Every generation needs a Saint...
Leslie Charteris was born Leslie Charles Bowyer-Yin in Singapore on May 12th, 1907. The son of a Chinese doctor and an English woman he was determined to become a writer from a very early age. His first published work was a poem which appeared in The Straits Times when he was just nine and a half years old.
Along with his mother and younger brother he moved to London in 1919 and wrote the first Saint adventure when he was just twenty years old.
That book, Meet--the Tiger!, was published in 1928.
He went on to write a further eight-nine titles featuring his most famous hero. These books have inspired fifteen feature films, eleven radio series, three television series and a comic strip, written by Charteris himself, that was syndicated to newspapers around the world for over a decade.
Along the way he lived and worked for several years in Hollywood before moving to the UK in the early 1960s. He passed away in 1993.
“I was always sure that there was a solid place in escape literature for a rambunctious adventurer such as I dreamed up in my youth, who really believed in the old-fashioned romantic ideals and was prepared to lay everything on the line to bring them to life. A joyous exuberance that could not find its fulfillment in pinball machines and pot. I had what may now seem a mad desire to spread the belief that there were worse, and wickeder, nut cases than Don Quixote.
Even now, half a century later, when I should be old enough to know better, I still cling to that belief. That there will always be a public for the old-style hero, who had a clear idea of justice, and a more than technical approach to love, and the ability to have some fun with his crusades.”
Leslie Charteris, from his introduction to the 1980 reprint of The Saint Meets the Tiger
Trying to figure out exactly how many literary adventures of the Saint there are is an interesting challenge; many early adventures got reprinted under different titles in later years and there's been many anthologies and collections under yet more titles, then combine that with the 40 adventures written in French and translated into Dutch but never English and you get the idea.
But you have to draw the line somewhere. These are the 90 original adventures of the Saint..
1. MeetThe Tiger (1928)
2. Enter the Saint (1930)
3. The Last Hero (1930)
4. Knight Templar (1930)
5. Featuring the Saint (1931)
6. Alias the Saint (1931)
7. She Was a Lady (1931)
8. The Holy Terror (1932)
9. Getaway (1932)
10. The Saint and Mr Teal (1933)
11. The Brighter Bucaneer (1933)
12. The Misfortunes of Mr Teal (1934)
13. Boodle (1934)
14. The Saint Goes On (1934)
15. The Saint in New York (1935)
16. Saint Overboard (1936)
17. The Ace of Knaves (1937)
18. Thieves' Picnic (1937)
19. Prelude for War (1938)
20. Follow the Saint (1938)
21. The Happy Highwayman (1939)
22. The Saint in Miami (1940)
23. The Saint Goes West (1942)
24. The Saint Steps In (1943)
25. The Saint on Guard (1944)
26. The Saint Sees it Through (1946)
27. Call for the Saint (1948)
28. Saint Errant (1948)
29. Quand le Saint s'en mêle (1950)
30. La loi du Saint (1951)
31. Le Saint ramène un heritier (1952)
32.Le Saint et le canard boîteux (1952)
33. Le Saint et la veuve noire (1953)
34. Les anges appellent le Saint (1953)
35. Le Saint parie sur la mort (1953)
36. The Saint in Europe (1953)
37. Le Saint refuse une couronne (1954)
38. Le Saint se bat contre un fantôme (1954)
39. Le Saint découvre le virus 13 (1954)
40. Le Saint joue avec le feu (1954)
41. The Saint on the Spanish Main (1955)
42. Le Saint contre le Triangle (1955)
43. Le Saint au carnaval de Rio (1955)
44. Le Saint et le perroquet vert (1955)
45. Le Saint condamne sans appel (1955)
46. Le Saint choisit la mort douce (1955)
47. The Saint Around the World (1956)
48. Le Saint chasse la blonde (1956)
49. Le Saint devient nourrice sèche (1956)
