Gentleman Thief (2001 film)

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Gentleman Thief
Genre Crime drama
Created byMatthew Graham
Based onthe stories by E.W. Hornung
Directed byJustin Hardy
Starring
ComposerChristian Vassie
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producer
  • Mal Young
ProducerVictoria Fea
CinematographyTim Palmer
EditorMichael Harrowes
Production companiesBravo Cable
BBC
Release
Original network BBC One
Original release24 June 2001 (2001-06-24)

Gentleman Thief is a 2001 British television film loosely based on the A. J. Raffles stories by E. W. Hornung. [1] It stars Nigel Havers as A. J. Raffles and Michael French as Ellis Bride, an original character who appears as Raffles's sidekick instead of Bunny Manders, Raffles's sidekick in Hornung's stories. [2] [3] It aired on 24 June 2001 on BBC One. [4]

Contents

Plot

Gentleman thief A.J. Raffles finds himself caught up in murder following the theft of a ruby.

Production

The television film was written by Matthew Graham and directed by Justin Hardy. The executive producer was Mal Young and the producer was Victoria Fea. The music was composed by Christian Vassie. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gentleman thief</span> Stock character; a sophisticated and well-mannered thief

A gentleman thief, gentleman burglar, lady thief, or phantom thief is a stock character in fiction. A gentleman or lady thief is characterised by impeccable manners, charm, courteousness, and the avoidance of physical force or intimidation to steal, and often has inherited wealth. They steal not only to gain material wealth but also for the thrill of the act itself, which is often combined in fiction with correcting a moral wrong, selecting wealthy targets, or stealing only particularly rare or challenging objects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raffles stories and adaptations</span> Fictional short story character

A. J. Raffles is a British fictional character – a cricketer and gentleman thief – created by E. W. Hornung. Between 1898 and 1909, Hornung wrote a series of 26 short stories, two plays, and a novel about Raffles and his fictional chronicler, Harry "Bunny" Manders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">E. W. Hornung</span> British writer

Ernest William Hornung was an English author and poet known for writing the A. J. Raffles series of stories about a gentleman thief in late 19th-century London. Hornung was educated at Uppingham School; as a result of poor health he left the school in December 1883 to travel to Sydney, where he stayed for two years. He drew on his Australian experiences as a background when he began writing, initially short stories and later novels.

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Raffles is a 1977 television series adapted from the A. J. Raffles stories by E. W. Hornung. The stories were adapted by Philip Mackie.

<i>Mr. Justice Raffles</i>

Mr. Justice Raffles is a 1909 novel written by E.W. Hornung. It featured his popular character A. J. Raffles a well-known cricketer and gentleman thief. It was the fourth and last in his four Raffles books which had begun with The Amateur Cracksman in 1899. The novel was published in the UK by Smith, Elder & Co., London, and in the US by Scribner's, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bunny Manders</span> Fictional companion to AJ Raffles

Harry Manders is a fictional character in the popular series of Raffles stories by E. W. Hornung. He is the companion of A. J. Raffles, a cricketer and gentleman thief, who makes a living robbing the rich in late Victorian British High Society.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Gift of the Emperor</span> Short story by E. W. Hornung

"The Gift of the Emperor" is a short story by E. W. Hornung, and features the gentleman thief A. J. Raffles, and his companion and biographer, Bunny Manders. The story was first published in October 1898 by Cassell's Magazine. The story was also included as the eight and last story in the collection The Amateur Cracksman, published by Methuen & Co. Ltd in London, and Charles Scribner's Sons in New York, both in 1899.

<i>The Black Mask</i>

The Black Mask is a 1901 short story collection by E. W. Hornung. It was published in the UK by Grant Richards, London, and in the US by Scribner's, New York under the title Raffles: Further Adventures of the Amateur Cracksman. It is the second collection of stories in Hornung's series concerning A. J. Raffles, a gentleman thief in late Victorian London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Trap to Catch a Cracksman</span> Short story by E. W. Hornung

"A Trap to Catch a Cracksman" is a short story by E. W. Hornung, and features the gentleman thief A. J. Raffles, and his companion and biographer, Bunny Manders. The story was published in July 1905 by Pall Mall Magazine in London. The story was also included as the seventh story in the collection A Thief in the Night, published by Chatto & Windus in London, and Charles Scribner's Sons in New York, both in 1905.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Criminologists' Club</span> Short story by E.W. Hornung

"The Criminologists' Club" is a short story by E. W. Hornung, and features the gentleman thief A. J. Raffles, and his companion and biographer, Bunny Manders. The story was published in March 1905 by Collier's Weekly in New York, and in April 1905 by Pall Mall Magazine in London. It was also included as the fourth story in the collection A Thief in the Night, published by Chatto & Windus in London, and Charles Scribner's Sons in New York, both in 1905.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A. J. Raffles (character)</span> Character in the works of E. W. Hornung

