| The Saint's Vacation | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Leslie Fenton |
| Screenplay by | |
| Story by | Leslie Charteris |
| Based on | Getaway by Leslie Charteris |
| Produced by | William Sistrom |
| Starring | Hugh Sinclair Sally Gray |
| Cinematography | Bernard Knowles |
| Edited by | Al Barnes Ralph Kemplen |
| Music by | Bretton Byrd |
Production company | RKO Radio British Productions |
| Distributed by | RKO Radio Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 61 minutes |
| Countries | United Kingdom United States |
| Language | English |
The Saint's Vacation is a 1941 adventure film produced by the British arm ofRKO Pictures. The film starsHugh Sinclair asSimon Templar, also known as "The Saint", a world-roving crimefighter who walks the fine edge of the law. This was the seventh of eight films in RKO'sfilm series about the character created byLeslie Charteris. It was Sinclair's first appearance as Templar, having taken over the role fromGeorge Sanders, who then stepped into RKO's "Falcon" series.
The film was based upon Charteris' 1932 novel,Getaway (also known asThe Saint's Getaway) and, like all the other films in the RKO Saint series, considerable liberties were taken with the original story. Most notably, the time frame of the story has been moved up to the Second World War, with the villains of the piece beingNazis. The film also disregards the fact thatGetaway was in fact the third chapter of a trilogy which included the earlier worksThe Last Hero andKnight Templar. Unlike other films in the Saint series, Charteris himself co-wrote the screenplay. Also, unlike the previous Saint films, which were produced inHollywood,The Saint's Vacation was produced and filmed in the United Kingdom.
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Most of the story takes place in Switzerland, where Templar interrupts his holiday to retrieve a missing secret code. The key to the mystery is a Swiss music box with a most unusual tune, diligently sought after by enemy agent Rudolph and British secret service operative Valerie. Templar is aided in his investigation by reporter Mary Langdon and Monty Hayward, with Inspector Teal ofScotland Yard.[1]
In June 1939John Farrow was announced to direct the film before being replaced by Leslie Fenton.[2]
Several characters fromGetaway do appear in the film adaptation, most notably Templar's friend Monty Hayward (the only time this recurring character from the early novels appeared on film). The villain of the film, Rudolf Hauser (played byCecil Parker) is an adjustment of the book's villain, Prince Rudolf, who had also been the villain in the early Saint novelsThe Last Hero andKnight Templar. One notable omission from the character list is Templar's literary girlfriend,Patricia Holm, who is replaced by another character, Mary Langdon, played bySally Gray.
This was the first of two appearances by Sinclair as The Saint; he would later return in the film adaptation ofMeet – The Tiger!, also known asThe Saint Meets the Tiger.
