The Saint in New York (1938) User Reviews

Stylish b noir

[Spondonman · 7/10 · 10 October 2005]

The first Saint movie was a very good effort, true to the spirit of the book albeit made on the cheap by RKO. I grew up thinking that Roger Moore was the Saint and no-one could top him, but have to admit that Louis Haywood was just right in the title role with the right amount of debonair, imperturbable devil-may-care attitude. I hadn't seen this for over 10 years until off UK cable TV tonight, but there was a small but significant chunk of action which for some reason was cut out of the print shown. I hope the full version is still out there somewhere!

The Saint is "hired" by the NYPD to flush out and deal with a group of gangsters strangling the city. In his role as unpaid mercenary Prince he has to deal in his own inimitable fashion with 7 metaphorical dwarf hoodlums before moving on to the shadowy "Big Fellow" whilst falling in love with an alluring raven-haired femme fatale. This is Snow White for adults!

A real pity Haywood only played the Saint this glorious once in Hollywood - I don't count his 50's British attempt - although Sanders was very funny in his 5 films didn't really hit the right note. My favourite Haywood film came much later, Fritz Lang's "House by the river", an overlooked suspense gem from 1950.

The Saint comes to the Big Apple

[chris_gaskin123 · 7/10 · 7 March 2006]

The Saint In New York is the first of the Saint movies and of the ones I've seen, one of the best.

In this one, The Saint is sent to New York to investigate gangsters in the underworld there. There are plenty of shootings and killings and he gets involved in some quite dangerous situations. He is after one particular gangster known as The Big Fellow who is the leader of a gang. He also falls in love.

The cast features Louis Haywood as the Saint, Kay Sutton and Jonathan Hale.

The Saint In New York is worth watching if you get the chance. A treat.

Rating: 3 stars out of 5.

I'm such a hero I hardly recognise myself.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 12 April 2014]

So it begins, the start of the realisation of Leslie Charteris' literary creation, one Simon Templar, AKA: The Saint. And it's a good start to be sure.

Templar here is played by Louis Hayward, all smirky confidence, lithe and deadly, Templar is "hired" by some big city suits to snuff out New York's baddies who have in turn been snuffing out policemen and getting away with it. He's deadly, has a quip on the tongue and laughs in the face of danger, and of course he can charm the ladies as well. He gets into scrapes, meaning we get to enjoy his many escapes from impending death, he does indeed assassinate bad guys; and has us firmly on side in the process, and he crucially has us hankering for more of Charteris' rogue good guy!

It's good old fashioned fantastical fun mixed with some rugged 1930s gangster shenanigans. Hooray! 7/10

A dark and enjoyable start to the Saint films with a really good presence in Hayward

[bob the moo · 13 February 2006]

With crime rife in New York due to gangs and a small group of men in particular, Inspector Fernack makes the decision to bring in Simon Templar aka "The Saint" to help. The Saint is known as someone able to bring down criminal organisations but has gained notoriety due to the criminal methods he uses to do so. Dispatching one of the men with a clinical kill very early on, Templar quickly uncovers the existence of a character known as the "Big Fellow" – clearly a top man behind the gangs. Moving steadily into more and more danger he tries to reach and remove the Big Fellow to cut the head off the snake.

I'm not sure why this film was apparently banned in Sweden on its release but I would hazard a guess that it had something to do with the marvellous anti-hero qualities that Templar is given in this film. The plot could have been straight out of any crime b-movie as it essentially involves bringing "justice" to New York by taking down a major crime syndicate; however in many other films from the 1930's the hero would have been a cop trying to get a conviction and, if he killed anyone it would have been by necessity rather than choice. However with this film we have a character who kills by choice and is as much a killer as he is a bringer of justice. This dark edge makes the film more interesting than the standard plot suggests it should be and I was quite taken in by it even if the quest for the "Big Fellow" wasn't really delivered with any tension or mystery (which was a bit of a shame, although it did enough to keep me guessing and watching).

