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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So Leslie Charteris' 100th birthday came and went without too much fanfare. Now, on the occasion of Ian Fleming's 100th birthday, in an attempt to bring James Bond back to his roots, The Fleming Estate has commissioned Devil May Care, a new 007 adventure by literary novelist Sebastian Faulks "writing as Ian Fleming."
This new James Bond novel was published on Wednesday, the 100th anniversary of the birth of his creator, Ian Fleming, and as befits the British fictional superspy, the plot was kept top secret -- although its publisher said it is a return to the original Bond, after so many adaptations of the character on film.
"Devil May Care" was penned by the award-winning British novelist Sebastian Faulks at the request of the late author's family.
"The new novel is in the spirit of the original and very funny," said Faulks, whose favorite screen Bond was Sean Connery.
Faulks reportedly read many of the early Fleming novels in order to capture the spirit of James Bond, and write in the same manner and style as the original books. Early reports are that he has done just that, and we hope that the same treatment is given to The Saint!
Devil May Care is available in all these versions:
The official website of Leslie Charteris (www.lesliecharteris.com) tells us that The Saint was represented at Cannes recently by Arsenal Pictures -- who had some rather nice teaser artwork and the following synopsis to promote the upcoming TV show starring James Purefoy:
Simon Templar is part of a secret organization known as 'Knights of the Templar'. He's responsible for enforcing the group's code of ethics against the criminal underground of the world. Those familiar with 'Knights' know Simon Templar by one name: The Saint. His current assignment has him in Montenegro, rescuing captive children from being sold on the black market. When the operation is finished, Templar discovers that one of the children is missing. An orphan once himself, he vows to rescue the lost boy, no matter what the cost. Waiting for him in Paris is Patricia Holm, an intelligence specialist and Templar's lover. She has information that a crooked businessman named Carger is responsible for the children's abductions; however, the Knights learn that Carger is now into much bigger things. The Saint is ordered to find Carger and steal a treasured relic that, if made public, could ignite a spectacular holy war. When he discovers Carger has also been keeping the missing orphan as his own son, Templar must decide between his own personal convictions and his duties as The Saint.
We are very hopeful that The Saint will be available on Amazon Unboxed, iTunes, and other various online viewing services. In April, Media Guardian reported that ITV plans "to make a range of classic programmes" available through iTunes at prices from £1.89 per episode, and scheduled for later this year is The Saint. Presumably the Roger Moore version, but we'll see.
In the meantime, we can still watch Sherlock Holmes!
Well, we thought that headline would get your attention. Okay, so the real point of this story is that James Purefoy was at the Sex in the City movie premiere looking very much like Simon Templar in a tuxedo. Does he look like The Saint now?
"Sex and the City," the movie, premiered in London Monday night, May 14th, it opens in America on May 30.
James Purefoy will play The Saint in a new TV pilot that is in the works for 2008.
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
Well, we've recently found out where The Saint's Jaguar XJ-S from The Return of the Saint ended up. Now this begs the question, where is The Saint's BMW motorcycle, ST2?
Ian Ogilvy, who played Simon Templar in The Return of The Saint, was responsible for this addition to The Saint's collection of vehicles. Ogilvy http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifowned his first motorcycle at the age of sixteen, and has been a avid enthusiast ever since. Ogilvy was quoted in 1978 as saying, "It was my idea that Simon Templar should have a motorcycle as well as a car. After all, there are times when it can be more useful for him than a car. And with with all the appeals for people to cut down on petrol consumption, it's now completely acceptable."
Well, Ogilvy was quite pleased when Executive Producer Robert S. Baker agreed and delivered the newest and fastest 1,000cc BMW available.
So, what happened to the BMW? We think it was a model year 1977 BMW R100RS painted in Silver Blue Code 530. Perhaps Ogilvy ended up with it, as the word is that one of the reasons he suggested a motorcycle is that he had just recently sold his own and needed a new one!
We have an update on the actual XJ-S that Jaguar supplied to the Return of the Saint television series. It is alive and well, and roaming the British countryside.
Here are a few more notes from the current owner:
No, the car is not for sale at this time. He has thought about it from time to time, and at this point wants to keep it.
The car was featured in Classic Cars magazine sometime around 2003/2004, with photos taken outside The Saint's house in Eaton Mews.
The car has not been shown in public for a long time, and there are some plans shaping up for a few UK car shows in 2008.
The car is owned by a private individual, so make the most of any public showings.
The condition is mechanically sound, with the full restoration still in process. The car needs a bit more daily driving to identify any flaws in the drive-train.
It will be repainted at some point to get a better finish on it -- the car wants stripping to bare metal and repainting.
The interior is in excellent condition and will be kept original.
The Saint's Jaguar is quicker than most old XJS's and hit 133mph on a private track recently with more to offer. It handles well and doesn't roll as much as normal XJS's.
