Vendetta for the Saint (1969) watch online HD

Ian Hendry, who plays Destamio here, was the original on the Avengers back in '61 (John Steed was his assistant), with the classic English accent. Yet here (as an Italian-American gangster), he produces the most tone-perfect Frank Sinatra imitation I've ever heard from a British actor.

One of the true beauties of 60/70's Euro Cinema. Rosemary Dexter is in this, making it most worthwhile. I've read everything about her I can find. Very intriguing life.

Like so many 60s/70s series, The Saint's move from small screen to big screen was a big disappointment. For a start, the special effects are absolutely terrible. Surely a show even from this era could do better than just chucking a mannequin down a cliff to simulate a gunman falling over the edge? And the fake backgrounds when characters are conversing in cars, just borders on making the film look like a spoof of the genre. The plot is paper-thin and really doesn't justify a feature length outing. In conclusion, stick to the TV series.

There's something about The Saint that I didn't like as a kid. It could have been the whole anti-hero thing or his slimy suaveness... though I'm not particularly sure what it was. Now, after watching "Vendetta" I have the urge to watch the original series again, through older eyes. Maybe there was something subtle that I just didn't get as a kid and therefore missed out on the entertainment and enjoyment of a pretty brilliant character. Connery may be Bond but Moore is Templar.

In this story, we have Templar in Italy, for some nefarious reason no doubt, and while he's taking a rest he spots a near brawl between two supposed friends. Euston (Mackay) spots a man he believes to be an old work colleague and walks over to say hello. However, he is met with threats and not greetings. Templar moves in when it looks like a fight is about to ensue. Buying Euston a drink he is told the story of the two friends. However, the man claims to be called Destamio (Hendry) and not his friend at all. Something about this sticks in Templar's claw... and he becomes more intrigued when Euston is murdered. With the Italian military and police not bothering with the killing Templar decides to investigate... and what he learns brings him head to head with the Mafia.

I have to admit that I like the character Simon Templar as he is a thief, with morals, and has a strong self-assurance and bravado. This, along with his charm and good looks, definitely makes him a lady-killer. These traits alone can make for good stories. So when you add a good story with action, twists, and tension you surely have a winner - and you do.

This is back when actors would try to accent their voices accordingly. And to be honest, Ian Hendry does a very good and more than passible New York Italian. He is also a perfect hard guy as he protrudes an air of strength and menace, which is almost tangible. In fact, all the actors and actresses do wonderful jobs in their portrayals making it more enjoyable to watch.

O'Connolly directs at a pretty steady pace, which works well with the script. Though there's nothing new in the film, directorial-wise, this isn't a bad thing as what he does allows the actors and actresses to shine. For example, the chase scene. When Templar escapes he runs down a hillside. Today this would probably be shot continuously with the cameraman running down the hill too, with all the camera shake that is all too evident today. Whereas O'Connolly uses static camera's for the shots and pans to follow the action. For me, this works better and adds to the movie.

If you like action thrillers with a good story, strong characters, well written, and nicely filmed then this flick could be right for you. Either way, I would recommend this as an afternoon treat, especially on a Sunday after Dinner - while supping the vino.

This is is a very strange film.Although posing as a feature film it is two episodes of The Saint TV series cobbled together.I am rather more familiar with the RKO series of supporting features.Although made on a lower budget they are clearly have superior production values.Furthermore George Sanders is the epitome of class,Roger Moore is just a big bloke bashing up people.Obviously his audition for James Bond.The story is slow to get going.Furthermore Ian Hendry is a poor villain.Supposed to be Italian American his accent is all over the place.He is very wooden.Finally Currie makes his last screen appearance.