Fun Trivia : Saint, The

Structure Sub-topic of: Television Q-T Quizzes Interesting Questions, Facts and Information There are a total of 20 general entries.

Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information

Saint, The

Who bought and still owns the television rights to "The Saint" and was producer of many of the television episodes?

The Saint On T.V.


Robert S. Baker. Robert S. Baker spent a week in America negotiating for the rights with author Leslie Charteris who was a proud and staunch defender of "The Saint" character he had created. Surprisingly he won the deal and subsequently teamed up with Sir Lew Grade to produce the show. It was Baker's idea to relaunch with the "Return of the Saint" television series. Harry W. Junkin was a script editor who converted the novels to television. It's true that Roger Moore directed some of the later episodes. However, he made a failed attempt to buy the rights and never actually owned them.



In 1938 author Leslie Charteris wrote "Prelude to War" as the Nazis threatened to engulf Europe. One 1963 episode was an adaptation of this novel that controversially dealt with the very real rumour in the early 1960s that there was about to be a "Second Coming" of the Nazi uprising in Europe. What was the title of this television episode?

The Saint On T.V.


The Saint Plays With Fire. One of the finest early episodes that connosieurs consider worthy of a feature length film. Bold and strident in its coverage of a delicate topic Charteris wrote, (with reference to World War I before the outbreak of World war II), "People who forget the past are sometimes condemned to relive it". A line that script writer John Kruse took to heart when re-writing "Prelude to War" for the then modern era of the early 1960s.



Lord Lew Grade, then Head of A.T.V. agreed to, and signed off a budget for, the first 26 episodes of "The Saint". What was the average production budget (pounds sterling) per episode? (Bear in mind this was 1962.)

The Saint On T.V.


£30,000 (circa $58,750 U.S.). The production team had originally approached competitor Rediffusion to finance and host the series. They baulked at the £15,000 (circa $29,000 U.S.) budget per episode. Lord Lew Grade was so impressed with the project that he doubled the budget to £30,000 (circa $58,750 U.S.).



Only one other actor was seriously considered and interviewed for the role of "The Saint" before Roger Moore was offered it. This actor had previously been the star of "Danger Man" ("Secret Agent" in the U.S.A.), and later went on to star in "The Prisoner". Who was he?

The Saint On T.V.


Patrick McGoohan. Patrick McGoohan was declined for the role of "The Saint" because he was not deemed sufficiently laid back and had a principle that he would never "touch" ladies on camera, a charcateristic that was simply not in keeping with the character of Simon Templar! Leslie Charteris favoured Cary Grant but was ultimately delighted with Roger Moore's portrayal.



Chief Inspector Claud Eustace Teal was the gumshoe of Scotland Yard who was forever endeavouring, and of course failing, to put Simon Templar behind bars. Who played the officer in the television series?

The Saint On T.V.


Ivor Dean. Charles Victor played Teal in the film "The Saint's Girl Friday" - 1953. Jonathan Hale played the American version of Teal, Inspector Henry Fernack, in several 1930s Saint movies. Gordon Mc'Leod played Teal in three films namely: "The Saint in London" - 1939, "The Saint's Vacation" - 1941 and "The Saint Meets the Tiger" - 1943. Ivor Dean was therefore that stalwart gumshoe we seek from the t.v. series.



I.T.C. who produced the show finally won sponsorship by way of a supplied vehicle for Simon Templar from Volvo in the form of the rather sexy Volvo P1800. Which British motor manufacturer turned down this great opportunity to showcase their product?

The Saint On T.V.


Jaguar. Jaguar stubbornly refused to support the show by providing a Jaguar XK-E. This was a decision they later confessed to regretting and which they rectified in the 1970s with "The Return Of The Saint" series starring Ian Ogilvy. Volvo, on the other hand, supplied the first of five P1800 vehicles within a week of receiving the request from Roger Moore himself.



Set in London. "The Saint" discovers that his friend, a government official, is being blackmailed by a man known by a poisonous moniker. By what name was this arch villain known which leant itself to the episode title?

"The Saint": on T.V.: Plot Synopsis


"The Scorpion". "The Scorpion" was published as a short story in "The Saint Versus Scotland Yard" in 1932. The 1964 television episode featured the baby faced Dudley Sutton as the arch villain who was almost unrecognisable as "Tinker" in the much later series "Lovejoy". Incidentally Geoffrey Bayldon (Catweazle) featured in this episode as did a young Nyree Dawn Porter playing a blonde extortionist.