246:, brought Maj. Frank Clarke into the unit to take charge of the Flight Echelon. Unfortunately, Clarke and Mantz had been bitter pre-war Hollywood rivals and Clarke resented being subordinate to Mantz in both position and rank. Clarke repaid his rival by framing him on charges of misconduct, and although Mantz was not found guilty of any infractions, the mere fact of the investigation led to Mantz being eased out of the commanding officer's slot in December 1943.
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71:. His first exploits were as a "stunt" pilot, with a risky mid-air transfer from one aircraft to another reported in local media on October 4, 1919. Clarke was positioned on the top wing of a Curtiss "Jenny" and after two misses, was able to catch the landing gear of the aircraft flown by fellow aviator
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An off-and-on rivalry with Mantz, often culminated in either pilot getting a coveted job. Clarke began to extend his involvement in films by taking on more demanding assignments. "In addition, Clarke insisted on writing his own scripts, calling for such suicidal stunts as landing on top of a speeding
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reported on June 14, 1948, that sheriff's deputies "investigated the crash of a converted Army training plane in which two
Hollywood movie studio workers were killed. The victims were identified as Frank Clark, , stunt pilot, and Mark Owens, 51, both of Los Angeles."
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Clarke soon realized that
Hollywood was eager to employ a group of pilots, who each would create elaborate aerial stunts. In a lengthy career, he was able to not only fly and "double" for other actors such as
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stunt pilots when Mantz arrived was Frank Clarke, a tall, handsome, part-Indian ex-cowboy who melted the hearts of women and froze the hearts of men. A 'born' pilot, Clarke was hopping passengers at
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on
December 14, 1920, "accidentally" off the roof of the incomplete 10-story Railway Building in downtown Los Angeles. The stunt appeared in the silent film
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passenger train. He came closer to disaster on this one, when a wheel stuck between two cars; it came free when the train rounded a curve."
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staff writer, Cecilia
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in 1918 on the same day he soloed. His good looks won him the lead role in the flying
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346:, San Bernardino, California, June 14, 1948, Volume LIV, Number 247, p. 1.
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Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in the United States
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The Motion
Picture Stunt Pilots and Hollywood's Classic Aviation Movies
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published details of Clark (he added the last 'e' later) flying a
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515:. Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., 1987.
478:. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1967.
485:(1st ed.). Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania: TAB Books 1984.
429:"Trailblazing stunt pilot was the stuff movies are made of."
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In between, Clarke was involved with such productions as
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United Press. "Two movie workers die in plane crash."
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United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II
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16:Hollywood stunt pilot, actor, and military officer
483:Celluloid Wings: The Impact of Movies on Aviation
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67:and learned to fly, purchasing a war surplus
476:Hollywood Pilot: The Biography of Paul Mantz
434:, Los Angeles, California, October 21, 2001.
500:. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1985.
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254:On June 13, 1948, Clarke was flying his
34:(29 December 1898 – 12 June 1948) was a
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204:Tailspin Tommy in the Great Air Mystery
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244:First Motion Picture Unit
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274:Clarke was interred at
498:Aviation in the Cinema
373:Pendo 1985, pp. 45–46.
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427:Rasmussen, Cecilia, "
364:Dwiggins 1967, p. 41.
330:Dwiggins 1967, p. 42.
162:Walk Softly, Stranger
153:Stranger Than Fiction
149:Curtiss JN-4D "Jenny"
59:Clarke was born near
25:Stranger Than Fiction
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309:Green Horn Mountains
280:Glendale, California
256:Vultee BT-13 Valiant
391:Farmer 1984, p. 15.
141:, in 1925, but the
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355:Wynne 1987, p. 17.
180:Eagle of the Night
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65:Venice, California
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521:978-0-93312-685-5
491:978-0-83062-374-7
481:Farmer, James H.
432:Los Angeles Times
411:Los Angeles Times
229:Los Angeles Times
216:The Flying Deuces
198:(1933), the 1935
189:The Lost Squadron
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559:1948 deaths
554:1898 births
195:Ace of Aces
92:film serial
61:Paso Robles
39:stunt pilot
548:Categories
286:References
240:Paul Mantz
99:(1928) at
80:Paul Mantz
55:Early life
319:Citations
260:Kernville
238:Lt. Col.
233:Air Force
120:, of the
107:Hollywood
84:Hollywood
73:Al Wilson
36:Hollywood
404:Archived
219:(1939).
192:(1932),
186:(1930),
182:(1928),
178:(1928),
49:Isabella
307:in the
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200:serial
135:is in
27:(1921)
291:Notes
250:Death
539:IMDb
517:ISBN
502:ISBN
487:ISBN
133:IMDb
537:at
278:in
258:to
159:'s
157:RKO
103:."
550::
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418:^
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