What did you like / dislike about The Saint episode "The Saint Plays With Fire"? Share most memorable moments from the episode, its characters and actors.  :smt001

I love this episode, a very exciting and dramatic story.

It shocked me though, to see how Roger was put in unnecessary danger during the scenes where Simon Templar runs into the house to rescue someone trapped in a fire. First Simon tries to get into the locked bedroom, cannot gain entry, so he runs across the corridor to get an axe hanging on the wall. As he does so, the ceiling gives way just feet from where he is. Also, as he takes hold of the axe, flames are leaping up in front of him, very very near. Then he heads back across the corridor to the bedroom door, dodging the flames.  Nowadays I doubt very much if these risks to the leading man would be allowed.

Poor Roger again, risking getting burnt! He and the leading lady Justine Lord are being held prisoner in a cellar, and both have their hands tied behind their backs.  Justine (Lady Valerie) manages to get the lighter from Simon's pocket, and then  both standing back to back,she tries to burn through the rope fastened around Simon's wrists. You can see, as the camera gets closer, how  very precarious and uncomfortable it must have been for Roger.



Roger looking the worse for wear after being beaten!



It was great to see Roger's good friend Robert Brown in this episode. He was Roger's co-star when they made "Ivanhoe" and played Gurth, Ivanhoe's faithful squire.

I have this particular  Saint story in a boxed dvd set, and it also comes with a  commentary by Roger, Production Supervisor Johnny Goodman and Producer Robert Baker. After seeing the post here I watched it again just to see if they mentioned those scenes.

Roger said that there were firemen standing by at all times, and  safety rules were observed. Though it was said that something could have easily gone wrong. The collapsing ceiling beam, right near Roger  was also discussed. Robert or Johnny joked that "They missed Roger that time." Roger was asked about the risks, and in his usual tongue-in-cheek manner said "I was very brave."

This was an intense episode. The scenes with the fire and also the scene where Simon and the girl were kept prisoner in the cellar.