Biography
Frank Wilbur 'Spig' Wead was a US Navy aviator who became a screenwriter. Born in Peoria, Illinois, he served in the Navy from 1916, qualifying as an aviator and setting early flight records before a spinal injury in 1926 ended his flying career.
He turned to writing during his recovery and moved into screenwriting in the 1930s. Wead contributed to more than thirty films, often drawing on his aviation experience to promote naval flying. His credits include the original story for Test Pilot (1938) and the screenplay for The Citadel (1938), both of which earned Academy Award nominations. Other notable works are Dive Bomber (1941), They Were Expendable (1945) and Destroyer (1943). He returned to active duty during the Second World War.
John Ford, a frequent collaborator, directed the 1957 biopic The Wings of Eagles, based on Wead's life.
