OzSaint
The Australian branch of the Saint Club

Home	Date: January 1999 From: Ian Gollege <golledge@pigeon.qut.edu.au> Subject: This Month in Saintland. Ian and Vince would like to take this opportunity to wish OzSaint members and visitors all the best for the New Year. May the Saintly and the Ungodly each get what they truly deserve! Topping this months ramblings is the news that Roger Moore has been awarded the CBE for his work with Unicef. Roger has been the spokesperson for childrens affairs since 1991, taking over from the late Audrey Hepburn. We would like to congratulate Roger for this honour he so richly deserves. You can read the BBC news story here. Much jubilation and revelry ensued from the return of the RM series to Nick-at-Nite on the cable Nickelodeon channel. (And this happened before I got around to writing that letter). You'll find the nice Mr Templar on Friday nights at 10.30 pm (9.30 Brisbane time). Val Kilmer can currently be heard as the voice of Moses in THE PRINCE OF EGYPT. Ian Ogilvy made a fine comic performance as a billionaire who proposes on air to MURPHY BROWN in a recently aired episode of that show. As always, we would like to encourage you all to participate in the OzSaint site. OzSaint is a forum for Saint fans to discuss all things Saintly, and we'd really like to generate a few interesting discussions. In the next week or two, we'll post a couple of questions and invite all comers to submit their answers/opinions. The first question will appear here in the next few days. Regards, Ian
	Date: June 15 From: Ian Gollege <golledge@pigeon.qut.edu.au> Subject: The Saint This Month The Saint has been lying low lately, and it's been very quiet. However, we are not resting on our laurels (they're a bit sore at the moment, anyway). Here's what afoot this month... I have about half a dozen copies of Burl Barer's CAPTURE THE SAINT available for purchase. Burl Barer, the Edgar-Award winning author of THE SAINT: A COMPLETE HISTORY... and the novelization of the recent Val Kilmer film THE SAINT, brings us the first Saint novel in over fifteen years! CAPTURE THE SAINT is available exlusively through The Saint Club, and these are the last copies I have. CTS is available for 14 pounds. On the small screen, Nick-at-Nite on Foxtel has introduced two more screenings each week of the Roger Moore series. In addition to the 10:30 pm Friday night slot, you can now enjoy the adventures of the Saint at 1 am Saturday and Sunday nights (or Sunday and Monday mornings, if you prefer). I wrote to Channel 7 recently, asking about the possibility of screening their Saintly holdings. While I haven't heard back from them, they have screened two Saint adventures (Dutton's THE BIG BANG, and THE SAINT MEETS THE TIGER) since then. Fingers crossed for more soon. The Kilmer film has screened several times on the Showtime channel. We'll be revamping the Merchandise Page over the next few weeks, and there should even be some new items in the not too distant future. So keep checking back. Bye for now. Ian & Vince
	Date: July 5 From: Ian Gollege <golledge@qut.edu.au> Subject: The Saint Afoot In case you missed your tv guides, Saintly enthusiasts, those charming, sophisticated, witty, and discerning people in the programming department at Channel 7 will grace our small screens with THE SAINT IN LONDON late next Saturday night. This 1939 film is George Sanders' second outing as Simon Templar (following THE SAINT STRIKES BACK) and is based on Leslie Charteris' "The Million Pound Day." Thank you, Channel 7! If we may direct your attention to the OzSaint homepage, Vince has designed a new "Q & A" section. Every so often, we'll post a question/discussion topic and we invite your responses. We'd like to get all you Saint afficianados afficianading. Talk to each other. Share. It's good for you... You will also note from the homepage that Vince has been especially busy in updating our image files. We now have over 230 images of book covers, illustrations, film lobby cards, annuals, comics and all sorts of Saintly treasures. Do yourself a favour and check 'em out. Happy tax time to all! Ian & Vince
	Date: 8/7/99 From: Ian Gollege <golledge@qut.edu.au> Subject: JULY's Q&A Q. "If some friends came to you and asked 'I know you like this Saint person and I thought I might give it a try. Which episode/film should I watch?', how would you reply? What episode/film comes closest to essentials of the 'real' Simon Templar? Is there one episode/scene which defines the character of the Saint, for you? Why/why not?
