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The Saint's Blog devoted to news and rumors about The Saint and Leslie Charteris. Simon Templar, alias The Saint, was played by Roger Moore in the 1960's TV show featuring the Volvo 1800.
Please e-mail any current news and rumors about The Saint to: 
 The Saint, starring Simon Dutton is finally coming to DVD. The 1989 Saint series has never been available on DVD before, and Unbrella will be publishing all six episodes in Region 2 format.THE SAINT - WITH SIMON DUTTON
1989 TV
566 Mins - TBC
RRP: AUS $39.99
Suave, chivalrous & Utterly Heroic!
In 1989 the cult British spy series, The Saint, was again welcomed back to TV in six feature-length episodes staring Simon Dutton as Simon Templar-aka The Saint. In a role immortalised by Roger Moore in the 60s, Dutton plays the suave, debonair super sleuth who is adored by women, feared by his adversaries and remains a constant thorn in the side of police forces everywhere.
An Australian/British co-production from 1989, this was the final remake of the cult British spy series originally starring Roger Moore - Ian Ogilvy starred in the 70s vehicle, The Return of the Saint. The entire series on 3 Discs - six, 2 hour movie versions of the hugely popular British TV series Labels: 2008, DVD, Simon Dutton
| Occasionally, and for no reasonable reason, there is groundswell of interest in a particular random topic. Such is the case this week with The Wild Geese, a movie starring Saint Roger Moore in 1978. Amazon's review explains that, "Mixing action, humor, sentiment, and even a few righteous moral convictions, The Wild Geese is good, rousing fun."
Released theatrically 29 years ago in 1978 (even though the 2005 DVD release was promoted as the "30th Anniversary Edition"), The Wild Geese depicts the adventures of a group of British mercenaries hired by a shady multinational corporation to free the benevolent leader of an African nation held captive by a ruthless dictator. Led by the caustic, no-nonsense Col. Allen Faulkner (played by Richard Burton), these soldiers of fortune are all stout fellows out to earn a big payday and restore a good man to his rightful place of power.
Watch for a filming goof during the parachute jump. When they leave the plane, the soldiers are wearing helmets, but as soon as they land, in some cases even before collapsing their parachutes, they've switched to berets -- and no discarded helmets are visible on the ground.
The cast includes Richard Harris, Roger Moore, and a host of other fine veteran actors. The Wild Geese is a very enjoyable ride. |
 The Wild Geese (30th Anniversary Edition)
Bonus features include a profile of producer Euan Lloyd and commentary by Euan Lloyd, Roger Moore, and journalist Jonathan Sothcott.Labels: 2007, Amazon.com, DVD, Roger Moore
 Barbara Peterson has created a five-page synopsis of The Fiction-Makers, one of the Saint movies starring Roger Moore as Simon Templar. This movie was orginally aired as a two-part episode in 1967. The synopsis is fully illustrated with screen-shots from the recent DVD release.
The secret organization that The Saint goes up against in The Fiction-Makers is the Secret World Order For Revenge and Destruction, also known as S.W.O.R.D.
The goal of Volcano Seven is to pay tribute to "caper" films and TV shows. The debut of Volcano Seven starts with The Fiction-Makers synopsis, and there is sure to be more to follow in the near future!Labels: 2007, DVD, Roger Moore, The Fiction-Makers
Some of the Roger Moore TV series has been published on DVD in Finland as three special DVD box sets.
The Saint was known as Pyhimys in Finland, and there were comic books and paperback editions of many of The Saint books by Leslie Charteris.
Pyhimys Vol. 1 is an 8-disc Box set, Pyhimys Vol. 2 is a 4-disc Box set, and Pyhimys Vol. 3 is a 2-disc Box set of the two Roger Moore Saint movies: Vendetta for The Saint and The Fiction-Makers.
These DVD's are published in Region 2 format.Labels: DVD, Finnish, Foreign Language, Roger Moore, TV
 LeslieCharteris.com reports that if you wondered why you hadn't seen much of Saint Simon Dutton over the last few years, this could be why:
From a pool hall in Portobello, via a dressing room in Glasgow to the mountains of Provence. Wheels within Wheels is the journey, actor Simon Dutton took in search of Tom Simpson, a sporting hero.
A documentary made over a 4 year period. It chronicles Dutton, who, in a mid-life crisis decides to go off in the tracks of Simpson, the legendary British racing cyclist who tragically died in the 1967 Tour de France.
