8 vintage heroes who deserve a modern revival
Joe Snodgrass
From old books to big bucks
Davy Jones, Oct 10, 2011
With the next Sherlock Holmes movie on the horizon, David looks at a
few other literary heroes that deserve a fresh chance on the big
screen…
Classic suspense heroes are getting a lot of Hollywood attention at
the moment. Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows will be released in
December, and Robert Downey Jr wants to similarly reinvent Perry
Mason, while Miss Marple will apparently turn into Jennifer Garner.
Meanwhile, The Saint, as played by James Purefoy, will return to the
small-screen in a TV movie called The Saint In New Orleans. With this
in mind, here are a few other classic characters that could be
similarly adapted.
Sexton Blake
Originally a Holmes pretender, this character evolved into a hybrid of
Holmes, James Bond and Indiana Jones, going on to become the most
documented fictional character in the history of the English language,
with over two thousand stories and novels published. Ostensibly a
private detective, with adolescent Tinker and greyhound Pedro as
sidekicks, and whizzing around in a Rolls Royce dubbed The Grey
Panther, Blake’s adventures took him everywhere, from the bustle of
London to the farthest reaches of Africa.
He faced villains every bit as fantastic as Spider-Man, including Mr
Mist (who, after being disfigured, discovers the secret of
invisibility), Waldo the Wonder-Man (who cannot feel pain, heat or
cold), Miss Death (who, with only six months to live, dons a mask and
goes on a killing spree), The Black Eagle (incarcerated on Devil’s
Island for 20 years for a crime he didn’t commit, but finally escapes
– with a grudge), George Marsden Plummer (a Scotland Yard detective
who doubles as a criminal mastermind), and many more.
The stories were just as action-oriented as any other contemporary
cinematic adventure, as Blake was customarily knocked on the head,
shot at, poisoned, drowned, gassed, knifed, ejected from planes,
hurled over cliffs, pushed in front of trains and, on one occasion,
almost rocketed to the moon.
Three movies were made in the 30s, and there were two TV series in the
late 60s and 70s. After that, the character who had risen to folk hero
status, who had been read in magazines, newspapers and novels, heard
on countless radio programs and seen in endless comic strips over a
period of 80 years, sadly disappeared.
Raffles
Created by Holmes author Arthur Conan Doyle’s brother-in-law, EW
Hornung, AJ Raffles was an ‘amateur cracksman’, a cricket-loving crook
who robbed from the rich, aided by his sidekick and batsman from the
Boer War, Bunny Manders, who narrated the stories and was forever
suffering from a heavy conscience during their adventures.
Six films were made, the first as early as 1905, and the last in 1939,
with David Niven in the role. Anthony Valentine played him in a 70s TV
series, with Nigel Havers taking the part for the series The Gentleman
Thief in 2001, with Michael French co-starring.
TV shows like Hustle (in Britain) and Leverage (in America) owe a lot
to this character. And what with the Ocean’s trilogy still in recent
memory, there’s obviously an appetite for Robin Hood-type thieves.
Bulldog Drummond
One of Ian Fleming’s influences for Bond, these novels by HC McNeile,
known under his pseudonym, Sapper, featured Captain Hugh ‘Bulldog’
Drummond, who after the First World War, gets bored with civilian life
and advertises himself as a kind of trouble shooter. His arch-enemy
was Carl Peterson, a Blofeld-style megalomaniac intent on causing
world havoc.
Twenty-five films were made from 1923 to 1968, and Drummond was played
by, among others, Ralph Richardson, Ronald Colman and Ray Milland.
The Toff
Created by John Creasey, who is often touted as the most prolific
mystery-adventure writer ever, The Toff was the Rt Honourable Richard
Rollison, similar to The Saint, who helped out the little man, saved
damsels in distress and got the bad girls. At the scene of a victory,
he would leave a calling card, a handkerchief with a drawing of a
match-stick man with a top hat and stick. Nearly 70 books were
published in Creasey’s lifetime. He also created many other
characters, including the hero-crook The Baron, who got his own TV
series in the 60s.
Richard Hannay
Hannay is the main character in The Thirty-Nine Steps, a novel which
is the template for countless action films and adventure novels, and
often cited as the very first espionage novel.
John Buchan’s character also appeared in four sequels, although it is
the first book, written in 1915, which has been indefatigably adapted
for both the small and big screens. A television series with Robert
Powell (who played the role in the 1978 remake) acted as a precursor
to the book, but as of yet, the four sequels have not been adapted.
