Doctor Syn Returns is the third in the series of Doctor Syn novels by Russell Thorndike. Published in 1935, it follows Doctor Syn on the High Seas and is followed by Further Adventures of Doctor Syn . It tells the story of Syn, who has tired of piracy, trying to settle down as the vicar of the little town of Dymchurch in Kent, England.
In 1775, Syn's attempt to live an obscure life fails when he is drawn into the local smuggling trade. To protect his parishioners from the agents of the King's Revenue, Syn becomes the masked Scarecrow of Romney Marsh and becomes leader of the smugglers.
"A triumph in its own particular class," said The Daily Mirror. It received favorable reviews. The Daily Herald entreated Thorndike to write more novels. The Sunday Times noted that it had stylistic elements that were more graceful than most thrillers. The Observer singled out the gruesome cockroach death as particularly memorable. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]
Reviewing the US version of the novel for the New York Tribune, humorist Will Cuppy described it as old-fashioned and out of step with current trends in adventure novels, but nonetheless enjoyable. The New York Times likewise reviewed it favorably as very entertaining, with an improbable plot made less so by comparing it to the antics of contemporary Prohibition smugglers. [9] [10]
Originally published by Rich and Cowan in early 1935, it was also serialized in The Daily Herald that November. [11]
An expanded version of the novel was published in the United States in 1935 by The Dial Press. It was retiled The Scarecrow Rides. [12]
It has been reprinted many times in both hardcover and paperback editions, including by Cherry Tree Books (1938), Arrow Books (1959), Panther (1964), Jarrolds (1966), Ballantine Books (1974) and other more recent small presses.
In 1944 a "Battle of Britain" adaptation of Thorndike's novel was announced with the title Originally Syn, written by Thorndike and Emma Treckman, though it did not tour as planned. [13] [14]
Three years later, The Return of Doctor Syn by Russell Thorndike and Emma Treckman premiered at the Theatre Royal in Windsor on 17 November, 1947 for a short run. The cast included Thorndike as Christopher Syn, with Diana Calderwood, Ruth Goddard as Lady Caroline, Desmond Keith as Sir Anthony Cobtree. It was directed by John Counsell. Set in 1775, the plot follows the novel of Doctor Syn Returns. The Stage praised the production's acting and design, with appreciation for the dramatic spectacle, though noted that "pruning is needed." [15]
In 2006, an abridged version of the novel was broadcast on BBC Radio 4. Comprising half of a ten-part series titled Doctor Syn, it was read by Rufus Sewell. [16]
The Reverend Doctor Christopher Syn is the smuggler hero of a series of novels by Russell Thorndike. The first book, Doctor Syn: A Tale of the Romney Marsh was published in 1915. The story idea came from legendary coastal smuggling in the 18th century around well-known Romney Marsh, where brandy and tobacco were brought in at night by boat from France to avoid the tax. Minor battles were fought, sometimes at night, between gangs of smugglers, such as the Hawkhurst Gang, and His Majesty's Customs and Excise / Revenue, supported by the British Army, Royal Navy and local militias in the counties of the South Kent and Sussex.
Romney Marsh is a sparsely populated wetland area in the counties of Kent and East Sussex in the south-east of England. It covers about 100 square miles (260 km2). The Marsh has been in use for centuries, though its inhabitants commonly suffered from malaria until the 18th century. Due to its location, geography and isolation, it was important for smugglers between the 17th and 19th centuries. The area has long been used for sheep pasture: Romney Marsh sheep are considered one of the most successful and important sheep breeds. Featuring numerous waterways, and with some areas lying below sea level, the Marsh has over time sustained a gradual level of reclamation, both through natural causes and by human intervention.
Rye is a town and civil parish in the Rother district of East Sussex, England, two miles from the sea at the confluence of three rivers: the Rother, the Tillingham and the Brede. An important member of the mediaeval Cinque Ports confederation, it was at the head of an embayment of the English Channel, and almost entirely surrounded by the sea.
