The Saint In Palm Springs (1941)

Two cops attempt to arrest the Saint as he comes ashore from the SS Monrovia. He's wanted in connection with a murder case, they explain—Inspector Fernack sent them. The Saint nods agreeably…then adroitly handcuffs them to each other and runs off—straight to Fernack's office, where (as he suspected) his old friend Fernack just wanted his help.George Sanders and Jonathan Hale appear once again as Simon Templar and Inspector Fernack in this fast moving and frequently amusing mystery. Fernack requests the Saint's assistance delivering some postage stamps to Palm Springs, three rare stamps worth $200,000. Sensing reluctance, Fernack offers encouragement: "Of course, it would be dangerous…."Wendy Barrie returns for her third Saint movie, playing a third unique role. This time around she is Elna Johnson, intended recipient of the rare stamps—a family fortune converted into stamps for easier transport out of wartime Europe. Needless to say, a gang is also after the stamps, led by a charming female (Linda Hayes) who meets Templar on the train ride west and is tracking him long before he catches on to her. Paul Guilfoyle also returns from the previous series entry as Clarence "Pearly" Gates. When last seen, Pearly was a reforming pickpocket assisting the Saint; out here in Palm Springs, his probation officer has signed him up as a house detective at a ritzy resort. (Sure it makes sense.) The plot is nothing too surprising, but the veteran cast and a lively script add up to an enjoyable hour. Sanders, Barrie and Guilfoyle certainly look awfully familiar together. A very solid if unspectacular production all the way around.

That old smoothie George Sanders is about the only reason to catch this otherwise disappointing edition of the Saint. The rare stamp premise is promising, but the screenplay proves choppy and lacking in suspense. It's not at all clear that this is supposed to be a whodunit. But, if it is, then the suspects remain regrettably under-developed. Thus, what revelation comes at the end is rather confusing and not much of a disclosure. It's as if the script decided to change direction halfway through-- perhaps, political events in Europe were again heating up. After all, the year is 1940, and the movie business is well known for chasing international developments. Anyway, the pick-pocketing montage with Pearly Gates is amusingly done, showing that actor Guilfoyle could do comedy as well as sinister eccentrics. Also, there's one eye-catching set, a well-designed resort courtyard that's nicely utilized. Otherwise, the staging and set design are lackluster at best. In fact, the big-Joshua-tree exterior at the climax, along with the several process shots, almost screams "phony". I'm not trying to nit- pick, just to point out that this entry lacks care in both the story department and the technical end. I suspect Sanders recognized this during the shoot and thus added to his decision to leave the series.

The Saint is in charge of $200,000 worth of stamps in "The Saint in Palm Springs," a 1941 entry into the series starring George Sanders, Wendy Barrie, Paul Guilfoyle and Jonathan Hale. Simon needs to deliver the stamps, a young woman's inheritance, safely to Palm Springs and into her hands. The formula in this one is similar to the one used in "The Saint Takes Over," though it's not quite as effective: valuables in a safe, the hand holding a gun coming through the window and murder - in this case, three of them.Sanders is wonderful as usual and in this film, he wears some casual clothes and looks terrific, so tall and broad-shouldered. Paul Guilfoyle is funny as Pearly Gates, trying to keep his nose clean while on probation. Wendy Barrie again is the female interest and again playing a woman with an aura of sadness around her."The Saint in Palm Springs" is perhaps most notable for some of the worst-looking process shots on record - the obvious filmed background while the actors are in front of it riding bikes or horses. If you think the walking scene in "All About Eve" is obvious, catch these.Mildly entertaining.

George Sanders has often been quoted as calling the Saint and Falcon films the "nadir" of his career. Looking at "The Saint's Double Trouble" it is easy to see why he felt that way (badly scripted, poor supporting cast, etc, etc) but his four other Saint entries, at least, are well up to scratch. If this one is a little slack in the chase and gun play departments, never mind. It is an old-fashioned "whodunnit" and Sanders and Paul Guilfoyle (as Pearly Gates, a series regular) seem to enjoy themselves in this tale of missing stamps (worth a fortune) and suspicious characters at a luxury Palm Springs hotel. The plot may bear absolutely no resemblance to Leslie Charteris's short story, but never mind; it is a pleasant little cocktail with which to waste an hour or so. By the way, you're guaranteed not to guess whodunnit, although the chief suspects are shown quite often. No one except Sanders would think of this amiable film as a career low-point; it's a pity he didn't make a few more like this as his career went on.