50.Le Saint voit une soucoupe volante (1956)
51. Le Saint devient pirate (1956)
52. Le Saint exige la tête (1956)
53. Le Saint suit la mode (1957)
54. Premier prix au Saint (1957)
55. Thanks to the Saint (1957)
56.Le Saint ne veut pas chanter (1957)
57. J'accuse le Saint (1957)
58. Greta emballe le Saint (1958)
59. Plus fort que le Saint (1958)
60. Vive le Saint (1958)
61. Le spectre du Saint (1958)
62. Señor Saint (1958)
63. The Saint to the Rescue (1959)
64. Le Saint et le tyran (1959)
65. L'enfer attend le Saint (1959)
66. Le Saint contre les cagoules grises (1959)
67. Le Saint à Paris (1959)
68. Sacrifions le Saint (1960)
69. A l'eau, le Saint! (1961)
70. Le Saint au volant (1961)
71.Le Saint au bois dormant (1961)
72. Trust the Saint (1962)
73. Le Saint au Mexique (1962)
74. The Saint in the Sun (1963)
75. Le Saint en Afrique (1963)
76. Le Saint retrouve Greta (1963)
77. Vendetta for the Saint (1964)
78. The Saint on TV (1968)
79. The Saint Returns (1968)
80. The Saint and the Fiction Makers (1968)
81. The Saint Abroad (1969)
82. The Saint in Pursuit (1970)
83. The Saint and the People Importers (1971)
84. Catch the Saint (1975)
85. The Saint and the Hapsburg Necklace (1976)
86. Send for the Saint (1977)
87. The Saint in Trouble (1978)
88. The Saint and the Templar Treasure (1978)
89. Count on the Saint (1980)
90. Salvage for the Saint (1983)
April 1st, 2013
It's no April fool...you can get a first look at Adam Rayner as Simon Templar in the pilot for a new TV series here or embedded into our front page
January 17th, 2013
Network DVD have confirmed that they will be releasing The Saint soundtrack on vinyl later this year. They start with a limited edition EP which will feature original themes from shows such as The Saint, Danger Man and The Prisoner, which will be released on April 20th, following it up with a dedicated vinyl release in September containing "the best themes and cues" from the show.
December 17th, 2012
Principal photography started this morning on a 60 minute pilot of The Saint, starring English actor Adam Rayner as Simon Templar and Eliza Dushku
as Patricia Holm. Rest of the cast is as follows:
Combining the various news articles gives the crew as follows:
This FAQ was started in 1997 by Ian Dickerson and is maintained with help of Dan Bodenheimer, webmaster of www.saint.org, and Burl Barer, author of The Saint: A Complete History in Print, Film, Radio and Television. 1928 - 1992 and The Saint (movie tie-in paperback).
This document is intended as a brief introduction to Simon Templar. It can be reprinted if you want, as long as nothing is modified and credit is given where appropriate. If you don't do this, well let's just say we warned you...
To retain version control, please do not modify, correct, or otherwise change this document yourself. Instead, send all suggestions, corrections, questions, etc. to The Saint Club so that they can be added to the official FAQ.
About Leslie Charteris
About the Saint
About Leslie Charteris
Leslie Charteris was one of the world's greatest story-tellers; as with every born story-teller he had a vivid imagination but the colorful atmosphere of his stories stems, in many respects, from personal experience.
He worked in a tin mine, on a rubber plantation, and as a gold prospector in the jungle; a pearl fisherman, a seaman on a freighter and as a bar tender in an English country pub; he worked at a wood distillation plant and as a blower-up of balloons at a fairground sideshow. He has been a professional bridge player in a London Club and studied bull fighting in Spain.
Leslie Charles Bowyer-Yin was born, the son of a noted Chinese surgeon and his English wife, in Singapore on May 12th, 1907. He changed his name to Leslie Charteris in 1926.
In his youth he studied law at Cambridge University before writing his first book whilst still in his teens. The first Saint adventure followed shortly after that.