Doctor Syn on the High Seas is the second in the series of Doctor Syn novels by Russell Thorndike. Published in 1936, it is chronologically the first novel in the series, followed by Doctor Syn Returns, though it was the fourth in terms of publication.
The Further Adventures of Doctor Syn is the fourth in the series of Doctor Syn novels by Russell Thorndike. Published in 1936, it follows the events of Doctor Syn Returns and is followed by Amazing Quest of Doctor Syn.
The Courageous Exploits of Doctor Syn is the sixth in the series of Doctor Syn novels by Russell Thorndike. Published in 1939, it follows the events of Amazing Quest of Doctor Syn and is followed by Shadow of Doctor Syn.
Amazing Quest of Doctor Syn is the fifth in the series of Doctor Syn novels by Russell Thorndike. Published in 1938, it follows the events of Further Adventures of Doctor Syn and is followed by Courageous Exploits of Doctor Syn. It was dedicated to actor George Arliss, who had starred in a feature film adaptation of the first novel a year prior.
Shadow of Doctor Syn is the seventh and last in the series of Doctor Syn novels by Russell Thorndike. Published in 1944, it follows the events of Amazing Quest of Doctor Syn. Though it is the last book written in the series it acts as a prequel for the first novel. Thorndike dedicated it to Emma Treckman, with whom he co-wrote the stage play The Return of Doctor Syn.
William Jacob Cuppy was an American humorist and literary critic, known for his satirical books about nature and historical figures.
Dymchurch is a village and civil parish in the Folkestone and Hythe district of Kent, England. The village is located on the coast five miles (8 km) south-west of Hythe, and on the Romney Marsh.
Lympne, formerly also Lymne, is a village on the former shallow-gradient sea cliffs above the expansive agricultural plain of Romney Marsh in Kent. The settlement forms an L shape stretching from Port Lympne Zoo via Lympne Castle facing Lympne Industrial Park then via the main settlement to Newingreen in the north, centred 11 km (7 mi) west of Folkestone, 2.3 mi (3.7 km) west of Hythe and 13 km (8.1 mi) ESE of Ashford.
A scarecrow is a decoy used to discourage birds from disturbing crops.
Soldier of Fortune is a 1955 DeLuxe Color adventure film in CinemaScope about the rescue of an American prisoner in the People's Republic of China in the 1950s. It was directed by Edward Dmytryk, starred Clark Gable and Susan Hayward, and was written by Ernest K. Gann based on his 1954 novel.
Arthur Russell Thorndike was a British actor and novelist, best known for the Doctor Syn of Romney Marsh novels. Less well-known than his sister Sybil but equally versatile, Russell Thorndike's first love was writing and, after serving in World War I, he devoted himself to it.
Captain Clegg is a 1962 British adventure horror film directed by Peter Graham Scott and starring Peter Cushing, Yvonne Romain, Patrick Allen, and Oliver Reed. It produced by John Temple-Smith for Hammer Film Productions. It is loosely based on the Doctor Syn character created by Russell Thorndike.
Ronald Alfred Shiner was a British stand-up comedian and comedy actor whose career encompassed film, West End theatre and music hall.
When in Rome is a detective novel by Ngaio Marsh; it is the twenty-sixth novel to feature Roderick Alleyn, and was first published in 1970.
Doctor Syn is a 1937 British black-and-white historical dramatic adventure film, directed by Roy William Neill for Gainsborough Pictures. It stars George Arliss, Margaret Lockwood, Graham Moffatt, and Ronald Shiner. The film is based on the Doctor Syn novels of Russell Thorndike, set in 18th-century Kent. The character of Syn and the events at the film's climax were both softened considerably in comparison to Thorndike's original storyline.
The Master of the Macabre is a novel by Russell Thorndike. First published in 1947 by Rich & Cowan, it was critically well-received and was his penultimate novel. It consists of a series of short stories woven together by a framing mechanism.
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