Modesty Blaise
A former crime boss turned secret agent, Modesty was like a female
James Bond. Originally written for a comic strip, the character became
so successful that a film was made in 1966, from which was spawned a
popular series of novels. Quentin Tarantino held the rights for a
while, and the film was to star Reece Witherspoon, but faced with the
prospect of losing the rights to the character, Tarantino’s production
company was obliged to knock out a quick straight-to-DVD release in
2004 called My Name Is Modesty, an origin story set during the
heroin’s crime years.
If future films stay true to the stories – which had action aplenty –
and keep the sidekick of Willie Garvin and the M-like boss Sir Gerald
Tarrant, there could be a franchise here.
Philip Marlowe
The most iconic and laconic private detective in all fiction, Raymond
Chandler’s signature character has been played by Humphrey Bogart,
Robert Mitchum and others in the past. In 2007, it was reported that
Clive Owen was planning on playing the character in the Chandler title
Trouble Is My Business, which would be apparently set in the original
1940s setting. A series could certainly be built around this
character, but Marlowe shouldn’t be made to do too much action: less
was always more with this character.
Nick and Nora Charles
Dashiell Hammett’s characters from his novel The Thin Man were later
spun off into six tremendously successful films, a radio and
television series and a Broadway play. They’re a married couple who
exchange witty barbs while tracking down murderers. Get Bradley Cooper
and Katherine Heigl on this and – bang! – gentlemen, you have a
franchise.
Ted Nolan <tednolan>
Others for the list:
Doc Savage
Ellery Queen
The Shadow
--
------
columbiaclosings.com
What's not in Columbia anymore..
Patok
> The Modesty Blaise origin movie was not bad. "Small", but not bad.
>
> Others for the list:
>
> Doc Savage
> Ellery Queen
> The Shadow
Of the ones listed in the OP, I've only ever heard of Phillip Marlowe
- and didn't he have a relatively recent (~25 years) TV series? And
Ellery Queen. Doc Savage and The Shadow too, but they're daft - whoever
wants them? And if we're re-making recent things, why not Lord Peter Wimsey?
--
You'd be crazy to e-mail me with the crazy. But leave the div alone.
*
Whoever bans a book, shall be banished. Whoever burns a book, shall burn.
William
> With the next Sherlock Holmes movie on the horizon, David looks at a
> few other literary heroes that deserve a fresh chance on the big
> screen…
>
Jeez, louise, as much as I love Chandler and Hammett, isn't it time to
let their weary bones rest in peace? We need new heroes, not recycled
and anachronistic has-beens.
William
Ted Nolan <tednolan>
Patok <crazy.d...@gmail.com> wrote:
>Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
>> The Modesty Blaise origin movie was not bad. "Small", but not bad.
>>
>> Others for the list:
>>
>> Doc Savage
>> Ellery Queen
>> The Shadow
>
> Of the ones listed in the OP, I've only ever heard of Phillip Marlowe
>- and didn't he have a relatively recent (~25 years) TV series? And
>Ellery Queen. Doc Savage and The Shadow too, but they're daft - whoever
>wants them? And if we're re-making recent things, why not Lord Peter Wimsey?
>
Doc Savage had a very bad movie in the 1970s, nothing since. Ellery Queen
had a very good TV series also in the 1970s, nothing since.
As to who wants them, well: me. :-)
Bill Anderson
> Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
>> The Modesty Blaise origin movie was not bad. "Small", but not bad.
>>
>> Others for the list:
>>
>> Doc Savage
>> Ellery Queen
>> The Shadow
>
> Of the ones listed in the OP, I've only ever heard of Phillip Marlowe -
You've never heard of Nick and Nora Charles? And Asta? Seriously? I'm
not criticizing; I'm just astonished. I mean, there are dozens (maybe
more) of famous in their time celebrities/characters/acts that I have at
least heard of (Lily Langtry, Edwin Booth), and in many cases enjoyed
(Sherlock Holmes, John Carter, Captain Nemo, Laurel and Hardy, Charlie
Chaplin, Buster Keaton, The Marx Brothers, etc. etc.) and they all
predate Nick and Nora by decades.
"The Thin Man" is a contemporary story, isn't it? No? Seriously? I
believe my parents would say it is. But then my Mom thinks the last
great movie ever made is "The African Queen." OK, maybe "Sabrina."
Something with Humphrey Bogart, anyway. You've heard of him?
