The Skywayman

The Skywayman is a lost fivereel 1920 American silent film directed by James P. Hogan and produced and distributed by Fox Film Corporation. The film stars noted aerial stunt pilot Ormer Locklear, and costarring Louise Lovely. After having appeared in The Great Air Robbery 1919, a film that showcased his aerial talents, Locklear, considered the foremost aviation stunt man in the world, was reluctant to return to the air show circuit. During the production, Locklear and his copilot Milton Skeets Elliot died after crashing during a night scene. The Skywayman was subsequently released shortly after, capitalizing on their deaths.

After starring in The Great Air Robbery that was a commercial success for Universal Pictures, studio head Carl Laemmle did not take up the option for a second film starring Locklear, prompting his 25,000 lawsuit against Universal. Unwilling to go back to the air show circuit, Locklear wanted to continue his Hollywood career and in April 1920, he was signed to star in The Skywayman.Principal photography on The Skywayman began on June 11, 1920 with DeMille Fieldin Los Angeles as the main base of operations, although scenes were also shot in and around San Francisco. N Despite Locklears public claim that new stunts more daring ever filmed would be involved, the production would rely heavily on models and less on actual stunt flying. Two stunts, a church steeple being toppled by Locklears aircraft and an aircrafttotrain transfer were both problematic and nearly ended in disaster. ........

Source: Wikipedia