The Saint Strikes Back

The Saint Strikes Back
Directed by	John Farrow
Produced by	Robert Sisk
Written by	John Twist
Starring	George Sanders Wendy Barrie Jonathan Hale
Music by	Roy Webb
Cinematography	Frank Redman
Editing by	Jack Hively
Distributed by	RKO Radio Pictures
Release date(s)	March 8, 1939 (1939-03-08)
Running time	64 min.
Language	English
Budget	$128,000
Box office	$460,000

The Saint Strikes Back, released in 1939, is the second film featuring the crimefighting crusader Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". George Sanders replaced Louis Hayward, who had played the Saint in The Saint in New York. The movie was produced by RKO and also featured Wendy Barrie as female gang leader Val Travers. Barrie would appear in two more Saint films, playing different roles each time, though not in the next film in the series, The Saint in London.

The script was based on the Leslie Charteris novel She Was a Lady (Hodder and Stoughton, 1931) which was also published as Angels of Doom and The Saint Meets His Match. The screenplay was by John Twist, who set the story in San Francisco (the book is set in England). Robert Sisk produced and John Farrow directed.

Plot

While dancing at a New Year's party, the Saint spots an agent of Val Travers preparing to shoot someone, so Templar guns him down first at the stroke of midnight. Templar is placed by witnesses at the scene, so the San Francisco police request the assistance of Inspector Henry Fernack (Jonathan Hale). Before Fernack can leave, the Saint arrives in New York and accompanies him to the west coast.

Val Travers' father had been a police inspector whose effectiveness had caused trouble for a mysterious criminal mastermind named Waldeman. When a large sum of money was found in his safety deposit box, however, he was fired on suspicion of working for Waldeman and committed suicide. Travers is determined to clear his name by any means necessary. The Saint takes up her cause, despite her hostility for his interference in her plans and her suspicions about his motives.

Templar gets the cooperation of the police commissioner, over the objections of Chief Inspector Webster and criminologist Cullis, who wonder if the Saint is Waldeman himself.

Templar and Travers cross paths again when the trail leads to Martin Eastman, a noted philanthropist and seemingly-irreproachable citizen, whom they both suspect is linked to Waldeman in some way. Templar forces Travers and her gang to drive away, all except her burglar, Zipper Dyson. Templar gets Dyson to open Eastman's safe and takes the money inside. The serial numbers confirm that it was stolen in a robbery perpetrated by Waldeman. When Eastman contacts Cullis instead of reporting the theft, Templar knows that Cullis is also working for Waldeman. With that information, not only does the Saint exonerate Travers' father, he also identifies Waldeman.

Cast

• George Sanders as The Saint / Simon Templar
• Wendy Barrie as Valerie "Val" Travers
• Jonathan Hale as Inspector Henry Fernack
• Jerome Cowan as Cullis
• Barry Fitzgerald as Zipper Dyson, a burglar working for Travers
• Neil Hamilton as Allan Breck, Traver's friend and admirer
• Robert Elliott as Chief Inspector Webster
• Russell Hopton as Harry Donnell, another of Traver's gangsters
• Edward Gargan as Pinky Budd, one of Traver's henchmen
• Robert Strange as Police Commissioner
• Gilbert Emery as Martin Eastman
• James Burke as Headquarters Police Officer
• Nella Walker as Mrs. Betty Fernack

External links

• The Saint Strikes Back at the Internet Movie Database
• The Saint Strikes Back at AllRovi
• The Saint Strikes Back at the TCM Movie Database