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B. H. DeLay

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B. H. De Lay
Aviator Actor B. H. De Lay
Born
Beverly Homer De Lay
Other namesB. H. DeLay
BH De LAY
Spouse(s)Juanita Smyth (Mason)
(Two daughters: Patricia De Lay (King) & Beverley De Lay (Berg))
ChildrenPatricia De Lay (King) & Beverley De Lay (Berg)

Beverly Homer DeLay, known as B.H. DeLay, was an innovator and an aviator actor of French descent. He was born on August 12, 1891 in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. DeLay was also an engineer educated at the Engineering School of the University of California as well as the prestigious, centuries old University of Heidelberg in Germany. DeLay's first profession was a gold mine manager, then racecar driver, and then airport manager and owner, which evolved into performing for motion pictures. DeLay's early daredevil style was theatrically demonstrated in his high-speed race moves in the domed dance pavilion on Pickering Pleasure Pier near Venice in Ocean Park, California. His theatrical family entertainment history reaches back over 100 years to Europe, including stage actors, dancers, musicians, and theatre impresarios.

Aviation Advancement & Promotion

DeLay tirelessly promoted aviation, while pushing the limits in the entertainment industry, especially through innovative performances. B.H. implemented the first lighted airport in the United States on DeLay Field.1 He also initiated the first aerial police in the nation in Venice, Los Angeles, California. DeLay was inspired to this action after a marine rescue attempt was thwarted. He proposed that his aerial forces, equipped with flotation devices, be ready for rescue at a moments notice. This force was approved through the Board of Directors of the Venice Chamber of Commerce.2 When DeLay took charge of Ince Airfield (Venice Airfield) he was on a mission so that “the passenger service will be advanced to a degree of perfection and safety never before attained.” DeLay was seriously driven but he was also cleverly playful, such as when he threw out the game opener baseball from his plane to DeLay Field below. The semi-pro baseball team he named for Venice, was called the Highflyers.3

During his ten years of flying experience, DeLay conducted aerial rides with politicians, actors, and unusual personalities, such as opera diva (Luisa Tetrazzini) and a princess (Tsianina). He dropped event tickets, flew city engineers to produce aerial maps of Venice, and showered other promotional or ceremonial objects for events, such as masses of flowers over the ocean as tributes to war heroes.4 DeLay and several of his planes were also in Ormer Locklear’s aerial funeral procession.5 In a promotion of Venice as a leading entertainment destination, DeLay flew a night loop-the-loop “fire ride” with fireworks on the back of his plane, while 20 navy destroyer ships flashed their search lights upon the horizon for his performance. He went above and beyond to prove that loop-the-loops could be performed at night.6

Aviation Firsts for the Motion Pictures

B.H. DeLay performed at least half a dozen stunt firsts for the movies, including the first change from plane to train and train to plane. Another DeLay first was from saddle to plane, as well as auto to plane. "Daredevil" DeLay was the first to knock down a building with a plane on screen as well.

In one of DeLay’s contracts he was engaged to rescue the heroine from the top of a burning building and at the same time he was to crash into the burning tower where the villain was hanging on to a flag pole, knocking over the tower and dashing the villain to his death. This scene was successfully performed with the aid of a setting constructed at the Venice Field.7

Motion Picture Performing

DeLay Field (Venice Field) was previously owned by Thomas Harper Ince, the director and producer who is well known for inventing the motion picture studio system. B.H. DeLay managed Thomas Ince's field before owning it. DeLay was in numerous motion pictures, including westerns, comedies and dramas. He acted and performed aerials with Ruth Roland, Oliver Hardy, Larry Semon, Milton Sills, Agnes Ayers, Florence Vidor, Al St. John, Helen Holmes, Viola Dana, Warner Oland, Thomas Ince, Al Wilson , Frank Clarke, Ormer Locklear and many other notables. DeLay’s character was also well respected by the Warner Bros. Jack Warner wrote that DeLay was a "real flyer..."

B.H. DeLay conducted a movie stunt pilot training school at his airfield in Venice. DeLay worked with over 25 motion picture companies including the original Warner Bros, Pathé, Vitagraph, Astra, Universal, and Fox.8 (B.H. DeLay Aircraft Company advertising cites several of the following movies (below) to encourage the glamorous role of stunt aviation for the movies.)

Unsolved Mystery

B.H. DeLay was only 31 when he died (along with passenger aviator, R.I. Short, President of the Essandee corporation) in a sabotaged plane crash performing in front of crowds of thousands at Ocean Park on July 4, 1923. He was in the middle of a loop-the-loop in his plane, the "Wasp", when the wings folded back; barreling them nose first into the earth. The plane burst into flames shortly after they were pulled from the wreckage. Pins in his wings were found to be a substandard size of only 3/8 of an inch, rather than 1/2 or 3/4, indicating wing tampering. Several headlines from Venice and other Los Angeles newspapers state that DeLay was murdered through sabotage while performing on 4th of July in 1923.9 It remains an unsolved murder mystery.