The film follows Dutton on what turns out to be a pilgrimage… of sorts. Along the way expect humour, pathos, shaky camera work, vintage footage, and a few facts, all backed by an eclectic musical soundtrack. Saddle up and enjoy this well oiled chain of events!
This documentary, following Simon Dutton in the tracks of the legendary racing cyclist Tom Simpson, is now available on DVD. It follows Simon Dutton on his quest as he meets up with people and places from the life of Tom Simpson.The film was shown at the 2006 cycle film season at the Riverside Studios in London to great acclaim and a positive review from London's Time Out magazine on January 25, 2006: A big-hearted, emotionally-charged tribute to British road racing cyclist Tom Simpson, who died near the summit of Mont Ventoux during the 1967 Tour de France. Actor Dutton visits friends and family before attempting the ride up Mont Ventoux himself to pay respects at Simpson's memorial. The movie may use home movie production values but at least Dutton and co-producer Shale have been imaginative with it. Indeed, so enearingly watchable is Dutton as a presenter that he should be given his own TV series. One of the most enjoyable cycling films to date. [Derek Adams] The DVD is available from The Bicycle Workshop in the UK.
Wheels Within Wheels
Simon Dutton, Lee Shale
CYCLING DVD / TBFL PRODUCTIONS
Running time: 1hr 2mins 26secsLabels: 2007, Cycling, DVD, Simon Dutton, Tom Simpson, Wheels Within Wheels
 One of the French Saint films, Le Saint Mène la Danse, from 1960 has been re-released by Turner Classic Movies on DVD and VHS under the title, The Dance of Death. Leslie Charteris did not think very highly of the film, and forbid it from all English-speaking countries. The producers were able to get around this restriction by changing the title and not mentioning The Saint at all when promoted the film -- it's just a strange coincidence that one of the character's has the name Simon Templar.
Description:
After he's threatened by unknown killers, a playboy millionaire enlists the help of detective Simon Templar. Things soon get even creepier when prowlers are spotted on the grounds of the playboy's mansion, a guard dog is poisoned and the chauffeur is found brutally murdered. Felix Marten and Francoise Brion star in this French entry in "The Saint" series.
Cast: Felix Marten, Francoise Brion, Jean Desailly, Clement Harari, Michele Mercier, Henri Nassiet
Available: VHS or DVDLabels: 2007, DVD, Felix Marten, French, Leslie Charteris, TCM, Turner
 Roger Moore is Simon Templar, Collector's Box I
Selected episodes from The Saint TV series starring Roger Moore are now available on DVD in Germany. The first set contains 8 discs, encoded in Region 2 format. The first set was originally released on April 21, 2006 and it has sold well enough to bring out a second set.
Studio: Koch Media Deutschland GmbH - DVD
Running Time: 1170 Minutes
Format: Dolby, HiFi Sound, PAL
Languages: English, German
Region: Region 2
Viewing Format: 4:3
Number of Disks: 8
You can buy the German DVD Set 1 from Amazon.de today.
 Roger Moore is Simon Templar, Collector's Box II
The second set will be released on April 27, 2007. It will contain 16 colour (2 of them never before shown in Germany - with subtitles) and 6 b/w uncut episodes.
As extras the second box set will have the documentaries, "The Saint Steps In... To Television," and "The Saint Steps In... To Colour," as well as an audio commentary for "The Ex-King of Diamonds." The total number of DVD discs in the box is 7.
Studio: Koch Media Deutschland GmbH - DVD
Running Time: 900 Minutes
Format: Dolby, HiFi Sound, PAL
Languages: English, German
Region: Region 2
Viewing Format: 4:3
Number of Disks: 7
Order the German DVD Set 2 from Amazon.de today!
There will only be these two DVD box sets in German, and many thanks to Martin Metzler of SimonTemplar.de for writing the booklets for both sets and informing us of these important foreign language releases.Labels: 2007, DVD, Foreign Language, German, Roger Moore
FilmJournal.net's samdvd1 has a review of the Return of the Saint DVD set that was just released in the UK.
Overall the set got an A- with the best part of the package being all the special extras, including commentary by Ian Ogilvy and others.
If you haven't already ordered your copy, you can get one directly from Amazon UK.Labels: 2007, Amazon.com, DVD, Ian Ogilvy, Return of The Saint
 The Saint, staring Val Kilmer, Elisabeth Shue, Rade Serbedzija, and Valeri Nikolayev was released on April 4, 1997. That means the 10th anniversary is coming up in a few months. Yes indeed, it would be great if Paramount would release a special anniversary edition with all the extras we have been looking forward to for many years now.
