The Worst Film Director of All Time - Ed Wood

Famous After Death

Edward D. Wood Jnr

The Worst Director of All Time

Poor old Ed Wood. Died of alcoholism at 54. Broke. With a look of pure terror on his face, according to his wife Cathy, who found him in bed. It was 1978.

Ed Wood with real life girlfriend Dolores Fuller in Glen or Glenda
(she later became a famous songwriter).

20 years prior he made Plan 9 from Outer Space. It was barely seen. For good reason. Lower than low budget. Terrible acting. Shaky sets. Unintentionally hilarious dialogue. Silly story. Something about aliens bringing back the dead. Or something. I have the poster in my bedroom. Above my head. Quite creepy now that I think about it. 

Scene from Plan 9

Thanks to the advent of late night movies, Plan 9 and it's director found themselves lauded in the late seventies. Not long before he died, Ed knew of his new found infamy, but it was all too late. He died in poverty, having not long being evicted from his apartment.

He made a string of bad films, mostly sci-fi except for the truly bizarre (and kind of wonderful) Glen or Glenda, about a cross-dresser, based on Ed Wood himself. (Apparently wore a bra when he parachuted during WWII). It was very bold material for 1953. Made in only a few days on next to nothing, Ed had managed to become friends with an old, frail and drug addicted Bela Lugosi, a horror has been. He appears in the film. His last screen performances were with Ed. Their friendship appears quite touching.

Bela Lugosi in Glen or Glenda

The mythology of Ed Wood grew after his death, culminating in several books and a feature film.

If you don't know his story, I suggest you watch Ed Wood, the 1994 Tim Burton biopic. It's fantastic. One of my favourite films. As a fledgling film maker at the time, I could truly relate to Ed's struggle. Not to the cross dressing, but each to their own. 

Young & dashing

Johnny Depp as Ed

He made eight feature films, a bunch of shorts and wrote a lot of cheap, trashy novels, some pumped out (so to speak) in days. People love Ed Wood now, but not so at the time. One suspects there's been a lot of Ed Woods over the years. He just happens to be the most famous one.

Later years

Edward D. Wood Jnr 1924-1978

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