User Reviews

In the summer of 1982, I.T.V. found itself in big trouble - their planned coverage of the Olympics had fallen through, leaving it with massive holes in the schedules. To fill these, they put on repeats of vintage programmes, under the collective title 'Best Of British'. For enthusiasts like myself, it was a golden opportunity to see again series such as 'Upstairs, Downstairs', 'Please Sir!', 'Man About The House', 'The Persuaders!', 'Doctor At Large', and 'The Prisoner'. 'Queen's Ransom' was selected to represent 'The Saint'. For some strange reason, they screened a black and white print. It was repeated a few years later as part of a Lew Grade tribute on Channel 4 - this time, in colour.

Written by Leigh Vance and directed by the talented Roy Baker, the story begins in Monte Carlo when 'Simon Templar' ( Roger Moore ) saves 'Fallouda' ( George Pastell ) from a murder attempt. Fallouda is planning to return to his home country of Fedyra - to raise money he plans on selling his wife's ( Dawn Addams ) priceless jewellery. He hires Simon to accompany 'Adana' to Switzerland to collect the jewels from a bank. This the Saint does, but there are subversive elements in the country who do not want Fallouda back. Having failed to kill him once, they try again. Losing their car, Simon and Adrana have to make their way across France, with numerous killers on their tail...

This was the first colour episode, and also the first not to be based on a Leslie Charteris story. Vance captures the style of the original very well. Moore and Addams are good together; her character is the daughter of a London bus driver who feels the Saint is not showing her the respect she thinks she deserves. Its hard not to be reminded of Hitchcock's 'The 39 Steps' at times, with all the bickering they get up to. There's no hanky-panky between their characters. Familiar faces such as Peter Madden and John Woodvine pop up, and there's an amusing sequence in which Nora Nicholson plays a sweet old lady named 'Hortense' who tries to poison the fugitives. Naturally, that stock shot of a white Jaguar going over cliffs is brought into play. You can see why this was chosen to represent the series - it has all the ingredients that made it so popular.

As I write this, a new 'Saint' is waiting in the wings. Let's hope they get it right this time - the last two revivals were unmitigated disasters.

A good Saint episode in the hands of Hammer director Roy Ward Baker. Dawn Addams, whom you may remember from THE VAMPIRE LOVERS, stars in support as a queen who needs Templar's protection from the hands of those attempting a coup. George Purcell co-stars. The usual Continental action plays out here alongside plenty of high drama and intrigue.