The Saint's Double Trouble (1940)

An enigmatic gang leader known as "The Boss," who is a dead-ringer for Simon, puts "The Saint" under suspicion of murder.

Director:

Jack Hively

Writers:

Ben Holmes (screenplay), Leslie Charteris (from the story by)

Stars:

George Sanders, Helene Whitney, Jonathan Hale

Cast

Complete credited cast:
George Sanders	...	Simon Templar aka The Saint / 'Boss' Duke Bates
Helene Whitney	...	Anne Bitts
Jonathan Hale	...	Inspector Henry Fernack
Bela Lugosi	...	Partner
Donald MacBride	...	Inspector John H. Bohlen
John F. Hamilton	...	Limpy
Thomas W. Ross	...	Professor Horatio T. Bitts
Elliott Sullivan	...	Monk 'Warren'

Storyline

Simon has arranged to send a rare mummy of a pharaoh from Cairo to Phildelphia to his good friend, Keystone University archeology professor Horatio Bitts, whose beautiful daughter does not escape The Saint's attention. Ruthless gang leader Duke Bates, known as "The Boss," is a dead ringer for Simon and a notorious jewel smuggler who uses the mummy to disguise a cache of illegal diamonds. After Bates murders a shady jewel cutter and the professor, Simon finds himself under suspicion... even by his old friend, Inspector Fernack.

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Plot Keywords:

the saint | diamond | mummy | jewel | murder | 

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Taglines:

MASTER CRIMINAL MEETS HIS MATCH! All-new thrills on the double-quick as he tricks slick sleuths.

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Genres:

Crime | Mystery | Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 January 1940 (USA)

Also Known As:

El nuevo caso del Santo

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

67 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Egyptian King Amenok III, said to have died 4000 years earlier, is entirely fictitious.

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Goofs

When a bullet is shot through the side of the speedboat carrying Templar, the depth of the hole from the inside angle close-ups is nowhere as low as it would have to be near the waterline to take on water as obvious from the medium shots of the outside of the boat.

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Quotes

Simon Templar aka The Saint: [as "The Boss' to his gang] I've decided he looks a little too much like me to have us both around at the same time.

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Connections

References The Saint in London (1939)

User Reviews

Will interest only Saint fans

Unlike James Bond, the equally debonair Saint never made a successful transition to film from the fictional works of Leslie Charteris. Charteris hated all the film Saints - George Sanders, Hugh Sinclair and Leslie Howard. He thought that Cary Grant was the ideal choice for the role. But in the 1940s, the film industry would only make B-movies featuring the Saint. Since Cary Grant did not appear in B-movies, George Sanders got the role. He was popular in it at that time. Sanders always played suave cads extremely well. The Saint of the novels was also a suave cad, yet his creator did not approve of George Sanders. Charteris probably disliked Sanders because the latter did not physically resemble his creation. Roger Moore, the Saint of the small screen, came much closer to Charteris' ideal.

"The Saint's Double Trouble" is worth watching if you are Saint fan. If you like the sneering, sardonic George Sanders like I do, you will like it.

(Reviewed by Sundar Narayan)