Simon Templar
Encyclopedia
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| Name: | Simon Templar |
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| Job: | Thief, amateur detective, occasional police agent |
| Portrayed by: | Vincent Price Vincent Price Vincent Leonard Price, Jr. was an American actor, well known for his distinctive voice and serio-comic attitude in a series of horror films made in the latter part of his career.-Early life and career:Price was born in St... , Louis Hayward Louis Hayward Louis Charles Hayward was a British actor born in South Africa.-Biography:Born in Johannesburg, Hayward began his screen work in British films, notably as Simon Templar in Leslie Charteris' The Saint in New York.] In 1939 he played a dual role in The Man in the Iron Mask.During World War II,... , George Sanders George Sanders George Sanders was a British actor.George Sanders may also refer to:*George Sanders , Victoria Cross recipient in World War I... , Roger Moore Roger Moore Sir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London... , Ian Ogilvy Ian Ogilvy Ian Raymond Ogilvy is an English film and television actor.-Early life:He was born in Woking, Surrey, England, the son of advertising executive Francis Ogilvy and actress Aileen Raymond .He was educated at Sunningdale School, Eton College and at the Royal Academy of... , 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... , Val Kilmer Val Kilmer Val Edward Kilmer is an American actor. Originally a stage actor, Kilmer became popular in the mid-1980s after a string of appearances in comedy films, starting with Top Secret! , then the cult classic Real Genius , as well as blockbuster action films, including a supporting role in Top Gun and a... , Tom Conway Tom Conway Tom Conway was a British film and radio actor, and elder brother of actor George Sanders.-Early life:... , Edgar Barrier Edgar Barrier Edgar Barrier was an American actor who appeared on radio, stage, and screen. In the 1930s he was a member of Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre and played Simon Templar on The Saint radio show.... , Brian Aherne Brian Aherne Brian Aherne was a British actor of both stage and screen, who found success in Hollywood.-Early life and stage career:... , Hugh Sinclair Hugh Sinclair Admiral Sir Hugh Francis Paget Sinclair KCB , nicknamed "Quex", was a British intelligence officer. Between 1919 and 1921, he was Director of British Naval Intelligence, and helped to set up the Secret Intelligence Service before the Second World War.-Career:Sinclair joined the Royal Navy in the... , others |
| Weapons: | Ebony Stick Fists Throwing Knives named Anna & Belle Pistol Pistol When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol... Swordstick Swordstick A swordstick or cane-sword is a cane incorporating a concealed blade. The term is typically used to describe European weapons from around the 18th century, but similar devices have been used throughout history, notably the Japanese shikomizue and the Ancient Roman dolon.- Popularity :The swordstick... |
Simon Templar is a British fictional character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
known as The Saint featured in a long-running series of books 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...
published between 1928 and 1963. After that date, other authors collaborated with Charteris on books until 1983; two additional works produced without Charteris’s participation were published in 1997. The character has also been portrayed in motion pictures, radio dramas, comic strips, comic books and three television series.
Overview
Simon Templar is a thief known as The Saint because of his initials (ST) and because his heroic exploits fly in the face of an otherwise nefarious reputation. Templar has aliases, often using the initials S.T. such as "Sebastian Tombs" or "Sugarman Treacle". His true name is unknown, and the name "Templar" was adopted at an early age from reading about the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, the Knights TemplarKnights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
. Blessed with boyish humor, he makes humorous and off-putting remarks and leaves a "calling card
Calling card
Calling card may refer to:* Visiting card, a card originally used socially to signify a visit made to a house if the occupant were absent, or as an introduction for oneself; the precursor to the modern business card...
" at his "crimes", a stick figure of a man with a halo, the logo of both the books, the movies, and the 1960s TV series.
The books allude to the possibility that Templar started his career as a criminal and suggest he developed the skills of a burglar. His origin remains a mystery, but in the books his income derives from the pockets of the "ungodly" (as he terms those who live by a less moral code than his own). There are references to a "ten percent collection fee" to cover expenses when he extracts large sums from victims, the remainder being returned to the owners, given to charity, shared among Templar's colleagues, or some combination of those possibilities.
Templar's targets include corrupt politicians, warmongers, and other low life. "He claims he's a Robin Hood", bleats one victim, "but to me he's just a robber and a hood". Robin Hood appears one inspiration for the character; Templar stories were often promoted as featuring "The Robin Hood of modern crime", and this phrase to describe Templar appears in several stories. A term used by Templar to describe his acquisitions is "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...
" (a term also applied to the short story collection
Boodle (The Saint)
Boodle is a collection of short stories by Leslie Charteris, first published in the United Kingdom by Hodder and Stoughton in 1934. This was the thirteenth book to feature the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint", and the second short story collection featuring the character...
).
The Saint has a dark side, as he is willing to ruin the lives of the "ungodly", and even kill them, if he feels more innocent lives can be saved. In the early books, Templar refers to this as murder, although he considers his actions justified and righteous, a view usually shared by partners and colleagues. Several adventures centre on his intention to kill (for example, "Arizona" in The Saint Goes West
The Saint Goes West
The Saint Goes West is a collection of three mystery novellas by Leslie Charteris, first published in the United States in 1942 by The Crime Club, and in the United Kingdom the same year by Hodder and Stoughton....
has Templar planning to kill a Nazi scientist).
During the 1920s and early '30s, The Saint is fighting European arms dealers, drug runners, and white slavers while based in his London home. His battles with Rayt Marius mirror the 'four rounds with Carl Petersen' of Bulldog Drummond
Bulldog Drummond
Bulldog Drummond is a British fictional character, created by "Sapper", a pseudonym of Herman Cyril McNeile , and the hero of a series of novels published from 1920 to 1954.- Drummond :...
. During the first half of the 1940s, Charteris cast Templar as a willing operative of the American government, fighting Nazi interests in the U.S. 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...
.
While the first of these novels, The Saint in Miami
The Saint in Miami
The Saint in Miami is the title of a mystery novel by Leslie Charteris featuring his creation, Simon Templar, alias The Saint. As with an earlier release, Follow the Saint, the order of publication for this book was changed...
, has Templar stumbling upon a Nazi plot, beginning with the "Arizona" novella Templar is fighting his own war against Germany. The Saint Steps In
The Saint Steps In
The Saint Steps In is the title of a mystery novel by Leslie Charteris featuring his creation, Simon Templar, alias The Saint. The book was first published in serialized form in November 1942 in Liberty Magazine, with its first bound publication in 1943 in an American edition by The Crime Club...
reveals that Templar is operating on behalf of a mysterious individual known as Hamilton who appears again in the next WWII-era Saint book, The Saint on Guard
The Saint on Guard
The Saint on Guard is a collection of two mystery novellas by Leslie Charteris, first published in the United States in 1944 by The Crime Club, and in the United Kingdom in 1945 by Hodder and Stoughton. This book continues the adventures of Charteris' creation, Simon Templar, alias The Saint, and...
. The later books move from confidence games, murder mysteries, and wartime espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
and place Templar as a global adventurer.
According to Saint historian Burl Barer
Burl Barer
Burl Barer is an American author and literary historian. He is best known for his fiction and non-fiction writings about the character Simon Templar, also known as "The Saint".-The Saint:...
, Charteris made the decision to remove Templar from his usual confidence-game trappings, not to mention his usual co-stars Holm, Uniatz, Orace and Teal, as they weren't appropriate for the post-war stories he was writing.
Although The Saint functions as an ordinary detective in some stories, others depict ingenious plots to get even with vanity publishers and other ripoff artists, greedy bosses who exploit their workers, con men, etc.
The Saint has many partners, though none last throughout the series. For the first half until the late 1940s, the most recurrent is 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....
, his girlfriend, who was introduced in the first story, the 1928 novel Meet - The Tiger! in which she shows herself a capable adventurer. Holm appeared erratically throughout the series, sometimes disappearing for books at a time. Templar and Holm lived together in a time when common-law relationships were uncommon and, in some areas, illegal.
They have an open relationship, as Templar is shown flirting with other women from time to time. However, his heart remains true to Holm in the early books, culminating in his considering marriage in the novella The Melancholy Journey of Mr. Teal
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...
, only to have Holm say she had no interest in it (another progressive attitude). Holm disappeared in the late 1940s, and according to Barer's history of The Saint, Charteris refused to allow Templar a steady girlfriend, or Holm to return (although according to the Saintly Bible website, Charteris did write a film story that would have seen Templar encountering a son he had with Holm).
Another recurring character, 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...
