42 replies to this topic

[Guy Haines]

I just watched The Saint Plays with Fire and found no less than FOUR Bond alums in the episode: Joseph Furst (Dr. Metz) and Joe Robinson (Peter Franks) both from DAF, Robert Brown from TSWLM, Octopussy, TLD, and TLK; and John Hollis (uncredited Blofeld) from FYEO. Quite a guest cast for this episode, and one of the better ones. I have to admit not all of the Saint episodes are exciting so far (I am midway through Season 2) but all of them are watchable and the guest cast tends to be a who's who of British movies.

Agree with you about this episode, and it shows the producers were not afraid to ruffle a few feathers. There was a "British Nazi Party" at that time - "National Front" I think it was called, and the remnants of the British Union Of Fascists were still lurking around. For a TV adventure series it was quite a stand to take, although for many viewers at the time the episode was first shown the Second World War was still fresh in the memory, so they would have no difficulty sympathising with the good guys here.

[Brannigan]

This episode did tackle quite a topic for the time, and in better fashion than American TV would. I direct your attention to the Original Star Trek episode Patterns of Force where our heroes find a planet based on Nazi Society. After going through the plot, the best that Kirk can summarize at the end goes along the lines of they suffered from a leader principle. Furthermore in the episode, it gives Kirk, Spock and McCoy a chance to dress up as Nazi's (and in real life save money on the budget as the costumes were borrowed from the show Hogan's Heroes which filmed next door). The point being, is that it would have been easy for an episode of the Saint to follow along the same lines, and Roger Moore would have to dress like a Nazi and blah blah, but the producers and writer's did it differently.
Guy, your point about the war being fresh I think was even brought up by the Saint himself at the beginning of the episode, when he says something about the war not even being 20 years in the past, and yet people are already supporting a Nazi Movement.
Also for historical perspective, America had their own version of the National Front at about the same time. The American Nazi party was created at about this time (63-64) led by George Lincoln Rockwell.

[Guy Haines]

This episode did tackle quite a topic for the time, and in better fashion than American TV would. I direct your attention to the Original Star Trek episode Patterns of Force where our heroes find a planet based on Nazi Society. After going through the plot, the best that Kirk can summarize at the end goes along the lines of they suffered from a leader principle. Furthermore in the episode, it gives Kirk, Spock and McCoy a chance to dress up as Nazi's (and in real life save money on the budget as the costumes were borrowed from the show Hogan's Heroes which filmed next door). The point being, is that it would have been easy for an episode of the Saint to follow along the same lines, and Roger Moore would have to dress like a Nazi and blah blah, but the producers and writer's did it differently.
Guy, your point about the war being fresh I think was even brought up by the Saint himself at the beginning of the episode, when he says something about the war not even being 20 years in the past, and yet people are already supporting a Nazi Movement.
Also for historical perspective, America had their own version of the National Front at about the same time. The American Nazi party was created at about this time (63-64) led by George Lincoln Rockwell.

I remember "Patterns Of Force"! Not least because of the sight of Leonard Nimoy, complete with "those ears", pretending to be a Nazi with coal skuttle helmet, before being brought in as a "spy", and referred to by the home grown "Nazis" as an "inferior" being - which caused a characteristic raising of an eyebrow from Spock! Incidentally, I wondered where those uniforms came from, although our TV shows weren't averse to borrowing from each other on grounds of cost.

Roger Moore does indeed make a comment, in his opening remarks, about the war, his usual whimsical expression at the start of an episode replaced by disgust. You are quite right about the way this episode tackles neo-Nazism, not least that the uniformed "heavy mob" types are merely, if you'll pardon the expression, a "Front" - the villainy also came from those rich and powerful people who had much to lose if their sympathies were revealed. Such people existed in real life, certainly before WW II and for all I know still had those sympathies after it.

I'm not surprised to learn that the US had a party of the kind you mention at that time either. Dressing up in uniforms, raised salutes, shouting "heil" and beating people up seems to have a universal appeal for a few, unfortunately.

[Guy Haines]

Further to the comments above about borrowing from other shows, I think that "Saint" fans will notice, amongst other things, that not only are actors recycled but locations and scenes too. How many times have we watched a scene which included the same mansion or office block used in a previous episode doubling for another location in another episode. It can't be helped, of course, as these series were run on budgets and costs had to be controlled.

My favourite "recycled scene" from "The Saint" - and it cropped up in other ITC series such as "The Champions" - is the "white Jaguar car going over the cliff". It involved, as mentioned, a white Jaguar car, usually on a high and winding road, which the driver suddenly loses control of, and which, er, goes over a cliff and gets smashed to bits. It's been used in "The Saint", and I always remembered watching an episode of "The Champions" decades ago with my Mum and Dad, and, as the "Jag" turned up, saying to them "I know what's going to happen to that car. Straight over the cliff, horn blaring!" And lo and behold!

I've found that scene, by the way, on the internet, on http://stock.mrfoota...iff-footage.php

Fans of The Saint and other ITC shows will instantly recognise it!

[Brannigan]

Don't forget, there was that infamous DB5 that was recycled as well... In the Noble Sportsman from about Feb 1964 an Aston Martin DB5 that appears green with the license plate number BMT 216A is featured prominently.

[Guy Haines]

Don't forget, there was that infamous DB5 that was recycled as well... In the Noble Sportsman from about Feb 1964 an Aston Martin DB5 that appears green with the license plate number BMT 216A is featured prominently.

