The Saint, Set 7

Volume 13: (Disc 1)

Where The Money Is (Episode 112): Rating (4) - An obnoxious film producer enlists The Saint to help get his kidnapped daughter back. Simon is off to Paris to act as the go between, and deliver the ransom. The Saint's wits are put to the test as he roams the French countryside pursued by a band of desperate men, in this episode directed by Roger Moore.

Vendetta for the Saint (Episodes 113 and 114): Rating (5) - This two part adventure is based on Saint creator Leslie Charteris's last novel. While in Naples, Simon comes to the aid of an English tourist. When the man turns up dead, The Saint begins to investigate into the mysterious past of a Mafia don. The trail leads to Sicily, where the Saint becomes the marked for death, eventually becoming a prisoner of the Mafia. After a daring escape, The Saint returns with a vengeance to save the day, in one of the finest adventures in the series.

Volume 14: (Disc 2)

The Ex-King of Diamonds (Episode 115): Rating (4) - On the Riviera, a deposed king intends to use a rigged card game to raise funds to buy a shipment of weapons. The Saint teams with a wealthy Texan, and an expert in gambling probabilities, to foil the bold and daring gambit.

The Man Who Gambled With Life (Episode 116): Rating (3) - A rich industrialist is dying, and has selected Simon Templar to participate in a dangerous experiment. The Saint, never one to be made a pawn, looks to take control of the situation, and derail the masterplan, in this slightly off the wall episode.

Portrait of Brenda (Episode 117): Rating (4) - In London, Simon discovers a murdered artist, and begins investigating his death. Mystery revolves around a portait, a spiritual guru, and a dead singer, with a couple of lovely ladies thrown into the mix. Ivor Dean makes his final appearance as police inspector Claude Eustace Teal, lending a helping hand in this adventure that maintains the suspense until the very end.

The World Beater (Episode 118): Rating (3) - The final episode of the series finds Simon Templar behind of wheel of a rally racing car. Intrigue and sabotage abound, as The Saint prepares to drive in a high stakes road rally. A woman from his past makes an appearance, bringing excitement into his life.

The episodes in this collection feature some excellent writing and acting, taking this long running series to a conclusion strongly. After this, Roger Moore would again return to television, teaming with Tony Curtis, in The Persuaders. He would then assume his most famous role, after being chosen to succeed Sean Connery as the new James Bond, debuting in Live and Let Die in 1973.

(As an Avengers' fan, I could not help but note how Set 7, like the other color episodes, feature several also The Avengers' co-stars, hereafter identified with an asterisk.*)

In particular Volume 13 features two episodes that each has two unique treats. The first, "Where the Money Is," features Moore as actor-director. (As a music performer-educator, I became intrigued by Moore's directing philosophy that music should enhance, and not overshadow, action and dialogue.) Kenneth G. Warren* does an excellent job playing a bossy American film director. Sandor Elis* plays the head of a kidnapping trio that includes Derek Newark*. These actors are among the many superior co-stars who made this episode work - in spite of Templar's cheesy last line that perhaps could have been scratched.

Episodes 2 and 3, the Leslie Charterlis-based "Vendetta for the Saint," stars the late Ian Hendry*, who played "Dr. Keel" of The Avengers 1961-62 season. "Vendetta" gives us Avengers' fans, who feel loss over having only two of Hendry's episodes available, an entertaining look at this dynamic actor. In "Vendetta" Hendry plays the Italian-American Mafia don Alessandro Gestamio. Templar, upon reading about the death of a British banker at Gestamio's hands, sets out on a one-man war against the Mafia itself, and discovers Gestamio himself has a secret he dare not let the Mafia know. Look for star performances from several actors including Aimi MacDonald*, Steven Plytas*, and a young Rosemary Dexter.

Volume 14 begins with "The Ex-King of Diamonds" (Willoughby Goddard) whose baccarat skills have a sinister core and even more sinister purpose. In this episode Templar is assisted by a mathematical genius (Ronald Radd*), his available daughter (Isla Blair), and a Texas oil billionaire (Stuart Damon). Helpful to me was the explanation by the math professor of baccarat to an inquisitive American tourist (Araby Lockhart). Jeremy Young* continues his excellent character work as a chauffeur/co-conspirator.

"The Man Who Gambled with Life," millionaire scientist-megalomaniac Keith Longman (Clifford Evans*), seeks to lure Templar into a chilling (no-pun intended) experiment. This episode features a hilarious nod to the Emma Peel Avengers' era by Templar and Longman's younger daughter Stella (Jayne Soffiano). It is also the weakest in Set 7 due to its rushed ending. In addition, the timing during the dialogue between Templar and Longman is rather slow. If the producers had made this a two-part, two-hour movie, I believe it would have flowed better.

In "Portrait of Brenda" Templar searches for the killer of an avant-garde artist, and takes a trip through "hip" 60's London that includes the recording scene and Far Eastern philosophy. Templar also gets to cross swords and words with his nemesis, Chief Inspector Teal (Ivor Dean), who, as always, ends up assisting him in spite of himself! Two additional treats are the songs written for this episode - "You Won't See Me No More" by Gary Osborne and "Out to Get You" by Chris Andrews - delightful spoofs of 60's rock-and-roll. Trevor Bannister* plays a very convincing record producer.

Set 7 concludes with a bang as Templar drives "The World Beater" in a car rally with high stakes for a desperate father-son car-building team (James Kerry and Eddie Byrne), an auto mogul (George A. Cooper*), and a former girlfriend named Kay (Patricia Haines*), who has secret schemes behind her need for speed. As always, Templar wins the race that puts mogul, father and son in pocket, uncovers the truth, and beats the villains at their own game. Those who like racing will not be disappointed: the excitement on and off the road are for all to see, as well as some hilarious moments when Templar makes Kay push and dig his car out of the mud!

For the 60's Simon Templar-Roger Moore fans, I believe Set 7 of The Saint is an overall good buy. In our day where acting talent seems based on violence, voyeurism and vulgarity, today's mass media producers should take note that companies like A&E can revive and sell these quality classic shows, and still profit substantially. For people like myself who seek alternatives, the rebirth of The Saint, The Avengers, and other like shows on video and DVD have granted us a welcome refuge, and provided us entertainment redemption.