Inspector Claud Eustace Teal
Claud Eustace Teal
Claud Eustace Teal is a fictional character who made many appearances in a series of novels, novellas and short stories by Leslie Charteris entitled The Saint, starting in 1929...
, could be found attempting to put The Saint behind bars, although in some books they work in partnership. In 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's American counterpart, NYPD Inspector John Henry Fernack, was introduced, and he would become, like Teal, an Inspector Lestrade
Inspector Lestrade
Inspector G. Lestrade is a fictional character, a Scotland Yard detective appearing in several of the Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. Doyle used the name of a friend from his days at the University of Edinburgh, a Saint Lucian medical student by the name of Joseph Alexandre Lestrade....
-like foil and pseudo-nemesis in a number of books, notably the American-based World War II novels of the 1940s.
Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks is an American television serial drama created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. The series follows the investigation headed by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper , of the murder of a popular teenager and homecoming queen, Laura Palmer...
), Peter Quentin, Monty Hayward, and his ex-military valet, Orace.
In later stories, the dimwitted and constantly soused but reliable American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
thug Hoppy Uniatz was at Templar's side. Of The Saint's companions, only Norman Kent was killed during an adventure (he sacrifices himself to save Templar in the novel The Last Hero
The Last Hero (The Saint)
The Last Hero is the title of a mystery novel by Leslie Charteris that was first published in the United Kingdom in 1930 by Hodder and Stoughton and in the United States in 1931 by The Crime Club. The story was initially serialized in 1929 in a British magazine...
); the other males are presumed to have settled down and married (two to former female criminals: Dicky Tremayne to "Straight Audrey" Perowne and Peter Quentin to Kathleen "The Mug" Allfield; Archie Sheridan is mentioned to have married in "The Lawless Lady" in 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....
, presumably to Lilla McAndrew after the events of the story "The Wonderful War" in 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...
).
Charteris gave Templar interests and quirks as the series went on. Early talents as an amateur poet and songwriter were displayed, often to taunt villains, though the novella The Inland Revenue
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...
established that poetry was also a hobby. That story revealed that Templar wrote an adventure novel featuring a South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n hero not far removed from The Saint himself.
Templar also on occasion would break the fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
in an almost metafiction
Metafiction
Metafiction, also known as Romantic irony in the context of Romantic works of literature, is a type of fiction that self-consciously addresses the devices of fiction, exposing the fictional illusion...
al sense, making references to being part of a story and mentioning in one early story how he cannot be killed so early on; the 1960s television series would also have Templar address viewers. Charteris breaks the fourth wall by making references to the "chronicler" of The Saint's adventures and in one instance (the story "The Sizzling Saboteur" in The Saint on Guard
The Saint on Guard
The Saint on Guard is a collection of two mystery novellas by Leslie Charteris, first published in the United States in 1944 by The Crime Club, and in the United Kingdom in 1945 by Hodder and Stoughton. This book continues the adventures of Charteris' creation, Simon Templar, alias The Saint, and...
) inserts his own name.
Publishing history
The origins of The Saint can be found in early works by Charteris, some of which predated the first Saint novel, 1928's Meet - The Tiger!, or were written after it but before Charteris committed to writing a Saint series. Burl Barer reveals that an obscure early work, DaredevilDaredevil (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"...
, not only featured a heroic lead who shared "Saintly" traits (down to driving the same brand of automobile) but also shared his adventures with Inspector Claud Eustace Teal—a character later a regular in Saint books. Barer writes that several early Saint stories were rewritten from non-Saint stories, including 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...
, which appeared in magazine form featuring a different lead character.
Charteris utilized three formats for delivering his stories. Besides full-length novels, he wrote 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...
s for the most part published in magazines and later in volumes of two or three stories. He also wrote short stories
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
featuring the character, again mostly for magazines and later compiled into omnibus editions. In later years these short stories carried a common theme, such as the women Templar meets or exotic places he visits. With the exception of Meet - The Tiger!, chapter titles of Templar novels usually contain a descriptive phrase describing the events of the chapter; for example, Chapter Four of Knight Templar
Knight Templar (The Saint)
Knight Templar is the title of a mystery novel by Leslie Charteris first published in 1930. This was the fourth book -- and third full novel -- featuring Charteris' Robin Hood-inspired anti-hero, Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". The title of the book is a pun on the religious organization Knights...
is entitled "How Simon Templar dozed in the Green Park and discovered a new use for toothpaste".
Although Charteris’s novels and novellas had more conventional thriller plots than his confidence game short stories, both novels and stories are admired. As in the past, the appeal lies in the vitality of the character, a hero who can go into a brawl and come out with his hair combed and who, faced with death, lights a cigarette and taunts his enemy with the signature phrase "As the actress said to the bishop...."
The period of the books begins in the 1920s and moves to the 1970s as the 50 books progress (the character being seemingly ageless). In early books most activities are illegal, although directed at villains. In later books, this becomes less so. In books written 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...
, The Saint was recruited by the government to help track spies and similar undercover work. Later he became a cold warrior fighting Communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
. The quality of writing also changes; early books have a freshness which becomes replaced by cynicism in later works. A few Saint stories crossed into science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
, "The Man Who Liked Ants" and the early novel The Last Hero
The Last Hero (The Saint)
The Last Hero is the title of a mystery novel by Leslie Charteris that was first published in the United Kingdom in 1930 by Hodder and Stoughton and in the United States in 1931 by The Crime Club. The story was initially serialized in 1929 in a British magazine...
being examples. When early Saint books were republished in the 1960s to the 1980s, it was not uncommon to see freshly written introductions by Charteris apologizing for the out-of-date tone; according to a Charteris "apology" in a 1969 paperback of 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...
, he attempted to update some earlier stories when they were reprinted but gave up and let them sit as period pieces. The 1963 edition of the 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"...
contains examples of abandoned revisions; in one story published in the 1930s ("The Star Producers"), references to actors of the 1930s were replaced for 1963 with names of current movie stars; another 1930s-era story, "The Man Who Was Lucky", added references to atomic power.
Charteris started retiring from writing books following 1963's The Saint in the Sun
The Saint in the Sun
The Saint in the Sun is a collection of short stories by Leslie Charteris, featuring the Robin Hood-inspired crimefighter, Simon Templar, whom Charteris introduced in 1928. The book was first published in 1963 by The Crime Club in the United States and by Hodder and Stoughton in the United Kingdom...
. The next book to carry Charteris’s name, 1964's Vendetta for the Saint
Vendetta for the Saint
Vendetta for the Saint is the title of a 1964 mystery novel featuring the character of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". The novel is credited to Leslie Charteris, who created the Saint in 1928, but the book was actually authored by Harry Harrison, a noted science fiction author who also wrote the...
, was written by science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
author Harry Harrison
Harry Harrison
Harry Harrison is an American science fiction author best known for his character the Stainless Steel Rat and the novel Make Room! Make Room! , the basis for the film Soylent Green...
, who had worked on the Saint comic strip, after which Charteris edited and revised the manuscript. Between 1964 and 1983, another 14 Saint books would be published, credited to Charteris but written by others. In his introduction to the first, The Saint on TV
The Saint on TV
The Saint on TV is a collection of two mystery novellas by Fleming Lee, continuing the adventures of the sleuth Simon Templar aka "The Saint", created by Leslie Charteris. This book was first published in the United States in 1968 by The Crime Club, and in the United Kingdom later that year by...
, Charteris called these volumes a team effort in which he oversaw selection of stories, initially adaptations of scripts written the 1962-69 TV 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...
, and with Fleming Lee writing the adaptations (other authors took over from Lee). Charteris and Lee collaborated on two Saint novels in the 1970s, The Saint in Pursuit
The Saint in Pursuit
The Saint in Pursuit is the title of a 1970 mystery novel featuring the character of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". The novel is credited to Leslie Charteris, who created the Saint in 1928, but the book was actually authored by Fleming Lee and is adapted from a comic strip story by Charteris...
(based on a story by Charteris for the Saint 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....
) and The Saint and the People Importers
The Saint and the People Importers
The Saint and the People Importers is the title of a 1971 mystery novel featuring the character of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". The novel is credited to Leslie Charteris, who created the Saint in 1928, but the book was actually co-authored by Fleming Lee...
. The "team" writers were usually credited on the title page, if not the cover. One later volume, 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...
, was an experiment in returning The Saint to his period, prior to the Second World War (as opposed to recent Saint books set in the present day).
