---
name: "Frank Wead"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/frank-wead"
roles: ["Writer"]
born: "24 October 1895"
died: "15 November 1947"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_fi1m_score: 74
average_as: "writer"
average_over: 2
updated: "2026-09-19T23:55:20.133993+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Frank Wead

Writer. Born 24 October 1895 in Peoria. Died 15 November 1947.

## Details

- **Work:** Writer
- **Born:** 24 October 1895, Peoria
- **Died:** 15 November 1947
- **Academy Awards:** 2 Oscar nominations
- **Average Fi1m score:** 74, as writer, over 2 titles
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Wead, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2815496, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0915693/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/135362

## 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.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (2)

- *Test Pilot* (1938), Fi1m 73, Original Story — [page](https://film.one/film/test-pilot.md)
- *The Citadel* (1938), Fi1m 74, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/the-citadel.md)

## Complete filmography (29)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Wings of Eagles* (1957), Writer
- *Blaze of Noon* (1947), Screenplay
- *The Beginning or the End* (1947), Writer
- *The Hoodlum Saint* (1946), Writer
- *They Were Expendable* (1945), Screenplay
- *Destroyer* (1943), Story, Screenplay
- *Dive Bomber* (1941), Screenplay, Story
- *I Wanted Wings* (1941), Story
- *Moon Over Burma* (1940), Writer
- *20,000 Men a Year* (1939), Story
- *Tail Spin* (1939), Writer
- *The Citadel* (1938), Screenplay — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/the-citadel.md)
- *Test Pilot* (1938), Original Story — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/film/test-pilot.md)
- *A Yank at Oxford* (1938), Treatment
- *Submarine D-1* (1937), Story, Screenplay
- *Sea Devils* (1937), Screenplay
- *China Clipper* (1936), Screenplay
- *Ceiling Zero* (1936), Screenplay, Theatre Play
- *The Great Impersonation* (1935), Screenplay
- *Stranded* (1935), Story
- *Murder in the Fleet* (1935), Screenplay
- *Storm Over the Andes* (1935), Screenplay
- *West Point of the Air* (1935), Screenplay
- *I'll Tell the World* (1934), Story
- *Midshipman Jack* (1933), Screenplay
- *Air Mail* (1932), Screenplay, Story
- *The All-American* (1932), Writer
- *Dirigible* (1931), Story
- *The Flying Fleet* (1929), Story

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 2 nominated

- 1939: Best Story (nominated), for *Test Pilot*
- 1939: Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (nominated), for *The Citadel*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/frank-wead