"Biggles Sweeps the Skies" A bit of a find.

We’ve just managed to acquire some of the original action story boards from the ‘missing’ Biggles movie, for which the “Biggles Biplane” BE-2 replica was built.

They are the original large-scale storyboards drawn for Universal Films in pencil and charcoal by Production Designer and artist Richard Macdonald.

Pre-production took place in 1968-69. Everything was put in place – rights acquired, actors casted, scripts made, costumes designed and the replica WW1 aircraft commisioned. The film fell at the last hurdle however and was never completed.

The film’s storyboards were retained by their creator for over thirty years until his death, when they were passed to fellow production designer Warren Mills. He agreed for them to be reunited with the aeroplane they illustrate.

The story board images below come from 15 sheets, each containing up to ten images featuring both the ‘Biggles Biplane’ BE-2 and a dogfight with a a Sopwith Camel. We’ve also got a copy of the original script and we’re hoping that we’ll be able to display the full collection with the BE-2 replica and other memorabilia later this year.

I wonder, does anything else survive from ‘the Biggles movie that never was’ ?