The now legendary character created by Leslie Charteris has survived nearly three-quarters of a century of perilous action and narrow escapes with nary a hair out of place nor the slightest jolt to his jauntily tipped halo. From his earliest days battling “crooks, blood suckers, traders in vice and damnation” (and cracking the occasional safe on the side), the Saint has captured the imaginations of millions.
Using the voluminous correspondence and writings of author Leslie Charteris and examining the many incarnations of Simon Templar, alias “The Saint,” in other media, a detailed history emerges. Includes plot synopses of the radio and television programs, with air dates and production credits; descriptions of the movies and their credits; a bibliography, reviews of the books, and quotes from the principals.

Burl Barer lives in Stevenson Ranch, California.

Burl Barer
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 431
Bibliographic Info: 58 photos, index
Copyright Date: 2003 [1993]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-1680-6
eISBN: 978-1-4766-0003-1
Imprint: McFarland

Sources and Acknowledgments      ix

Preface      xi

One. Tremendous Logos and High Explosives      1

Two. Empire Burlesque      29

Three. The Dangerous Decade: Multiplication for the Saint      51

Four. Up to the Altar and into the Mythic      97

Five. The Respectable Saint      119

Six. Collaboration for the Saint      161

Seven. Return of the Saint and the September Seven      195

Eight. Shackled and Released      219

Appendices

      I. The Saint Radio Synopses      245

      II. Episode and Players Guide to The Saint, Starring Roger Moore      292

      III. Return of the Saint Script Synopses and Credits      340

      IV. “Mystery Wheel of Adventure” Press Releases and Feature Stories      365

      V. The Saint’s Automotive Icon      379

      VI. Chronology of the Saint Writings      384

      VII. The Saint Club      404

Index      405

Winner, Edgar Allan Poe Award—Mystery Writers of America
“clearly a labor of love…recommended”—Choice; “detailed and lively…a good reference”—ARBA; “top notch…informative and fun…emphatically recommended”—Journal of Popular Culture; “beautifully produced illustrated volume…a likeable and very respectful work”—Interzone; “richly detailed”—Reference & Research Book News; “an interesting slice of pop culture”—Communication Booknotes Quarterly.