	Date: 8/7/99 From: Paul Copeland <copeland@smartchat.net.au> Subject: JULY Q&A Reply If I had to pick an episode, it would be one of the two episodes from the b&w series I have. The episode is "The Saint Plays with Fire". The episode is great and Roger does very well. However I would tell them the book of this episode was still better
	Date: 9/7/99 From: Ian Gollege <golledge@qut.edu.au> Subject: JULY Q&A Reply A friend and I were discussing this recently and we decided that VENDETTA FOR THE SAINT was probably one of the Saintliest Saint stories. Templar is in the right place at the right time (or the wrong place at the wrong time) to witness something odd that no one else would have thought twice about, discovers something ungodly, takes them on and ends up taking on the entire mafia while finding time to rescue a damsel in distress on the side! That's our boy! I can think of a number of 'moments' in most incarnations we've seen. In the beginning of THE SAINT IN LONDON when the Saint 'out fumbles' the pickpocket and saves him from the police (I'm trying not to give too much away for those who haven't seen it). Simon Dutton in FEAR IN FUN PARK leaping from the monorail onto the mast of a passing tall-ship. We don't often see the more 'acrobatic' elements of Charteris' stories in the filmed versions. So it's particularly frustrating when I think of the chandelier fight that was cut from the Kilmer film (and described in Burl Barer's novelization). And we don't often see the Saint's whimsical side that comes across so strongly in the books. A good example (I think) of this on screen was in Andrew Clarke's THE SAINT IN MANHATTAN. Two of the ungodly pick up the Saint on the street. "None of your funny business," they say. The Saint responds smilingly, "Did the hear the one about the two guys..." Or when Inspector Fernack says, "I'll be keeping an eye on you, Templar!", the Saint responds, "Be bold, Inspector. Use both eyes!" These are the instances that immediately come to mind
	Date: 12/7/99 From: Ian Gollege <golledge@qut.edu.au> Subject: JULY Q&A Reply Well, I watched THE SAINT IN LONDON on Saturday. It's been a while since I last saw, and it's still enjoyable. There were two moments in it that struck me as being particularly Saintly. First was when Teal let him escape. In the blink of an eye, the Saint reacted and vaulted over the balustratde and down one floor. It's more of the acrobatic things that I was talking about previously, and you don't usually expect such things from George Sanders. The second instance was when the Saint throws his knife backwards over his shoulder! Only in Saint stories! I'd be interested to see what others thought about the movie and the Q&A. Regards, Ian
	Date: 3/8/99 From: Ian Gollege <golledge@qut.edu.au> Subject: August Q&A: Saint film and casting? Oh, the shame! This question has just reminded me of how long it's been since I last read through the novels. Ah well, I've just planned my weekend. Off the top of my head, I've always thought there would be some filmic possibilities in the story of THE SAINT CLOSES THE CASE and followed in THE AVENGING SAINT. I particularly liked idea of the Saint taking on the government, the scientists, the police, the secret service and the 'bad guys' because their superweapon offended him. As far as casting goes, I'm leaning towards Ralph Fiennes as the Saint, and maybe Kristin Scott Thomas, Liz Hurley/Helen Baxendale as Patricia Holm. Marius could be played well by John Shrapnel, currently seen on Australian tv as the boss of BODYGUARDS, or Ian Holm. (Now that I think of it, Louise Lombard from BODYGUARDS might be a good Patricia Holm, too). And I'm sure there must something that could be done with THE SAINT AND THE HAPSBURG NECKLACE, too...
	Date: 3/8/99 From: OzSaint Page Subject: August Q&A Q. "What Saint novel would you most like to see made into a movie? Who would you cast as the main characters?
