Claud Eustace Teal
Encyclopedia
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| Name: | Claud Eustace Teal |
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| Job: | Chief inspector, Scotland Yard Scotland Yard Scotland Yard is a metonym for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service of London, UK. It derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became... |
| Portrayed by: | Ivor Dean Ivor Dean Ivor Donald Dean was a British stage and television actor.With his lugubrious demeanour he was often cast as world-weary police officers or butlers, and indeed it is for the role of Chief Inspector Claud Eustace Teal in the 1960s series The Saint, opposite Roger Moore, that he is best remembered... (pictured), Campbell Singer Campbell Singer Campbell Singer was a British character actor who featured in a number of film and television roles during his long career.... , Gordon McLeod Gordon McLeod (actor) Gordon McLeod was an English actor, born Charles Gordon McLeod.His film appearances include Chance of a Lifetime and The Silent Passenger, but he is best known for his recurring appearance as the character Claud Eustace Teal in films such as The Saint Meets the Tiger.-Selected filmography:* A... , Charles Victor Charles Victor Charles Victor was a British actor who appeared in a number of films and television between 1938 and 1965.-Selected filmography:* Return of the Frog * Hell's Cargo * Contraband... , David Ryall David Ryall David Ryall is an English actor who has appeared on British television since the 1970s. He has had leading roles in Lytton's Diary and Goodnight Sweetheart, as well as memorable roles in Dennis Potter's The Singing Detective and Andrew Davies's adaptation of To Play the King and The Final Cut, the... . Alun Armstrong Alun Armstrong (actor) Alun Armstrong is a prolific British character actor. Armstrong grew up in County Durham in North East England. He first became interested in acting through Shakespeare productions at his grammar school. Since his career began in the early 1970s, he has played, in his words, "the full spectrum of... |
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Claud Eustace Teal is a fictional character who made many appearances in a series of novels, novellas and short stories by Leslie Charteris
Leslie Charteris
Leslie Charteris , born Leslie Charles Bowyer-Yin, was a half-Chinese, half English author of primarily mystery fiction, as well as a screenwriter. He was best known for his many books chronicling the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint."-Early life:Charteris was born to a Chinese father...
entitled The Saint
Simon Templar
Simon Templar is a British fictional character known as The Saint featured in a long-running series of books by Leslie Charteris published between 1928 and 1963. After that date, other authors collaborated with Charteris on books until 1983; two additional works produced without Charteris’s...
, starting in 1929. A common spelling variation of his first name in reference works and websites is Claude, however in his works Charteris uses the spelling without the 'e'.
Teal was a London-based police detective for Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard is a metonym for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service of London, UK. It derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became...
, with which he initially held the rank of Inspector. He first appeared not in a Saint story, but in a 1929 novel entitled Daredevil
Daredevil (novel)
Daredevil is the title of a mystery novel by Leslie Charteris which was first published by Ward Lock in 1929 . This was Charteris' fourth full-length novel, and is one of the few full-length books in his canon that does not feature the character of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint"...
as a friend of that book's hero, "Storm" Arden. When Charteris decided to launch an ongoing series of stories featuring his Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
-inspired anti-hero, Simon Templar (a.k.a. The Saint) in late 1929, he imported the character of Teal though it's not known if Daredevil plays any role in the actual continuity of the Saint series. (The first Saint story, 1928's Meet - The Tiger!, predated Daredevil and featured a character named Detective Carn, who was a template for the later Teal).
Teal first appeared opposite Simon Templar in several novella
Novella
A novella is a written, fictional, prose narrative usually longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000...
-length stories that appeared in the UK magazine Thriller in the spring and summer of 1929; several were published in 1930 as the collection Enter the Saint
Enter the Saint
Enter the Saint is a collection of three interconnected adventure novellas by Leslie Charteris first published in the United Kingdom by Hodder and Stoughton in 1930, followed by an American edition by The Crime Club in 1931....
(which is where most readers were first exposed to Teal), though the earliest stories in the series would not be published in book form until they were rewritten and included in a later collection, Featuring the Saint
Featuring the Saint
Featuring the Saint is a collection of three mystery novellas by Leslie Charteris, first published in the United Kingdom in 1931 by Hodder and Stoughton. This was the fifth book to feature the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". It was the first novella collection to be published since...