--
Bill Anderson
I am the Mighty Favog
nick
>
> http://tinyurl.com/5rrwc97
>
> Davy Jones, Oct 10, 2011
>
> With the next Sherlock Holmes movie on the horizon, David looks at a
> few other literary heroes that deserve a fresh chance on the big
> screen…
>
>
>
> Created by Holmes author Arthur Conan Doyle’s brother-in-law, EW
> Hornung, AJ Raffles was an ‘amateur cracksman’, a cricket-loving crook
> who robbed from the rich, aided by his sidekick and batsman from the
> Boer War, Bunny Manders, who narrated the stories and was forever
> suffering from a heavy conscience during their adventures.
>
Steve Hayes
wrote:
>With the next Sherlock Holmes movie on the horizon, David looks at a
>few other literary heroes that deserve a fresh chance on the big
>screen�
What about Biggles, Worrals and Gimlet?
http://www.wejohns.com/Worrals/
--
Steve Hayes
Web: http://hayesfam.bravehost.com/litmain.htm
http://www.goodreads.com/hayesstw
http://www.bookcrossing.com/mybookshelf/Methodius
M J Carley
Joe Snodgrass <joe....@yahoo.com> wrote:
>Raffles
>Created by Holmes author Arthur Conan Doyle�s brother-in-law, EW
>Hornung, AJ Raffles was an �amateur cracksman�, a cricket-loving
>crook who robbed from the rich, aided by his sidekick and batsman
>from the Boer War, Bunny Manders, who narrated the stories and was
>forever suffering from a heavy conscience during their adventures.
`Batsman'? I think not.
--
`To tell the truth, let us be honest at least, it is some considerable
time since I last knew what I was talking about.'
Joe Snodgrass
> The Modesty Blaise origin movie was not bad. "Small", but not bad.
>
> Others for the list:
>
> Doc Savage
> Ellery Queen
> The Shadow
Sam Spade.
Bill Anderson
> In article<a8ee00fb-3efe-421e...@x25g2000yqb.googlegroups.com>,
> Joe Snodgrass<joe....@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>> Raffles
>
>> Created by Holmes author Arthur Conan Doyle’s brother-in-law, EW
>> Hornung, AJ Raffles was an ‘amateur cracksman’, a cricket-loving
>> crook who robbed from the rich, aided by his sidekick and batsman
>>from the Boer War, Bunny Manders, who narrated the stories and was
>> forever suffering from a heavy conscience during their adventures.
>
> `Batsman'? I think not.
Patok
> On 10/13/2011 1:27 PM, Patok wrote:
>> Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
>>>
>>> The Modesty Blaise origin movie was not bad. "Small", but not bad.
>>>
>>> Others for the list:
>>>
>>> Doc Savage
>>> Ellery Queen
>>> The Shadow
>>
>> Of the ones listed in the OP, I've only ever heard of Phillip Marlowe -
>
> You've never heard of Nick and Nora Charles? And Asta? Seriously? I'm
> not criticizing; I'm just astonished.
Iron Curtain, and the cultural background was vastly different, and not
only because of communism. The entire set of popular heroes - both
action, and children's - were quite different. Do you know, for example,
who Old Shatterhand is? Karlson who lives on the roof? :)
Of the ones mentioned so far, I had read indeed only Marlowe and Queen.
nick
> Bill Anderson wrote:
> > On 10/13/2011 1:27 PM, Patok wrote:
> >> Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
>
> >>> The Modesty Blaise origin movie was not bad. "Small", but not bad.
>
> >>> Others for the list:
>
> >>> Doc Savage
> >>> Ellery Queen
> >>> The Shadow
>
> >> Of the ones listed in the OP, I've only ever heard of Phillip Marlowe -
>
> > You've never heard of Nick and Nora Charles? And Asta? Seriously? I'm
> > not criticizing; I'm just astonished.
>
> Seriously. :) But the explanation is simple - I grew up behind the
> Iron Curtain, and the cultural background was vastly different, and not
> only because of communism. The entire set of popular heroes - both
> action, and children's - were quite different. Do you know, for example,
> who Old Shatterhand is? Karlson who lives on the roof? :)
>
make a great franchise horror villain.
Bill Anderson
> Bill Anderson wrote:
>> On 10/13/2011 1:27 PM, Patok wrote:
>>> Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> The Modesty Blaise origin movie was not bad. "Small", but not bad.
>>>>
>>>> Others for the list:
>>>>
>>>> Doc Savage
>>>> Ellery Queen
>>>> The Shadow
>>>
>>> Of the ones listed in the OP, I've only ever heard of Phillip Marlowe -
>>
>> You've never heard of Nick and Nora Charles? And Asta? Seriously? I'm
>> not criticizing; I'm just astonished.
