The Saint opening credits - best ever

A seemingly one-off change to the opening titles of the colour Roger Moore Saint series - almost a combination of Clouseau and a Bond movie. Composed by Edwin Astley. Sheer magic!

[@lowket]

Rest in peace Sir Roger Moore and thank you for all the entertainment you gave us.

[@williambabyak1094]

2:31 "For all the Saints, who, from their labours, rest..." R.I.P. Sir Roger Moore Watching this main title sequence on NBC-TV on a Saturday evening, at the tender age of five, was my introduction to the legendary Simon Templar, as suavely, wittily portrayed by Roger Moore. Thank you so much, Sir, for the gifts of fond memories, a cultural icon, and a lifelong hero. "The world needs a Saint!"

[@sergioserrentino150]

Fantastico

[@iandickerson9566]

It's the film version of The Fiction Makers which was a two part episode but also shown in cinemas in some countries. Both episodes and film are widely available on DVD.

[@gentdom631]

Ian Dickerson ... Thank you for the additional information, Saint Ian !

[@stephenalanmoore7278]

@@gentdom631 I don't know which company has licensed the DVD rights for the US market, but in the UK all 118 completely uncut and fully restored episodes (plus lots of extras and detailed informative booklets) were released on two seperate Region 2 DVD sets by renowned British company 'Network' a few years ago. The first set includes all 71 original monochrome episodes, while the second set contains the remaining 47 colour ones. I happen to own both of these collections myself and so I can heartily recommend them.

[@robjones2408]

Edwin Astley also composed the eerily haunting theme music for "Randall And Hopkirk (Deceased)". Utterly brilliant !

[@jenmilem6655]

Rest in peace, Roger Moore.

[@carlosVasquez-qg5mv]

In memory roger!!!

[@deeannemason7003]

Watching this film now, The Fiction-Makers. Campy movie, love Moore and the Saint! Love all the theme songs.

[@archiecallie]

Edwin Astley added so much to The Saint & Dangerman, giving both series a distinct, iconic flavor & identity.

[@ghostvizun2803]

Thanks mate.. that is brilliant. I love all the intros and outros.. Well, every episode! The Saint is still the best TV series ever in my opinion. And what a lovely man Sir Roger Moore really was. Always my hero.. along with Simon Templar!

[@DoctorWhoFanTheEpicTimeLordMas]

ST: *0:01*

[@lalo9440]

Great music!!! excellent work, is very sensual and funny

[@darrengomes2203]

These are the credits for the feature film version of the two parter made in the final series, which I think got a theatrical release in some places.

[@gerardhebert1499]

I agree remembering my teenager's years.

[@BigDon62]

What impressive graphic work for 1966. Certainly don’t recall seeing this intro at all. I did notice Sylvia Syms in the creds, as a lad I used to often have manly thoughts about the delightful Sylvia. A true English Rose.

[@stephenalanmoore7278]

Her daughter is UK actress Beattie Edney, who played Heather in the 1986 cult film 'Highlander', which starred both Chrustopher Lambert and the late Sean Connery.

[@rholmes3645]

The theme heard at :07 - :11, then reprised romantically as a lovely bridge at 1:27 is actually the original SAINT theme from the American radio version of the series, purportedly written by Leslie Charteris, the creator of Simon Templar. Hard as it may be to believe, the Saint was portrayed on the radio by the youthful and always urbane-sounding...Vincent Price. You'll note that the main title here credits Charteris in smaller type for the theme within the theme, which actually predates all SAINT TV themes.

[@timerider1971]

Thanks for the history.

[@williambabyak1094]

If I remember correctly, the signature phrase composed by Il Maestro (my whimsical yet reverent name for Leslie Charteris) was incorporated into Serge Franklin's score for three of the Simon Dutton SAINT movies from 1989. Thank you again for posting this video. My introduction to "the famous Simon Templar".

[@whipcreamduo]

This is the opening for the fiction makers one of the two saint movies

[@oreally8605]

It's almost like a Bond 007 beginning.

[@mauricedion8043]

That's the best ever!..................

[@user-lt6vt7ek1f]

Rest in peace Saint!

