In this episode Simon Templar is helping a daughter of a professor to protect her father from being kidnapped, and soon there are some attempts to steal him away, and Simon Templar is determined to stop them. There's a twist towards the end - generally, it's an ok episode, bit slow in the beginning, but the second half sparkles with a car chase, speedboat and helicopter featuring. Also there's a nice stunt by Templar as he jumps on the car.
3 Reviews
The Imprudent Professor
Prismark103 September 2022
This was certainly an expensive looking episode set in the South of France. However the close up beach scenes might have been shot in the UK, judging by the beer bellies.
Professor Edmund Bartlett (Bill Simpson) finds himself to be a target from foreign powers after he has invented a petrol substitute. His daughter Emma (Susan Penhaligon) has hired Simon Templar to protect her father fearing someone will either abduct or kill him.
Samantha (Catherine Schell) is the femme fatale who is distracting the Saint. While British Secret Service seem to be more of a hindrance than a help.
There is certainly an espionage flavour, almost like a mini Bond movie. Simon Templar even tries on a Scots accent.
The story does not hold up too convincingly, Templar should had smelled a rat much earlier.
There are a humorous series of scenes where a henchman is stopped by Templar by various types of sprays.
Professor Edmund Bartlett (Bill Simpson) finds himself to be a target from foreign powers after he has invented a petrol substitute. His daughter Emma (Susan Penhaligon) has hired Simon Templar to protect her father fearing someone will either abduct or kill him.
Samantha (Catherine Schell) is the femme fatale who is distracting the Saint. While British Secret Service seem to be more of a hindrance than a help.
There is certainly an espionage flavour, almost like a mini Bond movie. Simon Templar even tries on a Scots accent.
The story does not hold up too convincingly, Templar should had smelled a rat much earlier.
There are a humorous series of scenes where a henchman is stopped by Templar by various types of sprays.
That Riviera Touch
ShadeGrenade30 August 2009
Warning: Spoilers
At a scientific conference in Nice, Professor Edmund Bartlett ( Bill Simpson ) announces to the world that he has created a petrol substitute. A man rises to his feet to denounce the Professor as a fraud. The man question is none other than Simon Templar.
Bartlett's daughter, Emma ( Susan Penhaligon ) is concerned that foreign powers will attempt either to kill her father or kidnap him, so she has hired Templar to act as bodyguard. The British Secret Service are on the scene too, in the shape of Boothroyd ( Anthony Steel ).
The Saint is distracted by the ravishing Samantha ( Catherine Schell ) long enough for Bartlett to be snatched. The chase is on...
One of the best episodes. Certainly it looks as though the budget is higher than usual, what with a speedboat, helicopter and yacht all figuring prominently in the action. Several people commented at the time on Ian Ogilvy's suitability as 'James Bond' and, although I am glad he did not land the role ( he would not have been the first 'Saint' to become 007 ) you can see why they thought this.
Scottish actor Bill Simpson was best known for 'Dr.Finlay's Casebook', while Anthony Steel was a British matinée idol of the '50's. In a nice dig at the Bond movies, when we first see his character ( he is a British spy ) he is relaxing around a pool with lots of sexy ladies in bikinis. Susan Penhaligon would have recently been seen in that steaming pile of rubbish called 'Bouquet Of Barbed Wire' and its equally inane sequel 'Another Bouquet'. Catherine Schell had worked with director Kevin Connor recently on the second season of 'Space: 1999'.
This was one of the few 'Return' episodes to be novelised; though credited to Leslie Charteris, the author was in fact Peter Bloxham. Other stories to see the light of print included 'Duel In Venice' and 'Collision Course' ( retitled 'Salvage For The Saint' ).
Bartlett's daughter, Emma ( Susan Penhaligon ) is concerned that foreign powers will attempt either to kill her father or kidnap him, so she has hired Templar to act as bodyguard. The British Secret Service are on the scene too, in the shape of Boothroyd ( Anthony Steel ).
The Saint is distracted by the ravishing Samantha ( Catherine Schell ) long enough for Bartlett to be snatched. The chase is on...
One of the best episodes. Certainly it looks as though the budget is higher than usual, what with a speedboat, helicopter and yacht all figuring prominently in the action. Several people commented at the time on Ian Ogilvy's suitability as 'James Bond' and, although I am glad he did not land the role ( he would not have been the first 'Saint' to become 007 ) you can see why they thought this.
Scottish actor Bill Simpson was best known for 'Dr.Finlay's Casebook', while Anthony Steel was a British matinée idol of the '50's. In a nice dig at the Bond movies, when we first see his character ( he is a British spy ) he is relaxing around a pool with lots of sexy ladies in bikinis. Susan Penhaligon would have recently been seen in that steaming pile of rubbish called 'Bouquet Of Barbed Wire' and its equally inane sequel 'Another Bouquet'. Catherine Schell had worked with director Kevin Connor recently on the second season of 'Space: 1999'.
This was one of the few 'Return' episodes to be novelised; though credited to Leslie Charteris, the author was in fact Peter Bloxham. Other stories to see the light of print included 'Duel In Venice' and 'Collision Course' ( retitled 'Salvage For The Saint' ).
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
