Vendetta for the Saint

Ian Hendry, who plays Destamio here, was the original on the Avengers back in '61 (John Steed was his assistant), with the classic English accent. Yet here (as an Italian-American gangster), he produces the most tone-perfect Frank Sinatra imitation I've ever heard from a British actor.

When television shows becomes theatrical features, it's usually a cheat like in the case of THE SAINT two-part episode VENDETTA FOR THE SAINT, which, pieced together, becomes a 90-minute movie...

Although herein, there IS a kind of theatrical touch, for two reasons: villain Ian Hendry, as a mobster who was once someone else and now goes by a fake name while working as an aging/dying mob-boss's sophisticated, falsely-related henchman, is always great on both the big (GET CARTER) and small (THE AVENGERS to THE SWEENEY) screen...

But it's director Jim O'Connelly, mostly known for bringing Ray Harryhausen's dinosaurs to life in the novelty science-fiction western VALLEY OF GWANGI... before creating terrifically fast-paced theatrical noirish crime programmers THE TRAITORS, THE HI-JACKERS and SMOKESCREEN...

Moving Roger Moore along just the same in his career-making series that's otherwise mostly expository dialogue, here more action-oriented from beginning to end, getting in and out of trouble ranging from old antique dungeons to car chases and gun-play while protecting Hendry's gorgeously vulnerable pseudo-niece Rosemary Dexter and reluctant blonde mob moll Aimi MacDonald as, just as he would as 007, Moore's always perfect when traipsing around unexpected bulwarks at every turn.

The movie is a revenge movie starring Roger Moore, Ian Hendry, Rosemary Dexter, Aimi MacDonald and Maria Burke.

This is a revenge movie and a typical Dependent on Roger Moore and you will not get disappointed.

Acting of the central characters are good but support cast disappoints.

The movie is not long and is good. Direction is ok, screenplay is nice, location is again ok.

Overall a typical Roger Moore movie.

Worth seeing because of Aimi MacDonald's beautiful body. And Rosemary Dexter was sweet. Ian Hendry was a very good actor (especially in Polanski's "Repulsion"), and Roger Moore had his unique charm.

One of the true beauties of 60/70's Euro Cinema. Rosemary Dexter is in this, making it most worthwhile. I've read everything about her I can find. Very intriguing life.