User Reviews

To protect a young woman's honor, Simon gets stuck with a chauffeurs job in Florence (by way of the studio) to bring back a swindler.

Lots of bad accents. I hate episodes of "The Saint" or "Secret Agent" set on the Med or in South America because of the lousy accents and overacting. Playing an Italian Moore's more subtle accent slips a bit. Moore's good at what he does (being heroic and English) but he needn't try stretching himself too far. He was the perfect James Bond because he can strike a pose and he has a way with humorous bon mots. He was not strictly wonderful as Charteris' creation as he seems to lack a darker edge. When he's good he's spot on. He can stand up to any baddie, but can't stand up to overacting "Italians."

Katherine Woodville, who made a minor name for herself in American shows like "Mannix" and "Mission: Impossible" is very good.

A few chuckles. Otherwise, for stalwarts of the series only. Not casual Saintly viewers.

THE DAMSEL IN DISTRESS is an episode of the show set in Italy. Templar steps in to help a young woman who's been conned by a swindler and left in a delicate financial situation. To get close to the person(s) responsible, he goes undercover as a chauffeur and the story goes from there. Unfortunately this is one of the more lifeless episodes in which the premise feels too weak and flabby to sustain the running time. Various minor henchmen characters are introduced so that we get some of the notable fight action the show was famous for, but it's not quite enough to give this any wow moments. Instead it just sort of plods along.

Simon Templar ends up in Florence on behest of an Italian restaurateur Domenick Naccaro (Paul Whitsun-Jones.)

His daughter Maria has been left pregnant by a man called Rolfieri. He promised to marry instead fled to Italy after embezzling money from a building society.

The Saint has to bring Rolfieri back to England so he can make an honest woman out of Maria.

At least Templar sniffs that something is off and visits Inspector Teal at Scotland Yard before going to Italy with two of Maria's brothers.

He gets a job as a chauffeur and romances Barbara Astral, who is Rolfieri's girl and bored off hiding out in Italy.

Their minder and manservant Arthur becomes suspicious of Templar and before long he is going for one long final ride.

It is a pretty silly story. Once Rolfieri is delivered the Naccaro's showing their hand with Maria getting close to her 'brother.' You can sense the betrayal from a mile away.

At least it has some good fight scenes with Templar and Arthur. It is an uneven hybrid of comedy and action.