Spikeopath
So it begins, the start of the realisation of Leslie Charteris' literary creation, one Simon Templar, AKA: The Saint. And it's a good start to be sure.Templar here is played by Louis Hayward, all smirky confidence, lithe and deadly, Templar is "hired" by some big city suits to snuff out New York's baddies who have in turn been snuffing out policemen and getting away with it. He's deadly, has a quip on the tongue and laughs in the face of danger, and of course he can charm the ladies as well. He gets into scrapes, meaning we get to enjoy his many escapes from impending death, he does indeed assassinate bad guys; and has us firmly on side in the process, and he crucially has us hankering for more of Charteris' rogue good guy!It's good old fashioned fantastical fun mixed with some rugged 1930s gangster shenanigans. Hooray! 7/10
MartinHafer
While the movie lacks the charm and sophistication of George Sanders (who most associate with the leading role), it makes up for it in a big way by being so very different. Instead of a crime fighter who always wraps everything together neatly for the police by the end of the film, this version of the Saint just kills the bad guys or gets them to kill each other!! I really liked this, as the typical role played by Boston Blackie, the Falcon or Charlie Chan is way too predictable--they NEVER would plug a bad guy who isn't even resisting arrest or making an attempt on the hero's life! Here, we find a supremely practical crime fighter who doesn't bother with courts and evidence! In many ways, it's like taking a movie such as THE STAR CHAMBER or MAGNUM FORCE and fusing it with a traditional 1930s and 40s B-detective film. Simon Templer's methods are sure a lot more practical and fun to watch than other crime fighters! Apart from the way he dispatches criminals, the film is a rather standard film about bad guys and a mystery--in this case WHO is responsible for leading a crime syndicate in New York City. Generally good pacing (though it DOES sag a bit in the middle), decent but not so sophisticated acting and a good script all work together to make one of the best examples of the genre. This is an excellent film for all--particularly lovers of old B-movies.
Chris Gaskin
The Saint In New York is the first of the Saint movies and of the ones I've seen, one of the best.In this one, The Saint is sent to New York to investigate gangsters in the underworld there. There are plenty of shootings and killings and he gets involved in some quite dangerous situations. He is after one particular gangster known as The Big Fellow who is the leader of a gang. He also falls in love.The cast features Louis Haywood as the Saint, Kay Sutton and Jonathan Hale.The Saint In New York is worth watching if you get the chance. A treat.Rating: 3 stars out of 5.
ccamfield
I caught The Saint In New York late one night on TV. It is actually - violence and all - a very faithful translation of Charteris' novel of the same name. Simon Templar's roguish audacity is very well conveyed by Hayward and the film is a lot of fun.
AD
