Inspector Teal (Ivor Dean) recruits Simon Templar (Roger Moore), a.k.a The Saint, to help him stop what has been dubbed 'The Crime Of The Century'. Following the murder of one of his undercover men, Teal arranges for Simon to take the place of an ace American safebreaker called Carl Munster (Ray Marlowe) so he can infiltrate the operations of Bernhard Raxel (Andre Morell). Raxel is rumoured to be one of the richest men in the world and is the mastermind behind the proposed colossal crime. Simon undertakes the job and discovers that Raxel has recruited some of the world's best safecrackers, drivers and explosives experts to be able to steal the necessary materials to print the perfect counterfeit banknotes. In other words, his grand design is to break into the Bank of England's vault and steal the special paper and the printing plates used for making money. In addition, Raxel has kidnapped a scientist called Betty Tregarth (Sarah Lawson) whom has been developing a nerve gas for military purposes. He also has her brother David (David Saire) prisoner too and threatens to kill him unless she manufactures the gas for his own purposes. Although Simon has managed to convince Raxel that he is Munster, one of his henchmen, Gregory Marring (Peter Jeffrey), thinks he is an imposter so he secretly arranges for his girlfriend, Gloria Mancini (Carol Cleveland), to be flown over from the States just to make absolutely sure. Will she spill the beans on The Saint and put his life in grave danger? When the big day comes, Simon is unable to alert the Yard and the lives of Betty, David, Gloria and his own are immediately in dire peril...
All in all, The Crime Of The Century, adapted from Leslie Charteris' The National Debt, is best summed up as a mini heist thriller made for the small screen. It reminds us of such classic movies as The League Of Gentlemen and A Prize Of Arms. It is nowhere near in their league, but it remains enjoyable all the same with director John Gilling making the most of the opportunities afforded to him for creating thrills, suspense and tension. For instance, the scene in which Simon finds himself handcuffed to a safe hooked up to a canister of cyanide gas by Raxel to prove that he is really the safebreaker he's impersonating is particularly effective. He must crack the combination in three minutes or the gas will be released and he will die. The fact that Simon is in danger of being rumbled when Munster's girlfriend arrives also keeps the suspense boiling throughout as does the fact that, for all of Raxel's meticulous planning, something is bound to go wrong and we are kept glued to the telly wondering what it will be. Aside from Roger Moore who skilfully blends the charm and wit of his character with his more ruthless and cunning side, the lovely supporting cast also makes this worth the watch. Andre Morell undeniably steals the spotlight as the arch villain, but there is front rank support from such talented character actors as William Lucus, who was a man of the stage first and foremost and Peter Jeffrey as the heavies while Sarah Lawson is quite good as the kidnapped scientist who is shrewder and much more cunning than Morell counts on. Look out for Alexandra Bastedo of The Champions fame in a minor role too.
All in all, The Crime Of The Century, adapted from Leslie Charteris' The National Debt, is best summed up as a mini heist thriller made for the small screen. It reminds us of such classic movies as The League Of Gentlemen and A Prize Of Arms. It is nowhere near in their league, but it remains enjoyable all the same with director John Gilling making the most of the opportunities afforded to him for creating thrills, suspense and tension. For instance, the scene in which Simon finds himself handcuffed to a safe hooked up to a canister of cyanide gas by Raxel to prove that he is really the safebreaker he's impersonating is particularly effective. He must crack the combination in three minutes or the gas will be released and he will die. The fact that Simon is in danger of being rumbled when Munster's girlfriend arrives also keeps the suspense boiling throughout as does the fact that, for all of Raxel's meticulous planning, something is bound to go wrong and we are kept glued to the telly wondering what it will be. Aside from Roger Moore who skilfully blends the charm and wit of his character with his more ruthless and cunning side, the lovely supporting cast also makes this worth the watch. Andre Morell undeniably steals the spotlight as the arch villain, but there is front rank support from such talented character actors as William Lucus, who was a man of the stage first and foremost and Peter Jeffrey as the heavies while Sarah Lawson is quite good as the kidnapped scientist who is shrewder and much more cunning than Morell counts on. Look out for Alexandra Bastedo of The Champions fame in a minor role too.