The last Saint volume in the line of books starting with Meet - The Tiger! in 1928 was Salvage for the Saint
Salvage for the Saint
Salvage for the Saint is the title of a 1983 mystery novel featuring the character of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". The novel was written by Peter Bloxsom based on the two-part Return of the Saint episode, "Collision Course" by John Kruse, but per the custom at this time, the author credit on...
, published in 1983. According to the Saintly Bible website, every Saint book published between 1928 and 1983 saw the first edition issued by Hodder and Stoughton in the UK (a company that originally published only religious books) and The Crime Club
The Crime Club
The Crime Club was an imprint of the Doubleday publishing company, which later spawned a 1946-47 anthology radio series.Many classic and popular works of detective and mystery fiction had their first U.S. editions published via the Crime Club, including all 50 books of The Saint by Leslie Charteris...
(an imprint
Imprint
In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
of Doubleday that specialized in mystery and detective fiction) in the United States. For the first 20 years, the books were first published in Britain, with the U.S. edition following up to a year later. By the late '40s to early '50s, this situation had been reversed. In one case—The Saint to the Rescue
The Saint to the Rescue
The Saint to the Rescue is a collection of short stories by Leslie Charteris, first published in 1959 by The Crime Club in the United States. The first British edition by Hodder and Stoughton was not published until 1961...
—a British edition did not appear until nearly two years after the American one.
French language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
books published over 30 years included translated volumes of Charteris originals as well as novelisations of radio scripts from the English-language radio series and comic strip adaptations. Many of these books credited to Charteris were written by others, including Madeleine Michel-Tyl.
Charteris died in 1993. Two additional Saint novels appeared around the time of the 1997 film
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...
starring Val Kilmer
Val Kilmer
Val Edward Kilmer is an American actor. Originally a stage actor, Kilmer became popular in the mid-1980s after a string of appearances in comedy films, starting with Top Secret! , then the cult classic Real Genius , as well as blockbuster action films, including a supporting role in Top Gun and a...
: a novelisation of the film
The Saint (novel)
The Saint was the title of a mystery novel by Burl Barer published by Pocket Books in 1997. It was based upon the screenplay for the film The Saint, which in turn was loosely based upon the character Simon Templar, created by Leslie Charteris...
(which had little connection to the Charteris stories) and Capture the Saint
Capture the Saint
Capture the Saint is the title of a 1997 mystery novel by Burl Barer, featuring the character of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint" who was created by Leslie Charteris in 1928....
, a more faithful work published by The Saint Club and originated by Charteris in 1936. Both books were written by Burl Barer, who in the early 1990s published a history of the character in books, radio, and television.
Charteris wrote 14 novels between 1928 and 1971 (the last two co-written), 34 novellas, and 95 short stories featuring Simon Templar. Between 1963 and 1997, an additional seven novels and fourteen novellas were written by others.
The Saint on radio
Several radio drama series were produced in North America, Ireland, and Britain. The earliest was for Radio Eireann in 1940 and starred Terence De MarneyTerence De Marney
Terence De Marney was a British film, stage, radio, and television actor, as well as theatre director and writer.-Actor:...
. Both NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
and CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
produced Saint series during 1945, starring Edgar Barrier
Edgar Barrier
Edgar Barrier was an American actor who appeared on radio, stage, and screen. In the 1930s he was a member of Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre and played Simon Templar on The Saint radio show....
and Brian Aherne
Brian Aherne
Brian Aherne was a British actor of both stage and screen, who found success in Hollywood.-Early life and stage career:...
. Many early shows were adaptations of published stories, although Charteris wrote several storylines for the series which were novelised as short stories and novellas.
The longest-running radio incarnation was Vincent Price
Vincent Price
Vincent Leonard Price, Jr. was an American actor, well known for his distinctive voice and serio-comic attitude in a series of horror films made in the latter part of his career.-Early life and career:Price was born in St...
, who played the character in a series between 1947 and 1951 on three networks: CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, Mutual
Mutual Broadcasting System
The Mutual Broadcasting System was an American radio network, in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the golden age of U.S. radio drama, MBS was best known as the original network home of The Lone Ranger and The Adventures of Superman and as the long-time radio residence of The Shadow...
and NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. Like The Whistler
The Whistler
The Whistler was an American radio mystery drama which ran from May 16, 1942 until September 22, 1955. It was sponsored by the Signal Oil Company: "That whistle is your signal for the Signal Oil program, The Whistler." The program was adapted into a film noir series by Columbia Pictures in...
, the program had an opening whistle theme with footsteps. Some sources say the whistling theme for The Saint was created 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...
while others credit RKO composer Roy Webb
Roy Webb
Roy Webb was a film music composer.Webb has hundreds of composing credits to his name, mainly with RKO Pictures, and while most of the movies he scored were fairly light in content, he is today best known for his dark horror and film noir scores...
.
Price left in May 1951, replaced by Tom Conway
Tom Conway
Tom Conway was a British film and radio actor, and elder brother of actor George Sanders.-Early life:...
, who played the role for several more months. His brother, George Sanders
George Sanders
George Sanders was a British actor.George Sanders may also refer to:*George Sanders , Victoria Cross recipient in World War I...
, had played Templar on film. The next English-language radio series aired on Springbok Radio in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
between 1953 and 1957. These were fresh adaptations of the original stories and starred Tom Meehan. Around 1965–66 the South African version of Lux Radio Theatre produced a single dramatization of The Saint. The English service of South Africa produced another series radio adventures for six months in 1970-1971. The next English-language radio series was on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
in 1995 starring Paul Rhys
Paul Rhys
Paul Rhys is a British television, film and theatre actor.Rhys was born in Wales and studied at RADA, leaving with the Bancroft Gold Medal in 1987. While there, he obtained his first major screen role, in Absolute Beginners . Since then he has seldom been off the stage and screen...
.
The Saint in film and on TV
Not long after creating The Saint, Charteris began a long association with Hollywood as a screenwriter. He was successful in getting a major studio, RKO Radio PicturesRKO Pictures
RKO Pictures is an American film production and distribution company. As RKO Radio Pictures Inc., it was one of the Big Five studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheum theater chains and Joseph P...
, interested in a film based on one of his works. The first, The Saint in New York
The Saint in New York (film)
The Saint in New York is a 1938 crime film, based on Leslie Charteris's novel of the same name. Released by RKO Pictures, The Saint in New York marks the first screen appearance of Simon Templar - "the Saint"...
in 1938, based on the 1935 novel of the same name
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...
, starred Louis Hayward
Louis Hayward
Louis Charles Hayward was a British actor born in South Africa.-Biography:Born in Johannesburg, Hayward began his screen work in British films, notably as Simon Templar in Leslie Charteris' The Saint in New York.] In 1939 he played a dual role in The Man in the Iron Mask.During World War II,...
as Templar and Jonathan Hale
Jonathan Hale
Jonathan Hale was a Canadian-born film and television actor.-Career:Born Jonathan Hatley in Ontario, Canada, Hale was well known as Dagwood Bumstead's boss, Julius Caesar Dithers, in the Blondie film series in the 1940s. He is also notable for playing Inspector Farnack in various The Saint films...
as Inspector Henry Farnack, the American counterpart of Mr Teal.
The film was a success and eight more films followed over 15 years. The character of Farnack returned in the first five, but George Sanders
George Sanders
George Sanders was a British actor.George Sanders may also refer to:*George Sanders , Victoria Cross recipient in World War I...
took over from Hayward. Hugh Sinclair
Hugh Sinclair (actor)
Hugh Sinclair was a British actor born in London, England, the son of a clergyman. He was educated at Charterhouse School and a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. His first marriage was to the actress Valerie Taylor...
portrayed Templar in two other films. Several of the films were original stories, sometimes based upon outlines by Charteris while others were based loosely on original novels or novellas. There was one final film, 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...
in 1953, for which Hayward returned to the role. This was followed by an unsuccessful French production in 1960.
In the 1960s Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Sir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
revived the role in a long-running television 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...
. According to the book Spy Television by Wesley Britton, the first actor offered the role was Patrick McGoohan
Patrick McGoohan
Patrick Joseph McGoohan was an American-born actor, raised in Ireland and England, with an extensive stage and film career, most notably in the 1960s television series Danger Man , and The Prisoner, which he co-created...
of Danger Man
Danger Man
Danger Man is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again between 1964 and 1968. The series featured Patrick McGoohan as secret agent John Drake. Ralph Smart created the program and wrote many of the scripts...
and The Prisoner
The Prisoner
The Prisoner is a 17-episode British television series first broadcast in the UK from 29 September 1967 to 1 February 1968. Starring and co-created by Patrick McGoohan, it combined spy fiction with elements of science fiction, allegory and psychological drama.The series follows a British former...
