Download these highlights and all our programmes via the iplayer radio app. It was adapted into films made in 1966, 1982, and 2003 and a series of novels. Lauren henderson, author, chained and dead white female these books are the finest escapist thrillers ever written. The individual story introductions are absent from books 27 and 29. Daphne alexander daphne alexander shines as modesty blaise.
There is some continuity between the books and they are best read in the order below. The strip follows the adventures of modesty blaise, an exceptional young woman with many talents and a criminal past, and her trusty sidekick willie garvin. Starring daphne alexander who was given a modesty makeover for the serials pr shots the drama airs monday to friday in the 10. This blog is a companion to the modesty blaise books website, and replaces the news page. Modesty blaise was part of the new wave of sixties female action heroines and worth seeking out if you like your style icons of the highkicking variety. Daphne may be familiar to tv viewers for her role as nurse nadia in casualty in 2007. Radio 4s 15minute drama on modesty blaise is silly but so refreshingly dated. The actress playing modesty is daphne alexander pictured above, and is. See more ideas about pulp fiction, pulp art and pulp fiction art. Synopsis modesty blaise and willie garvin must foil a multi million pound diamond heist. A taste for death odonnell novel project gutenberg. About the author peter odonnell created modesty blaise as a strip cartoon that was syndicated in more than 42 countries.
This blog is a companion to the modesty blaise books. Discover titans range of modesty blaise collections, each packed with incredible bonus materials and beautifully restored strip. Buy modesty blaise by peter odonnell online at alibris. It does not take long for modesty once more played by daphne alexander, an actress with a voice so sexy it should have a health warning attached for dirty old men like me to realise that sir gerald has been. Oct 20, 2012 the 1960s crimefighting icon modesty blaise is making her return as this december bbc radio 4 will be serialising the peter odonnell novel a taste for death. I just wanted to thank youand congratulate for having written the modesty blaise books. Daphne jokes that like the character she is playing they can both kill a man with two blows, so dont run into her in a dark alley.
Not the newspaper strips, comics, or graphic novels. Daphne rose to fame in bbc casualty and features like the fourth kind. A bbc radio adaptation by stef penney of peter odonnells very first modesty blaise novel. Modesty started life in 1963 as a strip cartoon in the london evening standard. Chance book 28, and daphne alexander and kate mcall book 30, most books include articles about. Film history from an alternate universe the modesty blaise film series, currently celebrating its 50 th anniversary, has left an indelible mark on the british film landscape. I read them all for the second time recently when laid low by a very depressing bout of flu, and im sure they did quite as much as the doctor did to put me on my feet again. The first of the novels followed three years later. Created by author peter odonnell in the 1960s, first as a comic strip heroine and then more fully developed in a series of novels, she is often referred to as a female james bond. This year celebrates 50 years since the fantastic modesty blaise graphic novel first appeared in the evening standard. This time around modesty s knife weilding cockney sidekick, willie garvin, is played by kill list star neil maskell. The times before buffy, before charlies angels, before purdy and emma peel there was modesty blaise. Any modesty fans going to the london comic con might be interested to see it. Ongoing bbc radio 4 series directed by kate mcall and adapted for radio by stef penney, based on novels by peter o donnell.
Modesty blaise is a female action hero who has been featured in comic strips, novels, short story collections, graphic novels and three films. The modesty blaise book series by peter odonnell includes books modesty blaise, sabretooth, i, lucifer, and several more. Order of modesty blaise books modesty blaise is a fictional character created by british novelist and comic strip writer peter odonnell. Daphne alexander and alun armstrong returned as modesty and sir gerald tarrant in a fiveepisode adaptation of the original novel modesty blaise on bbc radio 4 originally broadcast 1620 june 2014, again adapted by stef penney and produceddirected by kate mcall. This time around modestys knife weilding cockney sidekick, willie garvin, is played by kill list star neil maskell.
This is the first novel in the series, and introduces the setting and most of the main characters. The complete series list for modesty blaise titan graphic novels peter odonnell. Get cozy and expand your home library with a large online selection of books at. Just celebrity caught up with beautiful actress daphne alexander, to talk to her about her role as the female james bond modesty blaise, for a bbc radio play. As well as an introduction to each story by peter odonnell books 1 to 16, lawrence blackmore books 17 to 24, simon ward book 25, rick norwood book 26, rebecca chance book 28, and daphne alexander and kate mcall book 30, most books include articles about the series. Daphne alexander plays modesty in radio 4s adaptation of a. Organized crime leader, assassin, private investigator, seductress, modesty blaise bore several titles during her comic strip debut by peter odonnell in 1963.
