The Crime of the Century

British crime-genre actor William Lucas, star of neo noirs THE BREAK, PAYROLL and CALCULATED RISK, as one of two sophisticated thugs flanking a sophisticated scientist/villain planning to heist forgery plates (same McGuffin from another Reynolds vehicle THE MARKED ONES) for what's to become THE CRIME OF THE CENTURY: and these cocky antagonists have only future James Bond icon Roger Moore to stop them...

Meanwhile, the primary guest spot's for beautiful, resilient ingenue Sarah Lawson, seeking to reunite with her kidnapped husband while Moore' Simon Templar, as usual, gets in disguise... herein as an undercover safe cracker watched by Lucas and co-thug Peter Jeffreys...

And yet he never feels in that much danger, making this particular episode more action than thriller, and for an otherwise great series, mostly filler.

Bernhard Raxel (Andre Morell) is meant to be one of the richest men in the world. He is not above a bit of grand larceny.

Raxel has an elaborate plan to break into the Bank of England's vault and steal the printing plates used for making bank notes. For that Raxel has one of the best safe cracker's coming in from America. He has also kidnapped a female scientist to make special nerve gas for the heist.

Inspector Teal has persuaded Simon Templar to break up the Crime Of The Century. The Saint will take the place of Carl Munster, the American safecracker on his way to London. No one knows his identity and Templar will be made to look like him.

This is a decent heist thriller. Raxel's henchmen are suspicious of this 'Munster.' He is made to perform tests to prove his an ace safe cracker.

Pity that even with his disguise, Munster looks like Simon Templar. Even Raxel and his people should know the famous Saint.

I thought it was ludicrous that the ultra wealthy gets his hands dirty in a grubby smash and grab.