A. J. Raffles (character)
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Arthur J. Raffles (usually called A. J. Raffles) is a fictional character created in 1898 by E. W. Hornung, brother-in-law of Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Hol ...
, the creator of
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...
. Raffles is, in many ways, an inversion of Holmeshe is a "
gentleman 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, courtesy, and the avoidance of physical force or intimidation to stea ...
", living at the Albany, a prestigious address in London, playing cricket as a gentleman (or "
amateur An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, autodidacticism, self-taught, user-generated, do it yourself, DI ...
") 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. As Holmes has
Dr. Watson Dr. John H. Watson is a fictional character in the Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Along with Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson first appeared in the novel ''A Study in Scarlet'' (1887). "The Adventure of Shosc ...
to chronicle his adventures, Raffles has Harry "Bunny" Mandersa former schoolmate saved from disgrace by Raffles, whom Raffles persuaded to accompany him on a burglary. Raffles is an expert thief and like Holmes, he is a master of disguise. Raffles's adventures have been adapted across various media, the character played by a number of popular actors including
John Barrymore John Barrymore (born John Sidney Blyth; February 14 or 15, 1882 – May 29, 1942) was an American actor on stage, screen, and radio. A member of the Drew and Barrymore theatrical families, he initially tried to avoid the stage, and briefly a ...
and
David Niven James David Graham Niven (; 1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983) was an English actor, soldier, raconteur, memoirist and novelist. Niven was known as a handsome and debonair leading man in Classic Hollywood films. His accolades include an Academ ...
.


