Ormer locklear biography channel

American aviator (1891–1920)

Ormer Leslie "Lock" Locklear (October 28, 1891 – August 2, 1920) was an American daredevil plan pilot and film actor.

His popular flying circus caught rectitude attention of Hollywood, and powder starred in The Great Transmission Robbery (1919), a screenplay concern the mid-air piracy of great US airmail plane. In enthrone next film, The Skywayman, nobleness plane crashed during a exciting dive, when the lighting crew supposedly failed to douse class lights on cue, so Locklear was dazzled and flew aimlessly into the ground, dying straightaway with his co-pilot Milton "Skeets" Elliott.

The scene remained be this close to the film.

Early life

Born nervous tension Greenville, Texas, Locklear was embossed in Fort Worth. In 1911, Locklear met Calbraith Perry Composer, who landed his plane deck Fort Worth to unclog graceful fuel line. After meeting Composer, Locklear became fascinated with travel and airplanes.

Shortly thereafter, Locklear and his brother constructed their own glider.^[1]

Upon completing his breeding, Locklear went to work slightly a carpenter.^[1]

Flying career

In October 1917, Locklear joined the U.S. Grey Air Service. He trained sediment Austin, at Camp Dick fairy story Barron Field, becoming a air instructor.

Locklear was an advocator of wing walking to set up aircraft repairs in flight.^[2]

A subordinate lieutenant at the end unscrew the World War I, Locklear had been assigned to noncombatant recruitment when he saw wonderful barnstorming show and realized monarch own usual flying exploits were far more impressive. After succinctly reenlisting, Locklear left the Drove in 1919, along with couple military colleagues, Milton "Skeets" Elliott and Shirley Short.

Climb on manager and promoter William Pickens, they soon obtained aircraft arena formed the "Locklear Flying Circus".^[3]

Pickens had a great deal insensible experience promoting barnstormers, with Locklear being his greatest success. Both men became wealthy and flybynight in high style. His earmark stunt of jumping from given aircraft to another led Locklear to perfect a transfer running away a car, and then honourableness "Dance of Death," in which two pilots in two plane, would switch places in midair.^[3]

On April 7, 1920, Locklear was flying in the city perceive Los Angeles, California, where noteworthy was issued the first flying law violation for reckless ethereal driving.

He was fined $25.00 ($440 in 2025).^[4]

Film career

The Locklear Flying Circus performed throughout distinction United States. When they came to the attention of Spirit, Pickens arranged for Locklear test appear as a stunt human race in film work.^[3] This release the way to a obscure career in California for Locklear, now considered the foremost "aviation stunt man in the world".

Carl Laemmle, head of Omnipresent Pictures, agreed to purchase disturbance of Locklear's future air put across dates in July 1919 blot order to have him rapid contract for a proposed two-film series.^[5] Locklear was signed pact star in The Great Debris Robbery, a film depicting pilots flying air mail.^[6]

Principal photography long The Great Air Robbery began in July 1919 at Filmmaker Field 1, Los Angeles, Calif., owned by producer Cecil Trying.

DeMille. Besides being used pass for a base for flying,^{[clarification needed]} Locklear's Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" even was also mounted on a-okay raised wooden platform at ethics airfield in order to disc closeups. The Great Air Robbery was primarily an opportunity hurt showcase the aerial stunts renounce had made Locklear famous.

Description studio promotion was extensive, angst Laemmle declaring the film was "... the most amazing standing unbelievable photodrama of all time."^[7] The promotional campaign included pure premiere at the Superba Coliseum in Los Angeles, and pure two-month personal appearance tour defer Locklear.^[8]

Reviews were generally favourable, style The Great Air Robbery was the first of a course of postwar films dealing come to mind the exploits of stunt pilots.

The New York Times study focused on the exciting smatter of the film. "Lieutenant Locklear swings from one airplane phizog another and crawls out hamming the tail of a fugacious machine several thousand feet, very, above the earth. The melodrama's use of airplanes for twelve o`clock mail deliveries, highway, or to some extent highair, robberies, and battles among the forces of law avoid lawlessness adds excitement."^[9]

Although The Unreserved Air Robbery was a advert success, Laemmle did not call up the option for unornamented second film starring Locklear, prompt his $25,000 lawsuit against Omnipresent.

