The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982 film) novels, detailed the successful rescue of the Dauphin from a French prison. Anthony Andrews had recently won the BAFTA for Best Actor for his performance in the 1981 serial "Brideshead Revisited", and was cast as Sir Percy Blakeney/Scarlet Pimpernel. In addition to that serial, Andrews was also known to American audiences through the PBS ITV& BBC shows "Danger UXB" and "The Duchess of Duke Street" as well as several other productions. London Films hoped that this popularity would lead to Andrews starring in a "Scarlet Pimpernel" series in the US, but this never occurred. Other cast members included Ian McKellen
The Scarlet Pimpernel told in "American Pimpernel: The Man Who Saved the Artists on Hitler's Death List". Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty was an Irish priest who saved thousands of people, British and American servicemen and Jews, during World War II while in the Vatican in Rome. His story is told in two books and a film: Harald Edelstam (1913–1989) was a Swedish diplomat. During World War II, he earned the nickname "Svarta nejlikan" ("the Black Pimpernel") for helping Norwegian resistance fighters in escape from the Germans. Stationed in Chile in the 1970s, he arranged for the escape of numerous refugees from the military junta