Jul 16, 2022
The Saint: The Man Who Liked Toys (3.8, ITC, 1964)
"Simon, this is the wildest theory I've ever heard!"
"My theories usually are."
"I only hope you know what you're doing, that's all."
#the saint#the man who liked toys#1964#itc#leslie charteris#basil dawson#john gilling#roger moore#ivor dean#john baskcomb#jeanne moody#john paul#maurice kaufmann#rosemarie reede#david lodge#inigo jackson#vic chapman#Dawson's sole writing credit for The Saint (he was a prolific writer albeit not often in this genre; he was probably best known as a#contributor to Emergency Ward 10) but this is a tightly wound well scripted affair. appears to be heading in one direction (classic Saint#blackmail case) only to twist one way (labour disputes and professional union agitators) and then another (a recurring Saint episode type#in which a bad man is murdered and there are no shortage of suspects‚ and for whatever reason Simon decides to sort it all out). Teal is#back and this their relationship at its peak; on the surface antagonistic‚ but the free hand Teal gives Simon (including letting him sit in#on witness statements!!) suggest there's a lot more mutual admiration and good natured rivalry than anything. if there's a fault here it's#the ep signposts the villain too early and too clearly‚ but then Dawson does something interesting again by having Simon identify who the#bad guy is (making the issue not who or how but simply proving it). i honestly think this is a rare ep that could have stood to be a little#longer‚ to really draw out that second act hunt for proof and give some of the side characters a little more depth. John Paul was still a#few years off Doomwatch at this point‚ but his mighty hair is as tall as it ever was (@thisbluespirit have we ever discussed JPs hair? i#tend to regard it as a separate entity‚ a solid block that sat on Paul's head and stole focus while he acted)
