The Saint Takes Over

Plot synopsis:
On an ocean liner making its way to New York, Simon Templar (George Sanders), "the Saint", rescues a fellow passenger (Wendy Barrie) from card cheats, though she refuses to give him her name and is offended when he kisses her without invitation. He later sends the mysterious woman a rose corsage by way of apology.
The Saint learns that his friendly nemesis, Inspector Henry Farnack (Jonathan Hale), has been suspended from the police force after $50,000 was found in his safe. He has been framed by "Big" Ben Egan (Pierre Watkin) on behalf of his race-fixing gang, which Fernack was investigating. The other members of the gang - "Rocky" Weldon (Roland Drew), Leo Sloan (Robert Emmett Keane), Sam Reese (Morgan Conway) and Max Bremer (Cy Kendall) - each pay a quarter share of the $90,000 cost of the frameup. Rocky himself has just been cleared in a trial after the testimony of his bodyguard, Clarence "Pearly" Gates (Paul Guilfoyle) and the murder of the main prosecution witness, Johnny Summers.
Egan orders two henchmen to pick up the woman passenger when the ship arrives. Fortunately, Templar is able to foil them, and the woman drives off in a taxi. Templar goes to see Fernack. Weldon sends Gates to rob Egan, but Egan catches the safe cracker. At gunpoint, Gates confesses that Welden sent him. Egan orders him to lure his boss into a trap, but after Gates leaves, an unseen shooter kills Egan. Templar and Fernack meet when they both sneak into Egan's place. The Saint finds the hidden camera and later develops the photograph. He also picks up a clue, a rose petal.
Welden assumes Gates killed Egan and has the $90,000, despite Gates' protestations. Templar blackmails Gates into helping him in exchange for not giving the police the photograph and telling Weldon that Gates does not have the money. However, when they go to see Weldon, they find him dead, and once again, Fernack is already there.
Templar, assisted by Gates, kidnaps Sloan, the most likely of the survivors to talk, but they are followed. When Templar leaves Sloan guarded by Fernack, Sloan is shot and killed through Fernack's basement window. They take the body back to Sloan's place, but the suspicious police burst in and take them by surprise. Only Templar manages to escape.
He waits for the murderer in Reese's apartment (Bremer being out of town). He is unsurprised when the woman shows up. It is his fellow ship passenger Ruth Summers (Wendy Barrie), Johnny's sister, out for revenge. He offers to help her. Templar has Gates "betray" him to Bremer and Reese. They catch him searching Bremer's office. He offers to trade the $90,000 for his life, but insists they tell him everything. Their unwitting confessions are broadcast to the police via a hidden microphone and radio transmitter. When the police arrive, Bremer escapes by the fire escape. In the alley, he encounters Ruth. Each fatally shoots the other. Ruth makes a deathbed confession to the three previous murders, then dies before Templar can tell her something important.

Tags: revenge, murder

Review:
Enjoyable entry in the Saint series.
Excellent entry in the RKO Saint series with well-written original script, good camera work and transitions, good directing to handle some twists in the plot, good editing to keep the flow constant, and good acting.
George Sanders is suave and witty.
Jonathan Hale simply is Inspector Fernack.
Paul Guilfoyle plays a mobster who goes straight (and drinks milk) because he cannot take the pressure.
He will return in a later entry in the series.
Story begins on an ocean liner headed to the U.S. where the Saint meets but cannot connect with Wendie Barrie.
The Saint assists Inspector Fernack clear his name from a frame.
Good entertainment and above average for this type of film.
This nifty little movie demonstrates the rock-solid virtues of a time, place and kind of masculine strength that we no longer have or even aspire to have.
George Sanders is so charming and, yes, low-key that all that talent, smarts, physical presence and above all, masculinity, seem, well, almost normal.
George Clooney can not begin to master the scene as Mr. Sanders does (and does without Mr. Clooney's mugging).He could play a sniveler (witness The Ghost and Mrs. Muir and Rebecca) but when he was good, he was very, very good.
George Sanders playing the Saint for the penultimate time does a good job out of a good script - with the usual good RKO cast around.
It's a non-Charteris story too, bristling with murders and good clean fun.Thread 1: In New York, Police Inspector Fernack, Templar's friend is framed in a corruption scandal and disgraced - ST comes over from London to try to put things right.
