The Saint FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated August 19, 2007

This FAQ was started in 1997 by Ian Dickerson, Honorary Secretary of The Saint Club, 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 (saint.club@gmail.com) so that they can be added to the official FAQ at http://www.saint.org/faq.htm

Table of Contents

1. Who is the Saint?

a. So what does he do?

b. Does he break the law?

2. Who was Leslie Charteris?

3. How many portrayals have there been of The Saint?

a. Books

b. Films

c. Television

d. Radio

e. Comic strips

4. Weren't some Saint books written by other writers?

5. What was the first Saint book?

6. Who played the Saint on film/radio/television?

7. Can I get videos or DVDs of the films or TV shows?

a. DVD Releases

b. Video Releases

8. Are there any books about Leslie Charteris?

9. Is there a fan club for the Saint?

10. Are there Saint sites on the World Wide Web?

11. Will there be any new Saint books?

12. In what langages has the Saint been translated into?

13. What else did Leslie Charteris write besides the Saint?

14: Who was Charteris' choice for the Saint?

15: Where can I write to the Saint?

16: What was Charteris' favorite Saint story?

17: Were the TV shows based on the books?

18: What is The Saint Magazine?

19: Was the Saint British or American?

20: What is the best research source for Leslie Charteris and Saint material?

21: What happened to Patricia Holm?

22: What was the most popular Saint book?

23: How do you pronounce Charteris?

24: What kind of car does the Saint drive?

25: Where can I buy a Saint pin?

26: Is there a Saint-related mailing list listserver?

27: What kind of knife did Val Kilmer use in 'The Saint', and where can I get one?

28: Will there be a new TV series of The Saint?

29: Can I subscribe to news about The Saint?

30: Where I can I find copies of The Saint books?

31: Can I use the sign of the Saint on my football shirt/tee-shirt/advertising campaign, limited edition of rainbow colored artichokes?

1. Who is 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 armor--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.

a. So what does he do?

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.

b. Does he break the law?

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.

2. Who was 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 longer biography can be found at http://www.saint.org/lcbio.htm and a full length biography, "A Saint I Ain't," is in preparation.

3. How many portrayals have been done of The Saint?

There have been a number of portrayals of The Saint in books, films, television, radio, and comic strips.

a. Books:

Leslie Charteris wrote 50 English language books detailing the Saint's adventures. These fifty titles are comprised of 19 full-length novels, 48 novelettes or novellas, and 95 short stories (94 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 regarding "English language" is required as Charteris also wrote a further 40 adventures in French which have never been translated into English-although some have been translated into Dutch.

A detailed list of the English adventures, plus many of the anthologies and non-Saint books by Leslie Charteris, can be found at http://www.saint.org/books.htm

b. Films:

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.

c. Television:

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.

Further information on all the TV shows, and a detailed episode listing can be found at http://www.saint.org/sttv.htm

d. Radio:

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.

3 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.

e. Comic Strips:

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.

4. Weren't some Saint books written by other writers?

Yes... and no. Knowing that The Saint would probably continue on after his death (as have Sherlock Holmes, Raffles, James Bond, and other literary characters), 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.

5. What was the first Saint book?

"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.

6. Who played the Saint on film/radio/television?

Twenty 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 and Simon Dutton, are the TV Saints.

Terence De Marney, Edgar Barrier, Brian Aherne, Vincent Price, Barry Sullivan, Tom Conway, Lawrence Dobkin, Tom Meehan and Paul Rhys were heard as the radio Saints. (Well charitably forget the two additional South African series for the moment)

Leslie Charteris played the Saint in a photostory for LIFE magazine.

7. Can I get videos or DVDs of the films or TV shows?

Over the last few years many episodes from the first two TV series have been released on video and DVD on both sides of the Atlantic. While the DVD editions are widely available, it does take some searching to find the older VHS video tape versions.

a. DVD Releases

• 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 2 documentaries on the making of the series.
• Network DVD is also scheduled to release a UK box set of every episode of Return of the Saint on January 29th, 2007 along with another splendid collection of extras.
• In the USA, A&E have released all the color episodes and only the first 28 B&W episodes-no, we dont know why either-from the Roger Moore series.
• 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.

For more on all these DVDs, e-mail The Saint Club (saint.club@gmail.com) but to forestall some questions we are currently unaware of any firm plans to release the RKO movies or the Simon Dutton series on DVD in any country. As soon as we know anything, details will be posted on www.lesliecharteris.com and blog.saint.org

b. Video Releases

• In 1997 Paramount released "The Saint", starring Val Kilmer on video and DVD (USA).
• In 1997, Turner Home Video released eight of the RKO films on four tapes as Saint double-features.
• In 1997, Polygram Video (USA) released a number of episodes from the Roger Moore series.
• Columbia House (USA) had a "Saint of the month" club in 1997.
• Carlton Home Entertainment (UK) released a number of episodes from the Roger Moore series on both VHS and DVD starting in June 2000.
• In 2001, A&E Home Video began releasing a large number of titles on VHS and DVD.