. The series ran from 1962 to 1969, and Moore remains the actor most closely identified with the character.
Since Moore, other actors played him in later series, notably 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...
(1978–1979) starring Ian Ogilvy
Ian Ogilvy
Ian Raymond Ogilvy is an English film and television actor.-Early life:He was born in Woking, Surrey, England, the son of advertising executive Francis Ogilvy and actress Aileen Raymond .He was educated at Sunningdale School, Eton College and at the Royal Academy of...
; the series ran for one season, although it was picked up by the CBS Network. In the mid 1980s, the National Enquirer and other newspapers reported that Moore was planning to produce a movie based on The Saint with Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brendan Brosnan, OBE is an Irish actor, film producer and environmentalist. After leaving school at 16, Brosnan began training in commercial illustration, but trained at the Drama Centre in London for three years...
as Templar, but it was never made. A pilot for a The Saint in Manhattan series starring Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n actor Andrew Clarke
Andrew Clarke (actor)
Andrew Clarke in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, is an Australian actor most known for his television work. Andrew Clarke was one of the most popular Australian actors in the 1980s and 1990s. He is also a two-time Logie winner.-Career:...
was shown on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
in 1987 as part of the CBS Summer Playhouse
CBS Summer Playhouse
CBS Summer Playhouse is an American anthology series that ran from June 12, 1987 to August 22, 1989 on CBS. It aired unsold television pilots during the summer season.-Overview:...
; the pilot was produced by Don Taffner, but it never progressed beyond the pilot stage. Inspector John Fernack of the NYPD made his first film appearance since the 1940s in that production, while Templar got about in a black Lamborghini
Lamborghini
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian car manufacturer. The company was founded by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1963, with the objective of producing a refined grand touring car to compete with established offerings from marques like...
bearing the ST1 licence plate. In 1989, six movies were made by Taffner 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...
. These were syndicated
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
in the United States as part of a series of films entitled Mystery Wheel of Adventure, while in the UK they were shown as a series on ITV.
In 1991, as detailed by Burl Barer in his 1992 history of The Saint, plans were announced for a series of motion pictures. Ultimately, however, no such franchise eventuated.
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...
starring Val Kilmer
Val Kilmer
Val Edward Kilmer is an American actor. Originally a stage actor, Kilmer became popular in the mid-1980s after a string of appearances in comedy films, starting with Top Secret! , then the cult classic Real Genius , as well as blockbuster action films, including a supporting role in Top Gun and a...
was made in 1997 but diverged far from the Charteris books, although it did revive Templar's use of aliases. Kilmer's Saint is unable to defeat a Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n gangster in hand-to-hand combat and is forced to flee; this would have been unthinkable in a Charteris tale. Whereas the original Saint resorted to aliases that had the initials S.T., Kilmer's character used Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
saints, regardless of initials. This Saint refrained from killing, and even the main villains live to stand trial, whereas Charteris’s version had no qualms about taking another life. Kilmer's Saint is presented as a master of disguise, but Charteris’s version hardly used the sophisticated ones shown in this film. The film mirrored aspects of Charteris’s own life, notably his origins in the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
, though not in an orphanage
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
as the film portrayed. Sir Roger Moore features throughout in cameo as the BBC Newsreader heard in Simon Templar's Volvo.
On March 13, 2007, TNT
Turner Network Television
Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...
said it was developing a one-hour series. The series (for which no broadcast date has been announced) was to be executive produced by William J. MacDonald and produced by Jorge Zamacona
Jorge Zamacona
Jorge Zamacona is an American television writer and producer. He worked extensively on the police drama Homicide: Life on the Street and wrote the series cross-over episodes with the crime drama Law & Order...
. James Purefoy
James Purefoy
James Brian Mark Purefoy is an English actor best known for portraying Mark Antony in the HBO series Rome.-Early life and work:...
was announced as the new Simon Templar. Production of the pilot, which was to have been directed by Barry Levinson
Barry Levinson
Barry Levinson is an American screenwriter, film director, actor, and producer of film and television. His films include Good Morning, Vietnam, Sleepers and Rain Man.-Early life:...
, did not go ahead. However the show has remained in development and a September 2009 start was planned for a pilot film with Scottish actor Dougray Scott
Dougray Scott
-Early life:The son of Elma, a nurse, and Alan Scott, an actor and salesperson, Stephen Dougray Scott was born in Glenrothes, Fife and attended Auchmuty High School...
starring as Simon Templar. Former Saint Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Sir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
announced on his website that he will be appearing in the new production, which is being produced by his son, Geoffrey Moore, in a small role.
Films
Since 1938, numerous films have been produced in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
based to varying degrees upon The Saint. A few were based, usually loosely, upon Charteris’s stories, but most were original.
This is a list of the films featuring Simon Templar and of the actors who played The Saint:
- The Saint in New YorkThe Saint in New York (film)The Saint in New York is a 1938 crime film, based on Leslie Charteris's novel of the same name. Released by RKO Pictures, The Saint in New York marks the first screen appearance of Simon Templar - "the Saint"...
(1938 – Louis HaywardLouis HaywardLouis Charles Hayward was a British actor born in South Africa.-Biography:Born in Johannesburg, Hayward began his screen work in British films, notably as Simon Templar in Leslie Charteris' The Saint in New York.] In 1939 he played a dual role in The Man in the Iron Mask.During World War II,...
) - The Saint Strikes BackThe Saint Strikes BackThe Saint Strikes Back, released in 1939, is the second film featuring the crimefighting crusader Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". George Sanders replaced Louis Hayward, who had played the Saint in The Saint in New York. The movie was produced by RKO and also featured Wendy Barrie as female gang...
(1939 – George SandersGeorge SandersGeorge Sanders was a British actor.George Sanders may also refer to:*George Sanders , Victoria Cross recipient in World War I...
) - The Saint in LondonThe Saint in LondonThe 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...
(1939 – Sanders) - The Saint's Double TroubleThe Saint's Double TroubleThe Saint's Double Trouble is a 1940 action-adventure film produced by RKO Pictures. The film stars George Sanders as Simon Templar, a.k.a. "The Saint", a master criminal turned crime-fighter, and features horror film legend Bela Lugosi as "The Partner"...
(1940 – Sanders) - The Saint Takes OverThe Saint Takes OverThe Saint Takes Over, released in 1940 by RKO Pictures, was the fifth motion picture featuring the adventures of Simon Templar, a.k.a. "The Saint" the Robin Hood-inspired crimefighter created by Leslie Charteris...
(1940 – Sanders) - The Saint in Palm SpringsThe Saint in Palm SpringsThe Saint in Palm Springs is the name of a crime thriller motion picture released by RKO Pictures in early 1941. The film continued the screen adventures of the Robin Hood-inspired anti-hero, Simon Templar, alias The Saint, created by Leslie Charteris. The film itself was based upon a story by...
(1941 – Sanders) - The Saint's VacationThe Saint's VacationThe 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 – Hugh SinclairHugh Sinclair (actor)Hugh Sinclair was a British actor born in London, England, the son of a clergyman. He was educated at Charterhouse School and a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. His first marriage was to the actress Valerie Taylor...
) - The Saint Meets the TigerThe Saint Meets the TigerThe 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 - Sinclair) - The Saint's Girl FridayThe Saint's Girl FridayThe 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...
(1954 - Hayward) - Le Saint mène la danse (1960 - Félix Marten)
- Le Saint prend l'affutLe Saint prend l'affûtLe Saint prend l'affût is a French adventure drama film from 1966. It was directed by Christian-Jaque, written by Jean Ferry, starring Jean Marais and Raffaella Carrà...
(1966 - Jean MaraisJean Marais-Biography:A native of Cherbourg, France, Marais starred in several movies directed by Jean Cocteau, for a time his lover, most famously Beauty and the Beast and Orphée ....
) - The Fiction Makers (1968 - Roger MooreRoger MooreSir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
) - edited from episodes of The SaintThe 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... - Vendetta for the SaintVendetta for the SaintVendetta for the Saint is the title of a 1964 mystery novel featuring the character of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". The novel is credited to Leslie Charteris, who created the Saint in 1928, but the book was actually authored by Harry Harrison, a noted science fiction author who also wrote the...
(1969 - Moore) - edited from episodes of The SaintThe 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... - The Saint and the Brave Goose (1979 made for TV - Ian OgilvyIan OgilvyIan Raymond Ogilvy is an English film and television actor.-Early life:He was born in Woking, Surrey, England, the son of advertising executive Francis Ogilvy and actress Aileen Raymond .He was educated at Sunningdale School, Eton College and at the Royal Academy of...
