markvv
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Le Saint contre les cagoules grises (1959)
On another forum the honourable Ian ****erson mentioned that Leslie Charteris would have liked to seen this particular book translated into the English language. This story however has seen some sort of publication in the English language, namely in the Herlad trib. comic strips. Therefor it has some kinship with the Saint in Pursuit (okt 1970) which was also based upon such an origin.
The story:
In a foggy England a terror reigns by a gang that strikes only with strong a fog. They are dressed in grey habits and seem to be able to see in the strong fog, and are able to appear and dissapear at will. Seem to be very well organised with a military precision.
The boss of Scotland Yard gets Sir Archibald gets a lot of pressure form the cabinet to solve these baffling crimes but can't seem to get a grip. Then he asks a retired police intendant from Faversham to come back into service in order to bring this gang of grey habits to justice.
C.E. Teal coming from retirement is happy to solve this series of crimes. Allthough he's happy that his old nemesis Simon Templar hasn't been seen in England for quite a while leaving him to his own business.
The leader of the gang is a certain retired colonel Graw who lives in an estate by the name of Greyfriars, and during the war he'd been in charge of some secret gadget department, but had been relieved of duty been too outspoken for the good of the army.
Greyfriars is habited by him, his lovely cousin Nancy and his aide de camp Dogett. Inside the very well closed park he's got two guardpanthers Satan and Jesabel who are meant to keep the folks out.
The whole story gets rolling when Teal receives the telegram: Templar by plane to England, flight 510.
Teal greets Templar at the airport, to the great pleasure of the Saint who is once more up for another round of tease the Teal.And Claude Eustace warns the saint off who offers him a bet.
The Saint gets on the trail fairly simple and uses the nom de guerre of Chris Monte (an adaption from his Count of Christamonte, which would amuse a certain Alexander Dumas to no end) and starts up a friendship with the stepdaughter of Colonel Graw. Which leads to an showdown in the end at Greyfriars with the Saint once more offering Teal the bad guy on a platter.
This story with it's foggy England, mysterious manor with secret tunnel and guarded by black panhers and displeased military man, special glasses to see in the fog is more an Edgar Wallace story than it is a Saint story. And that includes the lovely title. But then again Wallace did write some lovely adventure stories with hero's not unlike the Saint. Very little action untill the end with a showdown with all concerned.
Since I do like Edgar Wallace I found this little story very amusing, and any story with the Saint and Teal is fine by me. allthough the interaction in this story between them is a little mellow, Teal seems to know better then before that the Saint fights criminals and lets himself be lead to the evil mastermind and boodle.
My favorite alias of the Saint this time is Sebastian Tombe, tradesman, Rue de Caveau, La Fosse, Canada.
I've not read this book in French but in his Dutch translation: De Saint en de grijze pijen, translated by it regular translator Havank. Who also had his own bookseries about a excentric policeofficer of Interpol with the alias The Shadow (nothing in common with the radioplay and hero with the haunting laugh). And in his own adventures does mention that his hero had skill with throwingknives not unlike an English freebooter Templar whom he had met a few times. I always thought that to be a funny little joke. Makes me wonder what Leslie Charteris would have thought about this.
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23/Oct/04, 12:00 pm
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Hoppy
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Re: Le Saint contre les cagoules grises (1959)
Never realised I has such an offensive surname!
Hoppy
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24/Oct/04, 12:31 am
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