Albert Peter Wilson (December 1, 1895 – September 5, 1932) was an American film actor, producer and

stunt pilot Stunt flying refers to any stunts performed in an aircraft. It encompasses aerobatics, wing walking, and transferring from one airplane to another or to a moving vehicle on the ground, such as an automobile or train, and vice versa. History From t ...

. Wilson died in

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–United States border, Canada–U.S. maritime border ...

, in an air crash while doing flying stunts at the 1932 Cleveland Air Races show."The Albert P. "Al" Wilson."
''Davis-Monthan Airfield Register Website.'' Retrieved: January 16, 2011.

Biography

Born in

Harrodsburg, Kentucky Harrodsburg is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Mercer County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 9,064 at the 2020 census. Although Harrodsburg was formally established by the Virginia House of Burgesses after Boo ...

, Wilson grew up in

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

, where his family had moved, and since he was young he has always been passionate about flying. He started at Schiller Aviation School as a maintenance assistant, where he also began to study as a pilot. After that, he taught in flying schools and finally he became chief instructor at the American Aircraft Company. After a short period as manager of

Mercury Aviation Company Mercury Aviation Company was one of the first commercial airline services founded in by Cecil B. DeMille. DeMille, Hollywood American film director and producer, was one of the first to see the aircraft's potential in commercial airline service. ...

, founded by one of his students,

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American filmmaker and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of American cinema and the most co ...

, Wilson became more and more skilled in performing stunts, including wing-walking, and left the company to become a professional stunt pilot. Phantom Flyer 1928

Wilson worked together with stuntmen like Frank Clarke and Wally Timm and also for movie companies, including Universal. After numerous appearances in stunt roles he started his actor career in 1923 with the serial ''

The Eagle's Talons ''The Eagle's Talons'' is a 1923 American film serial directed by Duke Worne. The film is considered to be lost. Cast * Fred Thomson Frederick Clifton Thomson (February 26, 1890 – December 25, 1928) was an American silent film cowbo ...

''.Wynne 1987, pp. 5–17. He produced his own movies until 1927, when he went back to work with Universal. Wilson was also one of the pilots in '' Hell's Angels'' (1930) and during filming, he was involved in an accident where the mechanic Phil Jones died. This episode marked the end of his career as stunt pilot in movies."Stunt Pilots."
''Silents are Golden.'' Retrieved: January 16, 2011. During the National Air Races in Cleveland in 1932, his aircraft crashed and he died a few days later in hospital due to the injuries he suffered. The accident is documented in the film ''Pylon Dusters: 1932 and 1938 Air Races'', an historic film about the 1932 Cleveland Race.

Filmography

*''

'' (1923, serial) *''

The Ghost City ''The Ghost City'' is a 1923 American silent Western film serial directed by Jay Marchant. It is considered to be a lost film. Plot As described in a film magazine, in Sunshine Valley, California, there is trouble aplenty brewing. Laughing L ...

'' (1923, serial) *'' The Air Hawk'' (1924) *''

The Cloud Rider ''The Cloud Rider'' is a 1925 American silent action adventure aviation film directed by Bruce M. Mitchell and starring Al Wilson and Virginia Lee Corbin. It was distributed by Film Booking Offices of America.''The Cloud Rider'' was one of a ser ...

'' (1925) *'' The Fighting Ranger'' (1925, serial) *'' Flyin' Thru'' (1925) *''

The Flying Mail ''The Flying Mail'' is a 1926 American silent action film directed by Noel M. Smith. The film stars Al Wilson, Joseph W. Girard and Kathleen Myers. ''The Flying Mail'' was one of a series of films that showcased the exploits of the air mail ...

'' (1926) *''

Three Miles Up ''Three Miles Up'' is a 1927 American silent action film directed by Bruce M. Mitchell. The film stars Al Wilson, William Malan and Ethlyne Clair. ''Three Miles Up'' was one of a series of films that showcased the exploits of the stunt pilots ...

'' (1927) *'' Sky High Saunders'' (1927) *''

The Air Patrol ''The Air Patrol'' is a 1928 American silent drama film directed by Bruce M. Mitchell and written by William Berke and Gardner Bradford from a story by Al Wilson, the film's star. The film stars Al Wilson, Elsa Benham, Jack Mower, Frank Tomi ...

'' (1928) *''

The Cloud Dodger ''The Cloud Dodger'' is a 1928 American silent drama film directed by Bruce M. Mitchell and starring real life aviator Al Wilson. The action film was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures. Like many actors in the silent film era, Wil ...

'' (1928) *''

The Phantom Flyer ''The Phantom Flyer'' (aka ''The Phantom Ranger'') is a 1928 American silent film, silent Western (genre), Western and aviation film directed by Bruce M. Mitchell and starring Al Wilson (pilot), Al Wilson, Lillian Gilmore and Buck Connors. The ...

'' (1928) *''

Won in the Clouds ''Won in the Clouds'' is a 1928 American silent film directed by Bruce M. Mitchell and starring Al Wilson. Like many actors in the silent film era, Wilson did not survive the transition to "talkies", with ''Won in the Clouds'', one of his las ...

'' (1928) *''

The Sky Skidder ''The Sky Skidder'' is a 1929 American silent action film directed by Bruce M. Mitchell and written by Carl Krusada and Gardner Bradford. The film stars Al Wilson, Helen Foster, Wilbur McGaugh, and Gilbert Holmes. The film was released on Ja ...

'' (1929) *'' Hell's Angels'' (1930) *''

The Airmail Mystery ''The Airmail Mystery'' is a 1932 Universal pre-Code movie serial directed by Ray Taylor, written by Ella O'Neill, starring James Flavin and Wheeler Oakman, and featuring Al Wilson doing the aerial stunts. ''The Airmail Mystery'' was Univ ...

'' (1932)

References

;Notes ;Bibliography * Wynne, H. Hugh. ''The Motion Picture Stunt Pilots and Hollywood's Classic Aviation Movies''. Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., 1987. .

External links

* *
Stock footage
of Al Wilson's fatal crash with

autogiro An autogyro (from Greek and , "self-turning"), gyroscope, gyrocopter or gyroplane, is a class of rotorcraft that uses an unpowered rotor in free autorotation to develop lift. A gyroplane "means a rotorcraft whose rotors are not engine-drive ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Albert P. 1895 births 1932 deaths American male film actors Stunt pilots Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in the United States Accidental deaths in Ohio Male actors from Kentucky 20th-century American male actors Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1932