One of the most discussed missing features of the current DVD and VHS editions is the original ending. In fact Director Phillip Noyce has said that he hopes that one day he will be present the original version on a new DVD.
Here are some details about the original plot and ending from Wikipedia's entry for The Saint (Film):
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
When the final film was test screened, audiences reacted badly to the death of Dr. Emma Russell.
In the original version of the film - as in the original Jonathan Hensleigh script - Dr. Russell, having escaped Russia via the American embassy, collapses while giving a lecture and dies in The Saint's arms. Watching the videotape back, he sees Tretiak, Jr. stabbing her in the leg with the tip of his cane. The final half-hour has the Saint returning to Moscow to destroy the villains' plans and avenge her death. With Dr. Botvin's help, he switches the formulas around and humiliates Tretiak during his show trial of the Russian president. The Tretiaks shoot their way out of the crowd and escape back to their mansion, with The Saint and the Russian army in pursuit. Tretiak shoots the treacherous Dr. Botvin. The Saint arrives and finds the bodies of Botvin and Tretiak, killed by his own son. The Saint battles Dr. Russell's killer on the stairwell as Russian tanks pound the mansion walls, exposing and setting fire to the vast stockpile of heating oil in the basement. With the stairwell disintegrating around them, the fight spills out on to the chandelier, suspended above the blazing oil. The Saint teases Treatiak, Jr. with the disc containing the formula for cold fusion. As he reaches out for it, The Saint cuts the rope and Tretiak, Jr. plummets to a fiery death. Returning to Dr. Russell's home, the Saint finds a letter from her, a tear fills his eye and he vows from now on to use his skills only for good.
Test audiences didn't like the way Dr. Russell died three-quarters of the way into the film; it was a little confusing as to what had happened to her. The novelization features an alternate version in which Dr. Russell lives and The Saint and Tretiak, Jr. still battle on the chandelier. In the end, however, the producers decided to cut Dr. Russell's death scene, chopped off the action-packed climax, inserted footage of the Tretiak's being arrested and filmed a new epilogue at Oxford. (Footage from the original ending features prominently in the film's trailer.) Director Phillip Noyce hopes one day to be able to restore the original version for DVD.
If you don't already own a copy of the DVD, it's currently selling on Amazon for less than $10!Labels: 2007, Amazon.com, DVD, Film, Val Kilmer
Just a quick reminder that The Return of The Saint DVD Set from Network is shipping today from Amazon UK. This set is the definitive collection and features many extras, including voice-overs by Ian Ogilvy.Labels: 2007, Amazon.com, DVD, Ian Ogilvy, Return of The Saint
 The Return of The Saint DVD Set from Network is now available for pre-order from Amazon UK for release on January 29, 2007.
This set is eagerly anticipated, and features a number of commentary tracks that were recorded in late 2006 exclusively for this release.
Ian Dickerson of The Saint Club was heavily involved in the creation of this set and getting a great deal of extras on the DVDs. And you can be sure that he did a great job in pulling together a wealth of extras from a good number of different sources. I especially like the PDF files that will be included, as the ones from the Roger Moore series by Network were also of very high quality.
For more information about all the goodies that will be included with this set, here is a nice complete list of all the extras.
Labels: 2007, Amazon.com, DVD, Ian Dickerson, Ian Ogilvy, Return of The Saint
 The extras have been confirmed on the forthcoming DVD box set of Return of the Saint from Network, which is due in the shops on January 29th. Alongside all 24 episodes of the show are:
• The Saint Steps In... to the 70s - Narrated by Sir Roger Moore, this is a unique and exclusive documentary on the making of the series which features contributions from Ian Ogilvy, producer Robert S. Baker and others involved with the production of the series.
• Four exclusive commentaries featuring Ian Ogilvy, producer Robert S. Baker, production manager Malcolm Christopher and writer John Goldsmith
• The Saint and the Brave Goose – feature-length version of the Collision Course two-parter which is presented in its episodic format on discs four and five.