Thread 2: Another tale of a woman taking revenge on the people who murdered her brother, Wendy Barrie does well in bumping off some nasty men and having the Saint fall in love with her to boot.
Including a baddie who was under their direct protection and in Fernack's cellar - there's a creepy shot of him (dead and staring) and them in a car when they're taking him back to where they'd got him.
Paul Guilfoyle as Pearly Gates must have supposed to have been homosexual in this - witness the dressing gown at the beginning, and the later beguiling comment by ST that he was thinking of keeping him as a pet - and did too for "Palm Springs"!
Fernack was played by Jonathan Hale as usual but this time with such a beaten deflated attitude that what he really needed was a good slapping from Templar to liven him up.The Hays Office also made sure you got the picture right, all threads are tied up with no straggly bits.
Well worth watching for all of us who like this kind of thing, but if Val Kilmer's version is your yardstick then don't bother..
This is a better-than-average entry in the Saint series - It holds your interest and, as mysteries should, keeps you guessing until the end and has several suspects to choose from.Many films from the Golden Age are not for all tastes, especially younger viewers.
George Sanders and Wendy Barrie sit at the bar discussing a man in trouble.
He pauses and squints at her: "Aren't they just about the same?" Sanders is back as Simon Templar in this darker-than-usual Saint entry.
Wendy Barrie is a fellow traveler whom Templar rescues from card sharps on board ship—and who turns out to be involved in the very case that has brought the Saint to New York once again.
The Saint's old friend and sometime nemesis Inspector Fernack is at the center of this plot—framed by mobsters who have planted $50,000 in his safe, Fernack is on suspension from the force.
Jonathan Hale is strong as usual as Fernack, this time appreciative (mostly) of Templar's arrival on the scene to assist him.
Barrie's excellent performance—as a strong but sad, even tragic, figure—helps distinguish this film as one of the best in the Saint series.
The interplay between Barrie and Sanders is especially good; while the plot may look like a formula B mystery, these are two highly skilled actors offering full performances.
This is a good one.P.S. Lest I give the idea that this movie is overly grim, I should mention that Paul Guilfoyle is quite good as a not very bright safecracker.and that any B movie fan will smile to see the great Cy Kendall listed in the opening credits as "Cyrus W.
Solid and lively entry in the series that will please fans.
Simon Templar (aka The Saint) decides to go and help when he reads that acquaintance Inspector Henry Fernack has been dropped from the police force for not being able to explain the thousands and thousands of dollars that had been found in his safe.
He starts to investigate the suspicion that Fernack was actually set-up by a group of mobsters, eager to get him off their backs in regards a race fixing ring they have going.
The more Templar pushes to help his friend though, the more the bodies start to pile up  ironically mostly pointing to Fernack as the murderer.After getting a couple of episodes out under Sanders' control, the Saint series started to make me forget that I had enjoyed the original portrayal by Hayward a lot more than the later films.
As a result I enjoyed this Saint film more than I had the last couple I'd watched.
It may have also helped that the plot was an original tale (as opposed to an adaptation from Charteris' novels) and that it involved a lot more murders and mystery than other films.
This isn't to say that it is brilliant because it is still very much fitting with the b-movie serial feel that the series generally had although it had enough movement to it to keep me watching.Sanders is quite enjoyable and the tone of the series seems to have mellowed to better suit his cool, smooth delivery and style  which is a shame in my opinion but I'll try not to bang on about it.
He leads the film nicely although he does tend to suck the urgency and tension out of the story by being so laid back all the time.
Support from regulars Hale and Barrie is good along with some nice touches from Guilfoyle and a few others.Overall this is an enjoyable and quite lively entry in the series that will please fans of The Saint and The Falcon.
The Saint helps a framed inspector and falls in love.
"The Saint Takes Over" stars George Sanders as Simon Templar, aka "The Saint" in this 1940 entry into the series.
It also stars Wendy Barrie, Jonathan Hale and Paul Guilfoyle.
On board ship en route to the U.S., The Saint meets and tries to make time with a woman (Wendy Barrie) who gives him the brushoff.
Simon is coming to New York to help Inspector Fernack, now thoroughly discredited due to a gangster frame-up; $50,000 was found in his home.
The gangster, Rocky (Roland Drew), of course, was found not guilty at trial, and he and his fellow mobsters pay the bill for the frame and attorney representation - $90,000 in total.
