Coronado Historical Association Press Releases

CORONADO HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION AND MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND ART

Press Releases

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release January 14, 2011

CHA PRESENTS “HOLLYWOOD & NORTH ISLAND “

February 5, at NASNI Theatre

The Coronado Historical Association, in collaboration with the Office of Morale, Welfare & Recreation of Navy Region Southwest and the USS Midway museum’s Historian Karl Zingheim, will present a two-hour educational program on Saturday, February 5, from 2-4 p.m., at the Naval Air Station North Island (NASNI) Theatre. “Hollywood and North Island” will feature a variety of movie clips and a full-length film that portrays North Island and its naval aviators.

Karl Zingheim will present a montage of clips from various films and speak about North Island as a shooting location for Hollywood films. In the lobby of the theatre, CHA will provide a preview of their newest exhibit, WINGS OF GOLD: CORONADO AND NAVAL AVIATION exhibit. This event is free and open to the general public. A feature film made in 1941, Dive Bomber, starring Fred MacMurray and Errol Flynn, will be shown. The film is in color and includes many scenes shot on base at North Island.

During the event, CHA will honor Frank “Spig” Wead, a former naval aviator whose career was known for his flight against British pilots in the international seaplane races off the Isle of Wright in 1923, when American naval fliers took all the honors. His life took a turn after an accident in 1926, just after moving into his home in Coronado. Running down the stairs after hearing his daughter scream, he fell and broke his neck resulting in paralysis.

A determined and hardworking man, Frank turned to screenwriting and has to his credit Hell Divers (1931), Airmail (1932), Ceiling Zero (1936), Test Pilot (1938), The Citadel (1938), Dive Bomber (1941), and Destroyer (1943). John Ford directed a film called The Wings of Eagles in 1957, starring John Wayne, portraying Wead's contributions to Naval aviation.

IMPORTANT NOTE: For those without access permission on NASNI, you must register your vehicle by February 1. If you would like to RSVP and pre-register your vehicle to drive on base for the “Hollywood and North Island” event, please call 619-545-0046, or email Debora.Allen@navy.mil. For more information, please call the CHA Office at 619-435-7242, go to www.coronadohistory.org, or www.mwrtoday.com/CONA.

1100 Orange Ave., Coronado CA 92118 Phone: 619.435.7242 Fax :619.435.8504

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