) - edited from episodes of Return of the SaintReturn of the SaintReturn 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... - The Saint in Manhattan (1987 made for TV - Andrew ClarkeAndrew Clarke (actor)Andrew Clarke in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, is an Australian actor most known for his television work. Andrew Clarke was one of the most popular Australian actors in the 1980s and 1990s. He is also a two-time Logie winner.-Career:...
) - The SaintThe 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...
(1997 - Val KilmerVal KilmerVal Edward Kilmer is an American actor. Originally a stage actor, Kilmer became popular in the mid-1980s after a string of appearances in comedy films, starting with Top Secret! , then the cult classic Real Genius , as well as blockbuster action films, including a supporting role in Top Gun and a...
)
In the 1930s, RKO purchased the rights to produce a film adaptation of Saint Overboard
Saint Overboard
Saint Overboard is the title of a 1936 mystery novel by Leslie Charteris, one of a long series of novels featuring Charteris' creation Simon Templar, alias "The Saint"...
, but no such movie was ever produced.
Television series
- The SaintThe 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...
(1962-1969 - Roger Moore) - Return of the SaintReturn of the SaintReturn 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...
(1978-1979 - Ian Ogilvy) - The made-for-TV film series that formed part of Mystery Wheel of Adventure (1989) - all starring Simon DuttonSimon DuttonSimon 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...
- Fear in Fun Park (aka The Saint in Australia)
- The Big Bang
- The Blue Dulac
- The Brazilian Connection
- The Software Murders
- Wrong Number
Three of the surviving actors who have played Templar—Roger Moore, Ian Ogilvy, and Simon Dutton—have been appointed vice presidents of the The Saint Club that was founded by Leslie Charteris himself in 1936.
The Saint on the stage
In the late 1940s, Charteris and sometime Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
scriptwriter Denis Green wrote a stage play entitled The Saint Misbehaves.
It was never publicly performed, as soon after writing it Charteris decided to focus on non-Saint work. For many years it was thought to be lost; however, two copies are known to exist in private hands, and correspondence relating to the play can be found in the Leslie Charteris Collection at Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
.
The Saint in the comics
The Saint appeared in a long-running comic strip series starting as a daily stripDaily strip
A daily strip is a newspaper comic strip format, appearing on weekdays, Monday through Saturday, as contrasted with a Sunday strip, which typically only appears on Sundays....
27 September 1948 with a Sunday added on 20 March the following year. The early strips were written by Leslie Charteris, who had previous experience writing comic strips, having replaced Dashiell Hammett
Dashiell Hammett
Samuel Dashiell Hammett was an American author of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories, and political activist. Among the enduring characters he created are Sam Spade , Nick and Nora Charles , and the Continental Op .In addition to the significant influence his novels and stories had on...
as the writer of the Secret Agent X-9
Secret Agent X-9
Secret Agent X-9 was a comic strip begun by writer Dashiell Hammett and artist Alex Raymond . Syndicated by King Features, it ran from January 22, 1934 until February 10, 1996....
strip. The original artist was Mike Roy. In 1951, when John Spranger replaced Roy as the artist, he altered The Saint's appearance by depicting him with a beard. Bob Lubbers
Bob Lubbers
Bob Lubbers is an American comic strip and comic book artist best known for his work on such strips as Tarzan, Li'l Abner and Long Sam.-Biography:...
illustrated The Saint in 1959 and 1960. The final two years of the strip were drawn by Doug Wildey
Doug Wildey
Douglas S. Wildey was a cartoonist and comic book artist best known for his co-creation of the 1964 animated television series, Jonny Quest for Hanna-Barbera Productions.-Early life and career:...
before it came to an end on 16 September 1961.
Concurrent with the comic strip, Avon Comics published 12 issues of a The Saint comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
between 1947 and 1952 (some of these stories were reprinted in the 1980s). The 1960s TV series is unusual in that it is one of the few major programs of its genre that was not adapted as a comic book in the United States.
In Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, The Saint had a long-running comic book published from 1966 to 1985 under the title Helgonet. It originally reprinted the newspaper strip, but soon original stories were commissioned for Helgonet. These stories were also later reprinted in other European countries. Two of the main writers were Norman Worker
Norman Worker
Norman Worker was a British comic book writer, best known for his work on comic books featuring Lee Falk's The Phantom.Norman was born in Kent, England, in 1927. When he was 17 years old, he fought in World War II in India...
and Donne Avenell; the latter also co-wrote the novels The Saint and the Templar Treasure
The Saint and the Templar Treasure
The Saint and the Templar Treasure is the title of a 1979 mystery novel featuring the character of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". The novel is written by Graham Weaver and Donne Avenell, but per the custom at this time, the author credit on the cover goes to Leslie Charteris, who created the...
and the novella collection Count on the Saint
Count on the Saint
Count on the Saint is a collection of two mystery novellas by Graham Weaver and Donne Avenell, continuing the adventures of the sleuth Simon Templar aka "The Saint", created by Leslie Charteris...
, while Worker contributed to the novella 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...
.
The Saint in magazines
Charteris also edited or oversaw several magazines that tied in with The Saint. The first of these were anthologies entitled The Saint's Choice that ran for seven issues in 1945-46. A few years later Charteris launched The Saint Detective Magazine (later titled The Saint Mystery Magazine and The Saint Magazine), which ran for 141 issues between 1953 and 1967, with a separate British edition that ran just as long but published different material. In most issues of Saint's Choice and the later magazines Charteris included at least one Saint story, usually previously published in one of his books but occasionally original. In several mid-1960s issues, however, he substituted Instead of the Saint, a series of essays on topics of interest to him. The rest of the material in the magazines consisted of novellas and short stories by other mystery writers of the day. An Australian edition was also published for a few years in the 1950s. In 1984 Charteris attempted to revive the Saint magazine, but it ran for only three issues.Leslie Charteris himself portrayed The Saint in a photo play in Life Magazine: The Saint Goes West.
The Saint book series
Most Saint books were collections of novellas or short stories, some of which were published individually either in magazines or in smaller paperback form. Many of the books have also been published under different titles over the years; the titles used here are the more common ones for each book.From 1964 to 1983, the Saint books were collaborative works; Charteris acted in an editorial capacity and received front cover author credit, while other authors wrote these stories and were credited inside the book. These collaborative authors are noted.(Sources: Barer and the editions themselves.)
