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.
George Sanders
Simon Templar
Wendy Barrie
Ruth Summers
Jonathan Hale
Inspector Henry Fernack
Paul Guilfoyle
Clarence 'Pearly' Gates
Morgan Conway
Sam Reese
Robert Emmett Keane
Leo Sloan
Cy Kendall
Max Bremer (as Cyrus W. Kendall)
James Burke
Patrolman Mike
Robert Middlemass
Captain Wade
Roland Drew
Albert 'Rocky' Weldon aka Rocks
Nella Walker
Lucy Fernack
Pierre Watkin
Ben Egan
William Bakewell
Shipboard Card Player
Joseph E. Bernard
Customs Inspector
Ralph Brooks
Nightclub Patron
Ray Cooke
Porter
Charles Dorety
Ship Steward
Lester Dorr
Welcoming Committee Man
Arthur Loft
Detective Grady
Paul McVey
Detective Phillips
Edmund Mortimer
Nightclub Patron
George Noisom
Newsboy
Jack Perrin
Customs Officer
Tom Quinn
Nightclub Patron
Bob Reeves
Police Officer
Larry Steers
Nightclub Patron
Sammy Stein
Hood
Charles Sullivan
Bartender
Edward Thomas
Bartender
Theodore von Eltz
Shipboard Card Cheat
Larry Wheat
Nightclub Patron
Director
Jack Hively
Screenplay
Frank Fenton
Screenplay
Lynn Root
December 1, 2023
6
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.
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$0.00
Revenue:
$0.00