CAST:
Stuart Damon - Rod Huston
Ronald Radd - Henri Flambeau
Isla Blair - Janine Flambeau
Willoughby Goddard - Boris
Paul Stassino - Col. Rakosi
Jeremy Young - Gregorio
Antony Stamboulieh - Franco
Alan Rowe - Lafitre
Jacky Allouis - Henriette
Carol Friday - Josette
Derek Smee - Young Man
Araby Lockhart - American Lady
Hugh Morton - Attendant
Les White - Frogman

Directed by Alvin Rakoff; Screenplay by John Kruse

STORY:
Templar and several other rich people are invited to a high stakes baccarat game in Nice by Boris, the former king of Slavonia. On his way to the city of Nice he meets American Rod Huston who challenges him to a car race. Simon wins. From then on there is a certain rivalry between the two.
Boris' plans are to both cheat at the game and smuggle bombs into his home country for a revolution.

OPINION:
Apart from the two Anton Vogler episodes (#88 "The Death Game" and #96 "The Power Artists") in my opinion this is one of the weakest episodes. It was intended as a "dry run" for The Persuaders but it didn't work as well.

NOTES:
* Ronald Radd also appears in Episode #14 "Starring the Saint" and #92 "Simon and Delilah"
* Paul Stassino also appears in Episode #9 "The Effete Angler", #22 "The Rough Diamonds", #48 "The Death Penalty" and #73 "Interlude in Venice"
* Jeremy Young also appears in Episode #79 "The Man Who Liked Lions"
* Hugh Morton also appears in Episode #86 "The Persistent Patriots"
* According to the commentaries and the "The Morning After - Remembering The Persuaders!" documentary on the The Persuaders Bluray box set this was the last episode filmed for the The Saint series.
*  The stock footage of the starting airplane was also used in Episode #104 "The Double Take". (0:00)
*  The angle from which Roger Moore was filmed in the studio doesn't quite fit with the outdoor material. (0:03)
*  The frames for the double doors were used here but this time with glass doors.
* Commentary with Sir Roger Moore and Executive Producer Robert S. Baker on the Umbrella DVD
* Commentary with Roger Moore, Associate Producer Johnny Goodman, Director Alvin Rakoff and Producer Robert S. Baker on the network and the Koch Media DVDs

Robert S. Baker: <<...it was a dry run [for The Persuaders]. I just wanted to see how certain elements would work, so what we did in that episode was actually downplay the Saint a bit and give the American (The Champions' Stuart Damon) an equal share of the story - just to see the balance. So Roger played it ever so slightly differently.>> (Simper, p.22)

Leslie Charteris, 3rd June 1968: <<Kruse has set such a high standard in the past that this effort is quite a let-down.
The gimmick of cards with marking which are only visible through special glasses [...] was not new even when I used it myself [...]
Knowing how much I admire Kruse's usual work, you can imagine my disappointment.>> (Barer, p.156)

AIRDATE:
UK: 19th January 1969

GERMAN TITLE:
Ein Texaner in Monte Carlo

AVAILABLE ON:
* DVD (NTSC): AAE-70546 (2002)
* network (PAL): network 7952473f (2006)
* Blu-ray: Die 2 - Special Collector's Edition, Koch Media DBM000226D (2012)