The real feather in the cap is Louis Hayward who plays it with the perfect mix of the suave and the psychotic. He is convincing as a bit of a smooth character but, more importantly, he convinced me as a cold-blooded killer and I enjoyed the dark feel he brought to the film. Outside of his though the performances are either just OK or wooden but nothing better; they more or less do the job but I could help feel that Hayward deserved more than the very basic caricatures of cops and criminals.

Overall though this is a tough and enjoyable b-movie that features an enjoyably dark anti-hero. Later films in the series (well, the next one in fact) would quickly lose touch with this dark, cruel character and tone it down to be nonexistent but here it is in full effect and it makes a standard (if engaging) plot much better than it deserved to be.

"Gentlemen, what we need is a Robin Hood"!

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 4 December 2010]

For my first encounter with The Saint, I'm glad it was with the original film in the series, this one featuring Louis Hayward in the role of Simon Templar, though continued in subsequent pictures by the likes of George Sanders and Hugh Sinclair. Hayward refers to himself as a 'lone wolf' later on in the story, describing the way he operates. Which is interesting in light of the fact he went on to portray that character in 'The Lone Wolf' TV series of the mid-Fifties.

I was somewhat struck by the idea that The Saint was called on to deliver a brand of vigilante justice way back in 1930's New York. Operating under the auspices of the NYC Police Department, Templar was hired to dispatch mob big-wigs who always managed to avert prosecution with the help of shady lawyers. The concept of revolving door justice seems a product of more recent times, but obviously that wasn't the case at all as we see here.

Clever repartee and offbeat disguise help The Saint make his rounds in New York as he gets closer and closer to the identity of The Big Fellow, one of the men on The Saint's hit list. In the midst of it all, he manages to get involved with gun moll Kay Sutton (Fay Edwards), who's motivation to help Templar isn't adequately enough explored. Sure he was good looking, charming and mysterious, but why trade that for her connections?

On the flip side, I thought Templar walked into too many situations that surely should have cost him his skin, but hey, the guy was a genius according to henchman Hymie (Paul Guilfoyle). Apparently The Saint thought so too - "I'm such a hero I hardly recognize myself". Which was a curious thing for him to say, since every now and then I thought he resembled a young Desi Arnaz.

"My friends usually wash their hands before they hit me."

[utgard14 · 7/10 · 11 January 2015]

Frustrated with the inability of the police and courts to deal with organized crime, a citizens committee decides to take matters into their own hands. They enlist the help of Simon Templar, aka The Saint, a British amateur crime-fighter not afraid to break the law or take lives to stop crime. Templar's given a list of names of six criminals and sets out to eliminate them one by one, saving a police inspector's life and rescuing a kidnapped child along the way.

The first in RKO's "The Saint" series, based around Simon Templar. After this film, Louis Hayward would be replaced by the much more debonair George Sanders. Hayward would return to the character once more in the '50s in a movie made by Hammer, The Saint's Return. This first Saint film is really good. While I prefer George Sanders overall, there's certainly a gritty appeal about Hayward's Saint. He's a full-on vigilante murderer, a predecessor to the Charles Bronson-types we've had in films the last forty years. He's calm, cool, and collected no matter what jam he finds himself in. He's fun to watch. The tacked-on romance is lame and comes out of nowhere but, besides that, this is an entertaining movie.

Louis Hayward as "The Saint"

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 16 October 2010]

Louis Hayward is "The Saint in New York" in this 1938 film starring the Leslie Charteris character of Simon Templar, aka The Saint. Here, Simon is sent to New York to deal with gangsters who have escaped punishment by the justice system, and also to identify the man behind all of them, "The Big Fellow." I have to admit that though I've seen Roger Moore, Ian Ogilvy, and George Sanders in the role and enjoyed them, my favorite Saint has always been Louis Hayward since I first saw this film years ago. Hayward is smooth as silk both in manner and voice, as well as charming and lethal. While Sanders especially, with his talent for the acerbic, mined the humor in the role, Hayward mines the elegance, the grace, the light touch.

Hayward is backed up by the beautiful Kay Sutton, who reminded me of Kay Francis, Sig Ruman, Jonathan Hale, and Jack Carson in an early role.

Very good. It's a shame Hayward didn't do the role more.