By the time of his death, on 15th April 1993, he had chronicled the adventures of the Saint in nearly one hundred books.
A full length biography, entitled A Saint I Ain’t, is in preparation.
The Saint and Leslie Charteris
by W.O.G. Lofts and Derek Adley, is an excellent if dated bio-bibliography of the two.
The Saint: A Complete History in Print, Radio, Film and Television of Leslie Charteris' Robin Hood of Modern Crime, Simon Templar, 1928-1992
. Charteris loved it. The author won an Edgar award for it. Need we say more?
The Durable Desperadoes
by William Vivian Butler is a fantastic critical study on the genre of criminal gentleman. The Saint is featured prominently, being the primary focus of the book.
An authorised biography A Saint I Ain’t is currently in preparation
The first Saint book was printed in September 1928, and was actually Charteris' third novel, and of Charteris' first five books was the only one that featured the Saint. In 1929 Charteris decided to pick one character, and write a series of books about them. He picked The Saint, and the rest is history. Now, while most of his time was spent writing about The Saint, Charteris did find time to write many non-Saint pieces. Some of which include:
, a guide book to learning Spanish.
Charteris suggested such actors as Ronald Colman, Cary Grant, or Douglas Fairbanks Jr. would have been good picks; and felt that Louis Hayward and George Sanders were hopelessly miscast. He was very pleased with Roger Moore, saying that he was by far the best Saint, but that he looked much more like the Saint in the early books rather than the ones from the 1950s and 60s. In later years he was pleased with the choices of Ian Oglivy and Simon Dutton.
While Charteris remarked that ‘The Pearls of Peace’, which appeared in Seňor Saint
was his favorite Saint story, he chose to include ’The Arrow of God’ when asked for his best work for the 1955 book, My Best Murder Story
, edited by David Cooke.
If you break it down into pieces, the pronunciation becomes quite simple. The problem that most people have is that they want to make it more complicated than it really is.
Charteris is broken down into three parts: Chart / er / is. "Chart" is pronounced the same way as "a chart"--the maps that sailors use. By adding a simple "er", you get "charter" (as in a special charter, or chartered plane). The last step is to to say the word "is" at the end as in this "is" easy.
About the Saint
Very little is known about Simon Templar's background, or how he became the Saint. If his origin and circumstances of his youth seem to be shrouded in mystery, it is because he chooses not to reveal it. He has a great sense of humor as well as a great zest for life. He is well-to-do, well dressed, drives fast cars, goes to the best places with the most attractive girls, all without any visible means of support.
The police, particularly Chief Inspector Claud Eustace Teal, have their own ideas about the sources of his apparent wealth and for years have been unsuccessfully trying to prove it.
But behind the Saint's sophisticated facade there is a very different man.
Had he lived in the Middle Ages you would see him as a knight in shining amour--a Sir Lancelot, a Robin Hood, a Don Juan, or in the great western tradition, a one man vigilante.
His enemy is not so much crime, but injustice. His impetus, the plight of the innocent soul in need of a patron Saint.
In achieving his objectives he can be cold, hard and always independent. Behind the casual banter there is always the aura of a coiled spring. Hating violence, he will not only turn the other cheek he will turn it so fast that all you are going to hit is the wall you thought he was up against.
Simon Templar faces doom with a cavalier disdain. Yet this is not to say he isn't in constant jeopardy. For if he moves in dangerous places and is himself, the most dangerous of men, he is nonetheless only a man. Mortal.
His adventures have been documented in books, films, radio shows, comic strips and television series.
The Saint is an adventurer, but a gentleman above all else. He reads the paper, eager to find a cause exciting to involve himself in. His moral code is strong, and is motives are also good: he would never hurt, steal from, or kill anyone who doesn't completely deserve it. The Saint is the Robin Hood of modern crime: he robs from the evil and heartless rich, and gives to the wronged and deserving poor--in the process, keeping a percentage for his own expenses. He doesn't work for the law, the government, or anyone else. He is a lone wolf, but he doesn't hesitate to team up or collaborate with anyone, including official agencies, when the need arises. He is also a romantic who believes in the excitement of living.
