The Abduction of Saint Anne (1975 TV Movie) User Reviews

A young woman must be protected against abduction, due to suspicions of her probable sainthood.

[colleenmar1 · 7/10 · 10 August 2006]

The summary I've given is the basis of the story. Robert Wagner stars as the one hired to protect this female (Kathleen Quinlan) who the Church suspects may show signs of sainthood. Wagner plays the perfect skeptic, until he is witness to 'Saint Anne' kneeling and praying,with blood streaming down her face as if she were wearing a crown of thorns. The image of Kathleen Quinlan, blood on her somewhat glowing face has stuck in my mind for years - it was strangely - hopeful. I use that word because I've always thought it would be so cool to know there were true saints among us. It's an enjoyable movie. I wish ANY TV station would re-air older television movies all the time. It would be nice to see this one again.

What really makes a saint?

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 17 August 2023]

This is a well done TV movie focusing on whether or not a mobster's daughter (Kathleen Quinlan) is capable of performing miracles, as well as secrets of the family led by her father, Alfred Ryder. Consultation with religious figures by detective Robert Wagner leads him to aging nun Ruth McDeavitt who seems to believe that Quinlan visits her every week even though mother superior Martha Scott claims otherwise.

There's also childhood acquaintance A. Martinez and college boyfriend Tony Young who give Wagner the inside scoop on the violent goings on in her father's home. Performances by James Gregory, E. G. Marshall, William Windom and Lloyd Nolan adds a touch of class to this mixture of sweet and sour which creates a complex mystery.

The Abduction of Saint Anne

[Blulite · 10/10 · 26 December 2005]

I saw this movie when it was first broadcast, and really liked the film. By July 1990 it was on late night TV. I noticed it was going to be on one night so I set my VCR and taped it. We are in the midst of a move so I am converting our old tapes to DVD. This was on tape # 3. And once again now 30 years later HOW much I really enjoyed this movie and still Do , perhaps much more since I am older. Excellent cast, good topic, storyline holds together. A very enjoyable TV movie. Wagner is a good pick for the lead star, and this character is somewhat a precursor to his character of Jonathan Hart, 4 years later, this character in the Saint Anne film shares many of the same interests, and values and background as Mr. Hart

pretty good tv movie

[tcovey · 10 June 2003]

was pretty good abc tv movie of the week good story and good cast about a women who is a living saint who is held captive by her father and the mob but the bishop wants to rescue her and put her in the church robert wagner stars this is a 1975 movie

"The Issue of the Bishop's Blood"

[clanciai · 10/10 · 27 December 2022]

That's the name of the original novel, and it's not about the bishops own blood. The bishop is played by E. G. Marshall who delivers a perfect performance as usual, he is ordained for a mission by the Vatican to investigate the circumstances of a possible saint living in Arizona. She is the only daughter of apparently some influential 'godfather' who keeps her in extreme seclusion at home, in their great villa guarded by dogs and armed henchmen. When his boyfriend tries to visit her he gets framed and threatened with having his life ruined unless he scrams from the state for good, which he finds no other choice than to comply with. But the bishop seeks him out and also engages a professional detective (Robert Wagner doing surprisingly well) on the case. As they find her more or less imprisoned in extreme isolation they arrive at the conclusion that she has to be kidnapped to be saved from the vultures jealously guarding her supernatural powers by any means. Robert Wagner's role is actually the most interesting one, a cynical sceptic who doesn't believe in anything and least of all in God, but he accepts the job for the money and is in for some experience he could never dream of and probably never will be able to get the hang of. I never thought a Catholic film would be able to catch my interest, but this one is both intellectually and metaphysically overwhelming. It is absolutely realistic all the way, you will find yourself in the same total quandary of Robert Wagner after the end, while you have to admit that his initiative and decisions in the matter were the only rational ones under the circumstances; and then the Vatican, the pious believers, the superstitious fanatics of blind belief, may say what they want, the bishop may even find himself out of work, but you can't compromise with the sovereignty of human integrity.

comes with an intriguing premise

[myriamlenys · 8/10 · 22 January 2023]

A kind young woman called Annie is reputed to be blessed by God, to the point where she can perform miracles. Although the girl is innocence itself, she happens to be the daughter of a notorious gangster. There are those who think that it might be a good idea to try and extract her from her environment, if necessary through violence...

"The abduction of Saint Anne" comes with an intriguing and original premise. It also asks a number of interesting questions. Is there such a thing as sainthood (let's say in the Roman Catholic sense) and if so, how does one recognize it ? How should one deal with a person rumored to be a saint, let alone with an actual saint ? The actress playing the part of Annie projects a strong aura of gentle innocence, which adds credibility to the plot.

Whatever one's religion or philosophical conviction, one thing is for sure : as soon as talk arises about miracles, outsiders will move in in order to make a grab for riches or power. (Including, as is the case here, the power to circumvent the Almighty's decree against crime - just listen to that explanation about wanting to escape Purgatory.) Opportunists will want "a piece of the action", even if this means thwarting, kidnapping or imprisoning the saint. Even the saint's skeleton isn't safe, since his/her poor bones may be stolen by thieves who dream of besting a rival or creating a tourist attraction. In other words : one person's goodness inspires another person's evil. It all says a lot about human nature.