"The Saint" Vendetta for the Saint: Part 1 (1969)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Jim O'Connolly

Writers:

Leslie Charteris (novel) and
Harry W. Junkin (screenplay)

TV Series:

"The Saint" (1962)

Original Air Date:

5 January 1969 (Season 6, Episode 15)

Genre:

Action | Crime

Tagline:

One man against the mighty mafia!

Plot:

Templar is having a drink at a bar in Naples when he witnesses a mêlée between two of the customers...

Plot Keywords:

The Saint | Independent Film | Based On Novel | Master Of Disguise | Famous Opening Theme

Cast

Roger Moore	...	Simon Templar / The Saint
Ian Hendry	...	Alessandro Destamio
Rosemary Dexter	...	Gina Destamio
Aimi MacDonald	...	Lily
George Pastell	...	Marco Ponti
Marie Burke	...	Donna Maria Destamio
Finlay Currie	...	Don Pasquale
Fulton Mackay	...	James Euston
Alex Scott	...	The Major
Peter Madden	...	Lo Zio
Anthony Newlands	...	The Doctor
Guy Deghy	...	Maresciallo
Edward Evans	...	The Bank Manager
Eileen Way	...	The Maid
Peter Kristof	...	Giorgio

Runtime:

95 min | 94 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

A.B.P. Studios, London, England, UK

Company:

Incorporated Television Company (ITC)

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Return to the Edge of the World (1978)

VENDETTA FOR THE SAINT (Jim O’Connolly, 1969) **1/2

Given director O’Connolly’s background in B-movies, he perhaps results in being more at ease with the low-budget requirements of this one (emanating from its TV origins): nevertheless, it effectively utilizes several European locations – including passing off Malta (even my hometown puts in a prominent appearance during a scuffle 20 minutes into the film!) as Palermo; incidentally, star Roger Moore would also come over here for the WWI adventure SHOUT AT THE DEVIL (1976) – incidentally, both films were made at a time when my country was still a British colony.

Anyway, the plot finds Simon Templar facing off with the Mafia – but, at the same time, aiding their cause by uncovering an imposter in their midst (at a rather precarious time for them, since they’re being assembled to elect a new Don). The accents throughout are fairly risible, though Ian Hendry is decent as a would-be mobster…but, then, Finlay Currie plays the dying Mafia head?! As was the case with THE FICTION-MAKERS (1968), The Saint is romanced and helped by a couple of girls – one of whom is Hendry’s moll and the other (played by lovely Rosemary Dexter) his niece. Despite her English-sounding name, the latter was actually Pakistani by birth and, curiously enough, most of her career was spent in Italian exploitation fare (her facial features looked familiar enough but, frankly, I had forgotten all about her appearance in Jess Franco’s MARQUIS DE SADE’S JUSTINE [1968] myself!).

Resolving itself into a number of confrontations and chases, the narrative obviously takes an altogether different route from its caper-type predecessor – and manages to be more involving by having the hero make a personal issue out of the case (hence the title). Even so, I have to admit that his characterization isn’t very clearly defined – certainly not in the way James Bond was (or would be for Moore when he took the role himself)…and it doesn’t help, either, that I haven’t watched the 1997 big-screen incarnation of Leslie Charteris’ creation directed by Phillip Noyce and starring Val Kilmer!