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.
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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
Members of The Saint Club recently recieved the annual Saint Club Christmas Letter from Ian Dickerson with some news about a couple forthcoming publications:
Hodder & Stoughton will be publishing two Saint anthologies in the Autumn of 2008. Unoriginally entitled The Best of the Saint (volumes 1 and 2) they'll feature a selection of stories from across the Saint's career (including one which has never appeared in an English paperback before); each volume will also have an introduction from a notable Saint (or Saint fan) plus some additional material by me. Current plans are for each book to have a yellow jacket cover, along the lines of the old H&S style.
Next year will also see the publication of the definitive history of the Saint's television adventures. Currently and unoriginally entitled The Saint on TV, it's written by me (Ian Dickerson) and if you thought the story of the Saint on TV started with Roger Moore, well this book will show you otherwise. It starts in 1940s Hollywood and this book follows the Saint on TV right up to the present day and the new show in development.
Amongst other things it provides a unique episode guide to all three Saint TV series detailing plots, cast, crew, filming locations and critical reaction. It also comprehensively details what many of the cast and crew have been up to since they met the Saint. And perhaps of more interest to you lot, tells the full story behind The Saint in Manhattan and The Saint (with Simon Dutton) using exclusive interviews with many of the cast and crew involved on the productions to analyse what went wrong.
There's loads more in it but I'm not spilling all my beans here. If you want to know more about it, or the two reprints, keep checking www.lesliecharteris.com because that's where the latest news will be.
Sue Evans, the Press and Marketing Officer at the Watford Palace Theatre, thought that the readers of The Saint and Leslie Charteris News Blog might be interested to know that Simon Dutton is about to star in a production of Blithe Spirit at Watford Palace Theatre.
Blithe Spirit is a 1941 comedy, written by Noël Coward, and plays from May 24th to June 16th with Simon Dutton.
Perfect entertainment for the summer.
Charles is a sceptic. He only sets up a séance as research for his latest comic novel. But inviting celebrated medium Madame Arcati into his home brings him more than he bargained for. Incredibly, the spirit of his beautiful but impossible late wife seems to want to take up residence in the marital home again. Which causes one or two problems with his current wife...
This sparkling comedy about how past relationships can come back to haunt you was written in 1941 when death was no joking matter and has become a comedy classic.
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]
Lots of news last week about the new version of The Saint series that is in development for TNT. Roger Moore's son, Geoffrey Moore, has teamed up with producer William J. MacDonald to create a new series for television. Jorge Zamacona is working on the script for a 90-minute pilot, and they are getting consulting advice from such notable long-time Saints as Ian Dickerson and Burl Barer -- both who are huge fans of the Leslie Charteris books, and hopefully can exert some influence in keeping with the gentleman thief character of Simon Templar.
There is certainly some concern, as William (Bill) J. MacDonald was one of the producers (along with Robert Evans) of the Val Kilmer Saint film by Paramount back in 1997 – a movie so un-Saint-like, that Leslie Charteris’ name was removed from the credits. The Saint (1997) was a tough movie for die-hard fans as the character that they knew and loved didn’t actually show up until the end of the movie – such is the problem with “origin stories.” That said, Bill MacDonald has surrounded himself with some great Saint this time, including Roger’s son, and we are very hopeful for a clever gentleman with his own code of moral values to emerge without the need to spend any time telling the story of how Simon Templar became The Saint.
As yet, nobody has been cast as the Saint. There was some initial speculation that it might be Geoffrey Moore himself, and that option has not been completely taken off the table as they look for The Saint of 2007.
Noted Saintly author, Burl Barer, has posted some interesting news about his part in the new series of The Saint on TNT. This show is really going to be great, and follow in the footsteps of Roger Moore, Ian Ogilvy, and Simon Dutton.
If I have anything to say about it, and supposedly I do, the new SAINT TV project for TNT will retain the flavor of Charteris' original.
The Roger Moore series that began in 1962 used the "glob trotting celebrity" character found in Charteris later short stories, and due to the restrictive TV codes of the time, Charteris lamented that the Saint on TV bore as much similarity to his creation as Winnie the Pooh did to Captain Blood.
Times have changed -- restrictions have relaxed. Soooo...this version of The Saint will be the more dangerous and picaresque adventurer, having way too much fun as he takes on recalcitrant and contumacious oppressors while bedding the requisite bevy of beauties -- including the mercurial and romantic Ms Patricia Holm. As all Saint fans know, Simon Templar parks his shoes in numerous international locales, but Holm is where he hangs his hat -- or halo.
Bill Macdonald asked me to serve as "consultant" to the project, and has honestly taken my suggestions to heart (and page). The show should be really cool, faithful to the character, and won't have Charteris getting what he termed Graveyard Torque from spinning in his metaphoric grave. What I like best about the project, of course, is that I'm supposedly getting paid for my wit and wisdom. As with any TV or film project - or publishing for that matter -- I will be 100% convinced when the check clears the bank. As Bill has never deceived me in the past, I trust it will all come out in the wash, even if the spin cycle makes me crazy.
I've been working on expanding this site's information about the various cars The Saint has driven over the years. I now have three pages about Simon Templar's automotive exploits, and I am looking for more references in the books by Leslie Charteris about the mighty and mythical Hirondel.
I have just added a page about the blue Jensen Interceptor that Simon Dutton drove in the 1989 as Simon Templar, alias The Saint, in the six made-for-TV movies. The car was a 1976 Jensen Interceptor Saloon Mark III painted Briazs Blue. After filming was completed, a Saintly plaque was added to the dashboard and the car was sold to a Doctor in England.
I am always looking for more information and details about the Saint's cars, so please look at The Saint's Volvo and The Saint's Jaguar pages as well and let me know if there are any additions or corrections.
This was the second episode of the short-lived series and the DLT Entertainment site describes the plot as "against the romantic backdrop of Paris, a priceless blue sapphire, once the possession of the Russian Czars, is the bait to trap a murderer and thief who mixes with the cream of high society." I'm not sure why they left out mention of the twin sisters...
Please comment here and let me know of anything you've heard about the Saint in the new millennium. The Saint was in books in the 1920's, on film in the 30's, radio and film and books and magazines in the 40's and 50's. Roger Moore came along in the 1960's. Ian Ogilvy covered the 70's. Simon Dutton in the 80's, and Kilmer in the 90's. What's coming up in the 00's?
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
