The Saint: A Complete History in Print, Radio, Film and Television, 1928-1992

by Burl Barer

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The now legendary character created by Leslie Charteris has survived nearly three-quarters of a century of perilous action and narrow escapes with nary a hair out of place nor the slightest jolt to his jauntily tipped halo. From his earliest days battling "crooks, blood suckers, traders in vice and damnation" (and cracking the occasional safe on the side), the Saint has captured the imaginations of millions. Using the voluminous correspondence and writings of author Leslie Charteris and examining the many incarnations of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint," in other media, a detailed history emerges. Includes plot synopses of the radio and television programs, with air dates and production credits; descriptions of the movies and their credits; a bibliography, reviews of the books, and quotes from the principals.… (more)

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Overwhelmingly complete reference text about The Saint and its authors, actors, publishers and producers (

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jamespurcell | Mar 6, 2013 |

This book is indeed a good buy if you want to learn more about the character of The Saint and his creator Leslie Charteris. Most of the other reviewers already touched on the positive aspects of the book, but beware: It is not perfect!

The author had extensive access to Charteris' archives and at times comes across too much like the voice of The Saint's creator and takes his side too much. On the one hand, the Roger Moore TV series e.g. is not that bad; on the other hand - and quite frankly - the original Saint novels aren't always that good! A little bit of critical distance would have served the author much better.

Also, the book has an amazing 419 pages, though only 243 are proper text about the character in all its incarnations. The remaining 176 are appendices that primarily deal with extensive plot summaries of TV and radio shows. I am not a great fan of books that rely too heavily on synopsis to fill their pages.

Mind you, overall this *is* a book that can be recommended to anyone interested in this pulp hero, but please beware of the caveats. (

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IrishHolger | Mar 29, 2008 |

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▾Awards and Honors

Awards

Anthony Award (Nominee – Critical Work – 1994)

Edgar Award (Winner – Critical/Biographical Work – 1994)

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The Saint: A Complete History in Print, Radio, Film and Television, 1928-1992

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People/Characters

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Important events

1928

Related movies

Epigraph

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Wikipedia in English (7)

Barbara Bates

Claud Eustace Teal

Hirondel

List of works by Leslie Charteris

Patricia Holm

The Saint (novel)

The Saint (TV series)

▾Book descriptions

The now legendary character created by Leslie Charteris has survived nearly three-quarters of a century of perilous action and narrow escapes with nary a hair out of place nor the slightest jolt to his jauntily tipped halo. From his earliest days battling "crooks, blood suckers, traders in vice and damnation" (and cracking the occasional safe on the side), the Saint has captured the imaginations of millions. Using the voluminous correspondence and writings of author Leslie Charteris and examining the many incarnations of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint," in other media, a detailed history emerges. Includes plot synopses of the radio and television programs, with air dates and production credits; descriptions of the movies and their credits; a bibliography, reviews of the books, and quotes from the principals.

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TREACHEROUS. DANGEROUS. DEVIOUS. CUNNING.
A man with no identity. A spy with no allegiance. A thief with no scruples. Simon Templar, a.k.a. The Saint, is all of these things-- and his services can be bought for the right price. Hired by a Russian nationalist to swipe a top-secret formula from an American electrochemist, Templar figures it's rubles in the bag. But the beautiful Dr. Emma Russell proves to be much more than his usual mark, and stealing her life's work brings on a sudden, unprecedented attack of Saintly ethics.

Now, with love in his heart, Scotland Yard on his trail, and power-mad Muscovites hot on his heels, the Saint must dodge assassins' bullets, crack killer security codes, and don a multitude of disguises in a desperate bid to save Russia, his personal angel, and his own less-than-virtuous life.

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