Edward D. Wood Jr. | FRAGMENTEN UIT HET SCHEMERLAND

Director: Edward D. Wood Jr.
Written by: Alex Gordon, Edward D. Wood Jr.
Cast: Lyle Talbot, Dolores Fuller, Herbert Rawlinson, Steve Reeves

Year / Country: 1954, USA
Running Time: 71 mins.

Marilyn Gregor bails out her brother Don who was caught carrying a gun. It appears that Don is under the influence of the hardened gangster Vic Brady. After Don’s release, he and Vic commit another robbery that ends with the death of an ex-cop. Don is now a murderer. His father, who is a plastic surgeon, wants to help him, but Vic has plans of his own.

Jail Bait is one of the least Ed Woodish films Ed Wood made. It is a crime movie for one thing, rather than a sci-fi / monster flick. There is also no Lugosi, less wooden acting and a whole lot less mistakes, although there are still plenty. One typical Wood element is still there: the message. This time it is ‘Never carry a gun or you will use it.’

The story gets kind of ridiculous as it unfolds, but hardly fails to amuse. The cast holds up well too. Fuller, who appears in many of Wood’s movies, is an enjoyable presence and the ending is really hilarious. Those elements together make this second feature film directed by Wood, one of his finer achievements.

Rating:

Biography: Edward D. Wood Jr. (1924, New York – 1978, Hollywood) is widely considered as the world’s worst filmmaker. His low-budget movies, usually mergers of science-fiction and horror, are mostly complete disasters in terms of production values and continuity. In 1994, Edward D. Wood Jr. became the subject of an amazing biopic directed by Tim Burton called Ed Wood.

Filmography: The Sun Was Setting (1951, TV short), Trick Shooting with Kenne Duncan (1953, short), Glen or Glenda (1953), Crossroad Avenger: The Adventures of the Tuscon Kid (1953, TV short), Boots (1953, short), Jail Bait (1954), Bride of the Monster (1955), The Night the Banshee Cried (1957, short), Final Curtain (1957, short), Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959), Night of the Ghouls (1959), The Sinister Urge (1960), Take It Out in Trade (1970), The Young Marrieds (1971), Necromania: A Tale of Weird Love (1971)

“I Changed My Sex!”

Director: Edward D. Wood Jr.
Written by: Edward D. Wood Jr.
Cast: Bela Lugosi, Lyle Talbot, Tomothy Farrell, Dolores Fuller, Edward D. Wood Jr.

Year / Country: 1953, USA
Running Time: 68 mins.

In the making of this film, which deals with a strange and curious subject, no punches have been pulled – no easy way out is taken. Many of the smaller parts are portrayed by persons who actually are, in real life, the character they portray on the screen. This is a picture of stark realism…taking no sides…but giving you the facts…All the facts…as they are today… You are society…JUDGE YE NOT…..

This is how it starts. Director Ed Wood sure meant business. As a cross dresser, he was driven to bring his ‘dilemma’ to the screen. Glen is what medical science calls ‘a transvestite’. The world doesn’t understand it. A very serious subject. But if you want the audience to take it seriously, throwing in Bela Lugosi in improvised talkie scenes, completely unrelated to the story, is probably not the best idea.

Director Edward D. Wood Jr.’s breakthrough movie suffers from way too much explanation. There are some very funny scenes though. Glenda in front of the store window, Bela Lugosi’s ‘pull the strings’ monologue intercut with buffalos, Bela being entertained by sexy girls. Hilarious then, hilarious now. Glen or Glenda belongs in any cult geeks collection.

Rating:

Biography: Edward D. Wood Jr. (1924, New York – 1978, Hollywood) is widely considered as the world’s worst filmmaker. His low-budget movies, usually mergers of science-fiction and horror, are mostly complete disasters in terms of production values and continuity. In 1994, Edward D. Wood Jr. became the subject of an amazing biopic directed by Tim Burton called Ed Wood.

Filmography: The Sun Was Setting (1951, TV short), Trick Shooting with Kenne Duncan (1953, short), Glen or Glenda (1953), Crossroad Avenger: The Adventures of the Tuscon Kid (1953, TV short), Boots (1953, short), Jail Bait (1954), Bride of the Monster (1955), The Night the Banshee Cried (1957, short), Final Curtain (1957, short), Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959), Night of the Ghouls (1959), The Sinister Urge (1960), Take It Out in Trade (1970), The Young Marrieds (1971), Necromania: A Tale of Weird Love (1971)