The Saint Strikes Back came out in 1939 and it's the 2nd in the RKO Saint series. George Sanders takes over the role of Simon Templar. The screenplay by John Twist adapts the 1931 novel She Was A Lady by Leslie Charteris. John Farrow is the director.
At a New Years party Simon guns down a henchman of gangster Valerie Travers before he can shoot someone else. Valerie's policeman father was framed by a gangster named Waldeman. Daddy committed suicide and Valerie wants some revenge. Simon decides to help her in her campaign. He's much better at that sort of thing.
The Saint was so successful killing off criminals in New York, the police ask him to kill some more in San Francisco. Inspector Fernack waffles between arresting The Saint and marrying him. Simon gets the truth on the frame and the mysterious Waldeman, then he's off for more fun and adventure.
I like George Sanders as The Saint and his debut film is entertaining. It's nice to see Jonathan Hale as Inspector Fernack too. A good film to have in one's collection. The 5 George Sanders films with him as The Saint are available as a five film VOD set from Warners. They also have a 2 film set of the two Saint films that came after George left to play The Falcon but not the first RKO Saint film.
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