Vendetta for the Saint

Roger Moore once commented that although The Saint was often set in exotic locations, he hardly ever left the studio. This edition is an exception. It was set in Sicily with plenty of outdoor action to prove it. Except it isn't. It was clearly filmed on the small, sunny island about 70 miles south of Sicily. Malta. Having been to Malta numerous times it was easy to spot many Maltese tourist attractions. As for the story this is a two parter put together to make one film. It sees our hero going after the next head of the Mafia, with the help, naturally, of two gorgeous women. It is entertaining enough, but for a double header the plot is a bit thin. As a child The Saint was my favourite show, and viewing them 50+ years later it is easy to mock the uncomplicated stories, poor production values and often wooden acting but I still love 'em.

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.

Originally a two parter on British television this was made into a movie for foreign movie goers. Simon Templar is going for a meal in an Italian restaurant in Italy when he gets involved in an altercation between Ian Hendry and Fulton McKay, McKay is murdered soon after. This gets Templars interest and he's soon on Destamio's (Hendry) tale. It appears that he is indeed Dino Cartelli who was involved in a bank robbery. Templar now gets involve in the murky world of the Mafiosi. This is an interesting and well acted tv thriller much in the Bond style which Moore would become famous for 4 years later. Excellent location work make this an enjoyable watch.

"Vendetta for the Saint" is a theatrical release which is actually made up of two episodes of the long-running British TV series "The Saint", starring Roger Moore.

The film begins with some poor schnook recognizing an old co-worker. However, Destamio (Ian Hendry) denies being this old friend....and he has his henchman beat up the guy! Simon Templar (Moore) sees this and intervenes. Some time after this, the poor schnook is murdered...and Simon knows that it was by Destamio's men. But why? Why murder someone just because they think you are someone else? Well, Simon decides to find out why and his trail takes him all the way to Palermo, Sicily...and for a meeting of the various godfathers to pick a new leader for the mob. And, Destamio is one of them. Can he manage to uncover the truth without meeting with an 'accident'?

The integration of the two episodes was seamless...so I assume the shows were originally a two-parter. Regardless, it makes for an interesting story and the Italian locaiton is a plus. Well worth seeing...especially since it feels almost like a James Bond flick.

Simon Templar is on holiday in Naples when a small uproar on a lunch table draws his attention. An English tourist attempts to greet an Italian businessman as an old friend, but the Italian refuses to acknowledge the greeting and claims never to have met him.

The Vendetta for the Saint is a feature version of a two-part episode of THE SAINT, and it's quite an enjoyable watch. Roger Moore charismatically dons the halo as he takes on Ian Hendry, a fake mafia don, dodging a bomb device placed in his car, almost getting injected with scopolamine and running around the Palermo countryside hunted by Hendry's goons. There's some good fights, nice location. If you're fan of the Saint series, you would naturally like this.