The Saint Strikes Back
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The Saint Strikes Back | |
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Directed by | John Farrow |
Produced by | Robert Sisk |
Written by | John Twist based on the Leslie Charteris novel, She Was a Lady |
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 |
Running time | 64 min. |
Language | English |
Preceded by | The Saint in New York |
Followed by | The Saint in London |
IMDb profile |
The Saint Strikes Back, released in 1939, is the second film featuring the crimebusting crusader Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". This was the first film to star George Sanders in the role, as the actor previously assigned to the part (Louis Hayward) chose not to return for a second film.
The movie was produced by RKO and also featured Wendy Barrie as female gang leader Val Travers. Barrie would later return in two more Saint films, playing different roles each time.
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 original book takes place in England. Robert Sisk produced and John Farrow directed.
[edit] Plot
The Saint dances at a New Year's party where an agent of Val Travers tries to shoot someone. Meanwhile, New York is about to send Inspector Henry Fernack to help the San Francisco police protect the community from the insidious Saint. Before Fernack can leave, the Saint arrives in New York and accompanies Fernack to the West Coast. The mystery becomes more involved once the Saint begins to search for a master criminal named Waldman. He not only finds him but, at the same time, proves Wendy's deceased father, a police officer, was dishonestly framed.