[@jerrycrow66]

I have this movie version among my box sets of the series. Have never seen it. If it follows in the way the Man From UNCLE films were put together with a different Director’s cut I think it might be worthy of a viewing! ;-)

[@rollieletcher1309]

Thank you i like this one the best

[@arnieramsbottom704]

Loved this!

[@fidelafi6509]

Totally cool ❤

[@donchoq]

GREAT Movie!! I'm thinking of forming SWORD myself!

[@williambabyak1094]

That would be redundant. We have Joe Biden and his den of thieves, er, I mean, his prospective Cabinet!

[@catchaser52]

AWESOME Thanks, Love it, Well Done !

[@GiftsByTheGreen]

The Best Volvo 1800 Car Chase Ever! - Roger Moore in "The Saint" - "Rough Diamonds" 1963

[@ricklangley3438]

Great combination of music and animation. A bit like the titles for 'Catch Me If You Can'. I'm surprised that the producers would spend so much money for a one off set of titles for just one episode of the programme.

[@stephenalanmoore7278]

Both 'Vendetta For The Saint' and 'The Fiction Makers' were each given a special cinema release in the US (as well as a few other countries) at the time. What with the many global repeat screenings over the years, as well as several VHS Video and DVD releases, the continued global success of this iconic TV series has certainly made it worth the extra effort.

[@Laughandsong]

It was a two-part episode released as a movie.

[@BlazzingSun]

The Best Ever....

[@tannerin]

Reminiscent of Saul Bass's work.

[@BegoneJonah]

When I was a boy - just about the time this animation was done in 1966 - I recall seeing that Saint stick figure walking in a sort of tunnel. It was in black and white and I always thought that it was the intro to one of the movies. But I never saw it in all the old movie versions I saw. Am I imagining this?

[@vwthings]

Possibly the Time Tunnel?

[@BegoneJonah]

Good guess and I can see why you'd suggest that (I can see that Time Tunnel struggling guy in the hourglass in my mind's eye), but, no, what I'm thinking of is different animation. It was the Saint stick figure walking down a tunnel. I think it must have been animation that was used at the beginning of one of the Louis Hayward or George Sanders movies - but it's in none that I've seen. I'm now wondering if I didn't just imagine it!

[@vwthings]

Unfortunately so much has been lost over the years. Hard to believe but the reels of Moore's Saint sat in a room that had a leak! The only reason it was rescued is because at 35mm it was suitable for HD, otherwise it would have been dumped I'm sure. The BBC threw tons of video tapes in a dumpster around 1969 too.

[@williambabyak1094]

What you described was the original animation for the RKO movies starring George Sanders as The Saint.

[@mcgilluk]

Never ever make em like these again such class in the sixtys soo cool thanks to Roger Moore fantastic

[@stanssoapbox]

These are movie style credits. Maybe this episode was meant to be a 'made for tv' movie but was cut down into an episode.

[@stephenalanmoore7278]

Both 'Vendetta For The Saint' and 'The Fiction Makers' were re-edited into full length feature films for US cinemas (as well as selected other countries), while in the UK they were broadcast on TV in their original two part episodic form. I hope that clears up the mystery.

[@concerned1]

Bach’s Well Tempered Clavier book 2 tone B reminded me of this theme.

[@gerryxuk]

More like the pink panther intro's great.

[@TheCatgirl6]

This seems inspired by the whimsical "Pink Panther" opening montage, the 1964 Sellers film that featured David Niven, Claudia Cardinale and Robert Wagner.

[@barandcross]

Love it! Was this a special one-off episode for a cinema release? The music captures a lot of the incidental music of the series.

[@stephenalanmoore7278]

Both of the later two parters 'Vendetta For The Saint' and 'The Fiction Makers' were each redited into full length films and given a cinema release in the US and several other countries at the time.

[@cyberleaderandy1]

There's a bit of a Bind feel there as well, no surprise i guess feeling that with Rodger involved.

[@madmurdock100]

@@cyberleaderandy1 *Bond *Roger

[@JohnGLewis1964]

Yes, and there were two or three of them.

[@luisjosenaupariquintana5021]

¡Qué lindo!

[@Tabish29]

Can anyone tell me wat was used to do the graphics?

[@SidneyBroadshead]

This is from the movie version of _The Fiction Makers_ , The Saint two-parter that mocks the Bond franchise. Justine Lord plays femme fatale Galaxy Rose.