Inspiration

Hornung was inspired by the
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...
stories of his brother-in-law Arthur Conan Doyle and dedicated ''The Amateur Cracksman'' to Doyle: "To A. C. D. This Form of Flattery". It has been suggested that Raffles's name may have been inspired by the title of Doyle's 1891 novel '' The Doings of Raffles Haw''. Richard Lancelyn Green points out that Raffles shares his first name with Conan Doyle and with Hornung's son, Arthur Oscar Hornung. Raffles's initials are those of Hornung's housemaster at
Uppingham School Uppingham School is a public school (English fee-charging boarding and day school for pupils 13–18) in Uppingham, Rutland, England, founded in 1584 by Robert Johnson, the Archdeacon of Leicester, who also established Oakham School. ...
, A. J. Tuck and reversed, those of J. A. Turner, the cricket captain at Uppingham during 1882, Hornung's first year. The model for Raffles was George Ives, a Cambridge-educated criminologist and talented cricketer, according to Andrew Lycett. Hornung and Ives played cricket for the
Authors Cricket Club The Authors Cricket Club is a wandering amateur English cricket club founded in 1899 and revived most recently in 2012. Prominent British writers including Arthur Conan Doyle, P. G. Wodehouse, A. A. Milne, E. W. Hornung and J. M. Barrie have bee ...
. Ives was privately
homosexual Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" exc ...
and although Hornung "may not have understood this sexual side of Ives' character", Raffles "enjoys a remarkably intimate relationship with his sidekick Bunny Manders".
Owen Dudley Edwards Owen Dudley Edwards (born 27 March 1938) is an Irish historian and former Reader in Commonwealth and American History at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. Life He is the son of Professor Robert Dudley Edwards and brother to the Irish wr ...
writes that Raffles and Bunny are "an imitation of Holmes and Watson which is very obviously homosexual", while C. P. Snow, in a 1975 review, describes their relationship as juvenile and innocent but with homosexual undertones. Raffles is also shown to have romantic relationships with the Neapolitan girl Faustina (in "The Fate of Faustina") and an artist using the name Jacques Saillard (in "An Old Flame"). Biographer Peter Rowland notes that these relationships are not shown until the second Raffles story collection, '' The Black Mask''. Rowland writes that Raffles and Manders were also fictionalised versions of
Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish author, poet, and playwright. After writing in different literary styles throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular and influential playwright ...
and his lover,
Lord Alfred Douglas Lord Alfred Bruce Douglas (22 October 1870 – 20 March 1945), also known as Bosie Douglas, was an English poet and journalist, and a lover of Oscar Wilde. At Oxford University he edited an undergraduate journal, ''The Spirit Lamp'', that carr ...
. Characters in Hornung's 1896 short story "After the Fact" were prototypes for Raffles and Bunny. In "After the Fact", which is set in Australia, a young man, Bower, discovers that the man he used to fag for at school, Deedes, is a burglar. Hornung explained in an interview with ''
Tit-Bits ''Tit-Bits from all the interesting Books and Newspapers of the World'', more commonly known as ''Tit-Bits'' and later as ''Titbits'', was a British weekly magazine founded by George Newnes, a founding figure in popular journalism, on 22 Octo ...
'' in 1909:
A good many years ago I wrote a story about a public-school villain; he committed a terrible crime in Australia, and was met by his old fag, who shielded him. Unfortunately, I killed the villain at the end of the story. One day my brother-in-law, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, to whom I owe a very great deal, said to me, 'What a pity you killed that fellow! A public-school villain would be a new figure for a series. Why not revive him?' 'I don't believe I could write such a series to save my life,' I replied. However, I was advised to think the suggestion over. I did so, and the eventual result was a variation of the type in the shape of Raffles.Hornung (2003)
899 __NOTOC__ Year 899 ( DCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Summer – Arnulf of Carinthia, the King of East Francia, enlists the support of the Magyars, to raid northern Ita ...
"Introduction" by Richard Lancelyn Green, pp. xx–xxi.
"After the Fact" was inspired by Hornung's travels in Australia and by his only experience with a real burglar, which occurred while the author was living at
Teddington Teddington is an affluent suburb of London in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Historically an Civil parish#ancient parishes, ancient parish in the county of Middlesex and situated close to the border with Surrey, the district became ...
, England. Hornung described the incident to ''Tit-Bits'' in 1909 when discussing Raffles, though the burglar was unimpressive and nothing like the gentleman thief character. Hornung had been asked by a house's caretakers to help them catch a burglar, who tried to hide in a space under the kitchen floor but was ultimately apprehended by a policeman. In his book ''Raffles and His Creator'', Peter Rowland states that Deedes is Raffles's prototype, but also differs significantly from Raffles. While Raffles and Deedes are both charismatic, Raffles has a code of honour and "is not really evil at all" according to Rowland, whereas Deedes "turns very nasty indeed" after Bower tries to get him to return the money he stole. Rowland writes that "Hornung (having passed the midway point of his story) had realised that he was on very dangerous ground and had speedily de-glamorised Deedes. Morality had been asserted at the eleventh hour, and justice had to be administered without further ado.... After experimenting with his new concept in 'After the Fact', Hornung was aware that his amateur cracksman would have to be a thoroughly decent chap even if he ''is'' a bit of a law-breaker." Furthermore, Raffles views burglary as a sporting challenge and has a prominent position in society (as a gentleman cricketer), unlike Deedes, who is only after money and is a social outcast.