It has a little Saint stickman on the bonnet that obviously wasn't in the series. People do stop and ask about the car.
The car came with a big info folder with pics/receipts for work done etc and a certificate from Jaguar confirming it was the main car used.
Check out The Saint's Jaguar page for further updated information and some new pictures from 2008.
Today, May 12th, would have been Leslie Charteris' 101st birthday. Charteris was born in Singapore on May 12, 1907 as Leslie Charles Bowyer Yin.
Charteris was born to a Chinese father and an English mother. His father was a physician who claimed to be able to trace his lineage back to the emperors of the Shang Dynasty. Charteris became interested in writing at an early age, at one point creating his own magazine with articles, short stories, poetry, editorials, serials, and even a comic strip.
2008 is shaping up to be a great year for Leslie Charteris. Eighty years ago Charteris wrote and published the first of many stories about Simon Templar, alias The Saint. The Saint has appeared in various media, and it seems that this 80th anniversary of his creation is the one that people are latching on to -- rather than last year's centenary of the author, which pretty much everyone missed anyway.
The 80th anniversay plans include a new 2-hour TV pilot starring James Purefoy, re-releases of Charteris' books, some new audio CDs, and additional DVD releases around the world.
Watch this space. As things are confirmed, you'll learn more about them by checking the news blog on www.saint.org and www.lesliecharteris.com!
Production: The Saint (Television) Location: Detroit Employer: NEHST Duration: May-June 2008, starts May 2008 SAG artist contracts
Director: Barry Levinson. THE SAINT - SHOOTING IN DETROIT - CASTING IMMEDIATELY on www.screentest.biz
The Saint – TV pilot directed by Barry Levinson - a remake of the famous Roger Moore TV series, produced by NEHST Studios. Principal photography will be in Detroit from May through June, with international scenes shot in Budapest. The Saint will be played by James Purefoy recently starring in HBO’s “Rome”.
We are looking for local talent for a variety of speaking roles. The casting process is happening right now. The shooting schedule is tight, so do not delay and visit : www.screentest.biz
Look in Casting Call, screen right, under “TV Series.” And sign up now.
Apply to: FRAN
Breakdowns:
1. Male / 41-50 yrs. / Any Ethnicity. Claude Eustace Teal An inspector at INTERPOL. Lean, strong, “a man of no vices”. A brilliant tactician. American. Happily Married. SERIES REGULAR
2. Female / Any yrs. / Latin American. Patricia Holm age range 20-40 yrs old Striking, Tall, lean, maddeningly sexy, dirty blonde, extremely fashionable (very New York). Has an exotic accent - “hazy mix of Spanish, Creole, and Dutch”. Her relationship with Templar is unique and can often lead her into the path of danger. SERIES REGULAR
3. Male / 31-40 yrs. / Middle Eastern. Baldwin Aleppo Handsome. Middle Eastern. Mystical. Has a long history with Templar that has formed a friendship that is often fraught with conflict. SERIES REGULAR
4. Male / 61+ yrs. / Any Ethnicity. Jerome Creedy 60’s, the director of INTERPOL. Toupeed. Bureaucratic, a pain in the ass. A bad temper. RECURRING
5. Male / 51-60 yrs. / Any Ethnicity. Hollis McCarthy Lantern-jawed, square, “not to be messed with”. Ex-military. Dark-souled. Spiritual. RECURRING
6. Male / 51-60 yrs. / Any Ethnicity. Delano Carger Pale, poisonous, deluded, brilliant, charming, self-righteous. Short but lethal, i.e. Napoleonic Complex. President of Apollyon Antiques. Manages the human trafficking of children displaced from the Tsunami and other disasters. GUEST STAR
7. Female / 18-24 yrs. / Any Ethnicity. Emma Carger’s assistant. Young, petite. Horribly abused and embarrassed by the unspeakable treatment she faces from Carger.
8. Male / 31-40 yrs. / Any Ethnicity. Jasper Wells Lean, imposing, a stone-cold killer. Works for Delano Carger. Sells children into slavery and sex-slavery for Carger.
9. Female / 25-30 yrs. / Any Ethnicity. Lydia Carger 20 years younger than her husband, Delano Carger. Very attractive AGE 20-29 years old
10. Female / 31-40 yrs. / Black - African. Agent Lena Owensby African-English. Very Pretty. Speaks before she thinks
11. Female / 25-30 yrs. / Any Ethnicity. Siri AGE 20-29 YRS OLD Green eyes, beautiful. Stoic and anguished over the kidnapping of her son.
12. Male / 0-5 yrs. / Any Ethnicity. Paolo Siri’s green-eyed boy. 3-5 years old.
The Moves are a collection of the subtle things that people do to signal tremendous wealth and power without having to say anything overtly. How many of these moves does The Saint have, and are there any additional moves that should be added?
