TV Review The Saint Episode One The Talented Husband

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Crime Writer Leslie Charteris created The Saint in the 1920's. Simon (The Saint) Templar was a sauve wise-cracking private detective, who had made his fortune by stealing from crooks and acting as a modern day Robin Hood. He appeared in a dozen movies, mostly played by George Sanders, and a long running radio series starring Vincent Price. On British TV, Roger Moore took on the part from 1962-1969. Later incarnations would include Ian Ogilvy and a dreadful try by Val Kilmer. To many however, Roger Moore is the definitive Simon Templar. His TV debut makes no reference to his own criminal origins. He ends up helping to save a middle wealthy bride from the murderous plans of her husband, a man who has killed two other wives for the insurance money already. The Saint is assisted by his first f many beautiful female co-stars, an insurance investigator played by Shirley Eaton, who would be famously painted to death in gold paint in the James Bond movie Goldfinger a few years later (before Moore became Bond). The opening episode has a fun villain with Derek Farr failing to crush his wife with a giant falling plant pot, resorting to dressing up in drag to act as a hired carer with intent to poison her with rat poison. That Farr is playing two roles is too glaringly obvious to the viewer so the show gives up being a whodunnit half way through, as Templar and his sassy assistant of the week spring a trap on the villain. The episode has many of the hallmarks of later Saint adventures. Moore talks to the camera, and a halo appears over his head the first time his full name is mentioned, leading to the famous stickman Saint opening credit sequence and one of the best theme tunes of any TV show. It was a series I always adored. Youtube - The Saint theme music Arthur Chappell