Yes. When the law, or circumstances of the law create an injustice, the Saint will not hesitate to break the law to make right the situation.
Leslie Charteris wrote fifty English language books detailing the Saint's adventures. These fifty titles are comprised of nineteen full-length novels, forty-eight novelettes or novellas, and ninety-five short stories (ninety-four in the UK, where ‘The Uncritical Publisher’ was left out of all editions of The Saint Intervenes. To muddy the situation, many of the 50 titles underwent title changes, and most of the short stories and novelettes have been repackaged into various anthologies and compilations over the years.
The linguistic qualification is required as Charteris also wrote a further forty adventures in French which have never been translated into English-although some have been translated into Dutch.
The best remembered films are the series of black and white movies that were made during the Golden Age of Hollywood by RKO. Between 1938 and 1953, with the help of Louis Hayward, George Sanders and Hugh Sinclair, they made nine movies.
Two French films were made by different French production companies in the 1960s. Charteris disliked these so much that he stopped them from being shown in any English-language territories. Copies of both films do exist in their native country but on viewing only go to emphasize the extremely high quality of every other Saint production.
Two two-part stories from the Roger Moore TV series, and one two-parter from the Ian Ogilvy series, have been shown as films on a very limited theatrical basis, but very often crop up as TV movies.
Val Kilmer played Simon Templar in the 1997 Paramount film, The Saint. Sorry.
The first TV series, starring Roger Moore, ran between 1962 and 1969. They made 118 hour long episodes: 71 in black and white and 47 in color. Two of these stories, 'The Fiction Makers' and 'Vendetta for the Saint') were two-parters and subsequently were released as films on a limited basis.
The second series, with Ian Ogilvy as the Saint, ran in the late 1970s. They made 24 hour-long episodes. One story, a two parter called 'Collision Course', was packaged into a feature length movie called The Saint and the Brave Goose.
The third series, with Simon Dutton taking over the halo, was made in the late 1980s. There were 6 two-hour films.
There was a failed one-hour pilot made and shown in 1987, with Australian Andrew Clarke as Simon Templar. Those who've seen it do their best to forget it.
The Saint debuted on the radio in 1940, when Terence De Marney starred in six episodes, adapted from the original Charteris stories, for Radio Athlone. These six episodes were later repeated on the British Forces Band.
In 1945 the Saint came to American radio. Edgar Barrier made 13 episodes for NBC. Later that years Brian Aherne made 13 episodes for CBS. Vincent Price took over the halo in 1947, making 51 episodes for CBS. In July 1948 the show moved to the Mutual Broadcasting System where he made a further 47 episodes. The show moved to NBC in 1950 where Price made a final batch of 44 episodes. Barry Sullivan also starred as the Saint for two episodes whilst the show was at NBC. Tom Conway took over the role in May 1951 and starred in 23 episodes as Simon Templar before the show finished in October that year.
Three chapters of the Immortal Works were adapted for radio and broadcast on Radio Sottens, a Swiss based French language radio channel, in July 1949.
From 1953 to 1957 Tom Meehan starred as Simon Templar on Springbok Radio (South Africa). The show, which was sponsored by Lever Brothers, was adapted from the books by Tom Meehan and producer Yolande DHotman.
In the mid 1960s The Saint appeared as a one off dramatization for the Lux Radio Theatre (South African version).
In 1979/71 the Saint returned to South African radio with a series running for around six months on the English Radio Service Of South Africa.
In 1995, the Saint returned to British radio for the first time in over 50 years when Paul Rhys starred as Simon Templar in three adaptations of original Charteris novels for BBC Radio 4.