[@vwthings]

Indeed, and one of the many amazing scores by Edwin Astley. His daughter married Pete Townshend :)

[@lawrencedavis5459]

got a bond vibe to it

[@williambabyak1094]

It was intended as a spoof of OO7 and the popular spy genre.

[@johanndealwis4053]

Thunderball and Goldfinger vibe most definitely 🙂

[@hilarioph]

I think this is a TV movie of the Saint?

[@iflarnted]

Take a two-parter, film a few additional scenes, release it as a feature film.

[@williambabyak1094]

One of 2 two-part episodes, welded together and released theatrically. The other movie was the

[@williambabyak1094]

...was the edgier VENDETTA FOR THE SAINT, based upon the 1963 novel penned by Harry Harrison (ghostwritten by Leslie Charteris).

[@samuelehret2000]

Actually i just found it on Amazon Prime video under the name THE FICTION-MAKERS

[@romcallis]

I love The Saint. The latest remake was ok..let’s see Moore...I mean more

[@maryexstroughtonaire4244]

I don't remember this one. Is this from a movie? I know there was a movie. Sounds a little like a James Bond movie, which ironically he was James Bond.

[@varanid9]

Great music, but I was expecting it to lead into the theme as it clearly had elements of it, but sadly, this ultimately went nowhere. Pretty long opening for an episode, must have been for one of the re-edited TV movies.

[@johnsplayworld2402]

British television intros always have a catchy mafia theme music like this compared to the u.s. Television

[@donchoq]

Not in the US. All were made for Europe! I had to convert my VHS copy.

[@ricklangley3438]

Never seen these titles before. Very imaginative animation but not such great music. The tv series theme was much better.

[@robertszvetics210]

i agee the theme was a classic

[@barandcross]

Love the extended combination and is so very much "of it's time"

[@paullubliner6221]

This arrangement sounds a lot like "The Prisoner". Too bad Edwin Astley (Pete "The Who" Townsend's father-in-law) turned down writing the theme for Patrick No.6, McGoohan.

[@jdrosy4414]

Damn was Roger Moore handsome in his day. Loved him as Simon Templar & Bond.

[@sergioserrentino150]

Grande Roger Moore

[@sirdouglas2nd]

Is this from the saint movie

[@srb9]

From the Fiction Makers.

[@nakedmambo]

Two of the double episodes: The Fiction Makers and Vendetta for the Saint were cut together and released as feature films.

[@omardiaz3557]

Before secret agent Roger was a detective

[@sirdouglas2nd]

Is from a the saint movie

[@borgduck]

Why does Sylvia Simms sound familiar?

[@CanadaAstro]

She made a lot of the Carry on film series.

[@stephenalanmoore7278]

@@CanadaAstro Sylvia Syms never appeared in any of the 33 'Carry On' films, but she did have starring roles in many British films such as 'Expresso Bongo' (with Cliff Richard), 'Victim' (with Dirk Bogarde) and 'Ice Cold In Alex' (with John Mills, Anthony Quayle and Harry Andrews).

[@trinityepiscopalchurchplat2690]

For the movie "The Fiction Makers."

[@lifeworksndhenterprisesllc6597]

its more like pink panther,lancelot link, a slight heathcliff, a slight last of the summer wine, a slight of school house rock and Disney's fantasia. beautiful orchestra work by Dave gusin and Jerry and the pacemakers as sort of speak. xxx😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉

[@costelionita2195]

Dați filmu jaki bos acumm

[@costelionita2195]

Asta este filmu ade vârât dați acum va rog

[@francescosiniscalchi268]

L'Empire si congeda......

[@costelionita2195]

Asta este Simon testare ițe vine va rog sa dați acum

[@VonWenk]

Seemingly one-off. It's not from the show; it's from a feature based on the show, like The X-Files: Fight the Future came out during the run of that show.

[@vwthings]

Its actually an extended episode.

[@costelionita2195]

Va rog dați filu😅

[@genrail1]

I like the screaming women version better.

[@costelionita2195]

Da asta vreU Simon teplarihai dă-l dacă nu dai dute și placa vin la tinehai dal

[@QuorkEx]

Quite a rarity.

[@costelionita2195]

Dati.drumulafilmsamonte.plrarvarog