For the latest news on all the latest DVD releases, check out DVD section of The Saint's News and Rumors Blog at blog.saint.org/search/label/DVD/blockquote>

8. Are there any books about Leslie Charteris?

"The Saint and Leslie Charteris" (Howard Baker, 1970) by W.O.G. Lofts and Derek Adley, is an excellent, if now somewhat dated bio-bibliography of the two.

"The Saint: A Complete History in Print, Film, Radio and Television. 1928 - 1992" (McFarland, 1993) by Burl Barer. Charteris loved it. The author won an Edgar award for it. Need we say more?

"The Durable Desperadoes" (Macmillan, 1973) 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.

A full bibliography, "The Saintly Bible", by Daniel Bodenheimer and an authorised biography, "A Saint I Ain't", by Ian Dickerson, are currently in preparation.

9. Is there a fan club for the Saint?

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 and http://www.saint.org/stclub.htm

10. Are there Saint sites on the World Wide Web?

One or twothe 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

Paramount's web site for the Val Kilmer movie, "The Saint", was once located at www.thesaint.com and now can only be viewed in the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine at web.archive.org/web/19970606052340/http://www.thesaint.com/

11. Will there be any new Saint books?

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.

Burl Barer's movie novelization, "The Saint", was published by Pocket Books in March 1997, and his original Saint novel, "Capture the Saint", was published by The Saint Club in October 1997.

12. In what langages has the Saint been translated into?

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.

13. What else did Leslie Charteris write besides The Saint?

The first Saint book, "Meet-The Tiger!", was printed in September 1928, and was actually Charteris' third novel, and of Charteris' first five books, "Meet -The Tiger!" was the only one with 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:

• 1937: The English translation of a biography of Juan Belmonte, bullfighter.
• 1945: Novelization of the Universal film, "Lady on a Train".
• 1947 to 1956: Eight true crime stories about crooked religeous leaders.
• 1949 to 1964: 12 occasional contributions to Gourmet magazine.
• 1964: "Spanish For Fun", a guide book to learning Spanish.
• 1964 to 1967: "Instead of the Saint", an erratic column in The Saint Mystery Magazine.
• June 1966 to March 1968: 22 monthly columns to Gourmet, entitled "Along The Boulevards".
• 1953 to 1967: A monthly introduction to The Saint Mystery Magazine.
• 1972: "Paleneo", a symbol language.

14. Who was Charteris' choice for the Saint?

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 1950's and 60's. In later years he was pleased with the choices of Ian Ogilvy and Simon Dutton.

15. Where can I write to the Saint?

The Saint Club will forward letters to Roger Moore, Ian Ogilvy and Simon Dutton 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.

16. What was Charteris' favorite Saint story?

While Charteris remarked that "The Pearls of Peace", which appeared in Senor 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.

17. Were the TV shows based on the books?

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.

18. What is The Saint Magazine?

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.

More information about The Saint Mystery Magazine can be found at www.saint.org/stmags.htm

19. Was the Saint British or American?

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.

20. What is the best research source for Leslie Charteris and Saint material?

Burl Barer's book, "The Saint: A Complete History in Print, Film, Radio and Television. 1928 - 1992 ", is a great place to start.

If you are looking for more, Boston University's Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center (formally Special Collections) has the official Charteris archives (www.bu.edu/phpbin/archives-cc/app/details.php?id=7548). Burl made great use of their boxes and boxes and boxes of Charteris material in his book, but there is more than enough for ten books. If you are planning to visit them, appointment reservations are required. E-mail archives@bu.edu for more information.

Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center
Boston University's Mugar Memorial Library
771 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02215

21. What happened to Patricia Holm?

In the early Saint books, Simon Templar had a "girl friend at his disposal" as was conveinent for the plot. The Saint's relationship with the beautiful blonde, "Pat", was a strange one. She didn't see to mind when he went off with other women, and would disappear for books at a time, only to show up again standing staunchly at the Saint's side. She was the Saint's adventurous female counterpart, his lover, and then she suddenly disappeared...

Leslie Charteris never explained where she went in any of the Saint books, but in May 1990 he cleared up the mystery of what happened to Pat in an outline for a proposed "Son of The Saint" movie. The outline detailed how Pat left the Saint when she discovered she was pregnant, and went on to elaborate how the Saint and son would meet.

