Simon Bermuda

Anyone else on here with fond memories of a boyhood spent devouring, with innocently unironic enjoyment, the adventures of W.E. Johns' intrepid aviator?

When I think of the character, it's not the much-parodied WW1 flying ace in the cockpit of his Sopwith Camel, but the more mature, no-nonsense 1950s Air Police Inspector, forever pistoning off to some exotic part of the globe to investigate his latest case.

I often find myself wishing that someone had seen fit to bring Biggles to the big screen in the '50s, in a manner akin to John Ford's GIDEON'S DAY - a nice, straightforward Technicolor adventure comprising several linked stories of airborne villainy investigated and thwarted by James Bigglesworth and his full complement of sidekicks.

Film Title: BIGGLES, AIR DETECTIVE (1954)

The cast:

Biggles: John Mills (Or Kenneth More in NORTHWEST FRONTIER mode)
Algy: Ian Carmichael or David Tomlinson
Bertie: Who else but Terry-Thomas?
Ginger: Michael Medwin
Air Commodore Raymond: Raymond Huntley or Cecil Parker
Erich Von Stalhein: Anton Diffring
Worrals: Joan Collins

Director: Would probably have been someone like J. Lee Thompson or Ralph Thomas (Although Howard Hawks, the king of cinematic cameraderie, would have been fascinating).

smudge

I've not devoured the books, but am aware of the character/concepts etc., and I do like that bit of fantasy casting !

SMUDGE

Welcome to my house. Enter freely, and of your own will...

NappieB

I devoured the books - all of them (over 100 !)

My suggestions for the cast:

Biggles: Jack Hawkjins

everyone else as per Simon Bermuda, except:

von Stalheim Maximillian Schell

Mozkiwi

have to add my two cents' worth here... great casting, but how about:

von Stalheim: Curt Jurgens

glyn horton

I think the Air Police stories would have made a great ITC series!

716Jones

I can (just) remember a Biggles series on TV, must have been late 50's or 1960 as I'd just started reading the Biggles books. The series wasn't set in the First World War, so I suppose must have been the Air Police? The only actor I can remember is John Leyton as Ginger. Can anyone else remember this?

Moor Larkin

It was the Sopwith Camel for me, I'm afraid. I stared at my Airfix kit for hours trying to figure out where the 'hump' was. Still baffles me.

Only Errol Flynn could be Biggles, Sam Kydd for Ginger.

I'd quite forgotten Algy until I googled a bit.

[code]http://www.flickr.com/photos/29487363@N02/sets/72157606700675506/code]

Trough

Before my time, but here's the IMDB entry:

"Biggles" (1960)

Sgt Dudfoot

When I read the books I always pictured Robert Donat as Biggles. Jack Hulbert would have been good also as Bertie.

716Jones

Thanks for the link, trough. Can't say the names of the other cast members bring back any memories, though, although I have seen Carl Duering in other things. Usually cast as the sinister German villain if I remember rightly. Don't remember Neville Whiting at all (sorry Neville, if you're still around :blushing) One thing I do remember is a catch phrase that was used in the series "Chocks away, chaps!" Usually the signal for some action from our heroes I think.