Fictional biography


History

Raffles has a sister. At his public school, Raffles played cricket and was captain of the eleven. He also played rugby football. He attended the same public school as Bunny, who was Raffles's fag (a junior student who does menial jobs for an older student). In " The Ides of March" Bunny says that Raffles was kind to him at school. In turn, Bunny would help Raffles sneak out of their dormitory at night, pulling up the rope after him and later letting it down for him to climb back in. Raffles stole at least one policeman's helmet while at
Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
according to the short story " A Costume Piece", but was a member of the
Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
cricket team according to " The Field of Philippi". Raffles eventually becomes a gentleman cricketer. At one point, he goes to Australia to play cricket and commits his first burglary there, as he tells Bunny in " Le Premier Pas". He uses the prestige of his sporting fame to maintain his standing in London society, while secretly supporting himself with burglary. Raffles plays for multiple cricket clubs and teams, including
I Zingari I Zingari (from dialectalized Italian , meaning "the Gypsies"; corresponding to standard Italian ') are English and Australian amateur cricket clubs, founded in 1845 and 1888 respectively. It is the oldest and perhaps the most famous of the ' ...
, the Gentlemen against the Players, the Middlesex eleven, and the English team. He lives in the Albany, a prestigious residential building in London. Ten years after they were at their public school together, Raffles meets Bunny again when they play baccarat with others in "The Ides of March". Raffles saves Bunny from disgrace and suicide, and Bunny becomes his accomplice. "The Ides of March" takes place in March 1891 (according to biographer Peter Rowland). Raffles and Bunny act as "amateur" (gentleman) thieves and rob wealthy members of London society while appearing respectable. They encounter a rival thief, Crawshay, in " Gentlemen and Players" and again in " The Return Match". Scotland Yard detective Inspector Mackenzie, who is first mentioned in "A Costume Piece" and is first seen by Bunny in "Gentlemen and Players", is suspicious of Raffles. Inspector Mackenzie ultimately exposes Raffles and Bunny as burglars in "
The Gift of the Emperor "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 ...
" on a passenger liner. Raffles jumps overboard, and is believed to have drowned, while Bunny is arrested and serves a term of eighteen months in prison. Raffles survives and goes to Italy, where he endures hardships, as he later tells Bunny in " The Fate of Faustina". Raffles returns to England, and in " No Sinecure", set in May 1897, Raffles, now in disguise so that the police will not realize he is alive, reunites with Bunny. They become "professional" thieves and no longer have their old positions as respectable gentlemen in society. Initially, Raffles pretends to be an invalid named Mr. Maturin living under a doctor's supervision in an
Earl's Court Earl's Court is a district of Kensington in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in West London, bordering the rail tracks of the West London line and District line that separate it from the ancient borough of Fulham to the west, the ...
flat, with Bunny as his nurse. After Raffles fakes his death a second time in " An Old Flame", they move to a cottage owned by a genial landlady on the edge of Ham Common, where Raffles pretends he is Bunny's brother Ralph. In December 1899, Raffles and Bunny become interested in the
Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic an ...
. In 1900, they decide to volunteer for service in the war, leaving England in February and enlisting in South Africa. Six months after first taking an interest in the war, Raffles is killed in battle. Bunny, wounded in battle, eventually returns to England and writes about his adventures with Raffles.


Appearance

At the start of the series, Raffles has piercing steel blue eyes, curly black hair, pale skin, an athletic build, a strong, unscrupulous mouth, and is clean-shaven. Raffles once had a heavy moustache, but apparently shaved it after his first burglary. As Raffles tells Bunny: I used to have rather a heavy moustache," said Raffles, "but I lost it the day after I lost my innocence. He is some years older than Bunny, who is thirty years old in "An Old Flame", which takes place sometime after Raffles and Bunny reunite in "No Sinecure". After returning from Italy, Raffles's appearance is considerably aged due to his hardships abroad. His face is more wrinkled and pale than before, he appears weakened, and his hair has turned completely white. His sharp eyes and strong mouth, however, are unchanged. His physical strength later returns to him when he and Bunny move to live in the suburbs, where Raffles also wears clouded spectacles during the day to partially conceal his face. Raffles dyes his hair after he decides to volunteer for military service in 1900, to make sure he is not recognized by officers he knew in the past. According to Bunny, Raffles acquires "a bottle of ladies' hair-dye, warranted to change any shade into the once fashionable yellow", though Raffles is ultimately "ginger-headed" by the end of January, shortly before they leave England.Hornung, E. W. "The Knees of the Gods", ''Raffles: Further Adventures of the Amateur Cracksman'' (also titled ''The Black Mask''). 707