Louis Hayward makes an interesting "Saint"...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 21 March 2007]

Before George Sanders took over the role, it went to LOUIS HAYWARD for THE SAINT IN NEW YORK. Hayward was an interesting actor who should have had a better career than he did in Hollywood, proving that when he got a chance to play an interesting scoundrel ("Ladies in Retirement"), he was fearless in letting his bad side show.

Too bad he didn't play "The Saint" more often in the string of films RKO came up with in the '40s. He's good, better than his material here which is strictly a by-the-numbers sort of thing.

"You should have a question mark after your name," he tells his romantic interest, KAY SUTTON, a dark beauty who looks somewhat like a softer version of Gail Patrick. She's an enigmatic woman and remains so since her character is never developed.

Hayward joins the search for "The Big Fellow", head of a crime gang wanted by the NYPD and along the way encounters several misadventures with mob members being disposed of in his unorthodox way.

Interesting to see JACK Carson, JONATHAN HALE and SIG RUMAN in the supporting cast.

Modestly entertaining but nothing special in this series.

Off to a good start with Simon Templar

[robert-temple-1 · 7/10 · 2 May 2023]

This was the first of the Saint movies, based on the novels of Leslie Charteris (1907-1993). The real name of Charteris was Leslie Charles Bowyer Yin. His father was a Singapore Chinese, and Leslie was thus born in Singapore. (He obtained US citizenship in 1946.) As part of the CBS Playhouse television series, this same story would be filmed again in 1987 with Andrew Clarke playing the Saint. (I have not seen that one.) In this film, Simon Templar, 'the Saint', is played by Louis Hayward. It is not the only time Hayward played the character, despite the fact that in several succeeding 'Saint' films, the role was played by George Sanders. Hayward did appear again as Simon Templar in 1953 in THE SAINT'S RETURN (see my review of it). Hayward was excellent as the Saint, having just the right kind of peculiar personal touch for the part, with an air of reckless mischief combined with half-crazed restless brilliance. It is a pity that he did not play this character more than twice. He did get one thing wrong, though: at one point he is meant to telephone COLUMBUS 4-1098, but he dials a random number instead. (If you're going to learn your lines, you should learn your numbers as well.) The film itself is very good, with many witty lines of dialogue. Although the plot is nothing to get excited about, and the action is run of the mill, the film nevertheless holds one's attention. There is good solid support from several of the character actors. Jonathan Hale is excellent as the honest police Inspector. (He was so reliable as a character actor it is not surprising that he appeared in no less than 247 films.) Paul Guilfoyle is marvellous as Hymie, one of the murderous henchmen of a gangster gang, who keeps expressing his admiration and amazement at Templar with boyish asides. One particularly witty line of Templar's is delivered to a thug who has just struck him in the face. He drolly says: 'My friends generally wash their hands before they strike me. But you obviously aren't a friend.' Hayward definitely mastered the mad insouciance of Templar. The film is well worth seeing for those who like 1930s detective movies.

early chapter in the Saint films

[ksf-2 · 7/10 · 6 June 2018]

The very first "Saint" made into a film, based on the novel by Leslie Charteris. And STILL not available on dvd, as of June 2018. Interesting. This one stars Louis Hayward as Simon Templar. Hayward was a war hero, shorter but dashing, and was married to Ida Lupino. In this one, he dresses up as a nun. Jack Carson is in here as a mob goon.. ..he was in so many films, could play any part. Sig Rumann was the comic foil to the Marx Brothers. Here, he's Hutch, the leader of the mob. Sound and picture quality are a little shaky, could probably use a restoration. Kay Sutton is "Fay"... according to imdb, most of her roles were either deleted or uncredited. This story kind of goes all over the place... the Saint puts the moves on Fay to see what he can find out about Hutch and the mob, and wants to dismantle the gang. Moves pretty slowly. Entertaining enough, but a bit dry. Also interesting as the one that started off the films. Later played by George Sanders. and of course, Roger Moore in the tv series.

A Charming Contract Killer

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 3 May 2008]

The first film adaption of Leslie Charteris's hero Simon Templar, aka The Saint finds The Saint In New York taking on the job of cleaning out organized crime in the big apple. As if Thomas E. Dewey wasn't doing enough around that time.