| Year | First publication title (and author if not Charteris) |
Stories | Alternative titles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1928 1928 in literature The year 1928 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Ford Madox Ford publishes Last Post. It is the final book of a four-volume work titled Parade's End published between 1924 and 1928.... |
Meet - The Tiger! | novel | Meet the Tiger The Saint Meets the Tiger Scoundrels Ltd. Crooked Gold The Saint in Danger |
| 1930 1930 in literature The year 1930 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*January 6 - The first literary character licensing agreement is signed by A. A. Milne, granting Stephen Slesinger U.S... |
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.... |
"The Man Who was Clever" "The Policeman with Wings" "The Lawless Lady" (Some editions contain only two stories, in different combinations) |
none |
| 1930 | The Last Hero The Last Hero (The Saint) The Last Hero is the title of a mystery novel by Leslie Charteris that was first published in the United Kingdom in 1930 by Hodder and Stoughton and in the United States in 1931 by The Crime Club. The story was initially serialized in 1929 in a British magazine... |
novel | The Creeping Death Sudden Death The Saint Closes the Case The Saint and the Last Hero |
| 1930 | Knight Templar Knight Templar (The Saint) Knight Templar is the title of a mystery novel by Leslie Charteris first published in 1930. This was the fourth book -- and third full novel -- featuring Charteris' Robin Hood-inspired anti-hero, Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". The title of the book is a pun on the religious organization Knights... |
novel | The Avenging Saint |
| 1931 1931 in literature The year 1931 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Cherokee playwright Lynn Riggs' play Green Grow the Lilacs premiers. It would later be adapted by Rodgers and Hammerstein as Oklahoma!.... |
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... (originally published UK only) |
"The Logical Adventure" "The Wonderful War" "The Man Who Could Not Die" |
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| 1931 | Alias the Saint Alias the Saint Alias 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 sixth book to feature the adventures of Simon Templar, also known as "The Saint"... (originally published UK only) |
"Story of a Dead Man" "The Impossible Crime" "The National Debt" (Some editions contain "The National Debt" and "The Man Who Could Not Die" from the previous book). |
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| 1931 | Wanted for Murder Wanted for Murder Wanted for Murder is the title of a collection of six mystery novellas by Leslie Charteris which was first published in the United States in 1931.... (US only) |
America-only edition combining Featuring the Saint and Alias the Saint (only US edition of these books until the 1960s) | none |
| 1931 | 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... |
novel | The Saint Meets His Match Angels of Doom |
| 1932 1932 in literature The year 1932 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*E. V. Knox replaces Sir Owen Seaman as editor of Punch magazine.*Samuel Beckett's first novel, Dream of Fair to Middling Women, is rejected by several publishers.... |
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... |
"The Inland Revenue" "The Million Pound Day" "The Melancholy Journey of Mr. Teal" |
The Saint Vs. Scotland Yard |
| 1932 | Getaway Getaway (The Saint) Getaway is the title of a mystery novel by Leslie Charteris first published in the United Kingdom in 1932 by Hodder and Stoughton. This was the fifth full-length novel featuring the adventures of the modern day Robin Hood-inspired crimebuster Simon Templar, and the ninth Saint book published... |
novel | The Saint's Getaway Property of the Deceased Two Men from Munich |
| 1933 1933 in literature The year 1933 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* February 17 - The magazine Newsweek is published for the first time.* James Joyce's Ulysses is allowed into United States.-New books:... |
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... |
"The Gold Standard" "The Man from St. Louis" "The Death Penalty" |
The Saint and Mr. Teal |
| 1933 | 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"... |
"The Brain Workers" "The Export Trade" "The Tough Egg" "The Bad Baron" "The Brass Buddha" "The Perfect Crime" "The Unpopular Landlord" "The New Swindle" "The Five Thousand Pound Kiss" "The Blind Spot" "The Unusual Ending" "The Unblemished Bootlegger" "The Appalling Politician" "The Owner's Handicap" "The Green Goods Man" |
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| 1934 1934 in literature The year 1934 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* The first Flash Gordon comic strip is published.*Boris Pasternak and Korney Chukovsky are among those present at the first Congress of the Soviet Union of Writers.... |
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... |
"The Simon Templar Foundation" "The Higher Finance" "The Art of Alibi" |
The Saint in London The Saint in England |
| 1934 | Boodle Boodle (The Saint) Boodle is a collection of short stories by Leslie Charteris, first published in the United Kingdom by Hodder and Stoughton in 1934. This was the thirteenth book to feature the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint", and the second short story collection featuring the character... |
"The Ingenious Colonel" "The Unfortunate Financier" "The Newdick Helicopter" "The Prince of Cherkessia" "The Treasure of Turk's Lane" "The Sleepless Knight" "The Uncritical Publisher" "The Noble Sportsman" "The Damsel in Distress" "The Loving Brothers" "The Tall Timber" "The Art Photographer" "The Man Who Liked Toys" "The Mixture as Before" (some editions omit the stories "The Uncritical Publisher" and "The Noble Sportsman") |
The Saint Intervenes |
| 1934 | The Saint Goes On The Saint Goes On The Saint Goes On is a collection of three mystery novellas by Leslie Charteris, first published in the United Kingdom in 1934 by Hodder and Stoughton, and in the United States in 1935 by The Crime Club... |
"The High Fence" "The Elusive Ellshaw" "The Case of the Frightened Innkeeper" |
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| 1935 1935 in literature The year 1935 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* June 15 - W. H. Auden enters a marriage of convenience with Erika Mann.* July 30 - Allen Lane founds Penguin Books to publish the first mass market paperbacks in Britain.... |
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... |
novel | none |
| 1936 1936 in literature The year 1936 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* Life magazine is first published.* The Carnegie Medal for excellence in children's literature is established in the UK.-New books:... |
Saint Overboard Saint Overboard Saint Overboard is the title of a 1936 mystery novel by Leslie Charteris, one of a long series of novels featuring Charteris' creation Simon Templar, alias "The Saint"... |
novel | The Pirate Saint The Saint Overboard |
| 1937 1937 in literature The year 1937 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*January 9 - The first issue of Look magazine goes on sale in the United States.*Thomas Quinn Curtiss meets Klaus Mann.-New books:*Eric Ambler - Uncommon Danger... |
The Ace of Knaves The Ace of Knaves The Ace of Knaves is a collection of three mystery novellas by Leslie Charteris, first published in the United Kingdom in 1937 by Hodder and Stoughton, and in the United States by The Crime Club. This book continues the adventures of Charteris' creation, Simon Templar, alias The Saint. Later... |
"The Spanish War" "The Unlicensed Victuallers" "The Beauty Specialist" |
The Saint in Action |
| 1937 | Thieves' Picnic Thieves' Picnic Thieves' Picnic is a mystery novel by Leslie Charteris featuring his Robin Hood-inspired crime fighter, Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". The book was first published in the United Kingdom in 1937 by Hodder and Stoughton, and in the United States by The Crime Club the same year... |
novel | The Saint Bids Diamonds |
| 1938 1938 in literature The year 1938 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* The trilogy, U.S.A. by John Dos Passos, is published containing his three novels The 42nd Parallel , 1919 , and The Big Money .... |
Prelude for War Prelude for War Prelude for War is a mystery novel by Leslie Charteris featuring his Robin Hood-inspired crime fighter, Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". The book was first published in the United Kingdom in 1938 by Hodder and Stoughton, and in the United States by The Crime Club the same year. Previously, the... |
novel | The Saint Plays with Fire The Saint and the Sinners |
| 1938 | Follow the Saint Follow the Saint Follow the Saint is a collection of three mystery novellas by Leslie Charteris, featuring the criminal and crimefighter Simon Templar, alias The Saint. The collection was first published in 1938.... |
"The Miracle Tea Party" "The Invisible Millionaire" "The Affair of Hogsbotham" |
none |
| 1939 1939 in literature The year 1939 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*December 25 - A Christmas Carol is read before a radio audience for the first time.... |
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"... |
"The Man Who was Lucky" "The Smart Detective" "The Wicked Cousin" "The Well-Meaning Mayor" "The Benevolent Burglary" "The Star Producers" "The Charitable Countess" "The Mug's Game" "The Man Who Liked Ants" (some editions omit the stories "The Charitable Countess" and "The Mug's Game"; story order also varies between editions) |
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| 1940 1940 in literature The year 1940 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Aldous Huxley is a screenwriter for the movie adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.*Jean-Paul Sartre is taken prisoner by the Germans.... |
The Saint in Miami The Saint in Miami The Saint in Miami is the title of a mystery novel by Leslie Charteris featuring his creation, Simon Templar, alias The Saint. As with an earlier release, Follow the Saint, the order of publication for this book was changed... |
novel | none |
| 1942 1942 in literature The year 1942 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*André Gide leaves France to live in Tunis.*Robertson Davies becomes editor of the Peterborough Examiner.*Thomas Mann emigrates to California.... |
The Saint Goes West The Saint Goes West The Saint Goes West is a collection of three mystery novellas by Leslie Charteris, first published in the United States in 1942 by The Crime Club, and in the United Kingdom the same year by Hodder and Stoughton.... |
"Arizona" "Palm Springs" "Hollywood" (Some editions omit "Arizona") |
