Spider Matlock
{{short description|American stuntman and stunt pilot}}
William Earnest "Spider" Matlock (June 30, 1901, St. Joseph, Missouri – January 27, 1936{{cite news |title=Al Gordon Joked At Death-Crash Claims His Life: Mechanic Succumbs |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=seNPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=W1UDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4329%2C4409840 |date=January 27, 1936 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |agency=Associated Press |page=7}}) was an American stuntman, stunt pilot, car racing promoter, driver and mechanic.{{cite web |url=http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=ct&n=1034 |title=Spider Matlock |publisher=Motorsport Memorial}}
Stunt flying
One day, an airshow was scheduled at the Burdette Air Port and School of Aviation in Los Angeles. When the performers did not show up, Ronald MacDougall, a part-owner of the airport, persuaded Matlock (a student at the aviation school{{cite web |url=https://sandiegoairandspace.org/exhibits/online-exhibit-page/the-13-flying-black-cats |title=The 13 Flying Black Cats |publisher=San Diego Air & Space Museum}}) and Ken Nichols to help him. After five minutes of instruction (according to Nichols), the pair performed as wing walkers, with MacDougall flying the airplane.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/115181289/aerial-daredevils/ |title=Aerial daredevils soar on silver screens |first=Nancy |last=Robinson |date=April 8, 1995 |newspaper=Abilene Reporter-News |via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}
File:13 Black Cats.png, circa 1925. Matlock is in the front row, kneeling on the far right.]]
The burgeoning field of aviation reached Hollywood, and stunt pilots were needed. In 1924, MacDougall, Nichols and Matlock, formed a group called the Black Cats, later renamed the 13 Black Cats, to set standards and rates for aerial stunts for movies.{{cite web |title=Hollywood Stunt Pilots |first=David H. |last=Onskt |url=https://www.centennialofflight.net/essay/Explorers_Record_Setters_and_Daredevils/movie_stunt_pilots/EX26.htm |publisher=Centennial of Flight Commission }}{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DQb43bzF91QC&pg=PA45 |title=Aviators in Early Hollywood |first=Shawna |last=Kelly |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |year=2008 |isbn=9780738559025 |page=44}} Each of the Black Cats was supposed to have a name that was 13 letters long, which is how Matlock acquired the nickname "Spider", MacDougall got "Bon" and Nichols "Fronty". Among other things, they charged $1500 to blow up an airplane in mid-air. Matlock was once asked to do just that at {{convert|2000|ft}} by a newsreel company.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114855510/spider-matlock-plays-tag-with-grim/ |title=Spider Matlock Plays Tag With Grim Reaper |first=Frank |last=Finch |date=August 18, 1935 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} Something went wrong; explosives had been rigged on the wings with a switch with a 30-second delay, but went off prematurely before Matlock could parachute to safety. Fortunately, he survived.
As the 1920s came to a close, the 13 Black Cats succumbed to increased safety regulations and cut-rate competition.
Auto racing
Matlock also participated in auto racing, becoming "a promoter, driver and starter in California 'outlaw' racing circles". He was the riding mechanic for winning 1930 Indianapolis 500 driver Billy Arnold.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/115108403/spider-matlock-risking-his-life/ |title=Risking His Life Everyday Routine for 'Spider' Matlock |date=May 30, 1933 |newspaper=Indianapolis Times |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}{{cite web |url=http://www.champcarstats.com/rm/MatlockSpider.htm |title=Spider Matlock |website=www.champcarstats.com}} They also teamed together for the 1931 and 1932 races, but crashed both times while leading, in the 162nd and 59th laps, respectively. The first time, Matlock was flung {{convert|200|ft}}, but landed on some grass and only suffered a collarbone broken in three places. The second time, he was badly injured, with a skull fracture and many broken bones (a collarbone, six ribs, a shoulder, pelvis and hip), but was back racing in six weeks, only to break his nose and a thumb in yet another racing crash. He also teamed with Ernie Triplett in the 1933 Indianapolis 500.
He was scheduled to compete as a driver in the 1936 race for Ford, but his luck finally ran out. He and driver Al Gordon crashed at Ascot Speedway in Los Angeles on January 26, 1936; Gordon died that day, while Matlock succumbed the following day.
He appeared as himself (uncredited) in the 1932 auto racing film The Crowd Roars, starring James Cagney.{{cite web |url=https://blogs.loc.gov/now-see-hear/files/2014/05/Crowd-Roars-c-registration.pdf |title=Request for return of copyright deposits |publisher=National Audio-Visual Conservation Center blog Now See Hear!}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- [https://www.mediastorehouse.co.uk/granger-art-on-demand/miscellaneous/wing-walking-c1925-left-right-spider-matlock-13135673.html Photograph] of (left to right) Matlock and fellow Black Cats Al Johnson and "Fronty" Nichols wing walking on the top wing of a biplane piloted by Black Cat "Bon" MacDougall
- [https://books.google.com/books?id=uN4DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA834 June 1935 Popular Mechanics article "Riding Race Cars for a Living"], written by Matlock
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf08J6eCql4 YouTube video of his 1932 Indy 500 crash]
- [https://indianamemory.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/IMS/id/1738 Photograph of Matlock and Billy Arnold in the #5 car at the 1932 Indy 500]
- [https://digital.library.ucla.edu/catalog?f%5Bnamed_subject_sim%5D%5B%5D=Matlock%2C+Spider%2C+1903-1936&sort=title_alpha_numeric_ssort+asc Photographs of Matlock] in the UCLA Library Digital Collection
{{DEFAULTSORT:Matlock, Spider}}
Category:American stunt performers
Category:People from St. Joseph, Missouri
Category:Racing drivers from Missouri