13 replies to this topic

[JackChase007]

My first exposure to "The Saint" was when I saw the Val Kilmer movie when it first came out, and a year or two I first caught some episodes of the 60s show when they were aired by Encore's Mystery channel. For the hell of it (and because I'm a big DVD collector), I picked up one of the A&E boxed sets, and am soon getting too more - I really enjoy that show. I actually think that Roger Moore is better suited as Simon Templar than he is as Bond.

Now for my questions (some minor things that puzzle me):
1) What exactly IS Simon Templar? He's not a policeman, or a spy, or an assassin - is he just someone who just travels around the world in search for adventure?

2) I remember the film version with Val Kilmer was very dependant on the fact that Templar was a person who could disguise himself as ANYONE. But I noticed, ever since I saw some of the old Moore episodes, that he never used disguises and elaborate make-up. Where did this whole concept come from?

Thank you very much...

[kevrichardson]

Simon Templar was more of a Adventurer ! In the Movies made during the 1930-40's ( with George Sanders and several other) he was just a Rouge Adventurer who travel from place to place . Yes your right about the film version ( it been a while since i was it ) . Righr again Moore was just "Simon Templar" . The he (Moore) was suited for Templar as opposed to Bond . Is a question mark , since his first 3 Bond were pretty good . But the producers made a effort to remove his Bond in the opposite direction of Connery's .

[Simon]

1. Simon Templar is an adventurer who stamps his own authority and justice on situations that are considered untouchable. He works, in effect, as a criminal since his actions are outside of the law but his intentions are always to the good of justice - if that makes sense. He is quoted as being the modern Robin Hood, steal from the rich and give to the poor.

This is as the books, early films and TV series conveyed, but sourced from the works of Charteris. The Val Kilmer film just presents him as a thief who by the end of the film, turns around to be something nobel - utter ****.

2. As above, since the film went down its own trails and routes, it bore absolutely no resemblance to anything before it. Quite legitimately, the film could have been called anything else since it bore no relationship to its source. It just happened to have a central character whose name was also the Saint, quite coincidental.

This whole concept came from Noyce, the director, whose arrogance decided the fate of that film. I have said in other Saint related threads that there is so much untapped source material within the 50 books, I always find it amazing that people feel the need to reinvent since the original source material has yet to be truly adapted for screen.


On very rare occasions in the books, Charteris had his hero go under disguise, but it was more in the clothes, mannerisms and applied talc to the hair for grey.

[JackChase007]

Thanks for the info - I figured it was just some idea they came up with to give a "jolt" to the character. Gimme the TV series any time - Roger Moore is Simon Templar/The Saint!

[mccartney007]

I think Roger Moore played a better Bond in The Saint than he did in the Bond films. I really gained a whole new respect for Roger Moore after having seen him in The Saint and The Persuaders.

[JackChase007]

The only Moore Bond film I can honestly say that I truly enjoy is "Live and Let Die". It has a great soundtrack for one, and it's just a lot of fun to watch...

I've got another question for you guys that maybe you can answer for me - being a fan of both Bond and The Saint, would I like the Secret Agent AKA Danger Man series? I'm a big DVD collector, and I've noticed that they sell boxed sets of those episodes as well, and I'm always on the look out for something to get.

[Agent 0011]

yea i would have to agree that the real on Bond i enjoyed Moore in was "live and let die"....as for the Saint...its a fun series, you might want to check out the books...they're a lot of fun and it will let you see some of the background to Simon Templar's character.....i think the movie went out on the whole disguise tract just to give some extra hollywood flair

[Roebuck]

Originally posted by JackChase007
being a fan of both Bond and The Saint, would I like the Secret Agent AKA Danger Man series?.

While it's tone is very different from 'The Saint', as a Bond fan there's a good chance you'd get something out of 'Danger Man'.
Rather than the over the top spoofery of 'Man from UNCLE', John Drake was quite a hard edged character whose adventures were grounded more in the real world. I read an interview with Patrick McGoohan where he said that if Drake had to (for instance) break in to a facility and steal data from a computer, then the producers would call in a computer expert to ensure everything was done authentically. There was also an insistance that the occasional gadgetry he used was never outlandish or sci-fi. As a result the series has stood up rather well, with the early episodes having a gritty 60's espionage feel.

[JackChase007]

Then I definately think I'd like that. While I do certainly enjoy the over-the-top Bond adventures out there, I also do get a kick out of the realistic, down-to-earth ones as well. I might just hafta give them a try. Plus, with that classic theme song, how can you lose???

[Roebuck]

Originally posted by JackChase007
Plus, with that classic theme song, how can you lose???

Did you ever check out the Bruce Willis cover version?
The original, half-hour British 'Danger Man' episodes had a more jazzy, instrumental theme entitled 'Live Wire'. That's pretty cool too.

[JackChase007]

No, I never knew that Bruce Willis did a cover of the song. I did know that Blues Traveller did, however, and it didn't sound too bad from recollection.

[kevrichardson]

The Pesuaders was a very good Television show . It's too bad that here in America it has never been in re-runs .

[JackChase007]

I think they briefly showed some episodes on Encore's mystery channel...

[JackChase007]

I recall someone once posted something about how they wanted to revive The Saint for the big screen, but I just thought about this - why not try to bring Simon back to television - get some British actor to star in a weekly television show, just like Moore did back in the 60s? That would give me one more thing to watch...