Modesty blaise titan graphic novels series in order. Now shes starring in 15minute radio dramas from the bbc. The strip follows modesty blaise, an exceptional young woman with many talents and a criminal past, and her trusty sidekick willie garvin. Infallible supercriminals modesty blaise and her lethally charming, compulsively platonic, equally adept partner willie garvin gained fearsome reputations heading underworld gang the network. Cooler than the pretentious james bond, tougher than the braindead mike hammer. Modesty blaise tpb 19811986 first american edition. Modesty blaise has been called the female james bond but shes much more interesting than that. This psychedelically inventive 1966 spy spoof, adapted from a british comic strip and directed by joseph losey, suggests the cinematic fireworks of an. Modesty blaise is a british comic strip featuring a fictional character of the same name, created by author peter odonnell and illustrator jim holdaway in 1963. In this dramatisation by stef penney for radio 4s 15minute drama slot, modesty played deliciously by daphne alexander gets caught up in a plot to kidnap a british intelligence officer while on holiday in the south of france where else. Written by peter odonnell with art by jim holdaway. May 16, 20 this year celebrates 50 years since the fantastic modesty blaise graphic novel first appeared in the evening standard. This comic strip follows the life of modesty blaise, whos a remarkable young woman whos very talented but has a criminal history.
Adventurer, spy, smuggler, racketeer and allround bad girl, modesty blaise, was the creation of bestselling author peter odonnell. For almost 40 years, peter odonnells iconic heroine dropkicked her way through a swath of villains and into a unique place in. With her expertise in martial arts and unusual weapons, the ability to speak several languages and her liking for fast cars, twentysomething modesty became a female icon long before the likes of emma peel, lara croft, or buffy. It does not take long for modesty once more played by daphne alexander, an actress with a voice so sexy it should have a health warning attached for dirty old men like me to realise that sir gerald has been kidnapped. Daphne alexander plays modesty in radio 4s adaptation of a taste for death. Sir geralds car is found smashed to pieces at the bottom of the ravine. Daphne alexander as modesty blaise, carl prekopp as willie garvin, alun armstrong as sir gerald, sam dale as delicata, samantha dakin as dinah, geoffrey streatfeild as steve collier told in 5 episodes from monday, dec 17 2012 to friday, dec 21 2012 on bbc4. The strip led to a series of novels about modesty and her faithful. Modesty blaise started life as a cartoon strip, but odonnell then put his creation into novel form, and did a superb job in both formats. Glamorous, intelligent, rich and very, very cool, modesty blaise has been called the female james bond but shes much more interesting than that. It argues that the character and her stories offer multiple, liminal spaces for investigating and challenging ideas about gender, nation and class. It was adapted into films in 1966, 1982, and 2003, and from 1965 onwards eleven novels and two.
I learned of modesty blaise when reading the psychology of the girl with the dragon tatoo by robin s. Oct 18, 2012 daphne alexander is set to play modesty blaise in an adaptation of the novel a taste for death, to be serialised on radio 4 in december. The 1960s crimefighting icon modesty blaise is making her return as this december bbc radio 4 will be serialising the peter odonnell novel a taste for death. If one person stumbles across this adaptation and goes out to buy one of the books for the first time. Blockbuster derringdo and the perfect postprandial tonic 910. This article examines the figure of modesty blaise as an action heroine in the canon of british espionage texts. Modesty blaise daphne alexander willie garvin carl prekopp sir gerald tarrant alun armstrong simon delicata sam dale steve collier geoffrey streatfeild dinah pilgrim samantha dakin mcwhirter alex fearns skeet lowry jeff mash sir howard presteign nigel anthony. May 30, 2014 former casualty star and downright stunner daphne alexander returns to the role of modesty and is joined once again by veteran actor alun armstrong as sir gerald tarrant and former eastender alex ferns as mcwhirter. Actress daphne alexander gets her modesty blaise makeover. Million dollar game, by peter odonnell and enric badia romero titan books, 2011. Daphne alexander shines as modesty blaise daphne alexander. Bbc radio 4 15 minute drama, modesty blaise a taste. This was the first novel to feature the character of modesty blaise and her righthandman, willie garvin.
Modesty blaise in this 1966 movie monica vitti stars as the worlds deadliest female agent modesty blaise in a spy spoof based on peter odonnells comic strip. Rosenberg who mentions stieg larson was a big fan of the modesty books. Aug 11, 2005 synopsis modesty blaise and willie garvin must foil a multi million pound diamond heist. Photo shoot daphne alexander, the actress who voiced modesty blaise in the recent bbc radio plays. It also addresses the current landscape of actionadventure films at a time when there are increased calls for more femalecentric. Former casualty star and downright stunner daphne alexander returns to the role of modesty and is joined once again by veteran actor alun armstrong as sir gerald tarrant and former eastender alex ferns as mcwhirter. World heritage encyclopedia, the aggregation of the largest online encyclopedias available. The rumour is that someone is planning to steal a huge consignment of diamonds diamonds being traded for an oil. Modesty and willie have been hired by a british secret service organisation to foil a plot. The series of books all written by odonnell ran concurrently with the comic strip until 1996 the comic strip ran until 2001. With her expertise in martial arts and unusual weapons, the ability to speak several languages and her liking for fast cars, twentysomething modesty became a female. Modesty blaise the young mistress by peter odonnell, 9781781167090, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Modesty is a tough, brilliant and beautiful woman along the lines of the avengers mrs. See the complete modesty blaise series book list in order, box sets or omnibus editions, and companion titles.
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