This was a murder rap.Rocky sends his bodyguard, Pearly Gates (Guilfoyle) to the lawyer's house to steal the $90,000 from the safe.
The Saint has to get one of them to talk so that Fernack can be cleared - can he get to anyone before they're murdered?
The woman he met on board ship reappears and figures prominently in the case.Few actors have a way with a line like George Sanders, and his dry wit, good looks, smooth voice and depth as an actor suit Simon Templar perfectly.
Paul Guilfoyle provides some humor as the nervous, milk drinking Pearly Gates, and Jonathan Hale is great as the sometimes exasperated but worried sick Inspector Fernack.
Wendy Barrie, who appeared in many Saint episodes, is very good as the woman who captures Simon's heart.Very enjoyable..
Among the best of the Saint films starring George Sanders.
They're not great films, or masterpieces, but they are good fun that give you the right amount of entertainment for just over an hour running time.'The Saint Strikes Back' was a decent debut film for George Sanders in the role, though there was a finding-its-feet feel to it with the supporting cast and some of the storytelling being patchy.
'The Saint in London' is an improvement, with things feeling more settled and with a much better supporting cast, though production values weren't as good and the story could have been tighter and had more mystery.Conversely, the third Saint film with Sanders 'The Saint Takes Over' is the best of the three and among the best of the series.
There is not much actually to complain about, although the sets are still atmospheric the film does look at times like it was made quickly on a tight budget and the ending just felt too conveniently and easily wrapped up.On the whole though, while things felt more settled in the previous film it was with 'The Saint Takes Over' where the series hit its stride.
The story is by far the best executed of the Sanders-Saint films so far, it's breezy and tight and light-hearted and always easy to follow without being simplistic.
At the same time, there is much more mystery here, and it's a compelling one, and it is the film in the series up to this point to feel closest to the tougher edge in the Louis Hayward Saint film that preceded the series.Scripting is smart and with the right balance of fun and mystery, while the music is jaunty but also atmospheric.
The direction is suitably brisk, and there are some good scenes such as the scaring to confessing scene.As said with the previous films, Sanders himself is super-suave, sophisticated and wonderfully caddish, while also giving a charming and humorous edge and delivering some cutting lines with aplomb.
Jonathan Hale is fine support, while Wendy Barrie is leagues better than she was in 'The Saint Strikes Back' (there she was a draw-back, here she blends right in tone with the story and has a much warmer character).
Paul Guilfoyle is very amusing too.On the whole, the best of the Saint series starring Sanders up to this point and among the best of the series too.
8/10 Bethany Cox. One of the best Saint movies.
George Sanders is my favorite saint.
But some of the movies are a bit weak, usually the plot.In this movie, the plot is about as good as you can expect from the RKO saint movies.
It mostly makes sense, unlike some of them.Paul Guifoyle (sp?) is back in this one, and that's a good thing.
It's hard not to smile at his funny expressions and mispronunciations (does anyone else wonder where the gangster henchman habit of butchering pronunciations came from?)Wendy Barrie is not too bad.
I wish she had better lines or something, but it's not bad.The usual Fernack(sp?) is present, and again, that's a good thing.
Anyway, the saint is a bit like Bugs Bunny where his superiority is contrasted to idiots - so again, a tried and true stereotype.As I say, this is one of my favorites.
It's light, it moves right along, has the comic elements and the entertaining Sanders as saint..
When Inspector Fernack (Jonathan Hale) is framed, Simon Templar comes to America to help out not before meeting a beautiful damsel on the ship who is being cheated in a game of cards but their paths will cross again soon.Fernack cannot explain how thousands and thousands of dollars were found in his safe.
The Saint reckons a group of mobsters involved a race fixing ring are involved.
However more bodies show up and they all point to Fernack as the murderer.This is a more enjoyable B film simply because there is a nicer and more involved plot, a few red herrings and a milk drinking character called Pearly Gates who decides to turn his back on the mobsters and join up with the Saint..
The above summary really isn't meant as a slam against this film, as the series followed a very similar format.
As usual, Simon Templar ("The Saint") meets a lady in distress and comes to her aid.
He also comes to the aid of a police detective who was framed of accepting a bribe.