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| 1942 | The Saint Steps In The Saint Steps In The Saint Steps In is the title of a mystery novel by Leslie Charteris featuring his creation, Simon Templar, alias The Saint. The book was first published in serialized form in November 1942 in Liberty Magazine, with its first bound publication in 1943 in an American edition by The Crime Club... |
novel | none |
| 1944 1944 in literature The year 1944 in literature involved some significant new books.-New books:*Samuel Hopkins Adams – Canal Town*Jorge Amado – Terras do Sem Fim *Saul Bellow – Dangling Man*Jorge Luis Borges – Fictions... |
The Saint on Guard The Saint on Guard The Saint on Guard is a collection of two mystery novellas by Leslie Charteris, first published in the United States in 1944 by The Crime Club, and in the United Kingdom in 1945 by Hodder and Stoughton. This book continues the adventures of Charteris' creation, Simon Templar, alias The Saint, and... |
"The Black Market" "The Sizzling Saboteur" (Some editions omit the second story, which is often published on its own) |
The Saint and the Sizzling Saboteur (single story reprint) |
| 1946 1946 in literature The year 1946 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*November 7 - Walker Percy marries Mary Bernice Townsend.*Launch in the United Kingdom of Penguin Classics under the editorship of E. V... |
The Saint Sees it Through The Saint Sees it Through The Saint Sees it Through is the title of a mystery novel by Leslie Charteris featuring his creation, Simon Templar, alias The Saint. The book was first published in 1946 in the United States by The Crime Club... |
novel | none |
| 1948 1948 in literature The year 1948 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* The Pulitzer Prize for the Novel is renamed the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.... |
Call for the Saint Call for the Saint Call for the Saint is a collection of two mystery novellas by Leslie Charteris, first published in the United States in 1948 by The Crime Club, and later the same year in the United Kingdom by Hodder and Stoughton... |
"The King of the Beggars" "The Masked Angel" |
none |
| 1948 | Saint Errant Saint Errant Saint Errant is a collection of short stories by Leslie Charteris, first published in 1948 by The Crime Club in the United States and in 1949 by Hodder and Stoughton in the United Kingdom. This was the 28th book to feature the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint", and the first Saint... |
"Judith: The Naughty Niece" "Iris: The Old Routine" "Lida: The Foolish Frail" "Jeannine: The Lovely Sinner" "Lucia: The Homecoming of Amadeo Urselli" "Teresa: The Uncertain Widow" "Luella: The Saint and the Double Badger" "Emily: The Doodlebug" "Dawn: The Darker Drink" |
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| 1953 1953 in literature The year 1953 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* January 22 - The Crucible, a drama by Arthur Miller, opens on Broadway.... |
The Saint in Europe The Saint in Europe The Saint in Europe is a collection of short stories by Leslie Charteris, first published in 1953 by The Crime Club in the United States and in 1954 by Hodder and Stoughton in the United Kingdom. This was the 29th book to feature the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint", and it also... |
"Paris: The Covetous Headsman" "Amsterdam: The Angel's Eye" "The Rhine: The Rhine Maiden" "Tirol: The Golden Journey" "Lucerne: The Loaded Tourist" "Jaune-les-Pins: The Spanish Cow" "Rome: The Latin Touch" |
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| 1955 1955 in literature The year 1955 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*28 May - Philip Larkin makes a train journey from Hull to London which inspires his poem The Whitsun Weddings.... |
The Saint on the Spanish Main The Saint on the Spanish Main The Saint on the Spanish Main is a collection of short stories by Leslie Charteris, first published in 1955 by The Crime Club in the United States and Hodder and Stoughton in the United Kingdom... |
"Bimini: The Effete Angler" "Nassau: The Arrow of God" "Jamaica: The Black Commissar" "Puerto Rico: The Unkind Philanthropist" "Virgin Islands: The Old Treasure Story" "Haiti: The Questing Tycoon" (some editions contain only 4 stories) |
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| 1956 1956 in literature The year 1956 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* Writing under the pseudonym of Emile Ajar, author Romain Gary becomes the only person ever to win the Prix Goncourt twice.*Iris Murdoch marries John Bayley.... |
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... |
"Bermuda: The Patient Playboy" "England: The Talented Husband" "France: The Reluctant Nudist" "Middle East: The Lovelorn Sheik" "Malaya: The Pluperfect Lady" "Vancouver: The Sporting Chance" |
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| 1957 1957 in literature The year 1957 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* Lawrence Durrell publishes the first volume of The Alexandria Quartet. The final of the four volumes will be published in 1960.... |
Thanks to the Saint Thanks to the Saint Thanks to the Saint is a collection of short stories by Leslie Charteris, first published in 1957 by The Crime Club in the United States and by Hodder and Stoughton in the United Kingdom in 1958.-Stories:The book consisted of 6 stories:... |
"The Bunco Artists" "The Happy Suicide" "The Good Medicine" "The Unescapable Word" "The Perfect Sucker" "The Careful Terrorist" |
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| 1958 1958 in literature The year 1958 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*August 18 - Vladimir Nabokov's controversial novel Lolita is published in United States.*First volume of The Civil War by Shelby Foote is published.... |
Señor Saint Señor Saint Señor Saint is a collection of short stories by Leslie Charteris. Although first published in 1958 by The Crime Club in the United States and by Hodder and Stoughton in the United Kingdom in 1959, the individual stories date from 1953 on... |
"The Pearls of Peace" "The Revolution Market" "The Romantic Matron" "The Golden Frog" |
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| 1959 1959 in literature The year 1959 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*April 30 - Theatrical première of Bertolt Brecht's Saint Joan of the Stockyards, originally performed on radio in 1932.... |
The Saint to the Rescue The Saint to the Rescue The Saint to the Rescue is a collection of short stories by Leslie Charteris, first published in 1959 by The Crime Club in the United States. The first British edition by Hodder and Stoughton was not published until 1961... |
"The Ever-Loving Spouse" "The Fruitful Land" "The Percentage Player" "The Water Merchant" "The Gentle Ladies" "The Element of Doubt" |
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| 1962 1962 in literature The year 1962 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*January 7 - In an article in the New York Times Book Review, Gore Vidal calls Evelyn Waugh "our time's first satirist."... |
Trust the Saint Trust the Saint Trust the Saint is a collection of short stories by Leslie Charteris, first published in 1962 by The Crime Club in the United States and by Hodder and Stoughton in the United Kingdom... |
"The Helpful Pirate" "The Bigger Game" "The Cleaner Cure" "The Intemperate Reformer" "The Uncured Ham" "The Convenient Monster" |
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| 1963 1963 in literature The year 1963 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*First United States printing of John Cleland's 1749 novel, Fanny Hill . The book is banned for obscenity, triggering a court case by its publisher.*Leslie Charteris publishes his final collection of stories... |
The Saint in the Sun The Saint in the Sun The Saint in the Sun is a collection of short stories by Leslie Charteris, featuring the Robin Hood-inspired crimefighter, Simon Templar, whom Charteris introduced in 1928. The book was first published in 1963 by The Crime Club in the United States and by Hodder and Stoughton in the United Kingdom... |
"Cannes: The Better Mousetrap" "St. Tropez: The Ugly Impresario" "England: The Prodigal Miser" "Nassau: The Fast Women" "Florida: The Jolly Undertaker" "Lucerne: The Russian Prisoner" "Provence: The Hopeless Heiress" |
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| 1964 1964 in literature The year 1964 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Jean-Paul Sartre becomes head of the Organization to Defend Iranian Political Prisoners.... |
Vendetta for the Saint Vendetta for the Saint Vendetta for the Saint is the title of a 1964 mystery novel featuring the character of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". The novel is credited to Leslie Charteris, who created the Saint in 1928, but the book was actually authored by Harry Harrison, a noted science fiction author who also wrote the... (Harry Harrison Harry Harrison Harry Harrison is an American science fiction author best known for his character the Stainless Steel Rat and the novel Make Room! Make Room! , the basis for the film Soylent Green... , Leslie Charteris) |
novel | none |
| 1968 1968 in literature The year 1968 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* Dean R. Koontz's first novel, Star Quest is published.... |
The Saint on TV The Saint on TV The Saint on TV is a collection of two mystery novellas by Fleming Lee, continuing the adventures of the sleuth Simon Templar aka "The Saint", created by Leslie Charteris. This book was first published in the United States in 1968 by The Crime Club, and in the United Kingdom later that year by... (Fleming Lee, John Kruse) |
"The Death Game" "The Power Artist" (novelisation of TV scripts) |
none |
| 1968 | The Saint Returns The Saint Returns The Saint Returns is a collection of two mystery novellas by Fleming Lee, continuing the adventures of the sleuth Simon Templar aka "The Saint", created by Leslie Charteris... (Fleming Lee, John Kruse, D.R. Motton, Leigh Vance) |
"The Dizzy Daughter" "The Gadget Lovers" (novelisation of TV scripts) |
none |
| 1968 | The Saint and the Fiction Makers The Saint and the Fiction Makers The Saint and the Fiction Makers is the title of a 1968 mystery novel featuring the character of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint"... (Fleming Lee, John Kruse) |
novelisation of TV script | none |
| 1969 1969 in literature The year 1969 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* The first Booker Prize is awarded.* "Penelope Ashe", author of the bestselling novel Naked Came the Stranger, is found to be several people who each took a turn writing a chapter of what they described as "junk" in... |
The Saint Abroad The Saint Abroad The Saint Abroad is a collection of two mystery novellas by Fleming Lee, continuing the adventures of the sleuth Simon Templar aka "The Saint", created by Leslie Charteris... (Fleming Lee, Michael Pertwee Michael Pertwee Michael Pertwee was a British playwright and screenwriter. Among his credits were episodes of The Saint, Danger Man, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, B-And-B, Ladies Who Do, and many other films and TV series.... ) |
