Episode #118 - 6-21

The World Beater

CAST:
Patricia Haines - Kay Collingwood
John Ronane - Justin Pritchard
James Kerry - George Hapgood
George A. Cooper - Harold Laker
Eddie Byrne - Mr. Hapgood (Snr.)
William Wilde - Tom Stevens
Rosemary Donnelly - Dilys
Reg Whitehead - Microphone Man
Anthony Sheppard - Rally Official
Clifford Earl - Rally Official
Bernard G. High - Radio Man

Directed by Leslie Norman; Screenplay by Donald James

STORY:
Harold Laker is the sponsor of the Laker Rally through England. George Hapgood has developed a competitive car and hopes to get an investment from Laker. But when Simon is on a test drive the car crashes into a tree. Someone has tampered with the mechanics! Hapgood gives up his plans. But when Simon learns that Kay Collingwood is working for Hapgood's rival and cousin Justin Pritchard he knows that something can't be quite right...

NOTES:
* John Ronane also appears in Episode #20 "Iris". He also appears in the episode "A Home of One's Own" of The Persuaders
* George A. Cooper also appears in Episode #22 "The Rough Diamonds"
* Eddie Byrne also appears in Episodes #11 "The Man Who Was Lucky", #63 "The Chequered Flag" and #80 "The Better Mousetrap". He also had a role as General Willard in "Star Wars" (1977)
Rosemary Donnelly also appears - according to IMDB - as Arlene McCleery (photo only)  in Episode #62 "The Happy Suicide"
Doesn't he fear to leave fingerprints behind? (0:22)
* Wouldn't Justin Pritchard notice before the race that this isn't his car when he checks it?
The double doors were frequently used as a set item in the colour episodes. In this episode they can be seen with the Greek doorframe. The Greek version set would exactly appear also in Episode #108 "The Scales of Justice (even the curtains and the colour of the main room).
The car used in this episode is a Marcos 1600. The actual car used on screen went on auction in June 2022, read an article on The Telegraph about it here.

Leslie Charteris, 10th February 1968: <<As always, I deplore the lack of inventiveness and originality which gets the Saint involved yet again by means of the "good old friend" device. [...] It makes the Saint a basically inert character who just happens to be lucky enough to be dragged into exciting plots once a week.>> (Barer, p.153)

AIRDATE:
UK: 9th February 1969

GERMAN TITLE:
Mit hundert Sachen in die Kurve

AVAILABLE ON:
* DVD (NTSC): AAE-70546 (2002)

THE SAINT
www.simontemplar.de

Last Updated: 06/08/2022