Personality

Raffles is charismatic and has "the subtle power of making himself irresistible at will", as stated by Bunny.Hornung, E. W. "The Ides of March", ''The Amateur Cracksman''. 706. Raffles is cynical about society, and is aware that his social position depends upon his status as a cricketer. At one point, he comments "we can't all be moralists, and the distribution of wealth is all wrong anyway". He does have scruples, despite his professionhe will not steal from his host, and will not kill to accomplish a burglary. (He does kill once under different circumstances according to the story he recounts in " The Fate of Faustina" and plans to at another time in " Wilful Murder".) He tells Bunny that he would settle down permanently if he could just make a big enough haul. He is also very patriotic. In "Gentlemen and Players", Raffles claims he has lost all enthusiasm for cricket, and keeps it up only as a cover for his real occupation (which he considers more exciting) and as mental exercise. However, Bunny observes that Raffles practises earnestly before the first match of the season, and that when Raffles did play, "there was no keener performer on the field, nor one more anxious to do well for his side."Hornung, E. W. "Gentlemen and Players", ''The Amateur Cracksman''. 706. Though Raffles is driven by economic necessity, he also pursues burglary as a sporting challenge, and considers himself a sort of artist. Some of his crimes do not involve a motive for profit. In a late story, he steals a gold cup from the
British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...
on impulse: when challenged by Bunny as to how he will dispose of it, he posts it to the Queen as a
Diamond Jubilee A diamond jubilee celebrates the 60th anniversary of a significant event related to a person (e.g. accession to the throne or wedding, among others) or the 60th anniversary of an institution's founding. The term is also used for 75th annivers ...
present. In "The Field of Philippi", he steals money from a tight-fisted Old Boy and donates it all to their former school, partly to spite the man. His last crime, committed just before he goes off to the
Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic an ...
, is to steal a collection of memorabilia of his crimes from
New Scotland Yard Scotland Yard (officially New Scotland Yard) is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the territorial police force responsible for policing Greater London's London boroughs, 32 boroughs. Its name derives from the location of the original ...
's Black Museum. While Raffles sometimes keeps parts of his plans secret from Bunny for various reasons, for instance to keep Bunny from inadvertently revealing something, he knows that Bunny's loyalty and bravery are to be relied on utterly. In several stories, Bunny saves the day for the two of them after Raffles gets into situations he cannot get out of on his own. Raffles is partial to Sullivan cigarettes and keeps them in a silver cigarette case.


Skills

One of the things that Raffles has in common with Sherlock Holmes is a mastery of
disguise A disguise can be anything incognito which conceals one's identity or changes a person's physical appearance, including a wig, glasses, makeup, fake moustache, costume or other items. Camouflage is a type of disguise for people, animals and o ...
during his days as an ostensible man-about-town, Raffles keeps the components of various disguises in a studio apartment in Chelsea, which he maintains under a false name. He can imitate the regional speech of many parts of Britain flawlessly, and is fluent in Italian. Raffles is adept at using burglary tools such as hand drills and skeleton keys. He also uses more unusual tools of his own invention, including a rope-ladder which can be concealed under his waistcoat and hooked up with a telescopic walking-stick, and a small velvet bag designed to silence the sound of filing a skeleton key. These tools are used in various stories and displayed together in Scotland Yard's Black Museum in " The Raffles Relics". He has a small dark lantern in "The Ides of March" and uses a collapsible opera hat as a makeshift lantern in "The Rest Cure". He takes time to examine places he intends to steal from in advance, and is capable of improvising when the need arises. Raffles is also skilled as a cricketer. In "Gentlemen and Players", Bunny describes Raffles as "a dangerous bat, a brilliant field, and perhaps the very finest slow bowler of his decade". Raffles believes that
bowling Bowling is a Throwing sports#Target sports, target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls a bowling ball, ball toward Bowling pin, pins (in pin bowling) or another target (in target bowling). Most references to ''bowling'' are ...
provides good mental practice for "always looking for the weak spot", and Bunny, while watching Raffles play, notices how Raffles's skills as a cricketer overlap with his skills as a thief: "What I admired, and what I remember, was the combination of resource and cunning, of patience and precision, of head-work and handiwork, which made every over an artistic whole. It was all so characteristic of that other Raffles whom I alone knew!"


