Boodle (short story collection)

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Boodle
also The Saint Intervenes
Boodle - Stories of the Saint (book cover).jpg
The 1936 issue cover
Author Leslie Charteris
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Series The Saint
Genre Mystery, Short Stories
Publisher Hodder and Stoughton
Publication date
August 1934
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)
Preceded by The Misfortunes of Mr. Teal  
Followed by The Saint Goes On  

Boodle is a collection of short stories by Leslie Charteris, first published in the United Kingdom by Hodder and Stoughton in August 1934. This was the thirteenth book to feature the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint", and the second short story collection featuring the character. The title is taken from the British slang term "boodle" meaning bribery, stolen goods or loot (it is also a term frequently used by Templar). When first published in the United States by The Crime Club, the unfamiliar-sounding title was changed to The Saint Intervenes, and this title was later applied to future UK editions.

Contents

As with the earlier collection, The Brighter Buccaneer , Boodle consists of stories written by Charteris under contract with the UK magazine Empire News during 1933. One story, "The Man Who Liked Toys", was first published in The American Magazine as a non-Saint story featuring a lead character named Kestry; Charteris later revised the story to include the Saint. Three stories, "The Noble Sportsman", "The Art Photographer", and "The Mixture as Before" received their first publication in Boodle. [1]

Stories

The book consists of between 12 and 14 stories, depending upon the edition:

  1. The Ingenuous Colonel – Two con men try to swindle a young man in a horse racing scam, never realising their mark is Simon Templar. The story indicates that Templar has returned to Britain after an absence of some time, suggesting that it might take place around the time of "The Simon Templar Foundation", the lead story in the previous book, The Misfortunes of Mr. Teal , which likewise takes place at a time when Templar is re-establishing himself.
  2. The Unfortunate Financier – Templar's girlfriend, Patricia Holm, goes undercover as she plays secretary for a financier who is manipulating Middle East oil stocks.
  3. The Newdick Helicopter – When the Saint hears how his friend Monty Hayward (last seen in The Brighter Buccaneer ) was swindled by a man with false claims of inventing a new form of helicopter, he sets out to turn the tables on the "inventor". Although the word helicopter appears in the title, in the story itself the flying machine is referred to as an autogyro.
  4. The Prince of Cherkessia – When a foreign prince orders a jewelled crown to be made for him during his visit to London, it's up to Chief Inspector Claud Eustace Teal to make sure the crown doesn't fall into the hands of The Saint. This story marks the return of Peter Quentin (last seen in "The Unusual Ending", the concluding story of The Brighter Buccaneer ).
  5. The Treasure of Turk's Lane – When a land developer tries some underhanded tactics to get a friend of Simon's to sell his ancestral home in order that an apartment block can be built on the site, Templar is determined to make sure the developer pays through the nose to get it. However the old house has one final surprise in store for both the developer and the Saint.
  6. The Sleepless Knight – Sir Melvin Flager's trucking company forces its drivers behind the wheel for hours on end with little sleep. After a cyclist is killed by one of Flager's sleep-deprived drivers, Templar decides to give Flager a bit of his own medicine.
  7. The Uncritical Publisher – When budding author Peter Quentin finds himself in the middle of a scam involving a crooked vanity publisher, the Saint intervenes. In this story, Charteris parodies himself and the British publishing industry.(This was not published in the 1st edition as Hodder and Stoughton were worried about the light it held publishers in. It This story is also included in a booklet in the DVD boxset of The Saint Colour Series)
  8. The Noble Sportsman – Templar and Teal find themselves investigating a murder at the home of a British politician, an event that leaves the Saint unusually remorseful.
  9. The Damsel in Distress – An Italian family hires Templar to assist in kidnapping a bond forger from his refuge in Switzerland and returning him to Britain for a shotgun wedding. Soon Templar finds himself in the middle of a blackmail scheme.
  10. The Loving Brothers – Two squabbling businessmen, who happen to be brothers, fight over the last will and testament of their late father, with the Saint intervening.
  11. The Tall Timber – Templar impersonates a Scotland Yard inspector to bring down a small-time swindler selling a big-time scam involving tree-growing in Brazil.
  12. The Art Photographer – Templar impersonates an Australian businessman with a taste for pornography to expose a blackmail scheme involving naughty photographs and scantily clad models.
  13. The Man who Liked Toys – Teal and Templar investigate the apparent suicide of a man with a penchant for playing with toys.
  14. The Mixture as Before – The Saint turns the tables on a scam artist who claims he can make genuine diamonds in his bathtub. This is the second time Templar has matched wits with a would-be alchemist; in "The Gold Standard", a novella in Once More the Saint , he went up against a man who claimed he could create gold.

