Saints and Sinners (1949 film)

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Saints and Sinners
Saints and Sinners film Lobby card (1949-2).jpg
Directed by Leslie Arliss
Written by Paul Vincent Carroll
Leslie Arliss
Mabbie Poole
Based onplay by Paul Vincent Carroll
Produced by Leslie Arliss
Tom D. Connochie
Starring Kieron Moore
Christine Norden
Sheila Manahan
CinematographyOsmond Borrodaile
Edited byDavid Newhouse
Music by Philip Green
Production
company
Distributed by British Lion Films(U.K.)
Lopert (U.S.A.)
Release date
  • 15 August 1949 (1949-08-15)
Running time
87 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Box office£98,061 (UK) [1]

Saints and Sinners is a 1949 British comedy drama film directed by Leslie Arliss and starring Kieron Moore, Christine Norden and Sheila Manahan. [2] [3] It was written by Paul Vincent Carroll, Arliss and Mabbie Poole.

Contents

Premise

The film follows life in small Irish town, where a man is wrongly accused of theft.

Cast

Production

It was filmed on location in and around Carlingford, Co. Louth, Ireland. [4] There was some difficulty with Ireland's Actors' Equity over the hire of actors. [5]

Reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "The film contains some admirable photography of beautiful scenery, and is directed with an eye for building up character studies that are certainly effective, thanks to two outstanding performances by Maire O'Neill and Michael Dolan as Ma Murnaghan and the Canon. The romantic side of the picture is less successful, though Kieron Moore as Michael and Christine Norden and Shiela Manahan as Blanche and Shelah do what they can with unsatisfactory material. But the film as a whole remains a curious mixture of Irish whimsy and suburban trimmings." [6]

Kine Weekly wrote: "The picture takes itself much less seriously than Odd Man Out , but even so a stronger acid could have been used in the etching of its widely assorted Irish types. At times the plot tends to ramble, but, despite its shortcomings, it has moments, which include flood and fire spectacle, and a moral, As for its technical presentation, the authentic backgrounds are artistically composed and the camera work is more than adequate." [7]

Picturegoer wrote: "There is a deal of charm about yin this story of a small Irish silage, and certainly quite a lot of originality. Its greatest asset is, however, the character drawing." [8]

Picture Show wrote: "Attractively staged, with authentic and charming Irish backgrounds, this romantic comedy-drama relates how a pipe-smoking village prophetess foretells the end of the world, with astonishing reactions on the villagers. Maire O'Neill as Ma, the Prophetess, and Michael Dolan as the priest make their scenes glow with rich humour." [9]

Variety wrote: "An Irish village steeped in tradition and superstition provides an interesting setting for this story of simple folk who find it difficult to resist temptation and keep to the straight and narrow pei. Production and script match the simplicity of the theme. Appeal is limited for the U.S. market. Production relies entirely on local characterizations. The touch of glamor which comes from the arrival of an American woman on the scene is out of keeping with the story. Kieron Moore has a typical h-man part, which he performs with vigor, but Christine Norden has little more to do than look attractive. Sheila Manahan gives a pleasing, sympathetic study as Michael's girl-friend, and Michael Dolan stands out as the understanding canon." [10]

References

  1. Vincent Porter, 'The Robert Clark Account', Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Vol 20 No 4, 2000 p489
  2. "Saints and Sinners". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  3. "BFI | Film & TV Database | SAINTS AND SINNERS (1949)". ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on 13 January 2009. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  4. Borradaile, Osmond (2001). Life through a lens. pp. 196–197.
  5. "Actors Equity Given Brush by Korda". Variety. 1 September 1948. p. 11.
  6. "Saints and Sinners". The Monthly Film Bulletin . 16 (181): 116. 1 January 1949. ProQuest   1305817691.
  7. "Saints and Sinners". Kine Weekly . 388 (2199): 21. 23 June 1949. ProQuest   2687788231.
  8. "Saints and Sinners". Picturegoer . 18: 16. 2 July 1949. ProQuest   1771145569.
  9. "Saints and Sinners". Picture Show . 53 (1376): 10. 13 August 1949. ProQuest   1879652430.
  10. "Saints and Sinners". Variety . 175 (4): 9. 6 July 1949. ProQuest   1286058311.