From 1948 to 1961 Charteris wrote the scripts for a daily Saint comic strip which was syndicated around the world by the New York Herald Tribune. Many of these stories were later collected up and reprinted as comic books. There was a separate series of comic books published by Avon Comics (USA) in the late 1940s and early 1950s. And from 1968 to 1988 Semic Press, a Scandinavian publisher, printed a Saint comic book, the stories for which were vetted by Charteris before reaching publication.
Meet-The Tiger! , published in Great Britain by Ward Lock in September, 1928, is the first we hear of the adventures of Simon Templar. It was first published in the United States by The Crime Club in July 1929.
Yes... and no. Knowing that The Saint would probably continue on after his death, Leslie Charteris decided to collaborate with other writers while he was still alive. This way, he could not only share in any monetary gains, but he could also comment on, direct, plot, edit, amend, rewrite, and otherwise put some genuine Charteris polish on the continuing adventures of The Saint. These collaborations include the last 14 English language Saint titles dated from 1964 to 1983, and the 40 French adventures.
Discussions are ongoing regarding reprints of the original adventures of the Saint and if the new TV series is a success, expect new Saint books to follow.
Twenty-one different actors have played Simon Templar over the years.
Louis Hayward, George Sanders, Hugh Sinclair, Felix Marten, Jean Marais, and Val Kilmer have played the Saint on the big screen.
Roger Moore, Ian Ogilvy, Andrew Clarke, Simon Dutton and Adam Rayner are the TV Saints.
Terence De Marney, Edgar Barrier, Brian Aherne, Vincent Price, Barry Sullivan, Tom Conway, Larry Dobkin, Tom Meehan and Paul Rhys were heard as the radio Saints. (We'll charitably forget the two additional South African series for the moment)
Leslie Charteris played the Saint in a photostory for Life magazine.
Over the last few years many episodes have been released on DVD around the world.
In the UK, in 2006, Network DVD released two box sets comprising all the black and white episodes and all the color episodes from the Roger Moore series. Also included in the box sets are a host of extras including two documentaries on the making of the series.
Network DVD also released a box set of every episode of Return of the Saint on January 29th, 2007 along with another splendid collection of extras.
They then compiled all their documentaries on the making of the shows into one DVD release.
In the USA, A&E have released all the color episodes and only the first 28 B&W episodes from the Roger Moore series. No, we dont know why either.
In Germany, Koch have released an 8 DVD box set featuring episodes from the Roger Moore series. Another set is due for release in 2007.
In France, TF1 Video have released all the episodes of the Roger Moore series on DVD, breaking them in to 4 box sets.
In Italy, Eagle have released 2 box sets featuring over 30 episodes from the Roger Moore series.
In Sweden, 3 box sets have been released, featuring all the color episodes from the Roger Moore series.
In Portugal, Prisvideo have released all the episodes from the Roger Moore series.
In Australia, Umbrella Entertainment have released all the episodes from the Roger Moore series.
The Saint-if you must-with Val Kilmer and Elizabeth Shue was released on DVD in the UK, USA, and other countries in 2000 along with a commentary track by director Phil Noyce. Sadly it is still available.
The Saint Club, formed in 1936, is for people interested in the adventures of Simon Templar and the works of Leslie Charteris (and indeed, the works of Simon Templar and the adventures of Leslie Charteris). More details, including an address to write to, can be found at www.lesliecharteris.com
The oldest and one of the best general Saint sites is www.saint.org . You could also check out www.lesliecharteris.com , www.ianogilvy.com and www.roger-moore.com. We'll let you guess as to what those sites cover.
You can discuss all aspects of the Saints career at com4.runboard.com/bthesaintonline
The Saint books have been translated into French, German, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, Greek, Italian, Turkish, Portuguese, Afrikaans, Czech, Danish, Hungarian, Finnish, Serbo-Croatian, Hebrew, Arabic, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, and Braille.
