Spider Matlock
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
William Earnest "Spider" Matlock (June 30, 1901, St. Joseph, Missouri – January 27, 1936[1]) was an American stuntman, stunt pilot, car racing promoter, driver and mechanic.[1][2]
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[3]) 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.[4]
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.[5][6] 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 2,000 feet (610 m) by a newsreel company.[7] 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.[7] Fortunately, he survived.
As the 1920s came to a close, the 13 Black Cats succumbed to increased safety regulations and cut-rate competition.