Arthur J. Raffles is a fictional character created in 1898 by E. W. Hornung, brother-in-law of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes. Raffles is, in many ways, an inversion of Holmes – he is a "gentleman thief", living at the Albany, a prestigious address in London, playing cricket as a gentleman for the Gentlemen of England and supporting himself by carrying out ingenious burglaries. He is called the "Amateur Cracksman" and often, at first, differentiates between him and the "professors" – professional criminals from the lower classes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Ides of March (short story)</span> Short story by E. W. Hornung

"The Ides of March" is a short story by E. W. Hornung, and the first appearance of the gentleman thief A. J. Raffles, and his companion and biographer, Bunny Manders. The story was first published in June 1898 by Cassell's Magazine. The story was also included in the collection The Amateur Cracksman, published by Methuen & Co. Ltd in London, and Charles Scribner's Sons in New York, both in 1899.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Costume Piece</span> Short story by E. W. Hornung

"A Costume Piece" is a short story by E. W. Hornung, and features the gentleman thief A. J. Raffles, and his companion and biographer, Bunny Manders. The story was first published in July 1898 by Cassell's Magazine. The story was also included in the collection The Amateur Cracksman, published by Methuen & Co. Ltd in London, and Charles Scribner's Sons in New York, both in 1899.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gentlemen and Players (short story)</span> Short story by E. W. Hornung

"Gentlemen and Players" is a short story by E. W. Hornung, and features the gentleman thief A. J. Raffles, and his companion and biographer, Bunny Manders. The story was first published in August 1898 by Cassell's Magazine. The story was also included in the collection The Amateur Cracksman, published by Methuen & Co. Ltd in London, and Charles Scribner's Sons in New York, both in 1899.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilful Murder (short story)</span> Short story by E. W. Hornung

"Wilful Murder" is a short story by E. W. Hornung, and features the gentleman thief A. J. Raffles, and his companion and biographer, Bunny Manders. The story was first published as the fifth part of the collection The Amateur Cracksman, published by Methuen & Co. Ltd in London, and Charles Scribner's Sons in New York, both in 1899. This and "Le Premier Pas" were the two stories in the collection not published previously in magazine format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Return Match</span> Short story by E. W. Hornung

"The Return Match" is a short story by E. W. Hornung, and features the gentleman thief A. J. Raffles, and his companion and biographer, Bunny Manders. The story was first published in October 1898 by Cassell's Magazine. The story was also included as the seventh story in the collection The Amateur Cracksman, published by Methuen & Co. Ltd in London, and Charles Scribner's Sons in New York, both in 1899.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">To Catch a Thief (short story)</span> Short story by E. W. Hornung

"To Catch a Thief" is a short story by E. W. Hornung, and features the gentleman thief A. J. Raffles, and his companion and biographer, Bunny Manders. The story was first published in Scribner's Magazine in May 1901. The story was also included as the fifth story in the collection The Black Mask, published by Grant Richards in London, and Charles Scribner's Sons in New York, both in 1901.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Out of Paradise</span> Short story by E. W. Hornung

"Out of Paradise" is a short story by E. W. Hornung, and features the gentleman thief A. J. Raffles, and his companion and biographer, Bunny Manders. The story was first published in December 1904 by Collier's Weekly in New York, and in January 1905 by Pall Mall Magazine in London. The story was also included as the first story in the collection A Thief in the Night, published by Chatto & Windus in London, and Charles Scribner's Sons in New York, both in 1905.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Chest of Silver</span> Short story by E. W. Hornung

"The Chest of Silver" is a short story by E. W. Hornung, and features the gentleman thief A. J. Raffles, and his companion and biographer, Bunny Manders. The story was published in January 1905 by Collier's Weekly in New York, and in February 1905 by Pall Mall Magazine in London. It was also included as the second story in the collection A Thief in the Night, published by Chatto & Windus in London, and Charles Scribner's Sons in New York, both in 1905.

<i>Raffles</i> (radio series)

Raffles is a British radio programme including eighteen episodes that first aired on BBC Radio 4 from 1985 to 1992, and an additional radio play that aired in 1993 on the BBC World Service. The series was directed by Gordon House and was based on the A. J. Raffles stories by author E. W. Hornung.

References

  1. "TV review". TheGuardian.com . 25 June 2001.
  2. Nancy Banks-Smith "Culture: 'Stealing the Show'" The Guardian June 24, 2001
  3. "BBC Four - Gentleman Thief".
  4. "Gentleman Thief". BBC Genome. BBC. 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  5. "Gentleman Thief (2001)". British Film Institute. BFI. 2020. Archived from the original on 7 March 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2020.