The Saint Takes Over

"Labeled for DEATH!"

1940 1h 9m EN

👍

6.7

SOLID

⭐

6.6

IMDB

★6.7TMDB · 14★6.6IMDB · 912

CrimeMystery

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The Saint Takes Over, released in 1940 by RKO Pictures, was the fifth motion picture featuring the adventures of Simon Templar, a.k.a. "The Saint" the Robin Hood-inspired crimefighter created by Leslie Charteris. This film focuses on the character of Inspector Henry Farnack. When Farnack is framed by a gang he is investigating, it is up to The Saint to clear his name.

“Labeled for DEATH!”

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Cast

George Sanders
Simon Templar
Wendy Barrie
Ruth Summers
Jonathan Hale
Inspector Henry Fernack
Paul Guilfoyle
Clarence 'Pearly' Gates
Morgan Conway
Sam Reese
Robert Emmett Keane
Leo Sloan
Cy Kendall
Max Bremer (as Cyrus W. Kendall)
James Burke
Patrolman Mike

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jack Hively
Writers: Lynn Root, Frank Fenton
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 69-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

86 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "The Saint (RKO Radio Pictures) Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jack Hively, shot by Frank Redman. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Desmond Marquette shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

George Sanders and Wendy Barrie and Jonathan Hale carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Labeled for DEATH!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0033013 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jack Hively directs. Frank Redman behind the camera. Desmond Marquette cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 69-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
286 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Part of the "The Saint (RKO Radio Pictures) Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Jack Hively, shot by Frank Redman. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Editor Desmond Marquette shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6George Sanders and Wendy Barrie and Jonathan Hale carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Labeled for DEATH!".
8IMDB entry: tt0033013 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 14 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Frank Redman
Editing: Desmond Marquette
Costume design: Renié
Makeup / hair: Mel Berns
Runtime: 69 min · 1h 9m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Saint Takes Over (1940)
IMDB rating: 6.6/10 · 912 votes
MPAA: Approved

Part of

The Saint (RKO Radio Pictures) Collection

Debonair thief-turned-detective Simon Templar circles the globe to solve cases with charm and cunning in a series of fast-paced films full of clever banter and cleverer twists. Based on stories by bestselling author Leslie Charteris.

Also by

Jack Hively

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2023-12-01
★ 6/10
When a police inspector is suspended on suspicion of fraud, it falls to his eponymous friend (George Sanders) to get to the bottom of things. It seems "Fernack" (Jonathan Hale) was found with $50,000 in his safe! Conclusive? Well soon our sleuth discovers that there is a cabal of five hoodlums determined to ruin his friend. Well they are, until, suddenly they themselves start dropping like flies. Are they betraying each other or is someone on the outside seeking revenge? "Templar" assisted by his police buddy, the not entirely trustworthy safecracker "Gates" (Paul Guilfoyle) and the slightly enigmatic "Ruth" (Wendy Barrie) who has penchant for roses must now identify and expose the culprit. Sanders was always good as the debonair, considered, detective who uses the minimum of brute force to apprehend his foes. Here the story is quite well written with a few red herrings and just enough intrigue to keep it interesting for just over an hour. Of course there's no jeopardy, but the denouement has a degree of sophistication to it that I found quite fun.

Production companies