• Episodic Image gallery with music suite
• Title sequence storyboard gallery
• Return of The Saint Script Archive - Presented here in PDF format are original scripts (plus some changes and meeting notes) for Return of the Saint. These PDFs can only be viewed on suitable software on a PC/Mac and cannot be viewed on your DVD player. The scripts are: Appointment in Florence, Assault Force, The Debt Collectors, The Diplomat’s Daughter, Hot Run, Nightmare Man, The Obono Affair, The Poppy Chain, Tower Bridge is Falling Down and Vicious Circle. Also included is Prince of Darkness – an unproduced script in which the Saint fights vampires.
• Promotional image gallery
• Memorabilia image gallery
• Generic Return of the Saint trailer
• European opening titles featuring vocal theme "Taking it Easy" by Oliver Onions
• Previously unseen rushes from the title sequence (mute)
• Commercial Break Bumpers
• Textless material (mute)
• The Saint at Elstree featurette - A plaque honouring Roger Moore is unveiled at Elstree Studios in December 2006
• Return of The Saint annuals in PDF format (1979 & 1980)
• PDF of original colour publicity brochure
• PDF of original Look In and TV Times articles
The Return of The Saint DVD Set from Network is now available for pre-order from Amazon UK for release on January 29, 2007.Labels: 2007, DVD, Ian Dickerson, Ian Ogilvy, Return of The Saint, Roger Moore, TV
Happy New Year 2007
Happy New Year 2007 to all the Saint fans out there in the world. It's shaping up to be a good year for The Saint, and we have a lot of good things to look forward to. The forthcoming release of the new DVD box set of The Return of The Saint is going to be especially good.
The buzz and rumors on the new Saint TV show from Geoffrey Moore are starting to get louder, and if that becomes a reality then there will certainly be a lot more to talk about in the coming months!
We're also keeping a sharp eye on Ian Dickerson's biography of Leslie Charteris, entitled, "A Saint I Aint!"
Cheers,Labels: 2007, DVD, Geoffrey Moore, Leslie Charteris, Return of The Saint, TV
The Saint in London
 A nice collection of Saints were in London recently, where on December 7th, 2006, we had Robert S. Baker, Ian Ogilvy, Malcolm J. Christopher, Dan Bodenheimer, Ian Dickerson, and John Goldsmith all in the same DVD recording studio. The team at Network DVD is putting the final touches on the upcoming Return of The Saint DVD box set, and it is looking like a true winner with a number of great extras to look forward to watching.
Of course, during my stay I had to make a quick detour to the Sherlock Holmes museum on Baker Street. Not only is Sherlock Holmes great reading in his own right, Leslie Charteris actually co-authored a number of the Sherlock Holmes radio shows in 1944 and 1945 under the name Bruce Taylor, writing with Denis Green.
Watch for the sign of the Saint. He will return!Labels: 2006, DVD, Ian Dickerson, Ian Ogilvy, Leslie Charteris, Return of The Saint, Sherlock Holmes
 eBay has been the consistant best source for buying Saint items worldwide for a long time. To make it easier to find and bid on the latest new Saint items on eBay I have created an eBay Saint RSS feed. This feed searches for all items that have the words The Saint or Le Saint and also have at least one mention of Roger Moore, Ian Ogilvy, Leslie Charteris, George Sanders, or the Volvo 1800. It also leaves out all VHS and DVD listings as they are really numerous! The listings are sorted by newest items first, so the most recent additions will always be at the top.
This can be used in a couple different ways:
- You can go directly to the RSS feed and connect it to your My Yahoo, Google, or MSN Home page using the tools in the side menu of the Feedburner feed.
 eBay Saint RSS feed.
- You can subscribe to e-mail updates via the FeedBlitz form below:
Labels: 2006, DVD, eBay, Google, Ian Ogilvy, Leslie Charteris, Roger Moore, RSS, Search, Val Kilmer
The television series, "The Return of The Saint" starring Ian Ogilvy will be released on region 2 DVD on January 29th 2007 by Network (the same company that just did the excellent Roger Moore sets. Extras, including interviews and commentary, are in the process of being produced, with further details forthcoming.
This DVD set will include all 24 episodes of The Return of the Saint.
For more news about Ian Ogilvy, take a look at IanOgilvy.com's News page.
More information about Network DVD's forthcoming releases is available from their website.Labels: 2006, DVD, Ian Ogilvy, Return of The Saint, Roger Moore, TV, Val Kilmer
 Burl Barer reports on his blog that there is some interest in Capture The Saint in the busy offices of the Hollywood movie business. There is nothing confirmed, of course, but the fact is that Robert Evans, the famed Producer of the Val Kilmer The Saint movie in 1997 is currently reading a personally signed copy of Capture The Saint by Burl Barer.