	Date: 3/8/99 From: Ian Gollege <golledge@qut.edu.au> Subject: August Q&A reply Oh, the shame! This question has just reminded me of how long it's been since I last read through the novels. Ah well, I've just planned my weekend. Off the top of my head, I've always thought there would be some filmic possibilities in the story of THE SAINT CLOSES THE CASE and followed in THE AVENGING SAINT. I particularly liked idea of the Saint taking on the government, the scientists, the police, the secret service and the 'bad guys' because their superweapon offended him. As far as casting goes, I'm leaning towards Ralph Fiennes as the Saint, and maybe Kristin Scott Thomas, Liz Hurley/Helen Baxendale as Patricia Holm. Marius could be played well by John Shrapnel, currently seen on Australian tv as the boss of BODYGUARDS, or Ian Holm. (Now that I think of it, Louise Lombard from BODYGUARDS might be a good Patricia Holm, too). And I'm sure there must something that could be done with THE SAINT AND THE HAPSBURG NECKLACE, too...
	Date: 29/9/99 From: Andrew Panangiotis Subject: 90's TV Saint? Val Kilmer. He was so good and he looked great as The Saint. In the tv series he will bring back it to higher standards. His show will beat out er and friends combined as a number one show in america. For the show they should have John Barry compose and conduct the music with disney/abc owning the rights to the show,having James Cameron or Steven Speilberg directing it. With Michael France and Dana Stevens writing the script. With the look of the red flash of the movie logo for the tv show. That will be a dream come true.
	Date: 30/09/1999 From: Saint33050 Subject: 90's TV Saint? Me! The exploits of the true and original Saint were my reading fare long before Roger Moore took to the American airways. As a misguide youth I looked for a role model. James Bond? I think not to much of a company man. John Steed? No, a bit of a fop. Number "6" far to angry, too much angst. Only the masters creation had the "joie de vei" which I could relate to. In those halycon days of the "60's I enjoyed doing my little bit for the blood and guts which is the mark of the true tribal man. Vietnam added a certain soberity to fun and frolic. After returning to the States I enjoyed some mild buccaneering in the region around the Great Lakes. Today I regal myself in the intigue and excitement that is found in the South Florida area, smuggling, murder, political intrigue. It is in day and age where everyone with red blood must battle the creeping political correctist, the greying of truth, The lack of absolutes. We must all stop being Saint fans and adopt the personna of the Saint. yours truly Saint33050
	Date: 06/10/1999 From: i.golledge@qut.edu.au Subject: 90's TV Saint? I've seen Jeremy Northam in a few things lately (MIMIC, EMMA, THE NET and one or two other things). Maybe a little bit older, but he seems to be able to play strength as well as sardonic, whimsical humour. I seem to be thinking of English actors Americans seem to be wrong for the part Ian Golledge
	Date: 09/10/1999 From: KathyGee1@excite.com Subject: 90's TV Saint? Adrian Paul
	Date: 2/11/99 From: sainttemplar67@yahoo.com Subject: 90's TV Saint? Simon Dutton is good for the player, but maybe other possibility is Ralph Fiennes.
	Date: 13/11/99 From: aadipi@aol.com Subject: 90's TV Saint? the avenging saint with Val kilmer returning to the role
	Date: 13/11/99 From: KittyAlmonds@powerstudent.com Subject: 90's TV Saint? Adrian Paul
	Date: 13/11/99 From: Ian Dickerson Subject: Novels or Short stories? Both. Novels like Getaway, The Last Hero and even The Hapsburg Necklace are wonderful adventure stories. Short stories like those in the Brighter Buccaneer are little gems. Of course I could be biased.
	Date: 15/11/99 From: akssdarites@hotmail.com Subject: Novels or Short stories? novels. the short stories finish too quickly for my liking.
	Date: 25/11/99 From: Ian Golledge Subject: Novels or Short stories? I prefer the novels, because these flesh out the Saint's character more fully than a short story allows. I've just started reading THE SAINT MEETS HIS MATCH and the entire first chapter involves the Saint leaning into a car and harassing the ungodly. It's brilliantly written and thrilling to read. While the short stories are great and have their quick twists, the novels provide more thrills.