"The Art Collectors" "The Persistent Patriots" (novelisation of TV scripts) |
none |
| 1970 1970 in literature The year 1970 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* Deliverance by American poet James Dickey published... |
The Saint in Pursuit The Saint in Pursuit The Saint in Pursuit is the title of a 1970 mystery novel featuring the character of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". The novel is credited to Leslie Charteris, who created the Saint in 1928, but the book was actually authored by Fleming Lee and is adapted from a comic strip story by Charteris... (Fleming Lee, Leslie Charteris) |
novelization of comic strip | none |
| 1971 1971 in literature The year 1971 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*The Destiny Waltz by Gerda Charles wins the UK's first Whitbread Novel of the Year Award.-New books:*Hiroshi Aramata - Teito Monogatari... |
The Saint and the People Importers The Saint and the People Importers The Saint and the People Importers is the title of a 1971 mystery novel featuring the character of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". The novel is credited to Leslie Charteris, who created the Saint in 1928, but the book was actually co-authored by Fleming Lee... (Fleming Lee, Leslie Charteris) |
novelisation of TV script | none |
| 1975 1975 in literature The year 1975 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* August 12 — with the 20-year time limit stipulated by Thomas Mann at his death having expired, sealed packets containing 32 of the author's notebooks were opened in Zurich, Switzerland.* Writing under the... |
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... (Fleming Lee, Norman Worker Norman Worker Norman Worker was a British comic book writer, best known for his work on comic books featuring Lee Falk's The Phantom.Norman was born in Kent, England, in 1927. When he was 17 years old, he fought in World War II in India... ) |
"The Masterpiece Merchant" "The Adoring Socialite" |
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| 1976 1976 in literature The year 1976 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* Saul Bellow won both the Nobel Prize for Literature and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.-New books:*Kingsley Amis – The Alteration... |
The Saint and the Hapsburg Necklace The Saint and the Hapsburg Necklace The Saint and the Hapsburg Necklace is the title of a 1976 mystery novel featuring the character of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". The novel is written by Christopher Short, but per the custom at this time, the author credit on the cover goes to Leslie Charteris, who created the Saint in 1928,... (Christopher Short) |
novel | none |
| 1977 1977 in literature The year 1977 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Douglas Adams begins writing for BBC radio.*V. S. Naipaul declines the offer of a CBE.... |
Send for the Saint Send for the Saint Send for the Saint is a collection of two mystery novellas by Peter Bloxsom, based upon stories by John Kruse and Donald James, continuing the adventures of the sleuth Simon Templar aka "The Saint", created by Leslie Charteris... (Peter Bloxsom, John Kruse, Donald James) |
"The Midas Double" "The Pawn Gambit" |
none |
| 1978 1978 in literature The year 1978 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*The Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year, a humorous award given annually to books with unusual titles is created. The first winner was Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Nude... |
The Saint in Trouble The Saint in Trouble The Saint in Trouble is a collection of two mystery novellas by Graham Weaver, continuing the adventures of the sleuth Simon Templar aka "The Saint", created by Leslie Charteris. This is the first of three Saint books written by Weaver... (Graham Weaver, John Kruse, Terence Feely Terence Feely Terence Feely was a British screenwriter, playwright and author. Though his work has spanned five decades, he is perhaps best remembered as the creator of the groundbreaking ITV drama series The Gentle Touch .... ) |
"The Imprudent Professor" (Return of the Saint episode novelisation) "The Red Sabbath" |
none |
| 1979 1979 in literature The year 1979 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-New books:*Douglas Adams - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy*V.C... |
The Saint and the Templar Treasure The Saint and the Templar Treasure The Saint and the Templar Treasure is the title of a 1979 mystery novel featuring the character of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". The novel is written by Graham Weaver and Donne Avenell, but per the custom at this time, the author credit on the cover goes to Leslie Charteris, who created the... (Graham Weaver, Donne Avenell) |
novel | none |
| 1980 1980 in literature The year 1980 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Marguerite Yourcenar becomes the first woman to be elected to the Académie française.... |
Count on the Saint Count on the Saint Count on the Saint is a collection of two mystery novellas by Graham Weaver and Donne Avenell, continuing the adventures of the sleuth Simon Templar aka "The Saint", created by Leslie Charteris... (Graham Weaver, Donne Avenell) |
"The Pastors' Problem" "The Unsaintly Santa" |
none |
| 1983 1983 in literature The year 1983 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Ironweed by William Kennedy is published.*Salvage for the Saint by Peter Bloxsom and John Kruse is published. This is the final book in a series of novels, novellas and short stories featuring the Leslie Charteris... |
Salvage for the Saint Salvage for the Saint Salvage for the Saint is the title of a 1983 mystery novel featuring the character of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". The novel was written by Peter Bloxsom based on the two-part Return of the Saint episode, "Collision Course" by John Kruse, but per the custom at this time, the author credit on... (Peter Bloxsom, John Kruse) |
novel (Return of the Saint episode novelisation) |
none |
| 1997 1997 in literature The year 1997 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Tom Clancy signs a book deal with Pearson Custom Publishing and Penguin Putnam Inc. , giving him US$50 million for the world-English rights to two new books . A second agreement gives him another US$25 million for a... |
The Saint The Saint (novel) The Saint was the title of a mystery novel by Burl Barer published by Pocket Books in 1997. It was based upon the screenplay for the film The Saint, which in turn was loosely based upon the character Simon Templar, created by Leslie Charteris... (Burl Barer Burl Barer Burl Barer is an American author and literary historian. He is best known for his fiction and non-fiction writings about the character Simon Templar, also known as "The Saint".-The Saint:... , Jonathan Hensleigh Jonathan Hensleigh Jonathan Blair Hensleigh is an American screenwriter and film director, working primarily in the action/adventure genre of films.-Early life:... , Wesley Strick Wesley Strick Wesley Strick is an American screenwriter who has written such films as the comic-horror hit Arachnophobia, the Martin Scorsese remake of Cape Fear and the videogame adaptation Doom.-Life and career:... ) |
film novelization | none |
| 1997 | Capture the Saint Capture the Saint Capture the Saint is the title of a 1997 mystery novel by Burl Barer, featuring the character of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint" who was created by Leslie Charteris in 1928.... (Burl Barer) |
novel | none |
French adventures
A number of Saint adventures were published in FrenchFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
over a 30-year period, many of which have yet to be published in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. Many of these stories were ghostwritten by Madeleine Michel-Tyl and credited to Charteris (who exercised some editorial control). The French books were generally novelisations of scripts from the radio series, or novels adapted from stories in the American Saint comic strip. One of the writers who worked on the French series, Fleming Lee, later wrote for the English-language books.
Unpublished works
Burl Barer's history of The Saint identifies two manuscripts that to date have never been published. The first is a collaboration between Charteris and Fleming Lee called Bet on the SaintBet on the Saint
Bet on the Saint is the title of an unpublished novel by Fleming Lee , featuring the character of criminal-turned-detective Simon Templar who had been created by Charteris in 1928....
that was rejected by Doubleday, the American publishers of the Saint series. Charteris, Barer writes, chose not to submit it to his UK publishers, Hodder & Stoughton. The rejection of the manuscript by Doubleday meant that The Crime Club's long-standing right of first refusal on any new Saint works was now ended and the manuscript was then submitted to other U.S. publishers, without success. Barer also tells of a 1979 novel entitled The Saint's Lady
The Saint's Lady
The Saint's Lady is the title of an unpublished novel by Joy Martin featuring the character of criminal-turned-detective Simon Templar who had been created by Leslie Charteris in 1928....
by a Scottish fan, Joy Martin, which had been written as a present for and as a tribute to Charteris. Charteris was impressed by the manuscript and attempted to get it published, but it too was ultimately rejected. The manuscript, which according to Barer is in the archives of Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
, features the return of Patricia Holm.
According to the Saintly Bible website, at one point Leslie Charteris biographer Ian Dickerson was working on a manuscript (based upon a film story idea by Charteris) for a new novel entitled Son of the Saint in which Templar shares an adventure with his son by Patricia Holm. The book has, to date, not been published.
External links
- The Saintly Bible: large website about Leslie Charteris’s creation (including news blog)
- Official Website for Leslie Charteris
- The Saint Novels in French
- Listing of all English-language Saint radio programs
- http://www.archive.org/details/TheSaintVincentPriceOTR Public domainPublic domainWorks are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
recordings of Saint radio episodes in MP3MP3MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
format, starring Vincent PriceVincent PriceVincent Leonard Price, Jr. was an American actor, well known for his distinctive voice and serio-comic attitude in a series of horror films made in the latter part of his career.-Early life and career:Price was born in St...
. - Sir Roger Moore - A Fan Site