Yes, whatever happened to Lord Yearley's old Aston Martin, BMT 216A? I heard a funny rumour it may have ended up as an MI6 staff car of some sort!

[Guy Haines]

Today I watched one of the strangest, but most Bond inclined, of the "Saint" episodes - "The Man Who Gambled With Death". Features a "villain" (well, is he? All he wants is immortality.) who selects Templar as a test subject for a cryogenic experiment, two lovelies wearing the same style of (rather naff!) shirt as Simon, some "undertakers" who could have come straight out of an episode of "The Avengers", and, most amusing of all, a collection of henchmen (led by future Bond villain Steven Berkoff) who are dressed in the same sort of tunic and trousers arrangement as the Star Trek crew of the 1960s USS Enterprise!

Oh, and a mouse called "Mimi"!

You couldn't make it up, but Roger Moore moved through it with characteristic aplomb, and it was another very enjoyable late series episode!

[Guy Haines]

Steadily getting to the end of the black and white boxed set. Last night, I watched an episode called "The Crooked Ring", in which, as the title suggests, The Saint tackles a boxing scam. Which leads to Roger Moore (and his stunt man?) being involved in something 007 never touched - a boxing match!

His opponent, "The Masked Angel" was played by Nosher Powell, and I've mentioned elsewhere on this site that my late father, whilst on national service in the British Army, took part in boxing tournaments - and, I believe, on one occasion his opponent was the self same Nosher Powell, who was, presumably, also in the Army at the time. Obviously, Dad's not around to confirm all this for me, but whenever he talked about his Army days, at some point the name Nosher Powell would be mentioned!

[Brannigan]

I finished reading Moonraker and I am convinced that the story would have made a very good episode of the Saint. Here's how I envisioned it.
Simon Templar goes to a club in Dover where, because of his reputation, he is informed that Drax is cheating at cards. He bests Drax at cards much as it plays out in the book (except that instead of M, Templar has a friend in Dover who takes the place). Afterwards, Templar stays in Dover out of curiosity for the Moonraker. He hears of the murder of one of the workers and does his usual thing. Drax takes him in to find who is planning to sabotage the Moonraker, much like he does with Bond. Everything still plays out the same as in the book. Gala Brand is not an agent of Scotland Yard but instead just a very intelligent scientist. The story could be very much the same, save for some elements simplified for a 1 hour television plot (e.g most of the stuff regarding Secret Service activities from the Book). The German subplot is still kept for excitement and purpose.
Yes this is heresy combining two characters like this, but I still think Moonraker, or a story similar to Moonraker, would have made a great early episode.
BTW I am almost finished with Season 2. Even the dull episodes are still watchable and I feel that a lot of this has to due with Roger Moore. Like many here I almost wish he would have brought his Saint-Like performance to Bond.

[Guy Haines]

I finished reading Moonraker and I am convinced that the story would have made a very good episode of the Saint. Here's how I envisioned it.
Simon Templar goes to a club in Dover where, because of his reputation, he is informed that Drax is cheating at cards. He bests Drax at cards much as it plays out in the book (except that instead of M, Templar has a friend in Dover who takes the place). Afterwards, Templar stays in Dover out of curiosity for the Moonraker. He hears of the murder of one of the workers and does his usual thing. Drax takes him in to find who is planning to sabotage the Moonraker, much like he does with Bond. Everything still plays out the same as in the book. Gala Brand is not an agent of Scotland Yard but instead just a very intelligent scientist. The story could be very much the same, save for some elements simplified for a 1 hour television plot (e.g most of the stuff regarding Secret Service activities from the Book). The German subplot is still kept for excitement and purpose.
Yes this is heresy combining two characters like this, but I still think Moonraker, or a story similar to Moonraker, would have made a great early episode.
BTW I am almost finished with Season 2. Even the dull episodes are still watchable and I feel that a lot of this has to due with Roger Moore. Like many here I almost wish he would have brought his Saint-Like performance to Bond.

I agree, something like it would have made a good episode. Indeed, I'm sure I read somewhere that Moonraker was originally envisaged as a film/TV screen treatment, largely focused around events in Kent, but that when Fleming came to write the book he decided to add on the gambling scenes at Blades.

[Brannigan]

I watched the episode "The Saint Sees it Through" and it was kinda funny seeing Roger Moore fight Julian Glover. I couldn't help but think of the fact that they would face off again in 18 years in For Your Eyes Only. This was actually a good episode. I like Joseph Furst in this episode and in The Saint Plays With Fire. He plays a somewhat nervous and commanding person, much like in DAF.
Another good episode I watched was the Sporting Chance. It was a nice cold war era spy caper. I watched the Invisible Millionaire and noticed Eunice Grayson in her first appearance in the Saint, right about the time of FRWL. I don't know why her voice as overdubbed for Dr. No and FRWL, as she has a perfectly fine voice, as exemplified in this episode.

[jaguar007]

I watched the episode "The Saint Sees it Through" and it was kinda funny seeing Roger Moore fight Julian Glover. I couldn't help but think of the fact that they would face off again in 18 years in For Your Eyes Only.

Moore and Glover also faced off in the Saint episode "The Lawless Lady"

[Brannigan]

Jaguar you are right, I was getting the Saint Sees it Through and Lawless Lady (which I watched the same night) confused. Glover was in Lawless Lady, not Sees It Through.