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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: 
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
 As I've been updating The Saint in Spanish bibliography I keep running accross El Santo the Mexican wrestler. His real name was Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta, but much of the world knew him as "El Santo," the most beloved wrestler in Mexican Lucha Libre history.
El Santo was famous for his silver mask, and the fact that he was never seen without it. More than any other wrestler, El Santo was able to keep his true identity and face a mystery and this served him well in creating a mystique which increased his popularity with wrestling fans across Mexico. His appeal, however, did not stop with grappling fans and he would eventually became one of the most popular movie stars in all of Mexico, performing in movies such as Santo vs. the Vampire Women, Santo in the Wax Museum, Mummies of Guanauato, and others. With all of his success and after so many years as an active performer, El Santo decided to call it quits and retired from the Ring in 1983, one year after the debut in the Ring of his son, El Higo Del Santo (The Son of The Saint). For the next two years El Santo worked as a performer in a nightclub, continuing to entertain his fans. On February 5, 1984 he suffered a fatal heart attack in Mexico City, Mexico and the world mourned the loss of an honored champion. True to his larger than life persona, El Santo was buried days later - with his mask on.
Take a further look at the wrestling career of El Santo at the Wrestling Museum, or view the Wikipedia article on El Santo.
For more Spanish information about Simon Templar, alias El Santo, as written about by Leslie Charteris, check out The Saint Around The World: Spain, Mexico, Chile, and Argentina.Labels: 2007, El Santo, Spanish, Wikipedia
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Monday, October 01, 2007
 We're sorry to hear that Lois Maxwell passed away in Australia on Saturday from cancer.
Lois Maxwell was probably best known to the world from her role as Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond films, but that was probably the smallest part she ever played. Saint fans might also remember that she guest-starred with Roger Moore in the October 7, 1966 episode of The Saint, entitled, Interlude in Venice.
Bond star Sir Roger Moore, who had known her for more than 60 years, spoke to the BBC about his friend and co-star:I'd known Lois from the beginning of my acting career, we were both drama students at Rada in 1944 and 1945.
We first played opposite each other in Pride and Prejudice. I was Darcy, she was Elizabeth. She was a very fine actress with a great sense of humour.
I think it was a great disappointment to her that she had not been promoted to play M. She would have been a wonderful M.
Lois was wonderful, absolutely perfect casting. It was a great pity that after I moved out of Bond, that they didn't take her on to continue in the Timothy Dalton films.
She had a tremendous sense of humour. She used to sing dirty songs, from the Canadian women's army in which she'd served.
We'd done a number of episodes of The Saint and The Persuaders together, so over the past 60 years I'd seen a great deal of her. But unfortunately, not over the last couple of years.
She had a quite a wide range of parts before she went into the Bond franchise. I'm afraid she got sort of typecast as Miss Moneypenny, that's what producers do, unfortunately, they put people in categories, they don't seem to move people out of them.
At the National Movie Awards, I presented an award to [Bond producers] Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson. It's a pity the timing was so bad, we really could have given her a tribute then. Your kind donations to the Komen Foundation can help find the cure for certain kinds of cancer.Labels: 2007, James Bond, Lois Maxwell, Roger Moore, Susan G. Komen, Wikipedia
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Sunday, August 12, 2007
 Before Roger Moore became The Saint, he had a recurring role on the TV series, Maverick, starring either James Garner and Jack Kelly.
Now that Maverick is being re-run on TV in various countries, including Good Life in the US, watch for a young pre-Saint Roger Moore in 14 episodes from 1959 to 1961. Roger was a regular on the show beginning in 1960 (he had been in one episode, The Rivals before that), co-starring as Beauregard "Beau" Maverick, Bret and Bart Maverick’s cousin. His regular appearances were due to the fact that James Garner had left the show over a contract dispute.
Maverick was a clever show that used a lot of comedy to lighten up the action. There are many Saintly touches, in that the Maverick cousins are basically good people who will go outside the law to correct wrongs that need to be righted. The intelligent con games of outsmarting your rivals instead of beating them up will certainly appeal to Saint fans who want to see a young Roger Moore playing a Texas Templar.
 Episode 80 on September 18, 1960, entitled Bundle from Britain, introduced Roger Moore as the "white sheep" of the family -- he had the misfortune of earning a medal in the Civil War, and Pappy had banished him to England for five years because no Maverick had ever been a hero.
Very soon, Maverick will be coming out in a special Maverick First Season DVD set . For now, you'll just have to watch Maverick on DVD
Another connection between The Saint and Maverick has nothing to do with Roger Moore at all. Noted award-winning author Burl Barer who has penned a number of Saint items, was called to do the "Behind The Scenes" book, Maverick: The Making of the Movie - The Official Guide to the Television Series, on the making of the 1994 Maverick movie starring Mel Gibson, Jodi Foster, and James Garner.
For more information, please visit Wikipedia for their entry on the Maverick TV series and complete episode guide.Labels: 2007, Burl Barer, James Garner, Maverick, Roger Moore, Wikipedia
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Sunday, May 06, 2007
 The LZ129 Hindenburg airship crashed at Lakehurst, New Jersey, 70 years ago today on May 6, 1937.
Leslie Charteris was a passenger on the March 4, 1936 maiden flight of the Hindenburg, just over a year before the disaster.
Charteris was also the main character in the book, Hindenburg Murders, by Max Allan Collins.
More information about the Hindenburg can be found on Wikipedia, at Amazon.com, or at the Hindenburg Historical Society.Labels: 2007, Hindenburg, Leslie Charteris, Max Allan Collins, Wikipedia
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Saturday, February 03, 2007
 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, Wikipedia
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Friday, November 03, 2006
 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, Wikipedia
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Monday, September 11, 2006
 Wikipedia is a free encyclopedia that anyone can edit. It has grown over the years to be the largest encyclopedia in the world, and there are a few entries on Wikipedia devoted to The Saint and Leslie Charteris.
Here are a few highlights from The Saint Category on Wikipedia:
As Wikipedia is available for anyone to add to, edit, or correct, please check out these references and do just that!Labels: 2006, Ian Ogilvy, Leslie Charteris, Return of The Saint, Roger Moore, Wikipedia
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