22. What was the most popular Saint book?

"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.

23. How do you pronounce Charteris?

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.

24. What kind of car does the Saint drive?

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.

25. Where can I buy a Saint pin?

A most frequently asked question has been about the availability of a Saint pin (probably because Emma gives the Saint a very nice one at the end of the recent film). The Saint Club has a limited number of pins available. Prices, including P&P, are as follows:

• UK: £9.99
• Europe: £10.99
• North America: $15.99
• Rest of World: £11.99

Cheques should be made out in either US dollars or UK pounds and payable to THE SAINT CLUB. Please send them to: The Saint Club Merchandise, PO Box 258, Romsey, Hants. SO51 6WY England. Orders will not be processed unless you include a valid Saint Club membership number

Paramount manufactured a small pin when the movie came out that retailed for US$9.00. That pin is now out of stock, and no longer available from the Paramount Studio Store.

Paramount's Studio Store was considering production of a more expensive version, made from pewter. It would have been slightly larger--matching the one in the film--and feature a gold-plated halo. This proposed pin would probably have retailed for about $30, but Paramount did not think they could sell the minimum manufacturing lot of 144. We think it would have sold very well, considering the number of questions about Saint pins.

During the heyday of the 1997 Paramount film, their list of Saint merchandise included:

• T-Shirts, various sizes, $12.00; Black design with halo'ed lightning bolt and small Saint logo.
• Hats, $11.00; Black baseball hat with a stick figure in a circle on the front, and the words, "The Saint" on the back.
• Coffee Mugs, $6.00; Black mug with stick figure on one side, lightning bolt on the other.
• Book, $5.00; The Pocket Books novelization of "The Saint" by Burl Barer.
• Pins, $9.00; A small lapel/tie pin with the Saint logo (was originally $5.00).

NOTE: This list is here for archival purposes only. It is doubtful that any of this merchandise is still available.

Paramount's studio store is located at 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, CA 90038-3197. You can reach them by phone at (800) 699-1085 or (213) 956-3036. Fax is available at (213) 862-1941. The International phone number for mail orders is (213) 956-4385.

26. Is there a Saint-related mailing list listserver?

Yes, there is an unmoderated mailing list for anybody interested in discussing the work of Simon Templar and the adventures of Leslie Charteris. It is called The Epistle, and it is available in digest mode only. To subscribe, send an e-mail to listserver@ogham.org with the following text:

subscribe TheEpistle Your Name
end

To send something to the list, just send an e-mail to TheEpistle@ogham.org.

To unsubscribe from The Epistle, send an e-mail to listserver@ogham.org with any subject line and the following in the body of the text:

unsubscribe TheEpistle
end

27. What kind of knife did Val Kilmer use in 'The Saint', and where can I get one?

The Saint's knife used in the Val Kilmer film was actually six purpose-built props; each of the prop knives performing a different function, all of which were attributed to the fictional knife. It is unlikely that any one knife will be able to perform all of the functions of The Saint's knife anytime soon (we must wait for technology to catch up!).

28. Will there be a new TV series of The Saint?

The rights to The Saint are currently under option to producer William J. Macdonald and his partner Geoffrey Moore. They are developing a script for a 90min TV pilot which they hope to shoot in Spring 2007.

As of January 2007, no one has yet been cast as The Saint.

For more news on this as and when it happens, keep checking www.lesliecharteris.com and www.saint.org

29. Can I subscribe to news about The Saint?

Yes, The Saint and Leslie Charteris News Blog at blog.saint.org features an RSS Newsfeed that you can subscribe to.

E-mail Address:

30. Where can I find copies of The Saint books?

At this time, most of The Saint books by Leslie Charteris are out-of-print. The last major publishing was in the 1980's by Ace-Charter paperbacks, and it would make sense to reprint them again if a new TV series appears in 2007 or 2008. In the meantime, the Advanced Book Exchange (Abebooks.com) has a great wealth of collectible and reading editions for you to read first-hand about The Saint's adventures. The saint.org website also has a small number of lots on its Saint Books For Sale page at www.saint.org/forsale.htm

Author:  Attributes:  First Edition Signed Dust Jacket Title:  Keyword:  Binding:  Any Binding Hard Cover Soft Cover ISBN:

www.AbeBooks.co.uk - find more than 80 million out-of-print books worldwide.

31. Can I use the sign of the Saint on my football shirt/tee-shirt/advertising campaign, limited edition of rainbow colored artichokes?

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 to webmaster@lesliecharteris.com explaining what you want to do and, if possible, with some sample artwork and they'll be in touch.