rara-avis@icomm.ca wrote:
> I remember as a kid seeing a series of books that I
took to be
> crime booksabout a character called "The Toff." I
never read one,
> even to resolve myyouthful obliviousness to the
meaning of the
> word "toff."
> Were these indeed crime books? Seems like the racks
in my local
> stores werefilled with either these or Shell Scott
novels.
They were akin to the Saint books.
This is what I've got on the Toff at my Pulp Heroes
site:
"The Toff. The Toff was created by John Creasey and debuted
in "The Black Circle," in The Thriller in 1933; he appeared
in a number of other stories and novels through at least
1975. The Toff was Richard Rollinson, a handsome, wealthy
Mayfair playboy gentleman. He helps solve crime; actually, he
solves the crime, and the police (in the person of Inspector
Gryce) help him, cleaning up afterwards, collecting evidence,
and all the dirty work that a toff like Rollinson can't be
bothered to carry out. The Toff takes on a variety of
criminals, from black marketeers to kidnapers to murderers.
He's a handsome man, of course, and is assisted by his valet,
the wise and devoted Jolly, and by his aunt, Lady Gloria "Old
Glory" Hurst, who rather enjoys fighting crime with her
nephew Richard.
Since putting in that entry I've read The Durable
Desperadoes, an excellent source of information on several
pulp characters, and William V. Butler's comments on the Toff
have made me rethink the character. Butler points out that
the Toff is no Saint-like superman, but is surprisingly
fallible, cheerful, unassuming, and somewhat unsure of
himself. Rollinson turns out to be rather mild and
reflective, very much concerned with what Jolly and Lady
Gloria think of him. Rollinson asks them for advice and
actually takes it."
Jess Nevins Pulp Heroes of the Pre-War Years http://www.geocities.com/jjnevins/pulpsintro.html
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