Reception

The Raffles stories were instantly popular in Britain. Raffles became the second most popular fictional character of the time, behind Sherlock Holmes. Raffles has also been called the most famous fictional cricketer. In his 1944 essay " Raffles and Miss Blandish",
George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950) was an English novelist, poet, essayist, journalist, and critic who wrote under the pen name of George Orwell. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to a ...
writes that Raffles and Bunny hold themselves to certain standards of behaviour as gentlemen even though they are criminals, in contrast with the violent criminals of then-contemporary crime fiction. Orwell, who calls Raffles "one of the best-known characters in English fiction", states that "the charm of Raffles is partly in the period atmosphere and partly in the technical excellence of the stories.... However, the truly dramatic thing, about Raffles, the thing that makes him a sort of byword even to this day (only a few weeks ago, in a burglary case, a magistrate referred to the prisoner as 'a Raffles in real life'), is the fact that he is a ''gentleman''." Orwell says in his essay that, though Raffles and Bunny "are devoid of religious belief, and they have no real ethical code, merely certain rules of behaviour", they "are gentlemen, and such standards as they do have are not to be violated. Certain things are 'not done', and the idea of doing them hardly arises. Raffles will not, for example, abuse hospitality. He will commit a burglary in a house where he is staying as a guest, but the victim must be a fellow-guest and not the host." Orwell also comments that Raffles's crimes are relatively minor, and that the stories contain very little "sensationalism" in the form of violence, unlike many other works of crime fiction, including novels written from the perspective of a detective. Literary critic
Stuart Evers Stuart Evers is a British novelist, short story writer and critic, born in Macclesfield, Cheshire in 1976. He was brought up in Congleton, Cheshire. In late 2017, Evers was announced as the joint winner of the 2018 Eccles British Library Writer' ...
said of the Raffles stories, "Their off-kilter plotting and sometimes hysterical style, which Hornung uses to great effect to show Bunny's emotionally erratic state, may date them. But the constant inventiveness and sly wit of Hornung make every one a real joy. They are among the great treasures of crime writing, and should be cherished as such."


Influence

Raffles has been described as "the classic
gentleman 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, courtesy, and the avoidance of physical force or intimidation to stea ...
". The character contributed to the archetype of the gentleman criminal who has a code of honour, steals only from the rich, and is drawn to burglary for the sport as much as for the money. A. J. Raffles appeared in print before author
Maurice Leblanc Maurice Marie Émile Leblanc (; ; 11 December 1864 – 6 November 1941) was a French novelist and writer of short stories, known primarily as the creator of the fictional gentleman thief and detective Arsène Lupin, often described as a French ...
created the French gentleman thief character
Arsène Lupin Arsène Lupin () is a fictional gentleman thief and master of disguise created in 1905 by French writer Maurice Leblanc. The character was first introduced in a series of short stories serialized in the magazine '' Je sais tout''. The first ...
in 1905 but after
Ponson du Terrail Pierre Alexis, Viscount of Ponson du Terrail (8 July 1829 – 20 January 1871) was a French writer. He was a prolific novelist, producing in the space of twenty years some seventy-three volumes, and is best remembered today for his creation of ...
created the character of Rocambole in 1857.
Jess Nevins Jess Nevins (born 1966) is an American author and research librarian best known for annotated guides and encyclopedias covering Victoriana, comic books, genre fiction and pulp fiction.Martin Edwards Charles Martin Edwards (born 24 July 1945) is the former chairman of Manchester United F.C., Manchester United, a position he held from 1980 until 2002. He now holds the position of honorary life president at the club and Director of Inview Tech ...
states that Lupin was heavily influenced by Raffles. According to Federico Pagello, the Raffles series was the most influential predecessor to the Lupin series, though both series were also influenced by the