But I doubt Dewey would condone The Saint's methods. He's been put on retainer by an elite group of civic leaders concerned about rising crime rate. What they get is little more than a contract killer, albeit a charming one.

Louis Hayward plays The Saint and then left the role to return to it for one more go in the Fifties. I wish he had done a few more episodes in this film series.

What The Saint's been hired to do is eliminate one way or another a gang of six that control all the crime in New York City worth controlling. There's a seventh involved, but nobody knows who he is, he's an almost mythical figure known as the Big Fellow.

Given this is a B film with a limited cast there's not too much suspense involved and it's rather obvious who the mastermind is. Still this Saint film gets by on the considerable charm of Louis Hayward and it's easy to take.

Extraordinary in its Ethical Dimension; a Fast-Paced Noir Mission

[silverscreen888 · 8/10 · 26 June 2005]

This by my lights is a splendid and very good story about Leslie Charteris's enigmatic character, Simon Templar, "the Saint"; it was the first of a series of films which starred several actors inn the role. Louis Hayward is fascinating inn the part, occasionally a bit stodgy but intelligent, and compelling. The film was directed by Ben Holmes, and also stars Kay Sutton as an enigmatic bad girl, Sig Ruman, Jonathan Hale, Jack Carson and many others in small but effective parts. The storyline is what set\s this ethical masterpiece apart. Templar is tracked down in foreign parts by an honest man representing a group in New York who want to bring down the mysterious crime boss who is poisoning the city with his influence. Templar, for his own reasons--the challenge, the chance to accomplish something worthwhile--agrees to risk his life; not for altruism but for his own code of values, his own desire to use his talents to the full. He starts pushing, commits some questionable break-ins and more,, all the time making himself more dangerous and getting closer to finding out who the big fella" is. I will not reveal the climax or the ending, except to say Templar has fallen in love with Kay--but she can never be his after what happens. Roy Webb wrote the music; the production values of this B/W gem are subtle and a little above average. But what drives it is the script, written from Charteris's novel,; it is the best of an interesting series because it is fast-paced, original, clever in dialogue and clear in its contexted ethical purposiveness; the group who hired him and the viewers finally come to know that they picked the right man, whatever doubts they may originally have had about the famous and notorious Simon Templar. Sutton is very good; Carson and several others are very competent also. Highly recommended.

Enter The Saint

[boblipton · 7/10 · 12 January 2024]

It's Louis Hayward playing Simon Templar based on Leslie Chateris' popular series, and it's an interesting movie as the Saint is sought out by Inspector Jonathan Hale to deal with a criminal gang in Manhattan.

Hayward plays it very lighthearted, but it's clearly a facade for the character as he fights crime in a manner that is not beholden to the forces of the law. It's a rather bloody movie, with a considerable body count and three kidnappings, includes a little girl. In fact, it looks like a pre-code movie except that everyone is fully dressed at all times and all killings are offered in different clips from the people pulling the trigger. That's little of the easy comic relief of the forthcoming series. Instead, it's more of a serious drama, and makes its point that sometimes the law gets in its own way.

He ain't got no Halo!

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 8 November 2010]

The first in a series based on Leslie Charteris' character, this B crime drama is a predictable programmer meant to pack in as many shady characters as possible, a bit of mystery and some fast-moving action. Louis Hayward, in his only appearance as the Saint, is not as good as his successor George Sanders would be. Here, he seeks to either knock off or arrest a group of New York gangsters and their ring leader. Kay Sutton is the gang moll he briefly gets involved with, and Jonathan Hale (who would be back in several more of the series) is the New York detective he is brought onto the case by. A few exciting moments, but not really much else. In the end, it's all pretty predictable, although there are a few moments of genuine surprise. The problem in most of the series is that after an interesting set up, the plot moved in such a vague manner it was often difficult to remember who was on who's side and how each of the villains played a part in the escapades.

original Simon Templar

[didi-5 · 23 February 2003]

