The Saint Strikes Back

The Saint Strikes Back (1939)

THE 'SAINT' SWINGS WEST!...to astound you again...in the second of fiction's modern 'Robin Hood' series of mystery and thrills!

Suave private detective Simon "The Saint" Templar arrives in San Francisco and meets Val, a woman whose police inspector father killed himself after being accused of corruption and dismissed from the force. Convinced of the man's innocence, Templar takes it upon himself to vindicate the memory of Val's father. To do so he must take on the city's most dangerous criminal gang, while also battling hostile members of the police department.

Date of release
1939-03-08
TMDB
5.8 / 10 (21)
Runtime
1h 4m
Genres
Mystery, Crime
Director
John Farrow
Collection
The Saint (RKO Radio Pictures) Collection

Casting

Interesting facts

  • Based on: She Was a Lady

The Saint Strikes Back is a 1939 American crime film directed by John Farrow. It marks the second cinematic incarnation of the antihero crimefighting character Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". George Sanders replaced Louis Hayward, who had played the Saint in The Saint in New York. The movie was produced by RKO and also featured Wendy Barrie as female gang leader Val Travers. Barrie would appear in two more Saint films, playing different roles each time, though not in the next film in the series, The Saint in London. This was the second of eight films in RKO's film series about The Saint, and the first of five with Sanders in the title role.

Production

The Saint in New York (1938) had been a surprise hit for RKO and they decided to turn it into a series. In July 1938 they announced they would make the second in the series, The Saint Strikes Twice. A.C. Edington was assigned to write the script and Louis Hayward was announced as star with filming to start in August 1938.

Hayward was reluctant to reprise his role and was not under contract to RKO. He had just played the lead in The Duke of West Point (1938) and wanted assurances the new film would be more of an "A" movie. Hayward ended up signing a long-term contract with Edward Small and making The Man in the Iron Mask (1939).

RKO ended up casting George Sanders, who they borrowed from 20th Century Fox.

The title was changed to The Saint Strikes Back and it was to be made alongside The Saint in London. John Farrow was assigned to direct in December 1938.

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