Louis Hayward is the perfect Simon Templar in... The Saint in New York (1938)
A "buccaneer in the suits of Savile Row, amused, cool, debonair, with hell-for-leather blue eyes and a saintly smile," Simon Templar was one of the 20th century's most fascinating characters. Created in 1928 by author Leslie Charteris, Templar has come to appear in numerous books, films, TV shows, radio series, and comic strips over the years. For people like my father, their introduction to the Saint was through Roger Moore's indelible, irresistible portrayal on the hit British show that ran from 1962 to 1969. For me, though, I discovered "the Robin Hood of modern crime" by watching 1938's The Saint in New York, which was the first Templar film ever made.
Directed by Ben Holmes and released by RKO, The Saint in New York took me quite by surprise. A taut B-movie with moody cinematography, a snappy pace, dialogue that is at turns poetic and funny, and interesting, dimensional characters, the film finds Templar being persuaded to come to New York by the police commissioner in order to take out a handful of powerful crime leaders who have the city in their grip. As he crosses the names off of his list of victims, the Saint forges an unlikely friendship with Inspector Fernack (Jonathan Hale) and falls for a mysterious woman named Fay (Kay Sutton).
There are many things to like about this movie. Simon Templar is, plain and simple, an incredible character and Hayward brings him to life beautifully. Hale also does a fine job as Fernack, and the characters' relationship is one of my favorite parts of RKO'S Saint series. On the other side of the law is Sig Ruman as a snarling crime boss, Jack Carson as his quiet, unsmiling henchman, and, in a particularly delightful turn, Paul Guilfoyle as Ruman's other henchman, a dimwitted guy who can't help but be in awe of Templar.
The only element that doesn't completely work for me is the romance between Fay and Templar. Their relationship just happens much too fast. They share two electric, flirty scenes, and then Fay declares she loves him and it suddenly feels... off. We're supposed to believe that her feelings for Templar reveal a warmer, gentler side to her personality than the calm, cool, and collected woman we've seen, but there is a disconnect between Sutton and Fay. Sutton's acting no longer matches her character as the script forces Fay to coo sweet nothings in Templar's ear while Sutton is still playing the distant femme fatale that we initially believed Fay to be. It just doesn't gel, making the film's surprisingly tragic ending more effective in theory than in practice.
The film works best as a showcase for Louis Hayward, an underrated actor who will likely never get the proper recognition he deserves. After The Saint in New York, Hayward was replaced with George Sanders, thanks to a multi-picture deal with producer Edward Small that made him unavailable. While I adore Sanders and he plays Templar marvelously, there is an edge to Hayward's performance that Sanders -- the man behind Shere Khan, Jack Favell, and Addison DeWitt -- shockingly doesn't fully replicate. After five films, Sanders found himself in a new movie series about another suave crimefighter named the Falcon, the result of a dispute between RKO and Templar's creator Leslie Charteris. Hugh Sinclair soon stepped into the role for two British-made films, but he never made an impression like his predecessors had. Twelve years after Sinclair's run, Hayward returned to the role for Hammer Films' production of The Saint's Return (also known as The Saint's Girl Friday). I'm just dying to see this movie, but it's proving very hard to find, unfortunately.
After watching all of Sanders's performances and one of Sinclair's, I must say that Hayward is my favorite cinematic Templar. He leans into the character's bloodthirsty characteristics with glee and yet balances it with an aloof romanticism. However, the definitive Saint is, without a doubt, Roger Moore. This might be unfair since he had six seasons to prove it, but Moore embodied Hayward's menacing charm and Sanders's witty sophistication while still making the role entirely his own, making the Saint's inevitable victories all the more delicious and his heartaches infinitely more poignant.
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This is my second entry to the Made in 1938 Blogathon. You can see the other entries here!
Excellent choice from 1938. The moodiness in The Saint in New York and Hayward's performance sets it apart from the series with Sanders. Also, the strange henchmen played by Guilfoyle and Carson are a continual draw. Would that there was a different actress cast in the lead, or something in the screenplay that gave the romance the impact they intended.
ReplyDeleteIndeed! It's irritating that such a good film has such a weak romantic plot point, but the performances of Hayward, Guilfoyle, Carson, and Hale will bring me back every time.
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I really like Hayward in And Then There Were None. I've always wanted to see him in more films. (I know I saw Anthony Adverse, but I don't remember him or the film at all.) It seems like this is one to check out.
ReplyDeleteI've only seen Hayward in a few films, but I've always liked him. He is great in And Then There Were None, and he does a good job with a supporting part in Dance, Girl, Dance. But so far, my favorite performance of his has been in The Saint in New York. I have a feeling you'd like it.
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The Saint in New York is certainly my favourite of the RKO series. Louis Hayward makes an authentic Simon Templar, almost as if the character walked straight off the page!
ReplyDeleteI can recommend The Saint's Girl Friday if you can find it, it's rather similar to the early episodes of the Roger Moore series.
It's my favorite of the series, too (so far), although I'm sure you could tell that. I'm jealous you've seen the Hammer one! I've been searching for it to no avail. Maybe it's time for another trip through Google.
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I am finally getting the opportunity to see all the Saint movies except The Saint Returns. I have to say that I was blown away by The Saint in New York. There are so many amazing things to love about this film that certainly transcends its B movie status. Clever, witty, and urbane, it truly captures the spirit of the Saint series of novels. I was completely hooked by Louis Hayward’s characterization of Simon Templar. I certainly appreciate Sinclair’s performance, but he lacks that Devil may care attitude that Hayward has. And there’s a certain underlying menace to Hayward’s character that captures that aspect of the Saint which runs into trouble with the authorities. Saint and sinner all in one hero. That’s what makes him so appealing. This particular movie is tight and well shot with great performances everywhere. Entertaining from beginning to end and delightful surprise. I actually had the original lobby card for this film but don’t know what happened to it over the years. Lost or stolen? It may be the Saint’s next case!
ReplyDeleteGot to love the line, “I’ve always been an honest admirer and student of monkeys. They remind me of my uncle - on my father’s side.”
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