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...
stories by
Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Hol ...
and, for Lupin at least, by Rocambole. The gentleman thief character Raffles (Lord Lister), introduced in a German magazine in 1908, was an imitation of Hornung's Raffles. The British press used Raffles as a synonym for a real-life thief in at least forty-seven newspaper articles in the period 1905–1939, in many cases in the headlines. Examples include the articles Raffles' in Real Life" (''
Daily Express The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid format. Published in London, it is the flagship of Express Newspapers, owned by publisher Reach plc. It was first ...
'', 1907), "Exploit of a 'Raffles ('' Daily Herald'', 1927), and "A Modern Raffles" (''Police Journal'', 1939). The same usage can be seen in press reports from the same period in other countries, such as Cat' Burglar: A Modern Raffles" (''
Brisbane Courier ''The Courier-Mail'' is an Australian newspaper published in Brisbane. Owned by News Corp Australia, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, in Brisbane's inner norther ...
'', 1927) and "Feminine Raffles Comes to Grief" (''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'', 1927). Raffles has also been referenced in newspaper articles about real thefts since this period. While Raffles and Bunny were inspired by Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, several of the Holmes stories, including the story of his return from the dead, were not published until after the first two collections of Raffles short stories, ''The Amateur Cracksman'' and ''The Black Mask'', were published in 1899 and 1901 respectively. Arthur Conan Doyle killed off Holmes in "
The Adventure of the Final Problem "The Final Problem" is a short story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle featuring his detective character Sherlock Holmes. It was first published in ''The Strand Magazine'' in the United Kingdom, and ''McClure's'' in the United States, under the title " ...
" (1893) and did not write of him again until ''
The Hound of the Baskervilles ''The Hound of the Baskervilles'' is the third of the four Detective fiction, crime novels by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Originally serial (literature), serialised in ''The Strand Magazine'' from ...
'' (serialised 1901–1902), which is set before "The Adventure of the Final Problem". Peter Rowland writes that Doyle's biographers generally acknowledge that his decision to return Holmes to life in "
The Adventure of the Empty House "The Adventure of the Empty House", one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is one of 13 stories in the cycle collected as '' The Return of Sherlock Holmes''. It was first published in ''Collier's'' in the ...
" in October 1903 was prompted by Hornung's success with A. J. Raffles, who had been returned to life in the 1901 story " No Sinecure" after his supposed death in an earlier story. The grand reveal scene in "The Adventure of the Empty House", when Holmes drops his disguise, parallels Raffles's own reveal scene in "No Sinecure". Thus, while the pre-hiatus Sherlock Holmes stories influenced the Raffles stories, this relationship would later be reversed. The plot of the Sherlock Holmes story "
The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton "The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton" is one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It was originally published in ''Collier's'' in the United States on 26 March 1904, and in ''The Strand Magazine'' in ...
" (1904) was inspired by the Raffles story " Wilful Murder" (1899), according to Richard Lancelyn Green. A character in the Sherlock Holmes novel ''
The Valley of Fear ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
'' (1915), Scottish police detective Inspector MacDonald, may have been inspired by the Scottish police detective Inspector Mackenzie of the Raffles stories, though the two inspectors are very different in character.
John Kendrick Bangs John Kendrick Bangs (May 27, 1862 – January 21, 1922) was an American writer, humorist, editor and satirist. Biography He was born in Yonkers, New York. His father Francis N. Bangs was a lawyer in New York City, as was his brother, Francis S ...
wrote a series of stories about Raffles Holmes, collected in the 1906 book ''Raffles Holmes and Company''. He is described as the son of
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...
by Marjorie Raffles, the daughter of A.J. Raffles.


