Apr 24, 2022
The Saint: The Charitable Countess (1.12, ITC, 1962)
"So, uh, where you been tonight?"
"You know what I like about you Roman taxi drivers, Marco? The way you mind your own business."
"Yes. Where you been tonight?"
#the saint#the charitable countess#1962#itc#leslie charteris#dick sharples#gerald kelsey#jeremy summers#roger moore#patricia donahue#nigel davenport#warren mitchell#anthony newlands#philip needs#anthony jacobs#marie burke#irene prador#victor rietti#neville becker#loretta parry#hugo de vernier#series 1 (in the uk at least) draws to a close with an unusually wholesome episode‚ a good fit for the festive period it originally aired#during. we're back in Rome‚ which means a return appearance for Warren Mitchell's charmingly manic taxi driver (a rare case of a non police#officer recurring as a character). Simon sets himself against a lady con artist and her crony (a beautifully understated performance from#Davenport‚ who makes his henchman figure surprisingly likeable). what sets this one apart is that both Simon and the conniving Countess#remain on friendly terms throughout their battle of wills. Donahue is perfectly cast as the elegant countess‚ unexpectedly slipping#back into her street smart broad voice as Simon picks away at her carefully constructed back story (the only downside of the episode is#that Simon is more than a little crass in this scene‚ making some pretty cheap digs at her past: sure she's defrauding charities but that's#no reason to be a pig Simon). the younger actors also equip themselves well‚ and the final dinner party twist is fairly ingenious#not an earth shattering entry in the canon of old tv‚ but a pretty nice time all the same
