Louis Hayward

Naomi Chance

Sydney Tafler

Charles Victor

Jane Carr

Harold Lang

William Russell

Diana Dors

Fred Johnson

Thomas Gallagher

Russell Napier

Sam Kydd

John Wynn

George Margo

Ian Fleming

Ernest Blyth

Erik Chitty

Jack Mandeville

Bunny Seaman

Ian Selby

John Smart

Harry Van Engel

Ian Wilson

Ivor Slaney

Anthony Hinds

Leslie Charteris

James Needs

Seymour Friedman

Allan MacKinnon

Julian Lesser

John 'Pinky' Green

Bill Salter

Len Harris

J. Elder Wills

Nina Broe

Renée Glynne

Philip Leakey

Tom Friswell

Patrick Jenkins

Percy Britten

Harry Oakes

Jimmy Sangster

Walter J. Harvey

The Saint (RKO Radio Pictures) Collection

Mystery

Crime

Thriller

The Saint's Return

Hammer Film Productions

United Kingdom

English

gambling debt

murder

car accident

british noir

mob boss

illegal gambling

counterfeit money

the saint

Diverting final big screen outing for Simon Templar, fittingly played by the actor who began the series, Louis Hayward. The only one of the series made in England, it is populated by sleazy characters like Sydney Tafler, Harold Lang and Sam Kydd, all involved in the seedy gambling underworld of London. Hayward is a smooth charmer, as adept with his fists as he is with witty asides, as he doggedly gets to the bottom of a girlfriend's death. Although Naomi Chance makes for a charmless leading lady, Diana Dors does offer a sizzling single scene cameo. It took another decade before Roger Moore would revive and exemplify the character in a long-running TV series.

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I always felt that Louis Hayward did better with the swash and buckle that with an hat and raincoat, and back after fifteen years since his first outing as the eponymous detective he doesn't really manage to make much impact with this thinly spun drama. His ex-girfriend had send him a cryptic note asking for his help, but before he can meet her she has a fatal car accident. The police are content it was just an accident but he isn't and so together with his nimble-fisted valet "Hoppy" (Thomas Gallagher) determines to get to the bottom of things. Along the way, it becomes clear that there is some sinister goings-on and that the gambling, debt-laden, "Carol" (Naomi Chance) might be able to help out with their investigations into the nasty machinations of the underworld. There's a little gentle humour here but the rest of it is very by-the-numbers with a story that isn't the strongest. There's still a decent set of supporting characters and there's a slight twist at the end to make it worth a watch, but the "Saint" formula for the big screen is a bit tired now, and I doubt I'll remember it for long.

The Saint's Return( 1953)

BULLETS... BLONDES... AND BLACKMAIL

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A review by dennyjt

Written by dennyjt on Tue Aug 09 2022

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