.
At some point, Teal received a promotion to Chief Inspector and he is identified with this rank for the first time in the short story collection The Brighter Buccaneer
The Brighter Buccaneer
The Brighter Buccaneer is a collection of short stories by Leslie Charteris, first published in the United Kingdom by Hodder and Stoughton in 1933. This was the eleventh book to feature the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint"...
.
Teal is described as a heavy set, blue-eyed, perpetually weary policeman who, instead of smoking (a common behaviour during the era), chews gum incessantly. Little if any family life is indicated for the character. According to Daredevil, however, he had married at the age of 22. It isn't known whether Teal chews gum in an attempt to quit smoking; the Wrigley's Spearmint
Wrigley's Spearmint
Wrigley's Spearmint is a brand of Wrigley's chewing gum. Wrigley's launched the brand in 1893 and markets the gum as its classic brand, although the company's brand Juicy Fruit has been on the market slightly longer...
brand is frequently mentioned by name (and even illustrated on the cover of some editions of Saint books that involve Teal).
Teal's relationship with Templar varies throughout the long-running Saint series. Sometimes they are adversaries, with Teal striving to put Templar behind bars and stop his "law-bending" crimefighting ways. Templar, in return, baits Teal frequently and in The Holy Terror
The Holy Terror (The Saint)
The Holy Terror is a collection of three mystery novellas by Leslie Charteris, first published in the United Kingdom in 1932 by Hodder and Stoughton. This was the eighth book to feature the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". When published in the United States for the first time, also...
goes so far as to blackmail Teal (an action that earns Templar a rare rebuke from his girlfriend and partner, Patricia Holm
Patricia Holm
Patricia Holm is the name of a fictional character who appeared in the novels of Leslie Charteris from the 1920s to the 1940s. She was the on-again, off-again girlfriend and partner of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint" and shared a number of his adventures....
, in the later book, Once More the Saint
Once More the Saint
Once More the Saint is a collection of three interrelated mystery novellas by Leslie Charteris, first published in the United Kingdom by Hodder and Stoughton in 1933. This was the tenth book to feature the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". The first American edition, published the...
).
At other times, Teal and Templar maintain a cordial relationship bordering on friendship. Indeed, in several of the early Saint books (including The Holy Terror
The Holy Terror (The Saint)
The Holy Terror is a collection of three mystery novellas by Leslie Charteris, first published in the United Kingdom in 1932 by Hodder and Stoughton. This was the eighth book to feature the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". When published in the United States for the first time, also...
), Teal states outright that he would consider Templar a friend if they weren't on the opposite sides of the law. For his part, Templar is shown to always have a fresh stick of chewing gum ready to give to Teal during his frequent visits, though Teal is less appreciative of Templar's habit of poking him in his expansive belly whenever he wants to emphasize a point (or sometimes just for the fun of it, as occurs several times in The Misfortunes of Mr. Teal
The Misfortunes of Mr. Teal
The Misfortunes of Mr. Teal is a collection of three mystery novellas by Leslie Charteris, first published in the United Kingdom in 1934 by Hodder and Stoughton and the United States by The Crime Club...
).
Despite giving an air of being weary and slow-moving, Teal is a brilliant detective, and one whom Templar occasionally underestimates. He also has demonstrated the ability to exhibit surprising dexterity and speed when the need arises. (In one early story, he braves entering a gas-filled cellar – at grave risk of being gassed to death himself – in order to carry an unconscious Templar to safety, an action he later half-jokingly regrets.) In The Misfortunes of Mr. Teal, Charteris states outright that Teal's weary, sloth-like demeanor is an affectation. In several Saint stories, Teal is shown unexpectedly noticing a detail or uncovering a clue that more often than not hinders Templar's quest for "boodle
Boodle
Boodle, or boodler, was a bar-room or street term for money or booty applied by the yellow press to members of the New York Board of Aldermen who were charged with accepting bribes in connection with the granting of a franchise for a street railroad on Broadway...