He was also shot at in Clover Field (now Santa Monica Airport) days before his crash. A couple other incidents occurred before the crash as well. In 1921, DeLay and seven others (including his lawyer, Francis J. Heney) were brought into court.10 C.E. Frey, who insisted that he bought DeLay Airfield --yet he had no proof-- had a couple of his thugs plant posts in DeLay's airport so that planes could not take off. After DeLay had his crew remove the posts, C.E. Frey's gang dug trenches so that the planes could not take off. C.E. Frey ended up in jail with B.H. DeLay, C.Y. DeLay (B.H.'s father), G. F. Stephenson, Howard Patterson, along with others such as stunt performers, Frank Clarke and pilots Wallace Timm and Glen Boyd. DeLay had purchased the airport from the Crawford Airplane Company in September, 1919. (Page 7 of Los Angeles Aeronautics, Northrop University, 1973.)

Not only was B.H. DeLay an innovator, he was a humanitarian who frequently organized and performed in aviation or actor benefits for individuals and organizations in need.11

Movies with DeLay

DeLay was involved (acting, aviation & stunt directing/coordinating) with over 50 movies including:

"[In 1922] DeLay dominated stunts in the motion picture industry." (Page 28 of the Motion Picture Stunt Pilots by Hugh Wynne, Pictorial Histories Publishing, 1987.)


Trivia

  • De Lay performed live at actor benefits with Douglas Fairbanks, Tom Mix, Harry Carey, Will Rogers, William S. Hart, Buck Jones, Hoot Gibson and other notables.11
  • B. H. De Lay's daughter, Beverley De Lay, was a Meglin Kiddie dancer like Shirley Temple and was in the Land of Oz 1932 movie. His daughter, Beverley, also attended Hollywood High School at the same time as Judy Garland.
  • De Lay attended the famous Fly-in (only) Party of the Brand Estate, where he was nearly involved in a head on collision with Anita Snook (Teacher of Amelia Earhart.) He was aerial performing for the crowd, but Snook had to leave early and ended up in his flying path. At the last moment, De Lay dove under Snook's plane. His propellers were shaved off in the trees, but both of their lives were saved. (page 21 of Madcaps, Millionaires and Mose, by John Underwood, Heritage Press 1984.)
  • B. H. De Lay had various aircraft specially designed for him and he owned a set of Curtiss JN-4 (JN-4D specifically) at his airport.

References

Books

  • Stanton, Jeffrey. 'Venice California: Coney Island of the Pacific' Donahue Publishing 2005, ISBN 0-9619849-3-7.
    Printed book index is online: De Lay has many book index entry pages: 114, 129, *140, *141, 148, 150 *=illustrated
  • (8) Wynne, Hugh. The Motion Picture Stunt Pilots & Hollywoods Classic Aviation Movies, Pictorial Histories Publishing, 1987. De Lay Pages: 8, 20, 22, 24, 28, 30, 34)
  • D. D. Hatfield. Los Angeles Aeronautics 1920-29, Northrup University Press, 1973. (Illustrated DeLay photo, filmography & airport aerial pages: 6 & 7)

Magazine Articles

  • (8) Ace Magazine "Aviation and the Moving Picture Industry: Airplanes Play Important Part in Up-to-Date Movies", November, 1921. (B.H. De Lay featured)

Newspaper Articles

  • (9) Police Investigating First Aerial Murder: B. H. De Lay, The Coshocton Tribune, July 15, 1923.
  • (9) Sheriff Suspects Aerial Murder (of B. H. DeLay, Well Known Stunt Aviator), The Indianapolis Star, July 7, 1923.
  • (9) Last Rites for De Lay Tomorrow: Services for Famous Flyer Have Been Arranged for at Los Angeles Crematory, Los Angles Times, July 6, 1923. ("DeLay was nationally known for his daring stunts in the air.")
  • (11) De Lay to Give Fire Ride for Gigantic Actors' Benefit, Los Angeles Times, c1922.
  • (6) DeLay Will Do Rare Stunt at Night, Venice Vanguard, May 24, 1921.
  • (1) DeLay to Have the First Lighted Aviation Field, Venice Vanguard, May 15, 1921.
  • (3) Venice Players to Be Called "Highflyers", Venice Vanguard, May 3, 1921
  • (2) Venice to Have First Life-Saving Aerial Patrol: Aviator De Lay to Keep Pilot and Plane Equipped With Buoys on Duty at Beach, Venice Vanguard, March 14, 1921.
  • (11) Good Exhibition, Venice Vanguard, February, 1921.
  • (4) Airship Floral Offerings for Chas. Dewey (World War Hero), Venice Vanguard, June 18, 1921.
  • (5) Last Tribute (B.H. DeLay Commands Six Planes in Aerial Funeral for Lieutenant Locklear), Venice Vanguard, August 1920.
  • (11) Venice to Aid Families in Distress, Venice Vanguard, July 15, 1920.
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