Review of The Saint in New York (1938) by Eddie H — 21 Dec 2011

I thought I'd start doing reviews on some really good classic movies to hopefully stir up some interest in films that are sadly being forgotten. The Saint In New York, one I was watching earlier today, is a good one to start with because of all the movies based on the character Simon Templer, aka The Saint, this is easily the best one by far.

Other actors, some of them truly great, have played the Saint, George Sanders, Roger Moore, Val Kilmer, but NO ONE has come as close as Hawyard to playing the character the way his creator, writer Leslie Charteris, wrote him.

Louis Hayward plays the Saint, a criminal who only preys on other criminals, as someone who almost seems beyond the concepts of good or evil. A man who'd kill a murderer in cold blood in order to prevent him taking another life, but later risk his own life to rescue a kidnapped child.

Hayward radiates a sense of deadliness despite the fact that in practically every scene he is...smiling. Looking at his smile and into his eyes you'd be convinced he completely and totally insane despite his air of self control and the elegant way he speaks.

If Hannibal, 'the Cannibal' Lector as played by Anthony Hopkins in the Silence of the Lambs had only preyed on criminals and killers he would be almost exactly like Hayward's The Saint minus Hannibal's odd eating habits.

Yes, it's an old film, in black and white and a soundtrack that spits and crackles, a bit, but the next time Turner Classic Movies runs it; watch it! It's worth seeing.