" (loot), as in, for example, the story "The Unusual Ending" in The Brighter Buccaneer.
Teal, however, is also shown acknowledging Templar's crimefighting and deduction abilities on numerous occasions. Although an attempt to make Templar an agent of Scotland Yard meets with failure (as seen in the novel She Was a Lady
She Was a Lady
She Was a Lady is the title of a mystery novel by Leslie Charteris featuring his creation, Simon Templar, alias The Saint. The novel was first published in magazine serial form in 1930, and was first published in complete form in the United Kingdom by Hodder and Stoughton in 1931...
), Teal is often seen turning to Templar for advice and, occasionally, "off-book" assistance on a case. Templar, in return, willingly allows Teal to receive the credit (and, sometimes, the blame) when a case is resolved, though he is quick to berate Teal whenever he feels Teal is treating him unfairly and with undue suspicion.
Teal disappears from the book series for a time after the 1939 short story collection The Happy Highwayman
The Happy Highwayman
The Happy Highwayman is a collection of short stories by Leslie Charteris, first published in 1939 by Hodder and Stoughton in the United Kingdom and The Crime Club in the United States. This was the 21st book to feature the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint"...
, as the Saint entered into a series of books set in America during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, reappearing after the war.
In "The Talented Husband" (a short story in the 1956 collection The Saint Around the World
The Saint Around the World
The Saint Around the World is a collection of short stories by Leslie Charteris, first published in 1956 by The Crime Club in the United States and by Hodder and Stoughton in the United Kingdom in 1957...
) the Saint returns to the UK and indulges in one final round of 'Teal-baiting' before the Chief Inspector retires. Teal is persuaded out of retirement in Le Saint contre les Cagoules Grises (one of the many French-language Saint novels published in the late 1950s-1960s and based upon one of the American comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
s) to help the Saint battle the Grey Hoods. Teal later returned in the 1975 collection Catch the Saint
Catch the Saint
Catch the Saint is a collection of two mystery novellas by Fleming Lee, based upon stories by Norman Worker continuing the adventures of the sleuth Simon Templar aka "The Saint", created by Leslie Charteris...
, which featured two novellas set prior to the Second World War.
Teal was considered a major character by Charteris, so much so that he named a 1934 volume The Misfortunes of Mr. Teal
The Misfortunes of Mr. Teal
The Misfortunes of Mr. Teal is a collection of three mystery novellas by Leslie Charteris, first published in the United Kingdom in 1934 by Hodder and Stoughton and the United States by The Crime Club...
. (Later editions of 1933's Once More the Saint were also retitled The Saint and Mr. Teal.)
Film and TV portrayals
Claud Eustace Teal has appeared in numerous film and TV adaptations of The Saint. Generally (though not always) dramatic depictions of Teal have presented him as a rather less competent policeman than in the novels, with his ponderous approach exaggerated at the expense of his detection abilities. In his most significant adaptation (the 1960s British television series) he is presented as almost incompetent, with his success in solving cases always down to the efforts of Simon Templar.At the time The Saint was first adapted for cinema by RKO Radio Pictures, most of the films in the series were set in the United States. As a result, the character of Teal was usually replaced by Inspector Farnack, a New York detective of similar disposition who had been introduced in the novel The Saint in New York
The Saint in New York
The Saint in New York is a mystery novel by Leslie Charteris, first published in the United Kingdom by Hodder and Stoughton in 1935. It was published later that year in the United States by Doubleday...
. Teal made his first RKO appearance in 1939's The Saint in London
The Saint in London
The Saint in London is an American crime film, the third in a series of films featuring the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint".The film starred George Sanders as Templar and was produced by William Sistrom. John Paddy Carstairs directed...
played by Gordon McLeod
Gordon McLeod (actor)
Gordon McLeod was an English actor, born Charles Gordon McLeod.His film appearances include Chance of a Lifetime and The Silent Passenger, but he is best known for his recurring appearance as the character Claud Eustace Teal in films such as The Saint Meets the Tiger.-Selected filmography:* A...
