Frank Wead
Writer · Died November 15, 1947, aged 52
From Wikipedia Frank Wilbur "Spig" Wead (born October 24, 1895, in Peoria, Illinois – died November 15, 1947, in Santa Monica, California) was a U.S. Navy aviator turned screenwriter who helped promote United States Naval aviation from its inception through World War II.
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Biography from TMDB.
- October 24, 1895
- November 15, 1947 (aged 52)
- Writer
- 12 on MovieCove · 29 credits in all
What are Frank Wead's films like?
Across their 12 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 1 · Earnest 11
Light 4 · Serious 5 · Dark 3
Grounded 10 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0
Gentle 1 · Charged 10 · Intense 1
Steady 5 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 0
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 8 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 1
A split, not a type: Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 1
Casual 4 · Engaged 8 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 4 · Affecting 5 · Heavy 3
Resolved 12 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy4
- Bittersweet8
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Frank Wead's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 1 of their 12 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, on Tubi (1).
Subscription and free streaming for Frank Wead's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
29 credits, 12 with a MovieCove page.
The Wings of Eagles(1957)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Blaze of Noon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)
The Beginning or the End(1947)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
The Hoodlum Saint (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)
They Were Expendable(1945)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Destroyer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)
Dive Bomber(1941)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
I Wanted Wings(1941)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Moon Over Burma (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)
20,000 Men a Year (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
Tail Spin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
The Citadel(1938)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
Test Pilot(1938)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
A Yank at Oxford(1938)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
Submarine D-1 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)
Sea Devils (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)
China Clipper(1936)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
Ceiling Zero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)
The Great Impersonation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)
Stranded (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)
Murder in the Fleet(1935)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
Storm Over the Andes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)
West Point of the Air (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)
I'll Tell the World(1934)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Midshipman Jack (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)
Air Mail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)
The All-American (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)
Dirigible(1931)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
The Flying Fleet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)
Career shape
A full career of 29 titles from 1929 to 1957.
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
How do Frank Wead's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 60th percentile, the median of all 12; across their 12 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 60th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up2
- 50th to 74th6
- 25th to 49th4
Shape of the crowd
None of their 12 titles divides audiences: 8 are Crowd Pleasers.
- Crowd Pleaser8
- Broadly Agreed1
- Mixed3
Reviewers score the dialogue 56/100 and the plot and story 50/100 in their films, across 12 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Who does Frank Wead work with?
People who share at least 2 of Frank Wead's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; John Ford shares the most, 2.
Directors
- John FordShared titles: The Wings of Eagles (1957), They Were Expendable (1945)See all 2 shared titles with John Ford
- Edward SedgwickShared titles: Murder in the Fleet (1935), I'll Tell the World (1934)See all 2 shared titles with Edward Sedgwick
Actors
- John WayneShared titles: The Wings of Eagles (1957), They Were Expendable (1945)See all 2 shared titles with John Wayne
- Ward BondShared titles: The Wings of Eagles (1957), They Were Expendable (1945)See all 2 shared titles with Ward Bond
- Brian DonlevyShared titles: The Beginning or the End (1947), I Wanted Wings (1941)See all 2 shared titles with Brian Donlevy
- Jack HoltShared titles: They Were Expendable (1945), Dirigible (1931)See all 2 shared titles with Jack Holt
Cinematographers and editors
- Ray JuneShared titles: The Beginning or the End (1947), Test Pilot (1938)See all 2 shared titles with Ray June
- Charles FrendShared titles: A Yank at Oxford (1938), The Citadel (1938)See all 2 shared titles with Charles Frend
Producers
- Hal B. WallisShared titles: Dive Bomber (1941), China Clipper (1936)See all 2 shared titles with Hal B. Wallis