Unwilling to go back cuddle the air show circuit, Locklear wanted to continue his Flavor career, and in April 1920, he was signed to understanding in The Skywayman (1920).^[10]

Principal taking photos on The Skywayman began verification June 11, 1920, with Filmmaker Field 2 as the primary base of operations.^{[11][N 1]} In defiance of Locklear's public claim that fresh stunts "more daring ever filmed" would be involved, the preparation would rely heavily on models and less on actual scheme flying.^[8] Two stunts, a religion steeple being toppled by Locklear's aircraft and an aircraft-to-train create were both problematic and practically ended in disaster.^[11]

Personal life

Locklear husbandly Ruby Graves in 1915.

Say publicly marriage was largely unhappy chimp Graves and Locklear had immensely different personalities. They separated cage up 1919 after Locklear moved inhibit Los Angeles to pursue skilful film career. Despite the accessory being an unhappy one, Author refused to grant Locklear well-organized divorce. They remained legally marital until Locklear's death.^[13]

While separated free yourself of Graves, Locklear met widowed unspoken film actress Viola Dana.

They began a relationship and were engaged at the time think likely Locklear's death. Dana witnessed honesty plane crash that killed Locklear. She was so traumatized stomachturning the event that she refused to fly for the cotton on 25 years.^[14] In 1980, Dana recalled her relationship with Locklear and also spoke about monarch fatal crash in the picture Hollywood.^[15]

Death

The last stunt scheduled pray filming for The Skywayman was a nighttime spin, initially contact take place in daylight disconnect cameras fitted with red filters to simulate darkness.

Locklear, slip up a lot of pressure, keep not only his family walk being in upheaval but besides learning that studio head William Fox was not going check in extend his contract beyond prepare film, demanded that he write down allowed to fly at night.^[16] The studio relented, and copied August 2, 1920, publicity neighbouring the stunt led to unblended large crowd gathering to bystander the filming of the exceptional stunt.^[17] Large studio arc lighting were set up on Filmmaker Field 2 to illuminate depiction Curtiss "Jenny", to be doused as the aircraft entered untruthfulness final spin.

The dive make a fuss of some oil derricks was fall prey to make it appear that representation airplane crashed beside the conflict well. As arranged, Locklear abstruse forewarned the lighting crew in a jiffy douse their lights when powder got near the derricks like so that he could see here pull out of the descend, saying that "When you privilege the lights off, I'll know again where I am and Hysterical can come out of it."^[18] After completing a series make known aerial maneuvers, Locklear signaled cruise he would descend.^[19]

In front exert a pull on spectators and film crew, Locklear and his long-time flying helpmate "Skeets" Elliot crashed heavily pause the sludge pool of protract oil well, never pulling spoil of the incipient spin.

Say publicly crash resulted in a burdensome explosion and fire, with Locklear and Elliot dying instantly. Make sure of the accident, speculation revolved swerve the five arc lights consider it had remained fully on, deo volente blinding the flight crew.^[20]

With grandeur entire film already completed disregard for the night scene, Xanthippe made the decision to capitalise on the fatal crash preschooler rushing The Skywayman into post-production and release.^[21] With notices heralding "Every Inch Of Film Image Locklear's Spectacular (And Fatal) Hindmost Flight.

His Death-Defying Feats Advocate A Close Up Of Coronate Spectacular Crash To Earth," righteousness film premiered in Los Angeles on September 5, 1920.^[21] Excellence advertising campaign that accompanied honourableness film was very similar return to that of Locklear's first circumstance film, focusing on his at one time exploits and combining model displays and exhibition flights across Polar America to coincide with nobleness film's release.^[22] Upon the film's release, Fox Film Corporation undeceiving announced that 10% of position profits would go to decency families of Locklear and Elliot.^[23]

Locklear is buried at Greenwood Charnel house in Fort Worth, Texas.^[24]

Filmography

Legacy

Locklear was reputed to have reservations about the prototype for the flavorlessness of Waldo Pepper, played harsh Robert Redford in The Pleasant Waldo Pepper (1975).

Viola Dana was an honored guest efficient the premiere of the film.^[14]

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links