Saints And Sinners (1949 Film) - Wikipedia

1949 British film by Leslie Arliss

Saints and Sinners
Directed by	Leslie Arliss
Written by	Paul Vincent CarrollLeslie ArlissMabbie Poole
Based on	play by Paul Vincent Carroll
Produced by	Leslie ArlissTom D. Connochie
Starring	Kieron MooreChristine NordenSheila Manahan
Cinematography	Osmond Borrodaile
Edited by	David Newhouse
Music by	Philip Green
Productioncompany	London Film Productions
Distributed by	British Lion Films(U.K.) Lopert (U.S.A.)
Release date	15 August 1949 (1949-08-15)
Running time	87 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
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.

Premise

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

Cast

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• Kieron Moore as Michael Kissane
• Christine Norden as Blanche
• Sheila Manahan as Sheila Flaherty
• Michael J. Dolan as Canon
• Maire O'Neill as Ma Murnaghan
• Tom Dillon as O'Brien
• Noel Purcell as Flaherty
• Pamela Arliss as Betty
• Edward Byrne as Barney Downey
• Sheila Ward as clothing woman
• Eric Gorman as Madigan
• Eddie Byrne as Norreys
• Liam Redmond as O'Driscoll
• Tony Quinn as Berry
• Cecilia McKevitt as Maeve
• Sheila Richards as Eileen O' Hara
• Anita Bolster as Julia Ann Kermody

Production

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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

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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

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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.

External links

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• Saints and Sinners at IMDb

v t e Films directed by Leslie Arliss
The Farmer's Wife (1941) The Night Has Eyes (1942) The Man in Grey (1943) Love Story (1944) The Wicked Lady (1945) A Man About the House (1947) Idol of Paris (1948) Saints and Sinners (1949) The Woman's Angle (1952) Destination Milan (1954) See How They Run (1955) Miss Tulip Stays the Night (1955)

v t e Films by Alexander Korda
As director	Watchhouse in the Carpathians (1914) The Duped Journalist (1914) Tutyu and Totyo (1914) Lyon Lea (1915) The Officer's Swordknot (1915) White Nights (1916) The Grandmother (1916) Tales of the Typewriter (1916) The Man with Two Hearts (1916) The One Million Pound Note (1916) Cyclamen (1916) Struggling Hearts (1916) The Laughing Saskia (1916) Miska the Magnate (1916) St. Peter's Umbrella (1917) The Stork Caliph (1917) Magic (1917) Harrison and Barrison (1917) Faun (1918) The Man with the Golden Touch (1918) Mary Ann (1918) Ave Caesar! (1919) White Rose (1919) Yamata (1919) Man of Gold (1919) Neither at Home or Abroad (1919) Number 111 (1919) The Prince and the Pauper (1920) Masters of the Sea (1922) A Vanished World (1922) Samson and Delilah (1922) The Unknown Tomorrow (1923) Everybody's Woman (1924) Tragedy in the House of Habsburg (1924) Dancing Mad (1925) Madame Wants No Children (1926) A Modern Dubarry (1927) The Stolen Bride (1927) The Private Life of Helen of Troy (1927) Yellow Lily (1928) Night Watch (1928) Love and the Devil (1929) The Squall (1929) Her Private Life (1929) Lilies of the Field (1930) Women Everywhere (1930) The Princess and the Plumber (1930) The Men Around Lucy (1931) Rive gauche (1931) Marius (1931) Longing for the Sea (1931) The Golden Anchor (1932) Service for Ladies (1932) Wedding Rehearsal (1932) The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933) La dame de chez Maxim's (1933) The Girl from Maxim's (1933) The Private Life of Don Juan (1934) Rembrandt (1936) That Hamilton Woman (1941) Perfect Strangers (1945) An Ideal Husband (1947)
As producer only	Men of Tomorrow (1932) That Night in London (1932) Women Who Play (1932) Strange Evidence (1933) Counsel's Opinion (1933) Cash (1933) Catherine the Great (1934) The Private Life of the Gannets (1934) (short) The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934) Things Are Looking Up (1935) Sanders of the River (1935) The Ghost Goes West (1935) Things to Come (1936) I Stand Condemned (1936) Men Are Not Gods (1936) Forget Me Not (1936) The Man Who Could Work Miracles (1936) Fire Over England (1937) I, Claudius (1937) (unfinished) Dark Journey (1937) Elephant Boy (1937) Farewell Again (1937) Storm in a Teacup (1937) Knight Without Armour (1937) The Squeaker (1937) Paradise for Two (1937) The Divorce of Lady X (1938) South Riding (1938) The Challenge (1938) Prison Without Bars (1938) Q Planes (1939) The Four Feathers (1939) The Rebel Son (1939) The Spy in Black (1939) The Lion Has Wings (1939) Over the Moon (1939) 21 Days (1940) Conquest of the Air (1940) The Thief of Bagdad (1940) Old Bill and Son (1941) Lydia (1941) To Be or Not to Be (1942) Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book (1942) The Shop at Sly Corner (1947) A Man About the House (1947) Mine Own Executioner (1947) Night Beat (1948) Anna Karenina (1948) The Winslow Boy (1948) The Fallen Idol (1948) Bonnie Prince Charlie (1948) That Dangerous Age (1949) The Last Days of Dolwyn (1949) Saints and Sinners (1949) The Third Man (1949) The Man Who Loved Redheads (1955) A Kid for Two Farthings (1955) The Deep Blue Sea (1955) Storm Over the Nile (1955) Richard III (1955) Smiley (1956)