The Saint in Manhattan
| The Saint in Manhattan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Based on | Character created by Leslie Charteris |
| Written by | Peter Gethers David Handler |
| Directed by | James Frawley |
| Starring | Andrew Clarke Kevin Tighe George Rose |
| Music by | Mark Snow |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 1 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Dennis E. Doty Robert S. Baker |
| Producer | George Manasse |
| Cinematography | William Wages |
| Editor | Lee Burch |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | June 12, 1987 |
| Related | |
| Return of the Saint | |
The Saint in Manhattan is a 1987 television pilot for an Australian-filmed, US-backed revival series based on The Saint starring Andrew Clarke as Simon Templar. The pilot was not picked up for a series but on June 12, 1987, it was broadcast as the first installment of CBS Summer Playhouse, a series that aired unsold television pilots during the summer season. In 2012, the pilot was released on DVD by Madman Entertainment in Australia.[1] The DVD has since been out of print.
Plot
[edit]The Saint returns to New York City, feeling restless and bored. But the tedium is about to escalate to full-blown excitement when he is contacted by an old flame, Margo, a ballerina who is set to star in a high profile performance. She has received death threats in the guise of a mutilated doll being left in her dressing room, and as part of the ballet, she will don a million dollar tiara on opening night. The performance goes without mishap, however, upon leaving the stage the tiara has somehow been swapped with a fake, and The Saint's calling card has been left in its empty box. Someone has framed Simon, and his old adversary Inspector Fernack is quick to point the finger.
Production
[edit]The pilot was shot in Manhattan in April 1987.[2]
Cast
[edit]- Andrew Clarke as Simon Templar
- Kevin Tighe as Inspector John Fernack
- George Rose as Woods
- Christopher Marcantel as Joey
- Holland Taylor as Fran Grogan
- Caitlin Clarke as Lily Palmer / Jessica Daniels
- Liliana Komorowska as Margot Katka
Reception
[edit]The Sydney Morning Herald wrote that Andrew Clarke was not well suited for the role, especially in contrast to Roger Moore in the 1967 television series.[3] The Los Angeles Times reported that most of the viewers who watched the pilot on CBS Summer Playhouse voted "yes".[4] Despite this, the series was never picked up.
Critics also compared The Saint's physical appearance to Thomas Magnum in Magnum, P.I., especially with his mustache.[5][6] Also, the black Lamborghini Countach 5000QV used by The Saint was compared to Magnum's red Ferrari 308 GTS.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ "The Saint in Manhattan (1987)". Permission to Kill. 2 August 2012. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
- ^ Beck, Marilyn (April 7, 1987). "'Beverly Hills Cop II' producer Rushing to Complete Movie". Democrat and Chronicle. pp. 3C.
- ^ "Aussie's Templar Not Very Saintly - Andrew Clarke on "The Saint in Manhattan"". The Sydney Morning Herald. October 25, 1987. p. 124. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
- ^ "VIEWERS VOTE YES ON CBS 'SAINT'". Los Angeles Times. June 16, 1987.
- ^ a b "The Saint's Lamborghini Countach". www.saint.org. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
- ^ Collier, Shayne (October 26, 1987). "The Saint in Manhattan". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 73. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
