IAN HENDRY VS ROGER MOORE IN 'VENDETTA FOR THE SAINT'

Ian  Hendry in VENDETTA FOR THE SAINT Year: 1969 Rating: ***1/2

When television shows becomes theatrical features, it's usually a cheat like in the case of THE SAINT two-part episode VENDETTA FOR THE SAINT, which, pieced together, becomes a 90-minute movie...

Although herein, there is a kind of theatrical touch, for two reasons: villain Ian Hendry, as a mobster who was once someone else and now goes by a fake name while working as an aging/dying mob boss's sophisticated, falsely-related henchman, is always great on both the big (GET CARTER) and small (THE AVENGERS to THE SWEENEY) screen...  

Roger Moore and Aimi MacDonald in VENDETTA FOR THE SAINT

But it's director Jim O'Connelly, mostly known for bringing Ray Harryhausen's dinosaurs to life in the novelty science-fiction western VALLEY OF GWANGI... before backing terrifically fast-paced theatrical noirish crime programmers THE TRAITORS, THE HI-JACKERS and SMOKESCREEN... 

Moving Roger Moore along just the same in his career-making series that's otherwise mostly expository dialogue, here more action-oriented from beginning to end, getting in and out of trouble ranging from old antique dungeons to car chases and gun-play while protecting Hendry's gorgeously vulnerable pseudo-niece Rosemary Dexter and reluctant blonde mob moll Aimi MacDonald as, just as he would as 007, Moore's always perfect when traipsing around unexpected bulwarks at every turn.

Ian Hendry in VENDETTA FOR THE SAINT

Rosemary Dexter and Roger Moore in VENDETTA FOR THE SAINT

Roger Moore in VENDETTA FOR THE SAINT

Ian Hendry in VENDETTA FOR THE SAINT

Ian Hendry and Aimi MacDonald in VENDETTA FOR THE SAINT

 Roger Moore in VENDETTA FOR THE SAINT

Roger Moore in VENDETTA FOR THE SAINT

Ian Hendry in VENDETTA FOR THE SAINT

Roger Moore in VENDETTA FOR THE SAINT

From VENDETTA FOR THE SAINT

From VENDETTA FOR THE SAINT

Roger Moore and Ian  Hendry in VENDETTA FOR THE SAINT

From VENDETTA FOR THE SAINT