Along the way, he meets some interesting supporting characters (this time, Paul Guilfoyle as "Pearly" Gates) and during his unraveling of this not especially compelling mystery (none of them really are), Templar is extremely erudite and just plain cool!
George Sanders is once again the consummate sophisticated British do-gooder and he succeeds once again in making an excellent B-detective series film.
Another breezy formula entry in "The Saint" series....
GEORGE SANDERS is his usual suave self as the smoothly capable man who falls for WENDY BARRIE aboard a cruise ship, but is unable to really connect with her until he finds out the truth about her while he tries to clear Inspector Fernack (JOHNATHAN HALE) of a murder charge in New York City.It's a typical "Saint" story with a predictable wrap-up that has the sinners paying for their crimes.
It's a neat B-film entry that benefits from good performances from the cast and some appropriately menacing background music by Roy Webb.Jonathan Hale does a good job of playing the police inspector suspected of several murders and unable to clear himself of the charges until The Saint steps in to help.
The story concludes with a downbeat ending that may leave some fans disappointed, but most of the story is done in breezy style with Sanders delivering all of his lines with his usual flair..
Saint Takes Over, The (1940) ** 1/2 (out of 4)Fifth film in RKO's series has George Sanders once again returning as The Saint.
This time out his buddy is accused of a crime he didn't commit and disgraced so The Saint comes back to America to clear his name.
I must admit upfront that I haven't been overly impressed with any of the films from the series that Sanders has appeared in.
I think the original film in the series was good but the three sequels were all fair at best.
I'd call this one of the best of the Sanders films but it really starts off quite boring as the film spends way too much time trying to set up its story instead of delivering the goods.
The second half of the film really picks up and leads to a nice ending and I really wish the first half had moved as well as the second.
The highlight of the film is a scene where The Saint and a couple other men are trying to scare a confession out of a man but of course things don't go as planned.
Sanders also delivers the best performance I've seen from him in the series and it's backed by a good music score..
pretty good chapter in The Saint series of films.
George Sanders in another Saint film...
in this one, Simon helps out his friend Inspector Fernack ( Jonathan Hale).
When the inspector runs into trouble with the mob, the saint tries to figure out what's going on.
Slow and steady, like the plot of the film.
Wendy Barrie co-stars, but the story would have been about the same without her.
Barrie and Sanders had worked together on a couple Falcon films and a couple Saint films.
Follow along as Simon and the inspector chase after thugs named Rocky and Pearly.
moves pretty slowly, but it's entertaining enough for fans of Sanders.
he and Sanders made four Saint films..
One of the few friends that Simon Templar has in law enforcement is Inspector Fernack of the NYPD.
Jonathan Hale as Fernack in the series has learned long ago to go with the flow where Templar is concerned.
So when Fernack is found with $50,000.00 in mob money in his house he can't explain and he loses his badge, George Sanders as Simon Templar crosses the Atlantic to aid a friend.While on the ocean voyage Sanders also aids beautiful Wendy Barrie who is being cheated by card sharps working the boat.
Her story will interconnect with what Sanders is in New York for, but you'll have to see the film to find out how.The mob which has six crime family bosses start getting systematically eliminated once Sanders arrives and this is bad because he needs some live perpetrators to clear the inspector.
The police also think Hale might be doing this in revenge.
Along the way Sanders and Hale manage to get Paul Guilfoyle who the 'bodyguard' to one of the late crime bosses to help in their quest.
Guilfoyle provides a few laughs along the way.It's a B film so I'm not expecting all that much from it.
Still Sanders is his charming self as Templar and he's been in worse films..
Simon Templar (AKA The Saint) encounters a woman Ruth Summers on board a ship, then loses her.
Meanwhile his detective friend Inspector Fernack has been framed for a crime, then the gangsters who framed him start being bumped off.
It is a fast moving film with an interesting plot and witty dialogue, 69 minutes of good entertainment.
Jack Hively is lively in his direction.George Sanders is of course effortlessly smooth and charming as The Saint and he is supported by good character acting from the likes of solid Jonathan Hale, amusing Paul Guilfoyle, crooked Cy Kendall and the epitome of cop-ness James Burke.
Wendy Barrie is her usual beautiful self, impinging on the narrative as the woman from the boat.Although the tone is light throughout the film the ending is rather melancholy as The Saint walks into the city streets alone.
Nevertheless a fine entry in the Sanders Saint series.