The Saint's Return (1953)

Diverting final big screen outing for Simon Templar, fittingly played by the actor who began the series, Louis Hayward. The only one of the series made in England, it is populated by sleazy characters like Sydney Tafler, Harold Lang and Sam Kydd, all involved in the seedy gambling underworld of London. Hayward is a smooth charmer, as adept with his fists as he is with witty asides, as he doggedly gets to the bottom of a girlfriend's death. Although Naomi Chance makes for a charmless leading lady, Diana Dors does offer a sizzling single scene cameo. It took another decade before Roger Moore would revive and exemplify the character in a long-running TV series.

I always felt that Louis Hayward did better with the swash and buckle that with an hat and raincoat, and back after fifteen years since his first outing as the eponymous detective he doesn't really manage to make much impact with this thinly spun drama. His ex-girfriend had send him a cryptic note asking for his help, but before he can meet her she has a fatal car accident. The police are content it was just an accident but he isn't and so together with his nimble-fisted valet "Hoppy" (Thomas Gallagher) determines to get to the bottom of things. Along the way, it becomes clear that there is some sinister goings-on and that the gambling, debt-laden, "Carol" (Naomi Chance) might be able to help out with their investigations into the nasty machinations of the underworld. There's a little gentle humour here but the rest of it is very by-the-numbers with a story that isn't the strongest. There's still a decent set of supporting characters and there's a slight twist at the end to make it worth a watch, but the "Saint" formula for the big screen is a bit tired now, and I doubt I'll remember it for long.