>
> Seriously. :) But the explanation is simple - I grew up behind the Iron
> Curtain, and the cultural background was vastly different, and not only
> because of communism. The entire set of popular heroes - both action,
> and children's - were quite different. Do you know, for example, who Old
> Shatterhand is? Karlson who lives on the roof? :)
>
fan doesn't love "The Desperado Trail?" (Not being a Lex Barker fan
myself, I'm just asking...)
Ronald O. Christian
>
>The most iconic and laconic private detective in all fiction, Raymond
>Chandler’s signature character has been played by Humphrey Bogart,
>Robert Mitchum and others in the past. In 2007, it was reported that
>Clive Owen was planning on playing the character in the Chandler title
>Trouble Is My Business, which would be apparently set in the original
>1940s setting. A series could certainly be built around this
>character, but Marlowe shouldn’t be made to do too much action: less
>was always more with this character.
collection of short stories. I would look forward to Marlowe
appearing on the big screen again, provided it was true to the
material and well written, but I wonder why that book.
Ron
-
2003 FLHTCUI "Noisy Glide"
http://www.christianfamilywebsite.com
http://www.ronaldchristian.com
Ronald O. Christian
wrote:
>> not criticizing; I'm just astonished.
>
> Seriously. :) But the explanation is simple - I grew up behind the
>Iron Curtain, and the cultural background was vastly different, and not
>only because of communism. The entire set of popular heroes - both
>action, and children's - were quite different. Do you know, for example,
>who Old Shatterhand is? Karlson who lives on the roof? :)
>
> Of the ones mentioned so far, I had read indeed only Marlowe and Queen.
have no idea.
But seriously, welcome to America. You have a lot of very good movies
ahead of you. :-) Start with The Thin Man, then The Maltese Falcon,
Casablanca, oh, I could go on and on.
Ronald O. Christian
Joe Snodgrass
The original villain from "You Only Live Twice."
William
> But wasn't Spade only in one novel?
>
of Sam Spade" that had hundreds of half-hour episodes.
William
George
>On Fri, 14 Oct 2011 13:56:36 -0700 (PDT), Joe Snodgrass
><joe....@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>>On Oct 13, 1:00 pm, t...@loft.tnolan.com (Ted Nolan <tednolan>) wrote:
>>> The Modesty Blaise origin movie was not bad. "Small", but not bad.
>>>
>>> Others for the list:
>>>
>>> Doc Savage
>>> Ellery Queen
>>> The Shadow
>>
>>Sam Spade.
>
>But wasn't Spade only in one novel?
http://www.amazon.com/Spade-Archer-Prequel-Dashiell-Hammetts/dp/0307277062/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318726682&sr=8-1
(mind the wrap)
--
George Ruch
"Is there life in Clovis after Clovis Man?"
Will Dockery
>
> http://tinyurl.com/5rrwc97
>
> Davy Jones, Oct 10, 2011
>
> With the next Sherlock Holmes movie on the horizon, David looks at a
> few other literary heroes that deserve a fresh chance on the big
> screen…
>
> Classic suspense heroes are getting a lot of Hollywood attention at
> the moment. Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows will be released in
> December, and Robert Downey Jr wants to similarly reinvent Perry
> Mason, while Miss Marple will apparently turn into Jennifer Garner.
>
> Meanwhile, The Saint, as played by James Purefoy, will return to the
> small-screen in a TV movie called The Saint In New Orleans. With this
> in mind, here are a few other classic characters that could be
> similarly adapted.
>
> Sexton Blake
>
> Originally a Holmes pretender, this character evolved into a hybrid of
> Holmes, James Bond and Indiana Jones, going on to become the most
> documented fictional character in the history of the English language,
> with over two thousand stories and novels published.
except Sexton Blake rings no bells, and I'm fairly well versed in pulp
fiction... could he have really been this popular to be so completely
obscure now?
Ostensibly a
> private detective, with adolescent Tinker and greyhound Pedro as
> sidekicks, and whizzing around in a Rolls Royce dubbed The Grey
> Panther, Blake’s adventures took him everywhere, from the bustle of
> London to the farthest reaches of Africa.
>
> He faced villains every bit as fantastic as Spider-Man, including Mr
> Mist (who, after being disfigured, discovers the secret of
> invisibility), Waldo the Wonder-Man (who cannot feel pain, heat or
> cold), Miss Death (who, with only six months to live, dons a mask and
> goes on a killing spree), The Black Eagle (incarcerated on Devil’s
> Island for 20 years for a crime he didn’t commit, but finally escapes
> – with a grudge), George Marsden Plummer (a Scotland Yard detective
> who doubles as a criminal mastermind), and many more.