The Saint television show was dubbed into German, Swedish, Dutch, Japanese, Spanish, Polish, and probably others. It has been shown in Aden, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Canada, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Finland, Formosa, France, Ghana, Gibraltar, Guatemala, Holland, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Iran, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liberia, Luxembourg, Malta, Malaya, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Pakistan Philippines, Puerto Rico, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Rhodesia, Rumania, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, U.A.R, USA (syndication and network), Uruguay, Venezuela, West Germany, Yugoslavia, and Zambia.
The Saint Club will forward letters to Roger Moore, Ian Ogilvy, Simon Dutton and Adam Rayner if the envelope is addressed to the person concerned. They will not be opened by the Club. Be warned that they may be sent via agents and/or secretaries and that the Club cannot guarantee a reply.
Please note e-mails sent to any member of The Saint Club staff and intended for the above trio will simply be deleted.
Yes, the first few seasons of The Saint, starring Roger Moore, were based on specific short stories or novelettes by Leslie Charteris. The show was such a success, however, that they eventually ran out of stories that were suitable for adaptation. At this point, the TV writers started sending synopses of new plots to Charteris for his opinion, approval, and criticisms. At the same time, Charteris was running out of Saint stories for The Saint Magazine, and arranged to have some of the better scripts adapted into book format under his supervision. Therefore, the fact is that while some of the TV shows are based on the books, the reverse is also true: some of the books are based on the TV shows.
The Saint Detective Magazine started up in 1953 as a competitor to Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. It was a digest-sized monthly publication which normally featured a Saint story by Leslie Charteris, and a few other short stories by other authors. It's motto was "some old, some new -- the finest in Mystery fiction". It later changed its name to The Saint Mystery Magazine, and then to just The Saint Magazine before ending publication in 1967. The magazine began in the United States, but British, French, and Dutch editions appeared over the years.
The first Saint books feature an extremely British Saint, but over the years Simon became much more cosmopolitan. The reason for this subtle change is that Leslie Charteris moved to the United States, and spent many years in Hollywood, Palm Springs, and Florida. As Charteris himself became more American, so did the Saint. Now, it's rather difficult to lose your roots, so the Saint is truly British, but his lifestyle, mannerisms, and other outward appearances are that of a citizen of the world; not tied to one country or another, the Saint comfortably fits into in any city or country that he visits.
The Saint in New York , first published in 1935 (a condensed version was published in the September 1934 issue of American Magazine), is the book most cited as the first big Saint seller. It has been printed in English by at least twenty different publishers, and gone through many pressings. It was the obvious first choice to bring to the big screen when RKO started making Saint films in the 1930's.
In the Saint books by Leslie Charteris, Simon Templar drove a Hirondel (although on occasion he would also appear in a Furillac or Desurio). The problem that the television producers had when they started to produce the 1960's Saint TV series was that the flamboyant cream and red Hirondel was a complete work of fiction (as were the other two). They decided to go with a contemporary car, and had two hot new sports cars to choose from: the Volvo P1800 or the Jaguar XK-E. Volvo was happy to supply a beautiful white P1800 for the show, leaving Jaguar to regret their decision not to provide a XK-E (something they rectified in the 1970's by giving The Return of The Saint show a white XJ-S). In the 1980's, Simon Dutton drove a blue Jensen Interceptor in a series of six made for TV Saint movies.
The car most remembered and identified as the Saint's car is the Volvo P1800. The Volvo has attained a certain cult status with its connection to the Saint, probably because of the great symmetry between the two. The Saint is not an outlandish man who flaunts his wealth, and the Volvo communicates this conspicuous reserve perfectly. This long-running relationship between the Saint and Volvo continues with the new Saint movie. The Saint, in the persona of Val Kilmer, drives a red Volvo C70 Turbo Coupe throughout the movie. Again, this marriage of the Saint and Volvo is perfectly harmonious. The Saint needs a sporty, luxurious car that doesn't scream with ostentatious pretenses (please don't bring up the Lamborghini Countach that was used in The Saint in Manhattan), and this new Volvo is an exact match.
