The Saint on Wednesday, Sherlock on Thursday

Roger Moore was not the first Simon Templar, a/k/a the "Saint." Neither was George Sanders, but he was one of the best, and starred in a series of Saint movies in the late '30s and early '40s. Sanders' cool demeanor and powerful, yet refined voice epitomized the character.

Similarly, Basil Rathbone's portrayal of Sherlock Holmes was not the most loyal to the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Most of his Holmes movies were set in the wrong period (1940s rather than 1880s), but he remains the iconic Sherlock Holmes.

Both are on Turner Classic Movies this week.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

10:15 AM
The Saint In New York (1938) - The Saint goes undercover to get the goods on New York's mob kingpins. Cast: Louis Hayward, Kay Sutton, Jonathan Hale. Dir: Ben Holmes. BW-72 mins, TV-G, CC

11:30 AM
The Saint Strikes Back (1939) - The Saint helps a young beauty take vengeance on the mobsters who ruined her father. Cast: George Sanders, Wendy Barrie, Barry Fitzgerald. Dir: John Farrow. BW-64 mins, TV-G, CC

12:45 PM
The Saint In London (1939) - The Saint's investigation of a counterfeiting ring uncovers a nest of spies. Cast: George Sanders, David Burns, Sally Gray. Dir: John Paddy Carstairs. BW-72 mins, TV-G, CC

2:00 PM
The Saint's Double Trouble (1940) - Reformed jewel thief Simon Templer lands in hot water when a look-alike smuggles stolen goods out of Egypt. Cast: George Sanders, Jonathan Hale, Bela Lugosi. Dir: Jack Hively. BW-67 mins, TV-G, CC

3:15 PM
The Saint Takes Over (1940) - Reformed jewel thief Simon Templar tries to help a police inspector who's been framed on bribery charges. Cast: George Sanders, Jonathan Hale, Wendy Barrie. Dir: Jack Hively. BW-70 mins, TV-G, CC

4:30 PM
The Saint In Palm Springs (1941) - Reformed jewel thief Simon Templar's efforts to deliver a fortune in rare stamps are complicated by murder. Cast: George Sanders, Wendy Barrie, Jonathan Hale. Dir: Jack Hively. BW-66 mins, TV-G, CC

5:45 PM
The Saint Meets The Tiger (1943) - The Saint infiltrates a small English village run by smugglers. Cast: Hugh Sinclair, Jean Gillie, Clifford Evans. Dir: Paul L. Stein. BW-69 mins, TV-G, CC

Thursday, July 23, 2009

2:00 AM
Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon (1942) - Sherlock Holmes fights to keep a new bombsite design from the Nazis. Cast: Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Lionel Atwill. Dir: Roy William Neill. BW-68 mins, TV-G

3:15 AM
Sherlock Holmes in Terror by Night (1946) - Sherlock Holmes signs on to protect a priceless diamond from jewel thieves. Cast: Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Alan Mowbray. Dir: Roy William Neill. BW-63 mins, TV-G