>
> The stories were just as action-oriented as any other contemporary
> cinematic adventure, as Blake was customarily knocked on the head,
> shot at, poisoned, drowned, gassed, knifed, ejected from planes,
> hurled over cliffs, pushed in front of trains and, on one occasion,
> almost rocketed to the moon.
>
> Three movies were made in the 30s, and there were two TV series in the
> late 60s and 70s. After that, the character who had risen to folk hero
> status, who had been read in magazines, newspapers and novels, heard
> on countless radio programs and seen in endless comic strips over a
> period of 80 years, sadly disappeared.
Steve Hayes
<will.d...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Sexton Blake
>>
>> Originally a Holmes pretender, this character evolved into a hybrid of
>> Holmes, James Bond and Indiana Jones, going on to become the most
>> documented fictional character in the history of the English language,
>> with over two thousand stories and novels published.
>
>What? I had dimly remembered most of the characters on this list,
>except Sexton Blake rings no bells, and I'm fairly well versed in pulp
>fiction... could he have really been this popular to be so completely
>obscure now?
remember reading any of them.
I picture a 1930s character with slicked down hair and a pipe in his mouth.
Bill Steele
<a8ee00fb-3efe-421e...@x25g2000yqb.googlegroups.com>,
Joe Snodgrass <joe....@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> Created by John Creasey, who is often touted as the most prolific
> mystery-adventure writer ever, The Toff was the Rt Honourable Richard
> Rollison, similar to The Saint, who helped out the little man, saved
> damsels in distress and got the bad girls. At the scene of a victory,
> he would leave a calling card, a handkerchief with a drawing of a
> match-stick man with a top hat and stick.
Pete
>In article <a8ee00fb-3efe-421e...@x25g2000yqb.googlegroups.com>,
>Joe Snodgrass <joe....@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>>Raffles
>
>>Created by Holmes author Arthur Conan Doyle’s brother-in-law, EW
>>Hornung, AJ Raffles was an ‘amateur cracksman’, a cricket-loving
>>crook who robbed from the rich, aided by his sidekick and batsman
>>from the Boer War, Bunny Manders, who narrated the stories and was
>>forever suffering from a heavy conscience during their adventures.
>
>`Batsman'? I think not.
modern eyes... (:-))
[Had sudden curiosity, so I looked it up in the OED: "Someone who looked
after a (military officer's) baggage animal" Huh? I'd have thought
flying mammals would be much too small...]
-- Pete --
Patok
Patok
> On Fri, 14 Oct 2011 17:59:15 -0400, Patok <crazy.d...@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>>> You've never heard of Nick and Nora Charles? And Asta? Seriously? I'm
>>> not criticizing; I'm just astonished.
>> Seriously. :) But the explanation is simple - I grew up behind the
>> Iron Curtain, and the cultural background was vastly different, and not
>> only because of communism. The entire set of popular heroes - both
>> action, and children's - were quite different. Do you know, for example,
>> who Old Shatterhand is? Karlson who lives on the roof? :)
>>
>> Of the ones mentioned so far, I had read indeed only Marlowe and Queen.
>
> Old Shatterhand... German written Westerns, weren't they? The other I
> have no idea.
against the vile, treacherous and scheming Anglos. Old Shatterhand is,
of course, German. :)
Since this goes to the books froup too, I'll give some cultural
background. This summer, there was a TV show in Bulgaria where the
reading public got to vote for their favorite children's book. The top
10 were:
1. Pippi Longstocking (Astrid Lindgren)
2. Harry Potter (Joan Rowling)
3. Misfortuner's kingdom (Ran Bosilek - this one is Bulgarian, and the
title translation is very approximate)
4. Vinnie the Pooh (A.A. Milne)
5. Emil of Lönneberga (Astrid Lindgren)
6. The Little Prince (Saint-Exupéry)
7. Twilight (Stephenie Meyer)
8. Yan Bibiyan (Elin Pelin - this is the second BG book in the top 10.
Both of them were written and published before 1935.)
9. Karlsson-on-the-Roof (Astrid Lindgren)
10. Alice in Wonderland (Lewis Carrol)
> But seriously, welcome to America. You have a lot of very good movies
> ahead of you. :-) Start with The Thin Man, then The Maltese Falcon,
> Casablanca, oh, I could go on and on.
checked, no. I was thinking of "The Sea Hawk". I have read things by
Hammet, but it is not my kind of literature; I remember very little of it.