utgard14 Review of The Saint Strikes Back

The Saint Strikes Back (1939)

"Don't thank me -- you'll be retracting it sooner or later."

[7/10 · 27 December 2015]

The second movie in RKO's The Saint series is the first to star the inimitable George Sanders. Here we have Simon Templar, aka the Saint, helping a woman who turned to crime after her policeman father was disgraced and committed suicide. While Louis Hayward was a tough and gritty Saint in the first film, George Sanders is all style and class. He's charming, witty, urbane, and impossible to dislike. Jonathan Hale plays Templar's police inspector friend who finds himself torn between trusting Simon and doing his duty. He also provides much of the film's humor. Wendy Barrie plays the embittered woman Templar helps. The rest of the cast includes Neil Hamilton, Jerome Cowan, Edward Gargan, and the great Barry Fitzgerald. John 'father of Mia' Farrow's direction is very good, especially his use of attractive close-ups. Nice score from Roy Webb. It's a great B movie with good characters and a brisk pace. Sanders is undeniably fun to watch in one of his best roles. If you like old detective movies I can't imagine you not liking this one.