Robert Evans, as you might remember, not only produced The Saint. He has had quite a remarkable career and is most remembered for his years on the Paramount lot during Chinatown, The Godfather, The Conversation and other heady days of the 1970s. His Wikipedia entry has a lot more detail for your reading enjoyment. A new Saint film under his belt would be a lot of fun.
Robert Evan's book, The Kid Stays in The Picture chronicles the life and times of one of Hollywood's greatest producers is also available in Audio Book and DVD formats.
I've read Capture The Saint and I think it would make an excellent movie. And keep reading Burl Barer's Blog for updated news on this subject.Labels: 2006, Amazon.com, Burl Barer, DVD, Val Kilmer
 For fans of The Saint, starring Roger Moore, who are looking for very similar TV shows to watch, check out The Baron! The Baron was written by John Creasey, and is a gentleman thief with a strong morale code just like Simon Templar. The TV show was produced by the same company as the Roger Moore series, at the same time, in the same studio, and stars many of the same actors and actresses!
This TV show is a little different than Creasey's Barron books , in that John Mannering, alias The Baron, is an American cattle baron who runs an antique store and sometimes helps out the British Secret Service -- just to make him for respectable for the 1960's television audience.
The Baron Complete DVD Set is now available and highly recommended!Labels: 2006, Amazon.com, DVD, Roger Moore, TV
 This month, September 2006, new sets of The Persuders as well as special edition The Saint DVD's are due to be released in the UK, as DVD Active have announced. Beautiful cover artwork and many special features which include: audio commentaries, interviews and much more. The Persuaders DVD Box Set is due to come out September 18th, while The Saint 18 disc The Complete Monochrome Series is due to be released September 25th.
Visit the Simply Moore Forums for more discussion about these releases and additional artwork.
The Saint Colour DVD Box Set was released in April.Labels: 2006, Amazon.com, DVD, Roger Moore, The Persuaders, Tony Curtis
In the recent season of the Mythbusters (season 3) there were two shows that featured some very familiar scenarios to fans of The Saint. In “Crimes and Myth-Demeanors part 1” the team busted all of the following movie myths while dressed in Val Kilmer black suits. Climbing through air ducts using magnets and suction cups; revealing laser alarms with powder; using Nightvision goggles to reveal laser alarms as in The Fiction-Makers; using another laser to point at the laser receiver; cutting and punching a perfect hole in glass a la Roger Moore; pressure sensor; and various Templar’ish safe-cracking techniques. The only myth that was plausible was a climbing up the outside of a 23-story building.
Episode 54: Crimes and Myth-Demeanors 1
The MythBusters put great movie heists to the test. Are Hollywood break-ins complete hocus pocus, or can you really crack the tightest security systems in the world with nothing more than tight-fitting black clothes and a great soundtrack? Adam and Jamie, with the help of a "surreptitious entry handbook," attempt to scale an air duct with hilarious results. The team then tries to tiptoe their way around a laser system before facing the mother of all safes.
Premiere: July 12, 2006
Episode 59: Crimes and Myth-Demeanors 2
It's "lights, camera, action!" time again for the MythBusters, as they test more Hollywood heists. This time, our cat burglars Adam and Jamie go cold as they try to beat a heat-detecting alarm sensor. Then it's on to motion-detector alarms. They also attempt to crack a door guarded by fingerprint technology, and face a monster safe that can only be opened by — you guessed it — an underwater explosion.
Premiere: Aug. 23, 2006
More details can be found on the Discovery Channel's Mythbusters site.
While season 3 is not available on DVD yet, there are a number of other Mythbusters items available on Amazon, including books, DVD's, and t-shirts.Labels: 2006, Amazon.com, DVD, Roger Moore, Val Kilmer
Good news for Australian Saint fans - the Network dvds will soon be available for less than half price!
JB HiFi stores will have the boxsets for $49.98 from the beginning of October. See your store or their website for more details.Labels: 2006, DVD
And of course you mustn't forget the UK DVD releases--the black and white episodes of the Roger Moore series are due this month, with other shows liable to appear next year--both of which include documentaries on the making of the shows.
Monochrome DVD Set
Colour DVD Set
Network DVD, the makers of the new Saint DVD's have a very fine site for their Saint collection that features many snippits and a complete listing of what is on the DVD's.Labels: 2006, Amazon.com, DVD, Roger Moore
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