The first film in RKO's series (continued, successfully, with George Sanders, and unsuccessfully, with Hugh Sinclair), this features tiny, white-suited Louis Hayward, as the dangerous psychotic Simon Templar, law-enforcer of a kind (mainly by shooting people), on a mission to find the 'big fellow', head of a crime gang. Hayward is excellent in this, having just the right amount of repartee and daring (without making the role comedic as Sanders did or boring as Sinclair did), as is his love interest, Kay Sutton, who seemed to do very little in films despite her good looks and strong voice. One gripe about the film would be that the print currently available on video is poor as regards picture and sound - I understand this entry in the series was lost for a while and it really does cry out for restoration. Still, this aside it has many compensations. Hayward went on to be the man in the iron mask, the son of Monte Cristo, and the snipey son Oliver in My Son My Son. Jonathan Hale, introduced here as the Saint's cop foil, went on to other Saint entries and eventually committed suicide.

First Entry In Series

[DKosty123 · 7/10 · 23 January 2017]

Louis Haywards only entry as the Saint, this movie has some interesting legends. The biggest one is that Alfred Hitchcock was supposed to come to the United States and direct it. Hitch did not come to the US until 2 years after this was made, so that did not happen.

If Hitchcock had come over, I doubt that he would have directed it at RKO Pictures. I mean this movie is good but it is an obvious "B" Picture made to fill out double features on Saturday afternoons. I think the picture would have had a different cast and star and been made by Selznick on a much bigger budget if it were introducing Hitchock.

The changes of how this movie was made are not obvious on camera. What is obvious is that Hayward was not going to be the man down the road. He is okay, but George Sanders would be better. Sig Ruman, a talented supporting actor is among a pretty good supporting cast in this one.

It did sell a lot of tickets, though I wonder what the main feature was in theaters in 1938? One interesting feature that year was Room Service starring the Marx Brothers and featuring an unknown Lucille Ball. This might have been the under card for that one.

1st

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 12 June 2021]

Crime is overwhelming the city. The Police Lieutenant leading the fight is killed by a bomb. City leaders gather to come up with a plan. One of them suggests recruiting Simon "The Saint" Templar (Louis Hayward), a mysterious British detective willing to work outside the law.

This is the first of the successful RKO series on the character. Hayward is a little weak-jawed and slight of build. He does have a big grin and that makes him look a bit like The Joker. I like the violence. I would want more and darker but I doubt the studio could get away with it. It's a lot of unlikely interactions. I thought The Saint worked in secret but this is not the case here. I don't actually know that much about the character.

I Have No Idea Why He Was There But It was a Fun Ride

[verbusen · 7/10 · 7 January 2015]

I'm a Saint fan so when I saw this on TCM I jumped at the chance to watch it. I'm really only used to the Roger Moore Saint and I never read the books but I also watched one or two earlier Saint films, so that's where I am now. So, my best guess is The Saint came to New York to kill off the entire underworld here. Not sure why. Did they say bad things about the King? Queen? Who knows, but he sure did have a grudge against these guys. The New York police don't know either but welcome him since you know, the system is crooked. So off we go and along the way Simon gets shot and kisses a hot woman who dies (I think), oh whats the point, you know you are intrigued. The Saint is a one man Lee Marvin killing machine. Totally out of character from the rest of the series even to this day, this Saint deserves a watch. A good stiff drink is in order as well or two or three, or however many you wish. Enjoy. 7 out of 10. I have no idea looking back why he was there but he killed a lot of the mob on his way out.

Good first addition Saint +acrobatics

[john_ice · 7/10 · 30 October 2019]

Standard fare but ASTONISHING -backward flip onto roof from window 🙃

The name is Simon Templar

[Prismark10 · 4/10 · 13 April 2014]

Louis Hayward plays the Saint, rather less suave than Roger Moore would play him a few decades later in the television series but more of a dapper thuggish charm.

This Saint is not a copper or a sleuth but more of a Robin Hood type vigilante who is not prepared to mask himself like Zorro and work incognito.

This Saint is prepared to break the law and serve justice his own way as he has been hired to clean up the city and find the Big Fellow with Kay Sutton helping out and adding romantic interest.

The adventure is a potboiler with plenty of fisticuffs but the mystery element is lacking as a modern audience will easily guess who the Big Fellow will turn out to be.

