Alicia
I love this movie so much
VividSimon
Simply Perfect
Tymon Sutton
The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.
l_rawjalaurence
One of the two Saint films that RKO made in Britain, THE SAINT'S VACATION is a brisk little tale in which the eponymous hero (Hugh Sinclair) successfully smuggles a box out of an unnamed Central European country, containing a vital device essential to Britain's future position in the World, aided and abetted by journalist Mary Langdon (Sally Gray) and amiable duffer Monty Hayward (Arthur Macrae). Looked at today, one cannot help but admire the way in which director Leslie Fenton makes use of very limited resources, in which stock footage is spliced together with studıo-bound sequences shot against very obvious backdrops. His main technique for sustaining our attention is through fast cuts between close-ups and two-shots, while encouraging his actors to play their roles to the hilt. Sinclair turns in a characteristically suave performance that contrasts with Macrae's cowardly Monty who perpetually desires a quiet life away from everything. Needless to say no one ever listens to him; and he is unwittingly drawn into the action when the Saint hides the box in Monty's traveling-bag. The husky-voiced Gray turns in a competent performance, even though she doesn't have much to do in the fight-sequences other than to put her hands up to her face in terror. Cast against type, Cecil Parker makes a good hissable villain with a penchant for turning his top lip up in distaste. He tries his best to remain detached from the action, leaving most of the dirty work to his sidekick Gregory (John Warwick). While the story might be unmemorable, THE SAINT'S VACATION offers several incidental pleasures for anyone looking to while away an entertaining hour.
JohnHowardReid
If it were not for Cecil Parker, who makes the most of an unusual role as the villain in this entry scripted by Leslie Charteris himself in collaboration with the talented Jeffrey Dell (who later wrote and directed that outstanding 1952 thriller, "The Dark Man"), and some good work by Arthur Macrae as our hero's right-hand man (he certainly fooled me with his gendarme impersonation), this entry could be classed as pretty routine. Certainly, former actor Leslie Fenton's direction is nothing to write home about, although he does stage the action with reasonable aplomb. He was later to direct the cult western, "Whispering Smith", and then the almost equally admired "Streets of Laredo", before blotting his copybook with "The Redhead and the Cowboy" in 1951. He then retired. Unlike his contemporaries, he ignored all overtures from TV even though he lived not that far away from Hollywood in Montecito, California. This Saint entry is available on an excellent Warner Archive DVD, coupled with "The Saint Meets the Tiger".
csteidler
All the Saint wants to do is take a little trip abroad…but the gang of reporters tracking him down to the pier just won't believe he's not on a case. Among those reporters is Mary Langdon (Sally Gray), the only girl reporter in the bunch, determined to catch a big scoop to launch her career.Along with his friend Monty, Simon tries to convince Mary he's on vacation, but suddenly things start to happen all at once: a mysterious parking lot meeting, a pursuit by automobile, a foot chase through the woods, a fight in a darkened clearing in which even our heroine assists, stomping a prone tough guy's wrist and taking away his knife just in time…. Simon Templar may be on vacation, but a case certainly finds him. Gradually he learns that all the to-do concerns a small, mysterious package that multiple parties seek (and Templar soon has). Gray and Sinclair work well together, and exchange some enjoyably clever repartee. (Mary: "I suppose you realize we stand an excellent chance of being sent to jail for a couple of years." Simon: "Well, you can't expect to have your fun for nothing, can you.")The picture really gets interesting when veteran English actor Cecil Parker comes on the scene as villain Rudolph Hauser, a spy who—like everyone else—badly wants that little box. Parker and Sinclair are excellent together—two experienced operators who maintain an exceedingly polite surface while playing a deadly game.Hugh Sinclair is actually a quite pleasing Simon Templar—he captures the character's polished and polite exterior as well as the cool alertness and ready athleticism lurking just beneath. The picture's strong cast and a plot that presents a few surprises help to make this a very entertaining series entry. Only the resolution seems a bit weak…but that may be because the buildup was so good.Best dialog exchange: In a highly tense moment, Templar bursts into Hauser's living room to find the owner ready to confront and presumably trap him. Templar plays it suave: "You don't mind me….butting in like this?" To which the reply is equally civil: "Oh, on the contrary, I…I'm always pleased to see you."
Chris Gaskin
As well as showing several Falcon movies recently, BBC2 also shown The Saint's Vacation, so I set the video and was pleased I did.The Saint goes on a vacation to Switzerland and gets involved to solve the mystery of a music box. After getting into several fights, the mystery is solved at the end.The movie is rather fast paced throughout.The Saint is played well by Hugh Sinclair and is joined by Cecil Parker, Sally Gray and Arthur Macrae.A nice way to spend an hour one evening.Rating: 3 stars out of 5.