. McLeod reprised the role in The Saint's Vacation
The Saint's Vacation
The Saint's Vacation is the title of a 1941 British-American adventure film produced by RKO Pictures. The film starred Hugh Sinclair as Simon Templar, a.k.a. "The Saint" a world-roving crimefighter who walks the fine edge of the law. This was one of a series of films based loosely upon the...
(1941) and The Saint Meets the Tiger
The Saint Meets the Tiger
The Saint Meets the Tiger is the title of a crime thriller motion picture produced by the British unit of RKO Pictures and released in 1943 by Republic Pictures that RKO sold the film to after a dispute with Leslie Charteris...
(1943). The Saint Meets the Tiger was based upon the aforementioned Meet - The Tiger!, only this time Teal replaces the character of Detective Carn. The final film in the RKO series, 1953's The Saint's Girl Friday
The Saint's Girl Friday
The Saint's Girl Friday is the title of an Anglo-American crime thriller distributed by RKO in 1953, filmed by Hammer Film Productions and Royal Productions in London, and produced by Anthony Hinds and Julian Lesser. American release of the film occurred in 1954...
, featured Charles Victor
Charles Victor
Charles Victor was a British actor who appeared in a number of films and television between 1938 and 1965.-Selected filmography:* Return of the Frog * Hell's Cargo * Contraband...
as Teal.
On television, Ivor Dean
Ivor Dean
Ivor Donald Dean was a British stage and television actor.With his lugubrious demeanour he was often cast as world-weary police officers or butlers, and indeed it is for the role of Chief Inspector Claud Eustace Teal in the 1960s series The Saint, opposite Roger Moore, that he is best remembered...
played Teal as a recurring character in the 1962-69 British series, The Saint
The Saint (TV series)
The Saint was an ITC mystery spy thriller television series that aired in the UK on ITV between 1962 and 1969. It centred on the Leslie Charteris literary character, Simon Templar, a Robin Hood-like adventurer with a penchant for disguise. The character may be nicknamed The Saint because the...
. Teal appeared in two early episodes played by other actors (Campbell Singer
Campbell Singer
Campbell Singer was a British character actor who featured in a number of film and television roles during his long career....
and Wensley Pithey
Wensley Pithey
Wensley Pithey was a South African character actor who had a long stage career.Pithey was born in Cape Town, South Africa. A graduate of the University of Cape Town where he studied music and drama, he travelled to England in 1947...
respectively). Dean appeared in another role in Teal's second appearance (an episode entitled Starring the Saint) before being cast on a permanent basis. The character did not appear in the spin-off, 1978's Return of the Saint
Return of the Saint
Return of the Saint was a British action-adventure television series that aired for one season in 1978 and 1979 in Britain on ITV, and was also broadcast on CBS in the United States...
. Teal made a reappearance in the first episode of the 1989 series of TV movies starring Simon Dutton
Simon Dutton
Simon Dutton is a British actor, best known for playing the title role of Simon Templar in a series of Australian-produced television films in 1989. In 2007, he joined the cast of British sitcom Not Going Out as recurring character Guy, but was written out at the end of season 2.Dutton was...
. On this occasion, he was played by David Ryall
David Ryall
David Ryall is an English actor who has appeared on British television since the 1970s. He has had leading roles in Lytton's Diary and Goodnight Sweetheart, as well as memorable roles in Dennis Potter's The Singing Detective and Andrew Davies's adaptation of To Play the King and The Final Cut, the...
The most recent appearance of the character has been in the 1997 film version of The Saint
The Saint (film)
The Saint is a 1997 film based on the character of Simon Templar created by Leslie Charteris in 1928 for a series of books published as "The Saint." The film stars Val Kilmer, Elisabeth Shue and Rade Šerbedžija...
, played by Alun Armstrong
Alun Armstrong (actor)
Alun Armstrong is a prolific British character actor. Armstrong grew up in County Durham in North East England. He first became interested in acting through Shakespeare productions at his grammar school. Since his career began in the early 1970s, he has played, in his words, "the full spectrum of...
. Besides Templar, Teal is the only character from the original canon to appear in this loosely-based film.