View source for Dick Grace

{{for|the Irish hurler|Dick Grace (Tullaroan)}}{{Infobox person
| name = Dick Grace
| image = Wide Open lobby card.jpg
| caption = Grace in the 1927 film "Wide Open"
| birth_name = Richard Virgil Grace
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1898|10|1}}
| birth_place = [[Morris, Minnesota]], U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1965|6|25|1898|10|1}}
| death_place = [[Los Angeles, California]], U.S.
| occupation = Stunt Pilot
| spouse = Crystine Francis Malstrom
| relatives = [[A.G. Grace]] (sibling)
}}
'''Richard Virgil Grace''' (October 1, 1898 – June 25, 1965), known as '''Dick Grace''', was an American stunt [[Aviator|pilot]] who specialized in crashing planes for [[film]]s. Films that he appeared in include ''[[Sky Bride]]'', ''[[The Lost Squadron]]'', ''[[Lilac Time (1928 film)|Lilac Time]]'', and the first [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture Oscar]] winner ''[[Wings (1927 film)|Wings]]''.<ref>King, Susan (August 14, 2014) [http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-history-of-aviation-20140814-story.html "'Hollywood Takes to the Air' explores aviation's long history in film"], Los Angeles Times</ref><ref>Onkst, David H. (2003) [http://www.centennialofflight.net/essay/Explorers_Record_Setters_and_Daredevils/movie_stunt_pilots/EX26.htm Hollywood Stunt Pilots] U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission</ref>

He served in both [[world war]]s, bombing [[Germany]], as a [[B-17 Flying Fortress]] co-pilot with the [[486th Air Expeditionary Wing|486th Bombardment Group]]. After the Second World War, he operated a charter business in South America. He was married to Crystine Francis Malstrom, a stage actress who appeared in ''Abie's Irish Rose''. He was the author of several books, including ''Squadron of Death'', ''Crash Pilot'', ''I Am Still Alive,'' and ''Visibility Unlimited''. 

Grace sustained a serious neck injury when he fell out of the cockpit during the filming of ''Wings''. But he made a full recovery and was one of the few stunt pilots of his day who died of natural causes.<ref>Lussier, Tim (2004) [http://www.silentsaregolden.com/articles/aviationstuntmen.html "Daredevils in the Air - Three of the Greats - Wilson, Locklear and Grace"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121228075503/http://www.silentsaregolden.com/articles/aviationstuntmen.html |date=2012-12-28 }}, Silents Are Golden</ref>

==Filmography==
===as actor===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1926
| ''[[The Flying Fool (1925 film)|The Flying Fool]]'' 
| Donald During
|
|-
| rowspan="2"|1927
| ''Wide Open''
| Dick Dixon
|
|-
| ''[[Wings (1927 film)|Wings]]'' 
| Aviator
| 
|-
| 1928
| ''[[Lilac Time (1928 film)|Lilac Time]]''
| technical flight commander
| 
|-
| 1932
| ''[[The Lost Squadron]]''
| Flier
| also writer
|-
|}

===as writer===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1936
| ''[[Devil's Squadron]]''
| 
|-
|}

===as stunt pilot===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1923
| ''[[Eyes of the Forest]]''
| 
|-
| 1927
| ''[[Wings (1927 film)|Wings]]''
| 
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1932
| ''[[The Lost Squadron]]''
|
|-
| ''[[Sky Bride]]''
|
|-
|}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|0333338}}
*[http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2009/03/22/crashing-planes-for-the-movie/ Article by Dick Grace from ''Modern Mechanics Magazine''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090324070004/http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2009/03/22/crashing-planes-for-the-movie/ |date=2009-03-24 }}

{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grace, Dick}}

[[Category:1898 births]]
[[Category:1965 deaths]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Service pilots of World War I]]
[[Category:American stunt performers]]
[[Category:Stunt pilots]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces officers]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II]]


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