This Saint takes no prisoners

[reve-2 · 8/10 · 12 December 1999]

Although I had seen all of the other films in the Saint series, I had never viewed this one. This was the very first one in the series. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Louis Hayward played the character as a dapper but stern enforcer. His assignment is to rid New York of its' 6 most dangerous criminals. His intentions are not to capture them but to intentionally kill each of them. His verbal jousting with some of his intended victims provide lots of entertainment as well as suspense. The character, as portrayed by Hayward (long one of my favorite actors) never loses his cool detachment and always maintains his sense of humor. IMHO this is a very good film. Lots of entertainment including suspense, action, and humor.

First Saint film, also the best

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 19 November 2016]

The Saint films starring George Sanders are very enjoyable films (apart from the disappointing 'The Saint's Double Trouble'), and Sanders is great in the role, but only 'The Saint Takes Over' is almost up to the level of 'The Saint in New York' and closest in spirit to it.

Signalling the start of RKO's nine-film Saint films, 'The Saint in New York' for me stands out as the best. Not without its imperfections, but is regardless hugely entertaining. It does sag ever so slightly in the middle and, other than the entertaining Jonathan Hale and Kay Sutton (despite a relatively underwritten role) who brings the right amount of allure and mystery, the supporting cast while still solid and well suited to their roles are not hugely memorable.

Louis Hayward however is simply terrific in the title role, bringing suavity, charisma, elegance and toughness to a potentially stock character that actually has shades of complexity. While low-budget, 'The Saint in New York' is nicely shot and is aesthetically atmospheric. The music is lively and haunting, while the direction keeps the pace going but also allows the plot to breathe.

As for the script, it is sharp, cutting and witty without being wordy, simplistic or clunky. The story is the toughest, edgiest and darkest of the series, meaning that there is more of a sense of mystery than the Sanders outings, as well as some nicely balanced humour. The mystery itself is diverting and doesn't suffer from the somewhat short duration of the film, meaning it doesn't get rushed or confused. The ending is one of the more satisfying ones of the series.

Overall, the first Saint film is also the best one. As enjoyable as the Sanders Saint films are, 'The Saint in New York' executes various elements better and there is a preference for the darker and tougher edge to the still appealingly light-hearted one of the succeeding films. 8/10 Bethany Cox

True in spirit

[ccamfield · 8/10 · 6 January 2000]

I caught The Saint In New York late one night on TV. It is actually - violence and all - a very faithful translation of Charteris' novel of the same name. Simon Templar's roguish audacity is very well conveyed by Hayward and the film is a lot of fun.

An Un-saintly Saint

[dougdoepke · 11 August 2009]

Hayward does cut a dashing figure with an easy smile, a penchant for poetical one-liners, and a snap-brim fedora. His version of the Saint is also more interesting than the standard sleuth of the period since he's not above breaking the law when it serves justice or following his own code of integrity. Too bad this kind of character complexity didn't survive the many sequels.

The story itself is pretty routine: cleaning up the city by getting the mysterious Big Fellow. Not much excitement or suspense as the one-man-army sort of bounces back and forth between bad guys, snapping off occasional nifty one-liners. Then there's the sexy Kay Sutton to ease the eyes after all the ugly bad guys. And though her delivery sometimes sounds a flat note, she and Hayward manage to make their boilerplate romance surprisingly wistful.

Anyway, I've got to say this about someone, and I think it's director Ben Holmes. How many of these programmers have you seen where somebody gets shot in one scene, yet turns up miraculously made whole in the next. Not here. The Saint gets wounded in one scene and, by golly, he favors that shoulder for the rest of the film. So an unofficial Oscar for Attention to Neglected Detail to Ben Holmes by default since such matters are usually the job of the director. Then too, on a slightly different note, I hope cable comes up with Holmes' intriguingly titled Cutie on Duty (1943) sometime real soon.

The original.

[Saintly-2 · 10/10 · 28 May 1999]

Although many may argue that the later portrayers of the Saint (Roger Moore, Ian Ogilvy) are better, one has to admit that, for a start, this film is a good start. Hayward has the essence of Templar's quirky humour, and is a good actor in his own right. A must see for any die-hard Saint fan.