Works

A. J. Raffles appears in the following four books (three short story collections and one novel) by E. W. Hornung. Most of the short stories were first published in magazines. * '' The Amateur Cracksman'' (1899, 8 short stories) * '' The Black Mask'' (1901, 8 short stories) * '' A Thief in the Night'' (1905, 10 short stories) * '' Mr. Justice Raffles'' (1909 novel) Raffles also features in pastiches written by Barry Perowne, Peter Tremayne,
Richard Foreman Richard Foreman (born Edward L. Friedman; June 10, 1937 – January 4, 2025) was an American avant-garde experimental playwright and the founder of the Ontological-Hysteric Theater. Though highly original and singular, his work was influenced by ...
, and other authors.


Adaptations

Like Holmes, the Raffles stories have been adapted into multiple forms of popular media across the 20th and 21st centuries, some even co-authored by Hornung himself.


Theatre

*
Kyrle Bellew Harold Kyrle Money Bellew (28 March 1850 – 2 November 1911) was an English stage and silent film actor. He notably toured with Cora Urquhart Brown-Potter, Cora Brown-Potter in the 1880s and 1890s, and was cast as the leading man in many s ...
portrayed Raffles in the premiere of ''Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman'', a play by Hornung and Eugene Presbrey, which opened on 27 October 1903 in New York. The play premiered in London on 12 May 1906, starring
Gerald du Maurier Sir Gerald Hubert Edward Busson du Maurier (26 March 1873 – 11 April 1934) was an English actor and Actor-manager, manager. He was the son of author George du Maurier and his wife, Emma Wightwick, and the brother of Sylvia Llewelyn Davies ...
as Raffles.
André Brulé André Brulé (26 September 1879 – 14 February 1953), was a French theatre and film actor. He created the character Arsène Lupin for the French stage in 1908. He had a relationship with Ghislaine Dommanget, a French comedy actress, with who ...
starred as Raffles in a 1907 production in Paris.
Eille Norwood Eille Norwood (born Anthony Edward Brett; 11 October 1861 – 24 December 1948) was an English stage actor, director, and playwright best known today for playing Sherlock Holmes in a series of silent films. Early life He was born 11 October 186 ...
, later famous for his silent film portrayal of Sherlock Holmes, appeared as Raffles in a touring version of the play in 1909. *
James J. Corbett James John Corbett (September 1, 1866 – February 18, 1933) was an Americans, American professional Boxing, boxer and a World Heavyweight Champion, best known as the only man who ever defeated John L. Sullivan (hence the "man who beat the man" ...
portrayed an American version of Raffles in the play '' The Burglar and the Lady'', by Langdon McCormick, in 1906. * The play ''A Visit from Raffles'', by Hornung and Charles Sansom, premiered in 1909 with
H. A. Saintsbury Harry Arthur Saintsbury, usually called H. A. Saintsbury (18 December 1869 – 19 June 1939), was an English people, English actor and playwright. A leading man, he became well known for his stage interpretation of Sherlock Holmes, was an early ...
as Raffles. *
Denholm Elliott Denholm Mitchell Elliott (31 May 1922 – 6 October 1992) was an English actor. He appeared in numerous productions on stage and screen, receiving BAFTA awards for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for ''Trading Places'' (1983), '' A Private Fu ...
starred as Raffles in the 1975 premiere of '' The Return of A. J. Raffles'', written by
Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquired a re ...
.


Film

* Raffles was portrayed by J. Barney Sherry in the 1905 short film ''Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman''.Hornung (2003)
899 __NOTOC__ Year 899 ( DCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Summer – Arnulf of Carinthia, the King of East Francia, enlists the support of the Magyars, to raid northern Ita ...
"Further Reading" chapter by Richard Lancelyn Green, pp. l–li.
* Forrest Holger-Madsen portrayed Raffles in three short films released in Denmark in 1908, with
Viggo Larsen Viggo Larsen (14 August 1880 – 6 January 1957) was a Danish film actor, director and producer from the early silent era to the ' talkies'. He appeared in 140 films between 1906 and 1942. He also directed 235 films between 1906 and 1921. ...
as Sherlock Holmes. *
Reggie Morris James Reginald "Reggie" Morris (June 25, 1886 – February 16, 1928) was an American actor, director, and screenwriter of the silent era. He appeared in 46 films between 1913 and 1918. He also directed 40 films between 1917 and 1927. He was ...
portrayed Raffles in the 1913 film '' The Van Nostrand Tiara''. * James J. Corbett played Raffles in the 1914 film version of the play '' The Burglar and the Lady''. * Raffles was played by
John Barrymore John Barrymore (born John Sidney Blyth; February 14 or 15, 1882 – May 29, 1942) was an American actor on stage, screen, and radio. A member of the Drew and Barrymore theatrical families, he initially tried to avoid the stage, and briefly a ...
in the 1917 film '' Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman''. * Gerald Ames portrayed Raffles in the 1921 film '' Mr. Justice Raffles''. * House Peters portrayed Raffles In the 1925 film '' Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman''. *
Ronald Colman Ronald Charles Colman (9 February 1891 – 19 May 1958) was an English-born actor who started his career in theatre and silent film in his native country, then emigrated to the United States where he had a highly successful Cinema of the United ...
played Raffles in the 1930 film '' Raffles''. * George Barraud played Raffles in the 1932 film '' The Return of Raffles''. * Raffles was played by
David Niven James David Graham Niven (; 1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983) was an English actor, soldier, raconteur, memoirist and novelist. Niven was known as a handsome and debonair leading man in Classic Hollywood films. His accolades include an Academ ...
in the 1939 film '' Raffles''. * Rafael Bertrand portrayed a Mexican version of the character in the 1958 film '' Raffles''.


