‘The Flying Ace’ Turns 100, Bringing a Forgotten Black Disabled Actor Back Into Focus
Disabled actors aren’t new. In fact, they’ve been around since cinema's foundation, and the proof is in 1926's "The Flying Ace," which turns 100 this fall.
No other outlet followed by Zonactu reports this story yet.
The history of disability discourse in the movies is one usually filled with trauma and misrepresentation. Too often, critics explain away the lack of disabled representation on-screen by citing a lack of actors, and when a disabled actor does arrive, they’re a new phenomenon. But disabled actors aren’t new. In fact, they’ve been around since cinema’s foundation, and the proof is in 1926’s “ The Flying Ace ,” which turns 100 this fall.
“I remember [wondering during] my first viewing was how is this dude riding a bike using the crutch as one of the pedals, pushing it up and down?” said Joseph…