Variation

For reasons unknown, later British editions of this collection omit either one or both of the two stories "The Uncritical Publisher" and "The Noble Sportsman". "The Uncritical Publisher" has been released by the Saint Club and as a DVD extra.

Publication history and alternate titles

Most of the stories, save for three - noted as applicable - were first published in the UK newspaper Empire News , and most were retitled for omnibus publication (alternate titles listed where applicable). The Empire stories are collected in the order of first publication:

Television adaptations

"The Noble Sportsman" was adapted for the TV series The Saint during its second season, first airing on 9 January 1964. (The story itself was one of two that was not included in British editions of the book.)

Three stories were adapted for the programme's third season: "The Loving Brothers" (19 November 1964), "The Man Who Liked Toys" (26 November 1964), and "The Damsel in Distress" (31 December 1964).

"The Newdick Helicopter" was retitled "The Chequered Flag" and aired on 1 July 1965, as the first episode of the fourth season.

Related Research Articles

The Saint is the nickname of the fictional character Simon Templar, featured in a series of novels and short stories by Leslie Charteris published between 1928 and 1963. After that date, other authors collaborated with Charteris on books until 1983; two additional works produced without Charteris's participation were published in 1997. The character has also been portrayed in The Saint franchise, which includes motion pictures, radio dramas, comic strips, comic books and three television series.

<i>Knight Templar</i> (The Saint)

Knight Templar is the title of a mystery novel by Leslie Charteris first published in October 1930. This was the fourth book—and third full novel—featuring Charteris's Robin Hood-inspired anti-hero, Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". The title of the book is a pun on the religious organization Knights Templar. Later editions were titled The Avenging Saint and the book is also well known by this title, which was first used in a 1931 edition.

<i>The Saint</i> (TV series) British thriller series

The Saint is a British crime television series that aired in the United Kingdom on ITV between 1962 and 1969. It was based on the literary character Simon Templar created by Leslie Charteris in the 1920s and featured in many novels over the years. In the television series, Templar was played by Roger Moore. Templar helps those whom conventional agencies are powerless or unwilling to protect, often using methods that skirt the law. Chief Inspector Claud Eustace Teal is his nominal nemesis who considers Templar a common criminal, but often grudgingly tolerates his actions for the greater good.

<i>Enter the Saint</i>

Enter the Saint is a collection of three interconnected adventure novellas by Leslie Charteris first published in the United Kingdom by Hodder and Stoughton in October 1930, followed by an American edition by The Crime Club in April 1931.

<i>The Last Hero</i> (The Saint) 1930 novel by Leslie Charteris

The Last Hero is the title of a thriller novel by Leslie Charteris that was first published in the United Kingdom in May 1930 by Hodder and Stoughton and in the United States in November 1930 by The Crime Club. The story initially appeared in The Thriller, a British magazine, in 1929. Because of this somewhat convoluted publishing history, The Last Hero is occasionally cited as the second volume of adventures featuring the crime-busting antihero Simon Templar, alias The Saint, predating Enter the Saint. In fact, according to Charteris himself, it was the third book of the series. This is supported by references to the events of Enter the Saint within the novel.

<i>Featuring the Saint</i>

Featuring the Saint is a collection of three mystery novellas by Leslie Charteris, first published in the United Kingdom in February 1931 by Hodder and Stoughton. This was the fifth book to feature the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". It was the first novella collection to be published since Enter the Saint a year earlier. The three stories had previously been published in The Thriller magazine in the UK.

<i>Alias the Saint</i>

Alias the Saint is a collection of three mystery novellas by Leslie Charteris, first published in the United Kingdom in May 1931 by Hodder and Stoughton. This was the sixth book to feature the adventures of Simon Templar, also known as "The Saint". The three stories had previously been published in The Thriller magazine in the UK.

<i>The Holy Terror</i> (short story collection) 1932 collection of novellas by Leslie Charteris

The Holy Terror is a collection of three mystery novellas by Leslie Charteris, first published in the United Kingdom in May 1932 by Hodder and Stoughton. This was the eighth book to feature the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". When published in the United States for the first time, in September 1932, the title was changed to The Saint vs. Scotland Yard.

