George Sanders returns in the fourth installment of RKO's The Saint series. He ships Professor Thomas Ross a sarcophagus and then goes to visit him in Philadelphia. Little does he know that an exact double of his is running a criminal ring, shipping jewels to the US in cooperation with Bela Lugosi. Fortunately, Jonathan Hale is in town visiting fellow inspector Donald MacBride, so there are twice as many George Sanders to confound twice as many everyone elses.
Most B series had an episode or two in which the hero also played the villain who surprisingly looks exactly like him. This enabled the writers to think themselves clever and the actor to show his range. Sanders assumes this dread responsibility by wearing wide lapels and being grouchy. It is, after all, twice as much work for the same pay.
Worth noting is that Ross was one of Sanders' professors at college, and he has a beautiful daughter in Helene Reynolds, to whom Sanders pledged his troth when she was sixteen and he was graduating. I suspect that's where Spielberg's crew got that aspect of Indiana Jones.
Most B series had an episode or two in which the hero also played the villain who surprisingly looks exactly like him. This enabled the writers to think themselves clever and the actor to show his range. Sanders assumes this dread responsibility by wearing wide lapels and being grouchy. It is, after all, twice as much work for the same pay.
Worth noting is that Ross was one of Sanders' professors at college, and he has a beautiful daughter in Helene Reynolds, to whom Sanders pledged his troth when she was sixteen and he was graduating. I suspect that's where Spielberg's crew got that aspect of Indiana Jones.