The old gang are back: George Sanders as the Saint, Jonathan Hale as Inspector Henry Fernack, Paul Guilfoyle as Clarence 'Pearly' Gates, Wendy Barrie as the female lead (this time not as a baddie but a goodie) and with Jack Hively directing once again. This is the last time they will all frolic together, however. Later this year, Sanders will leave the Saint films and make his first Falcon film (THE GAY FALCON, 1941, see my review). Neither Jonathan Hale, Wendy Barrie, nor Paul Guilfoyle will ever appear in another Saint film, nor would Jack Hiveley direct one. Wendy Barrie will follow George Sanders and appear in THE GAY FALCON and also A DATE WITH THE FALCON (1942, see my review). This is a particularly good Saint film set in Palm Springs, California. The Saint is trying to protect three rare postage stamps from being stolen, as he transports them to Palm Springs to give them to Wendy Barrie. They are worth $65,000 each and are meant to be an easily portable transfer of some wealth from her father abroad to the penniless Barrie, who is working as a tennis coach in Palm Springs. Inspector Fernack only appears in the beginning of the film, and does not feature in the main story; he sends the Saint off on the errand and is then not seen again. (That would have been only one day's shooting.) As for 'Pearly' Gates, he has now gone straight and is acting as the house detective of the hotel in Palm Springs, so he is involved in the entire story from the time of the Saint's arrival. The story has many twists and turns and we discover that there is more than one villain. 'Pearly' uses his pick-pocketing skills to try to collect evidence of a theft by one of the guests at the hotel. There are numerous bluffs and counter-bluffs, and it is not easy to know who is doing what to whom exactly, which makes it all the more interesting. This film is based on a story (unnamed) by Leslie Charteris.
Review of The Saint in Palm Springs
