THE SAINT IN NEW YORK

I've been pretty much aware of The Saint my entire life but until several years ago had never read any of the original books - I was introduced to the character by watching the re-runs of the Roger Moore series during the early Seventies. And then when Ian Ogilvy took over the role I was thirteen years old and remember sitting down to watch the very first episode. I enjoyed it but when I watch the series now, which only lasted for one season, I do think that Ogilvy was just too lightweight for the role. He just doesn't look right in the action scenes, - but that's only my opinion as the series does have a fair few fans. I remember at the time the press reported that he was cast in the role because he resembled a young Roger Moore and he did indeed. My opinion these days is that Oglivy would have made a superb Saint if he'd been maybe ten years older when he took the role. He just looks far too boyish in the series.

Now over the years I've listened to a few of the old time radio Saint episodes, read a number of comic books and was left dismayed by the Val Kilmer film. My opinion of The Saint was, until a few years ago, that he was an enjoyable enough creation but nothing more than that.

Now when I saw a pile of secondhand Saint books in a used book store I snapped them up. Again I wasn't expecting too much - I was however blown away.

That book was The Saint in New York, originally published in 1935, and by the time I'd read the first couple of chapters I realised that the real Saint was nothing like Moore or Ogilvy's television versions and I've never see the Simon Dutton tele-movies but from what I've read they were a missed opportunity.

Man, this book was as hard boiled and brutal as anything Chandler or Hammett produced - shit, there are times in the book where Simon Templar is borderline psychotic in his single minded quest to bring down the mob. And whilst Charteris didn't utilise the semi-poetic style of Chandler and Hammett, he produced good no nonsense prose that dragged the reader along and the character of Simon Templar was surprisingly multi-dimensional - far from a typical "Bouy's Own" type hero he was a anti-hero of style, grace and a mean left hook.

The book opens with a letter sent to the Chief of Police in New York City. It comes from the Metropolitan Police and warns that Simon Templar, known as "The Saint" is believed to be in the United States. And right away we are thrown into the action and Leslie Charteris hurls the story forward at breakneck speed and by the end of the book I was hooked.

Since then I've read maybe a dozen others, saw all the old RKO movies, the film The Saint in New York which starred Louis Hayward, is very faithful to the source novel. And although I can still watch Roger Moore's Saint whenever it's on I know that the real Saint can only be found between the pages of the original books.

For anyone who has never read a Saint book I would urge them to start with this one - not because it's better than any of the other early novels but because it's such a action packed, genuinely exciting story that I guarantee you'll be back for more.

TONIGHT ON THE ARCHIVE
Ian Dickerson interview, a comparison of the 1969 and 1979 Saint annuals and look at a 1967 edition of The Saint mystery magazine, a look at The major Saint movies, what we know about the forthcoming TV pilot and for the finale - the digital publication debut of an ultra rare Saint comic strip written by Archive fave Keith Chapman AKA western writer, Chap O'Keefe. Shit this strip is rarer than a honest politician...

So Watch out for the sign of The Saint.