THE KING OF THE BEGGARS is a very fine episode of THE SAINT which is no surprise given the Hammer alumni involved in its production. It's directed by John Gilling, who lends his usual brisk efficiency to the proceedings, with the story once again set in Rome where a sinister organisation is running a production racket against the city's beggars. Warren Mitchell, Yvonne Romain and Oliver Reed are lifted wholesale from Hammer's CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF, with Reed on particularly strong form as a thuggish opponent who tangles limbs with Templar time and again.
3 Reviews
The King of the Beggars
Prismark1030 September 2022
Warren Mitchell returns as Italian taxi driver Marco Di Cesari. He is helping Simon Templar bring down gangsters who prey on Rome's beggars.
A young actress called Theresa has gone undercover in order to identify the King of the Beggars. This underworld kingpin demands half the money from the city's beggars or else.
One of the enforcers is the menacing Joe Catelli played by Oliver Reed.
The Saint steps in to help Theresa by pretending to be a beggar but later she goes missing.
It is up to Simon Templar and Marco to find Theresa and unmask the King of the Beggars.
A philanthropic American who purports to help out the beggars might be the culprit.
Simon Templar never convinces in his disguise as a blind beggar. However this is a good strong story with Mitchell providing the humour.
There are serious undertones to the story. It regards how beggars are exploited by the more aristocratic types.
A young actress called Theresa has gone undercover in order to identify the King of the Beggars. This underworld kingpin demands half the money from the city's beggars or else.
One of the enforcers is the menacing Joe Catelli played by Oliver Reed.
The Saint steps in to help Theresa by pretending to be a beggar but later she goes missing.
It is up to Simon Templar and Marco to find Theresa and unmask the King of the Beggars.
A philanthropic American who purports to help out the beggars might be the culprit.
Simon Templar never convinces in his disguise as a blind beggar. However this is a good strong story with Mitchell providing the humour.
There are serious undertones to the story. It regards how beggars are exploited by the more aristocratic types.
The Saint Vs Oliver Reed
TheFearmakers31 August 2020
KING OF THE BEGGARS, has Reed as a thug for an operation much like a side-character in the Film Noir classic NIGHT AND THE CITY as here, an Italian city's homeless population are being used by a syndicate to gather all money begged into a big pot where they get half share: A sort of Bum's union.
Before Reed discovers his CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF co-star Yvonne Romain is a stage actress pretending to be a bum in order to get into character for the night's show, he's taken Roger Moore's title character, THE SAINT Simon Templar, himself is pretending to be a blind beggar, into the gang's mysterious clutches...
This episode provides Moore a terrific performance as he investigates the scam that Reed (using an Italian drawl) protects, often at gunpoint, and herein both Moore and Reed, who was also considered to replace Sean Connery as James Bond, work really good against each other.
But Reed's other episode, SOPHIA, while not as good plot-wise, has more Ollie in the mix. Instead of a cog in the wheel, he's the whole machine.
Before Reed discovers his CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF co-star Yvonne Romain is a stage actress pretending to be a bum in order to get into character for the night's show, he's taken Roger Moore's title character, THE SAINT Simon Templar, himself is pretending to be a blind beggar, into the gang's mysterious clutches...
This episode provides Moore a terrific performance as he investigates the scam that Reed (using an Italian drawl) protects, often at gunpoint, and herein both Moore and Reed, who was also considered to replace Sean Connery as James Bond, work really good against each other.
But Reed's other episode, SOPHIA, while not as good plot-wise, has more Ollie in the mix. Instead of a cog in the wheel, he's the whole machine.
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