Saints and Sinners

This is charming slice of Gallic hokum from the late 40's. Philip Green's schmaltzy score, based on an old Oirish evergreen, gives us a pretty good idea of what we have in store. Be warned though: if “yerv never dreamter kissin the blarney stone” this kind of sentimentality might not be for you.

Michael Kissane (Kieron Moore) returns home to the quaint little Irish village of his birth after spending two years in prison for thieving a substantial amount of money from the Church funds. A cursory look at this fine young lad is enough to tell you 'he didn't do it'. And he's returned to establish the fact that he was indeed innocent of said crime. It must be said that for a bloke who has been 'banged up' a fair while for a crime he didn't commit he doesn't appear too nonplussed about the situation. It appears that just about everyone in this rather religious (well it would be, wouldn't it?) little village thinks Michael was guilty, even his former girlfriend Sheila Flaherty (Sheila Manahan) is of that opinion.
Nonetheless, Michael gets re-employed at Flaherty's Hotel thanks to her. Two years before he was the head barman (learning the hotel trade) now he accepts a job as a humble pot-man. The hotel in question belongs to her dad (Noel Purcell) who doesn't have a great deal of time for our boy. Sheila btw is now engaged to be married to local banker Gerry (Eddie Byrne). On the same train Michael arrived on was a local boy made good 'across the pond' by the name of O'Brien (Tom Dillon), accompanied by his gorgeous young wife Blanche (bombshell Christine Norden) for whom a reception committee was waiting. Only old Ma Murnaghan (Maire O’Neill) believes in Michael's innocence and loves him like a son. She's a canny old bird, a bit of a witch and 'can foresee the future'. When she tells everyone which horse is going to win it does! She and the Canon (Michael Dolan), who rules the roost, are often at loggerheads but in the nicest possible way. Meanwhile, Blanche is obviously attracted to Michael upon first sight and offers him a job as the chauffeur of her over-generous hubbie. Mind you, attempts to seduce him come to nothing, as Michael still loves Sheila and she him. Blanche tells Sheila that if she loved a man she'd stand by him even if she thought he was guilty. In one bar scene Blanche even dances and smooches with Michael in front of all and sundry whilst hubby looks on approvingly!

Eventually Ma takes things into her own hands and, feigning oncoming death, predicts the end of the world next day… this in order to get the real thief to come forward. Within no time just about every little businessman is confessing his wrongdoings to the Canon. It appears that they've ALL been on the fiddle... now what did you expect! Flaherty's hotel bursts into flames, banker Gerry is trapped inside and there's only one man who’s man enough to play the hero… and Gerry has a confession to make… Then the 'miracle' occurs! You didn't really think the world would end, did you?

This film is a little sentimental and is perhaps verging on the religious side, but even this does not detract from its inherent appeal. The clichés can be appreciated and there are plenty of them, but producer/director Arliss gets it just about right and does not go overboard with the 'Danny Boy' business. Special plaudits must go to Maire O’Neill as ‘Ma Murnaghan’ (difficult as it is to understand her) and Michael Dolan’s ‘Canon’. As for Kieran Moore, he makes for a very likeable and handsome lead. Nicely photographed it is too and even has John Wilcox (‘The Skull’) on second unit. Give it a go even if the blarney stone means nothing to ye!

There are no Special Features on this ‘British Film Collection’ DVD release.