The Saint
  Simon Templar was dashing, sophisticated and independently
wealthy.
He was also a crook - but a gentlemanly, modern-day Robin
Hood-type of crook who would brush aside Chief Inspector Claud
Eustace Teal, who he mockingly described as 'Scotland Yard's
finest'.
His calling card, a stick figure with a halo (representing a
saint), was very well known in society circles . . . and among the
police of six continents.
The police regarded him, however, as a
mixed blessing because he was dedicated to justice but often used
illegal means to achieve his goals.
The Saint had long been a popular character in fiction, first
in the best-selling novels of mystery writer Leslie Charteris and
later in a series of movies and radio shows in the 1930's and
40's.
The Saint TV series ran for seven years and was sold to
some 80 countries, which was extremely beneficial to star Roger
Moore as his deal gave him a share of the world-wide profits. The
role of Simon Templar also ultimately led to Moore playing James
Bond.
 The son of a London policeman, Moore used to be a film
cartoonist and a photographic model for anything from swimwear to
toothpaste.
He once explained in an interview, that unlike his
character, he would run a mile to avoid a fight.
Many people ran a
mile to avoid The Return of the Saint (with Ian Ogilvy
replacing Moore in the title role) in 1978.
Another version of The Saint surfaced during 1989-1990
with Simon Dutton playing the role in a series of made-for-TV
movies. Val Kilmer also had a go in the late 90s.
The role of Simon Templar was originally offered to Patrick
McGoohan, but he turned it down because he didn't like the way the
script called for the Saint to have an affair with a different
girl each week.
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