hyped garbage

Too much about the plot just didn't add up, the writing was bad, some of the scenes were cringey and awkward,

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

"The Saint's Double Trouble" is a 1940 entry into the series starring George Sanders.Simon has sent a mummy of a Pharaoh to a friend, an archeology professor named Bitts. Jewel thief Duke Bates has used the mummy to smuggle illegal diamonds into the country.Bates is a Templar lookalike who uses his resemblance to kill as The Saint and leave his Saint calling card. So in order to clear himself, Simon has to find out what's going on.These second features were usually made in a few days with very little in the way of rehearsal. Therefore, to have George Sanders play a double role under those conditions had to be very difficult.In fairness to Sanders, he was a very good actor and given more time, he could have differentiated a little more between Simon Templar and his double, Duke Bates.However, it became very confusing as to which one was The Saint and which one was Duke Bates. After awhile, I gave up. Duke Bates spoke a little more roughly than Simon, but it wasn't consistent.Not the best film in an otherwise enjoyable series.

I generally enjoy watching these old films with George Sanders because he was such a super-smoothie that one never tires of seeing him glide through a film with the effortless ease of a champion ice skater, carrying the very concept of urbanity to undreamt-of extremes. But sometimes the stories are just too silly! Of all the 'Saint' series where he plays Simon Templar the detective (the character invented by Leslie Charteris), this must be the weakest and most pathetic. (It is the fourth in a series of nine.) No efforts whatsoever were made to make the film even remotely believable, and the age level of the viewer must have been calculated to be about six, since after that even a child would refuse to believe this ludicrous story. Essentially, we are meant to believe that George Sanders has a lookalike (hence the 'double trouble' of the title, i.e., he has a double and that is trouble). The only difference between them is that they wear different suits. Otherwise they look and talk exactly alike. And there is not even the pretext that they are related. One is good and one is bad. Well, it's as simple as that really. It is sad to see Bela Lugosi here relegated to the status of a bit player. The pretty girl in the film is 23 year-old Helene Whitney, in one of only two credited roles which she played in films; she retired the same year, married, or died, one doesn't know which. What happens to people who disappear from the screen? Do they go to some celluloid paradise? If so, they will leave this silly film behind, that's for sure.

I'm seeing some complaints about this movie that I don't think are warranted. Plenty of movies use the "exact double" angle...most don't pull it off very well. I think that this one did.Sanders delivers a subtle performance as the Saint's double; then, as the Saint, he lets the personality of the Saint out. It is very effective. The movie doesn't have the clichés one tends to see in this type of movie. Sanders not only outsmarts the bad guy, but he gets his revenge as well.Bela Lugosi is in this movie. Unfortunately, his role could've been played by any competent actor.This is a short, fun little movie. If you've got an hour and are in the mood for an enjoyable black and white, with a suave hero and a few thrills, this is your movie...

Saint's Double Trouble, The (1940)** (out of 4) Fourth film in the popular RKO series is perhaps the weakest. This time out The Saint, aka Simon Templar (George Sanders), is wanted by the police for a string of robberies. He didn't actually commit the crimes and must prove his innocence by tracking down the thief who is his double. I made a major mistake by watching this film first from the series and I say mistake because after watching this many might not want to try the others out, which would be a shame as the series actually delivered some pretty good movies. This one here is without question one of the weakest as even Sanders appears to be bored out of his mind. The biggest problem is that the actual story is just too far fetched to be believed. Yes, I know all of these detective films require some wild things to happen but what goes on here, in terms of the double, is just silly and will have your rolling your eyes. Helene Whitney is also quite boring in her part but Jonathan Hale delivers some nice work. He also gets the best scene in the movie when The Saint is daring him to shoot him. The payoff here is quite nice. Bela Lugosi is wasted in his fourth-billed role. It's a shame they couldn't have spiced his part up just a bit. If you're new to the series you certainly won't want to start here. If you're a Lugosi nut just wanting to see him, forget about it because he isn't here long enough to do much. An all around disappointing entry.