The Skywayman (lost action drama film and death footage of stunt pilots; 1920): Difference between revisions
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{{InfoboxLost | {{InfoboxLost | ||
|title=<center>The Skywayman | |title=<center>The Skywayman</center> | ||
|image= | |image=The skywayman poster.jpeg | ||
|imagecaption= | |imagecaption=The film's theatrical poster. | ||
|status=<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span> | |status=<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span> | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''''The Skywayman''''' is a 1920 pseudo-documentary film about stunt flights produced by Fox Film Corporation. The film is mostly known for both its breath-taking stunts,<ref>Farmer, James H. Celluloid Wings: The Impact of Movies on Aviation. Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania: Tab Books Inc., 1984, pp. 10, 16. ISBN 978-0-83062-374-7.</ref> as well as the uncut death footage of Ormer Locklear and Milton Elliot.<ref>Pendo, Stephen. Aviation in the Cinema. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1985, pp. 5–6. ISBN 0-8-1081-746-2.</ref> | |||
==Incident== | |||
On the night of August 2nd, 1920, one stunt was being filmed using floodlights to help guide the pilots. The two pilots, Ormer Locklear and Milton "Skeets" Elliott, were operating a biplane and instructed the crew members to shut off the lights when they were getting ready to get close to the ground. They had flares attached to the wings to give the planes the illusion that they were on fire. The plane was to simulate a crash on the ground. The crew neglected the directions to turn off the floodlights. Blinded by the glare of the lights, the pilots had no idea the ground was closer to them than they thought, and the plane crashed, killing both instantly.<ref>Wynne, H. Hugh. The Motion Picture Stunt Pilots and Hollywood's Classic Aviation Movies. Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., 1987, p. 24. ISBN 0-933126-85-9.</ref> Locklear's girlfriend, Viola Dana, was on set and witnessed the crash. This scene and its aftermath, including Dana's horrified reaction, was left in the film, making it one of the first films to feature the onscreen deaths of its members. The scene shocked audiences worldwide. | |||
''''' | ==Availability== | ||
No footage of the film is known to exist, but some production stills, ads, and photos of the crash have survived. In 1980, a 13-part television documentary titled ''Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film'' was made, and episode 5 "Hazard of the Game" details the stunt with interviews and stills. ''Traces of Death'' (a film series that imitates ''Faces of Death'') reportedly tried to find the footage, only to find out that the film was lost. | |||
==Gallery== | |||
===Image=== | |||
<gallery mode=packed heights=300px> | |||
File:4OLVII27PB7.jpg|A promotional photo for the film of Ormer Locklear atop a crashed Curtis "Jenny" biplane. | |||
File:Screenland1120_0005.jpg|A short review page from the November 1920 Issue of Screenland Magazine that features '''''The Skywayman'''''. | |||
File:Screenland1120_0006.jpg|A memorial from the November 1920 Issue of Screenland Magazine acknowledging Ormer Locklear and Milton Elliott. | |||
</gallery> | |||
===Video=== | |||
{{Video|perrow =1 | |||
|service1 =dailymotion | |||
|id1 =x2prrz1 | |||
|description1 =''Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film'' episode "Hazard of the Game", in which the stunt is detailed. | |||
}} | |||
==References== | |||
{{reflist}} | |||
== | ==External Links== | ||
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Skywayman | |||
*https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0011705/ | |||
[[Category:Lost films|Skywayman | [[Category:Lost films|Skywayman]] | ||
[[Category:Lost recordings of real incidents|Skywayman | [[Category:Lost recordings of real incidents|Skywayman]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:Completely lost media|Skywayman]] | ||
[[Category:Historic|Skywayman]] | |||
Latest revision as of 01:22, 28 October 2022
This article has been tagged as NSFL due to its disturbing subject matter.
The film's theatrical poster.
Status: Lost
The Skywayman is a 1920 pseudo-documentary film about stunt flights produced by Fox Film Corporation. The film is mostly known for both its breath-taking stunts,[1] as well as the uncut death footage of Ormer Locklear and Milton Elliot.[2]
Incident
On the night of August 2nd, 1920, one stunt was being filmed using floodlights to help guide the pilots. The two pilots, Ormer Locklear and Milton "Skeets" Elliott, were operating a biplane and instructed the crew members to shut off the lights when they were getting ready to get close to the ground. They had flares attached to the wings to give the planes the illusion that they were on fire. The plane was to simulate a crash on the ground. The crew neglected the directions to turn off the floodlights. Blinded by the glare of the lights, the pilots had no idea the ground was closer to them than they thought, and the plane crashed, killing both instantly.[3] Locklear's girlfriend, Viola Dana, was on set and witnessed the crash. This scene and its aftermath, including Dana's horrified reaction, was left in the film, making it one of the first films to feature the onscreen deaths of its members. The scene shocked audiences worldwide.
Availability
No footage of the film is known to exist, but some production stills, ads, and photos of the crash have survived. In 1980, a 13-part television documentary titled Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film was made, and episode 5 "Hazard of the Game" details the stunt with interviews and stills. Traces of Death (a film series that imitates Faces of Death) reportedly tried to find the footage, only to find out that the film was lost.
Gallery
Image
A promotional photo for the film of Ormer Locklear atop a crashed Curtis "Jenny" biplane.
A short review page from the November 1920 Issue of Screenland Magazine that features The Skywayman.
A memorial from the November 1920 Issue of Screenland Magazine acknowledging Ormer Locklear and Milton Elliott.
Video
References
- ↑ Farmer, James H. Celluloid Wings: The Impact of Movies on Aviation. Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania: Tab Books Inc., 1984, pp. 10, 16. ISBN 978-0-83062-374-7.
- ↑ Pendo, Stephen. Aviation in the Cinema. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1985, pp. 5–6. ISBN 0-8-1081-746-2.
- ↑ Wynne, H. Hugh. The Motion Picture Stunt Pilots and Hollywood's Classic Aviation Movies. Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., 1987, p. 24. ISBN 0-933126-85-9.