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The Saint Takes Over

"Labeled for DEATH!"

The Saint Takes Over, released in 1940 by RKO Pictures, was the fifth motion picture featuring the adventures of Simon Templar, a.k.a. "The Saint" the Robin Hood-inspired crimefighter created by Leslie Charteris. This film focuses on the character of Inspector Henry Farnack. When Farnack is framed by a gang he is investigating, it is up to The Saint to clear his name.

Top Cast

  • George Sanders

    George Sanders

    Simon Templar

  • Wendy Barrie

    Wendy Barrie

    Ruth Summers

  • Jonathan Hale

    Jonathan Hale

    Inspector Henry Fernack

  • Paul Guilfoyle

    Paul Guilfoyle

    Clarence 'Pearly' Gates

  • Morgan Conway

    Morgan Conway

    Sam Reese

  • Robert Emmett Keane

    Robert Emmett Keane

    Leo Sloan

  • Cy Kendall

    Cy Kendall

    Max Bremer (as Cyrus W. Kendall)

  • James Burke

    James Burke

    Patrolman Mike

  • Robert Middlemass

    Robert Middlemass

    Captain Wade

Overview

The Saint Takes Over, released in 1940 by RKO Pictures, was the fifth motion picture featuring the adventures of Simon Templar, a.k.a. "The Saint" the Robin Hood-inspired crimefighter created by Leslie Charteris. This film focuses on the character of Inspector Henry Farnack. When Farnack is framed by a gang he is investigating, it is up to The Saint to clear his name.

Rating

6.7 / 10
13 Reviews
1 Popular

1 Reviews

  • CinemaSerf
    CinemaSerf
    6 Dec 1, 2023

    When a police inspector is suspended on suspicion of fraud, it falls to his eponymous friend (George Sanders) to get to the bottom of things. It seems "Fernack" (Jonathan Hale) was found with $50,000 in his safe! Conclusive? Well soon our sleuth discovers that there is a cabal of five hoodlums determined to ruin his friend. Well they are, until, suddenly they themselves start dropping like flies. Are they betraying each other or is someone on the outside seeking revenge? "Templar" assisted by his police buddy, the not entirely trustworthy safecracker "Gates" (Paul Guilfoyle) and the slightly enigmatic "Ruth" (Wendy Barrie) who has penchant for roses must now identify and expose the culprit. Sanders was always good as the debonair, considered, detective who uses the minimum of brute force to apprehend his foes. Here the story is quite well written with a few red herrings and just enough intrigue to keep it interesting for just over an hour. Of course there's no jeopardy, but the denouement has a degree of sophistication to it that I found quite fun.

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