Jun 10, 2023
The Saint: The Art Collectors (5.18, ITC, 1967)
"I don't understand you, Mr. Templar."
"Why, it isn't that I object to doing the fair thing, it's just that I don't like being forced to do it at gunpoint."
#the saint#the art collectors#1967#itc#leslie charteris#michael pertwee#roy ward baker#roger moore#ann bell#peter bowles#geoffrey bayldon#nadja regin#james maxwell#philo hauser#richard shaw#garfield morgan#bryan kendrick#i actually have seen this one before but for some reason literally the only part i remembered was Simon eating a sandwich during an escape#attempt (it's a nice little character moment in a very playful episode). we're in france with priceless paintings and would be thieves#so this feels very traditional‚ very reminiscent of the black and white series. we've another great cast‚ headed by the lovely Ann Bell#and she's reunited with her 3.17 costar James Maxwell!! they're not on the same side this time tho... JM also having a great deal of fun as#a German pretending to be French pretending to be Geoffrey Bayldon‚ and the look he conjures as Simon rips off his fake beard is really#quite something. and then there's Peter Bowles and Garfield Morgan... these casts are getting very impressive! the plot here isn't the#tightest tbh‚ with a little too much repetitive back and forth with the paintings‚ but it's a lighter‚ fluffier episode and that's always#welcome. it is telling that the conclusion of the episode has Simon supporting the Russian's claim on the da Vinci paintings and helping#to get them returned to their 'rightful home' in a Russian museum; with the original owner dead and with no descendants wouldn't it make#just as much sense to return the paintings to Italy?? idk#oh!! i almost forgot!! Simon uses the stick figure calling card for what im pretty certain is the first time in the series (it's generally#only been used to frame him so far or perhaps once to frame himself to go undercover or something) but yeah he does it for real!
