CAST:
Anthony Bate -  Dr. Sardon
Annette André - Carmen
Mervyn Johns - Dr. Davis
Alex Scott - Dr. Armstrong
Glyn Houston - Dylan Williams
Richard Owens - Shoni Morgan
Talfyn Thomas - Owen Thomas
Heather Seymour - Mary
Anthony Blackshaw - The Guard
David Garfield - First Local
Peter Lawrence - Third Local
Reg Pritchard - Fourth Local

Directed by Roger Moore; Screenplay by Harry W. Junkin

STORY:
The Saint is called by Dr. Davis to an Welsh village. Strange things and sightings happen here. Owen Thomas disappears and is later found in complete shock and unable to speak. It seems like there is a connection with Dr. Sardon and his experiments in the laboratory on Dragon's Rock.
Simon makes the acquaintance with his assistant Carmen. Soon they discover that Sardon is experimenting with a giant ant.

OPINION: Despite Charteris' praise for the script (see below) the story has two major flaws: Why does Sardon give away a lot of important information (i.e. how to kill the ant) so easily? And why didn't Carmen suspect something earlier?

NOTES:
* Alex Scott also appears in Episode #19 "The Work of Art", #93 "Island of Chance" and #113/114 "Vendetta for the Saint"
* Alex Scott also appears in the first "The Persuaders" episode "Overture"
* Annette André also appears in Episode #45 "The Saint Steps In", #46 "The Loving Brothers", #64 "The Abductors" and #90 "To Kill A Saint"
* Anthony Bate also appears in Episode #17 "The Elusive Ellshaw" and #49 "The Imprudent Politician"
* Richard Owens also appears in Episode #93 "Island of Chance"
* Anthony Blackshaw also appears in Episode #109/110 "The Fiction Makers"
* David Garfield also appears in Episode #64 "The Abductors"
* Peter Lawrence also appears in Episode #34 "The Invisible Millionaire"
* The ant's eggs were rugby balls painted in white. (Simper, p.31)
* Commentary with Annette André on the Umbrella DVD
* Commentary by Production Supervisors Peter Manley and Malcolm Christopher on the network DVD
* Watch a commentary video with actress Annette André who played Carmen in this episode on Youtube channel "Lives in the Pictures" here.
*  < Dr. Sardon's lab is the same set as the one used for Eleanor's study in Episode #77 "The Convenient Monster".
*   Moore and André climb through a hole... but in the next scene they climb down the same side to the same cave. (0:42)

Leslie Charteris: <<"The House on Dragon's Rock" is an absolutely first class script and also a very good treatment of my story "The Man Who Liked Ants". It shows what always could have been done with that story. You know what I have said on other occasions about Junkin, but he's entitled to full credit for this one. [...] If I never have any more drastic criticisms than I just have written, my views on TV will be in some danger of mellowing.>> (Barer, p.136)

Annette André: <<Those rocks were made out of polystyrene, I think. Yeah sure, it was all we could do not to giggle when we were doing a take. There were giant bloody spiders coming at you and rocks falling which you could fend off with one finger.>> (Simper, p.73)

Roger Moore: <<"[...] The House On Dragon's Rock was our big foray into Sci-Fi on The Saint. The effects were pretty crude and the giant ant wasn't s much scary, as laughable. But it was all huge fun and a bit of a departure for Simon Templar. [...] We did some 2nd unit filming in Wales, but the main unit and sets were all at Elstree.>> (Sir Roger answers your questions November 2009, Question 4)

AIRDATES:
UK: 24th November 1968

AVAILABLE ON:
* VHS (PAL): ITC 1039 (1991)
* DVD (NTSC): AAE-70468 (2002)
* DVD (PAL): network 7952473a (2006)