For more information about the Saint's Volvo P1800, visit www.saint.org/volvo.htm . For more on The Return of The Saint's Jaguar XJ-S, visit www.saint.org/jaguar.htm . And finally, to read about the Saint's Jensen Interceptor, visit www.saint.org/jensen.htm .
Principal photography on a pilot for a new series started on December 17th, 2012. Adam Rayner is starring as the Saint, Eliza Dushku as Patricia Holm and Enrique Murciano as Inspector Fernack.
For more news on whether this gets picked up or not, keep checking www.lesliecharteris.com and www.saint.org
Yes, The Saint and Leslie Charteris News Blog at www.saint.org/blog features an RSS Newsfeed that you can subscribe to.
Mulholland Books in the UK (an imprint of Hodder & Stoughton) will be reprinting thirty-five Saint books iin both print and digital format starting in February 2013. A US reprint deal has been agreed and will be announced shortly.
The sign of the Saint is a registered trademark and cannot be used without permission of the trademark owner (The Estate of Leslie Charteris). Send an e-mail towebmaster@lesliecharteris.com explaining what you want to do and, if possible, with some sample artwork and they'll be in touch.
Have you got a question you think we should add to this list? E-mail the webmaster
And so, my friends, dear bookworms, most noble fellow drinkers, frustrated burglars, affronted policemen, upright citizens with furled umbrellas and secreta buccaneering dreams--that seems to be very nearly all for now. It has been nice having you with us, and we hope you will come again, not once, but many times. Only because of our great love for you, we would like to take this parting opportunity of mentioning one small matter which we have very much at heart...
Leslie Charteris, The First Saint Omnibus (1939)
Leslie Charteris founded The Saint Club in 1936 with the aim of providing a constructive fan base for Saint devotees.
Before the War it donated profits to a London hospital where, for several years, a 'Saint' ward was maintained. With the nationalisation of hospitals profits were, for many years, donated to the Arbour Youth Centre in Stepney, London. In the 21st Century we've carried on this tradition but have also donated to the Red Cross and a number of different children's charities.
The Club acts as a focal point for anyone interested in the adventures of Leslie Charteris and the work of Simon Templar and offers merchandise that includes DVDs of the old TV series and various Saint related publications through to its own exclusive range of notepaper, pin badges and polo shirts. All profits are donated to charity.
The Club also maintains two popular web sites and supports many more Saint-related sites.
Since Leslie Charteris' death, the Club has recruited three new vice-presidents; Roger Moore, Ian Ogilvy and Simon Dutton have all pledged their support whilst Audrey and Patricia Charteris have been retained as Saints-in-Chief.
Some things do not change though, for the membership card still mischievously proclaims that...
"The bearer of this card is probably a person of hideous antecedents and low moral character, and upon apprehension for any cause should be immediately released in order to save other prisoners from contamination."
To join...
Membership costs £3.50 (or US$7) per year or £30 (US$60) for life membership. Send a cheque, payable to The Saint Club, for the relevant amount to either:
England: The Saint Club, PO Box 258, Romsey, Hants. SO51 6WY. England
Australia: Ian Golledge, Honorary Secretary, OzSaint, 1/15 Bedser Street Macgregor, QLD 4109, Australia
America: Josef Chytry, 2325 Edwards Street, Berkeley, CA 94702, USA
As you may know The Saint Club is a charity of sorts--all our profits are donated to a nominated charity. Back in the pre-internet days we would have offered our members the ability to buy new Saint books at a respectable discount which would have still allowed us to make a profit and give even more money to charity.
But we can't compete with the likes of Amazon, so we had to take a fresh look at how we could raise funds for charity.
One of the best ways seems to be using Amazon's associate programme--basically every time you order a book from Amazon via one of our links we'll earn a little bit of money which we'll donate to charity. So, if you're thinking of ordering any of the new Saint reprints from Amazon please could you use the links below?
Thanks!
If you would like to order digital editions for your Kindle please click on the links below
To order print editions please use the following links