Radio

* Raffles was voiced by Frederic Worlock in a CBS radio production, ''Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman'' (1934). * Malcolm Graeme voiced Raffles in a radio adaptation of "The Ides of March" broadcast on 9 December 1941 on the
BBC Forces Programme The BBC Forces Programme was a national radio station which operated from 7 January 1940 until 26 February 1944, when it was replaced by the BBC General Forces Programme. History Development Upon the outbreak of World War II on 1 September 1 ...
. * Horace Braham voiced Raffles in CBS radio productions between 1942 and 1945. * Raffles was voiced by Frank Allenby in six radio episodes broadcast on the
BBC Light Programme The BBC Light Programme was a national radio station which broadcast chiefly mainstream light entertainment and light music from 1945 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2. It opened on 29 July 1945, taking over the ...
between 3 December 1945 and 14 January 1946. *
Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Douglas Elton Fairbanks Jr. (December 9, 1909 – May 7, 2000) was an American actor, producer, and decorated naval officer of World War II. He is best-known for starring in such films as '' The Prisoner of Zenda'' (1937), '' Gunga Din'' (1939) ...
voiced Raffles in a radio adaptation for
Screen Directors Playhouse ''Screen Directors Playhouse'' (sometimes written as ''Screen Directors' Playhouse'') is an American radio and television anthology series which brought leading Hollywood actors to the NBC microphones beginning in 1949. The radio program broadca ...
that aired September 14, 1951. *
Austin Trevor Claude Austin Trevor Schilsky (7 October 1897 – 22 January 1978) was an Irish actor who had a long career in film and television. He played the parson in John Galsworthy's ''Escape (play), Escape'' at the world premiere in London's West ...
voiced Raffles in a radio adaptation of ''Mr. Justice Raffles'' that aired on the
BBC Home Service The BBC Home Service was a national and regional radio station that broadcast from 1939 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 4. History 1922–1939: Interwar period Between the early 1920s and the outbreak of World War II, the BBC ...
on 8 February 1964. *
Jeremy Clyde Michael Jeremy Thomas Clyde (born 22 March 1941) is an English actor and musician. During the 1960s, he was one-half of the folk duo Chad & Jeremy (with Chad Stuart). Their first song was the 1963 hit " Yesterday’s Gone". The duo became mor ...
voiced Raffles in the 1985–1993 BBC radio series '' Raffles'', which included a dramatisation of the play ''The Return of A. J. Raffles''. * John Armstrong portrays Raffles in '' Raffles, the Gentleman Thief'' (2004–present), a series on the American radio show ''
Imagination Theatre ''Imagination Theatre'' is an American syndicated radio drama program airing on AM broadcasting, AM and FM broadcasting, FM radio stations across the United States. It features modern radio dramas. The program first aired in 1996. Originally prod ...
''.


Television

*
Anthony Valentine Anthony Valentine (17 August 1939 – 2 December 2015) was an English actor best known for his television roles: the ruthless Toby Meres in '' Callan'' (1967–72), the sadistic Major Horst Mohn in '' Colditz'' (1972–74), the suave titular g ...
portrayed Raffles in the 1977 television series '' Raffles'' and its 1975 pilot episode. * Alan Coates portrayed Raffles in the 1992 television film '' Incident at Victoria Falls'', where he is encountered by
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...
(as played by
Christopher Lee Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee (27 May 1922 – 7 June 2015) was an English actor and singer. In a career spanning more than sixty years, Lee became known as an actor with a deep and commanding voice who often portrayed villains in horr ...
). *
Nigel Havers Nigel Allan Havers (born 6 November 1951) is an English actor and presenter. His film roles include Lord Andrew Lindsay in the 1981 British film ''Chariots of Fire'', which earned him a BAFTA nomination; as Dr. Rawlins in the 1987 Steven Spielb ...
portrayed Raffles in the 2001 television film ''
Gentleman 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, courtesy, and the avoidance of physical force or intimidation to stea ...
''. * The
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
had been developing a new ''Raffles'' series, to be helmed by BAFTA winner Sukey Fisher. As of 2021, its status is unknown.


References

Notes Sources * * * * *


Further reading

* * * * * * * *


External links


E. W. Hornung's Raffles stories
on
Project Gutenberg Project Gutenberg (PG) is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, as well as to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks." It was founded in 1971 by American writer Michael S. Hart and is the oldest digital li ...
*
Raffles Redux
, a website with all the Raffles stories with annotations and illustrations * {{DEFAULTSORT:Raffles, A. J. Fictional gentleman thieves Fictional cricketers Fictional British people Fictional British Army personnel Male characters in literature Literary characters introduced in 1898 Characters in British novels of the 19th century Characters in British novels of the 20th century Wold Newton family America's Best Comics characters Fictional characters from the 19th century