<i>Getaway</i> (The Saint)

Getaway is a mystery novel by Leslie Charteris first published in the United Kingdom in September 1932 by Hodder and Stoughton. This was the fifth full-length novel featuring the adventures of the modern day Robin Hood-inspired crimebuster Simon Templar, and the ninth Saint book published overall since 1928. When first published in the United States by The Crime Club in February 1933, the title was modified to The Saint's Getaway which was later adopted by future UK editions.

<i>Once More the Saint</i>

Once More the Saint is a collection of three interrelated mystery novellas by Leslie Charteris, first published in the United Kingdom by Hodder and Stoughton in January 1933. This was the tenth book to feature the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". The first American edition, published in May 1933, changed the title to The Saint and Mr. Teal, which was later adopted by UK editions of the book.

<i>The Brighter Buccaneer</i>

The Brighter Buccaneer is a collection of short stories by Leslie Charteris, first published in the United Kingdom by Hodder and Stoughton in June 1933. This was the eleventh book to feature the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". It was the first volume to make use of the short story format; previously Charteris had written either short novels or full-length novels featuring the character. This format would dominate the series during the late 1940s and through the 1950s.

<i>The Misfortunes of Mr. Teal</i>

The Misfortunes of Mr. Teal is a collection of three mystery novellas by Leslie Charteris, first published in the United Kingdom in May 1934 by Hodder and Stoughton and the United States by The Crime Club. The book was republished under two additional titles: The Saint in England and, as of 1952, The Saint in London.

<i>The Saint Goes On</i>

The Saint Goes On is a collection of three mystery novellas by Leslie Charteris, first published in the United Kingdom in November 1934 by Hodder and Stoughton and in the United States in May 1935 by The Crime Club. This book continues the adventures of Charteris' creation, Simon Templar, alias The Saint.

<i>Follow the Saint</i>

Follow the Saint is a collection of three mystery novellas by Leslie Charteris, featuring the criminal and crimefighter Simon Templar, alias The Saint. The collection was first published in 1938.

<i>The Happy Highwayman</i>

The Happy Highwayman is a collection of short stories by Leslie Charteris, first published in 1939 by Hodder and Stoughton in the United Kingdom and The Crime Club in the United States. This was the 21st book to feature the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". The 1963 Hodder and Stoughton paperback edition erroneously gives 1933 as the book's original publishing date, as does the 1958 Pan Books paperback.

<i>The Saint in Europe</i>

The Saint in Europe is a collection of short stories by Leslie Charteris, first published in 1953 by The Crime Club in the United States and in 1954 by Hodder and Stoughton in the United Kingdom. This was the 29th book to feature the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint", and it also marked a resumption of the book series after a five-year hiatus. The publication of this book also marked the 25th anniversary of the character.

<i>The Saints Vacation</i> 1941 British film

The Saint's Vacation is a 1941 adventure film produced by the British arm of RKO Pictures. The film stars Hugh Sinclair as Simon Templar, also known as "The Saint", a world-roving crimefighter who walks the fine edge of the law. This was the seventh of eight films in RKO's film series about the character created by Leslie Charteris. It was Sinclair's first appearance as Templar, having taken over the role from George Sanders, who then stepped into RKO's "Falcon" series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patricia Holm</span> Fictional character

Patricia Holm is the name of a fictional character who appeared in the novels and short stories of Leslie Charteris between 1928 and 1948. She was the on-again, off-again girlfriend and partner of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint", and shared a number of his adventures. In addition, by the mid-1930s, Holm and Templar shared the same flat in London, although they were unmarried. Although such co-habitation between unmarried partners is commonplace today, it was rare, shocking in the 1930s. The two also appeared to have a somewhat "open" relationship, with Holm accepting Templar's occasional dalliances with other women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claud Eustace Teal</span> Fictional character

Claud Eustace Teal is a fictional character who made many appearances in a series of novels, novellas and short stories by Leslie Charteris featuring The Saint, starting in 1929. A common spelling variation of his first name in reference works and websites is Claude, however in his works Charteris uses the spelling without the 'e'.

References

  1. ↑ Barer, Burl (1993). The Saint: A Complete History in Print, Radio, Film and Television, 1928-1992. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland. p. 31; 386. ISBN   0-7864-1680-7.
  2. ↑ Barer, Burl (1993). The Saint: A Complete History in Print, Radio, Film and Television, 1928-1992. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland. p. 31. ISBN   0-7864-1680-7.; this citation for this bullet only
  3. ↑ Lofts, W.O.G.; Adley, Derek (1971). The Saint and Leslie Charteris. London: Hutchinson Library Services. pp. 82–84.
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