The Saint in New York (1938)

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

The Saint films starring George Sanders are very enjoyable films (apart from the disappointing 'The Saint's Double Trouble'), and Sanders is great in the role, but only 'The Saint Takes Over' is almost up to the level of 'The Saint in New York' and closest in spirit to it.Signalling the start of RKO's nine-film Saint films, 'The Saint in New York' for me stands out as the best. Not without its imperfections, but is regardless hugely entertaining. It does sag ever so slightly in the middle and, other than the entertaining Jonathan Hale and Kay Sutton (despite a relatively underwritten role) who brings the right amount of allure and mystery, the supporting cast while still solid and well suited to their roles are not hugely memorable.Louis Hayward however is simply terrific in the title role, bringing suavity, charisma, elegance and toughness to a potentially stock character that actually has shades of complexity. While low-budget, 'The Saint in New York' is nicely shot and is aesthetically atmospheric. The music is lively and haunting, while the direction keeps the pace going but also allows the plot to breathe.As for the script, it is sharp, cutting and witty without being wordy, simplistic or clunky. The story is the toughest, edgiest and darkest of the series, meaning that there is more of a sense of mystery than the Sanders outings, as well as some nicely balanced humour. The mystery itself is diverting and doesn't suffer from the somewhat short duration of the film, meaning it doesn't get rushed or confused. The ending is one of the more satisfying ones of the series.Overall, the first Saint film is also the best one. As enjoyable as the Sanders Saint films are, 'The Saint in New York' executes various elements better and there is a preference for the darker and tougher edge to the still appealingly light-hearted one of the succeeding films. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Hayward does cut a dashing figure with an easy smile, a penchant for poetical one-liners, and a snap-brim fedora. His version of the Saint is also more interesting than the standard sleuth of the period since he's not above breaking the law when it serves justice or following his own code of integrity. Too bad this kind of character complexity didn't survive the many sequels.The story itself is pretty routine: cleaning up the city by getting the mysterious Big Fellow. Not much excitement or suspense as the one-man-army sort of bounces back and forth between bad guys, snapping off occasional nifty one-liners. Then there's the sexy Kay Sutton to ease the eyes after all the ugly bad guys. And though her delivery sometimes sounds a flat note, she and Hayward manage to make their boilerplate romance surprisingly wistful.Anyway, I've got to say this about someone, and I think it's director Ben Holmes. How many of these programmers have you seen where somebody gets shot in one scene, yet turns up miraculously made whole in the next. Not here. The Saint gets wounded in one scene and, by golly, he favors that shoulder for the rest of the film. So an unofficial Oscar for Attention to Neglected Detail to Ben Holmes by default since such matters are usually the job of the director. Then too, on a slightly different note, I hope cable comes up with Holmes' intriguingly titled Cutie on Duty (1943) sometime real soon.

While the movie lacks the charm and sophistication of George Sanders (who most associate with the leading role), it makes up for it in a big way by being so very different. Instead of a crime fighter who always wraps everything together neatly for the police by the end of the film, this version of the Saint just kills the bad guys or gets them to kill each other!! I really liked this, as the typical role played by Boston Blackie, the Falcon or Charlie Chan is way too predictable--they NEVER would plug a bad guy who isn't even resisting arrest or making an attempt on the hero's life! Here, we find a supremely practical crime fighter who doesn't bother with courts and evidence! In many ways, it's like taking a movie such as THE STAR CHAMBER or MAGNUM FORCE and fusing it with a traditional 1930s and 40s B-detective film. Simon Templer's methods are sure a lot more practical and fun to watch than other crime fighters! Apart from the way he dispatches criminals, the film is a rather standard film about bad guys and a mystery--in this case WHO is responsible for leading a crime syndicate in New York City. Generally good pacing (though it DOES sag a bit in the middle), decent but not so sophisticated acting and a good script all work together to make one of the best examples of the genre. This is an excellent film for all--particularly lovers of old B-movies.

Before George Sanders took over the role, it went to LOUIS HAYWARD for THE SAINT IN NEW YORK. Hayward was an interesting actor who should have had a better career than he did in Hollywood, proving that when he got a chance to play an interesting scoundrel ("Ladies in Retirement"), he was fearless in letting his bad side show.Too bad he didn't play "The Saint" more often in the string of films RKO came up with in the '40s. He's good, better than his material here which is strictly a by-the-numbers sort of thing."You should have a question mark after your name," he tells his romantic interest, KAY SUTTON, a dark beauty who looks somewhat like a softer version of Gail Patrick. She's an enigmatic woman and remains so since her character is never developed.Hayward joins the search for "The Big Fellow", head of a crime gang wanted by the NYPD and along the way encounters several misadventures with mob members being disposed of in his unorthodox way.Interesting to see JACK Carson, JONATHAN HALE and SIG RUMAN in the supporting cast.Modestly entertaining but nothing special in this series.