was found in his home. The gangster, Rocky (Roland Drew), of course, was found not guilty at trial, and he and his fellow mobsters pay the bill for the frame and attorney representation - $90,000 in total. Today you need that to defend yourself against a parking ticket. This was a murder rap.

Rocky sends his bodyguard, Pearly Gates (Guilfoyle) to the lawyer's house to steal the $90,000 from the safe. The attorney catches him red-handed and sends him back to his boss with a message. Seconds later, he's dead. Rocky meets a similar fate. And on and on - who's killing this group of gangsters? The Saint has to get one of them to talk so that Fernack can be cleared - can he get to anyone before they're murdered? The woman he met on board ship reappears and figures prominently in the case.

Few actors have a way with a line like George Sanders, and his dry wit, good looks, smooth voice and depth as an actor suit Simon Templar perfectly. Paul Guilfoyle provides some humor as the nervous, milk drinking Pearly Gates, and Jonathan Hale is great as the sometimes exasperated but worried sick Inspector Fernack. Wendy Barrie, who appeared in many Saint episodes, is very good as the woman who captures Simon's heart.

Very enjoyable.

George Sanders is my favorite saint. But some of the movies are a bit weak, usually the plot.

In this movie, the plot is about as good as you can expect from the RKO saint movies. It mostly makes sense, unlike some of them.

Paul Guifoyle (sp?) is back in this one, and that's a good thing. I really enjoy his comedic style at times. It's hard not to smile at his funny expressions and mispronunciations (does anyone else wonder where the gangster henchman habit of butchering pronunciations came from?)

Wendy Barrie is not too bad. I wish she had better lines or something, but it's not bad.

The usual Fernack(sp?) is present, and again, that's a good thing. I feel he should be a bit brighter given that he's a police detective, but I guess the dumb cop/detective is an old stereotype. Anyway, the saint is a bit like Bugs Bunny where his superiority is contrasted to idiots - so again, a tried and true stereotype.

As I say, this is one of my favorites. It's light, it moves right along, has the comic elements and the entertaining Sanders as saint.

This is a better-than-average entry in the Saint series - It holds your interest and, as mysteries should, keeps you guessing until the end and has several suspects to choose from.

Many films from the Golden Age are not for all tastes, especially younger viewers. They date themselves by clothing, cars, settings, etc. Who nowadays asks for a highball? Or wears a suit and tie everywhere? And the legal process was so much simpler - must have been a dearth of lawyers back then. Frankly, much of value is missing from those days.

In any case, go with it and enjoy. It's good - in an old-fashioned sense.