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Boy Scout, Marine war hero, "carny", transvestite, writer/director of such cult classics as, Glen Or Glenda, Jail Bait, Plan 9 From Outer Space, Bride Of The Monster, and Night Of The Ghouls, among others, as well as a prolific writer of more than 50 novels, all filled with sex, schlock, and horror, Ed Wood's life is a cautionary tale about Hollywood's bottomless pit of excess and madness.
"You see! You see! Your stupid minds! Stupid, stupid!" So wrote Edward Davis Wood, Jr., born on October 10, 1924 in Poughkeepsie, New York to Lillian and Edward Wood Sr. As a child, Ed Jr. loved going to the pictures. At age 7, he saw his first horror movie, Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi. Little did he know that the film and its star would eventually become a big part of his life. A few years later, Ed's father would buy him his first movie camera, and Ed would spend his days writing and directing little stories for himself and the neighborhood kids. In 1942, with the United States entrenched in WWII, Ed enlisted in the Marine Corps. and was stationed in the Pacific. He was 17 at the time. During his four-year stint, Ed saw a lot of action, and even received the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart medals for his bravery and duty to country. Of course, no one knew that, even during the fiercest battles, he was wearing pink panties and a bra beneath his military fatigues. Ed was always a little different that way. After the war, Ed joined a traveling circus, and in keeping with the spirit of his private fetish, played the half-man, half woman, and the geek. Eventually, Ed landed in Hollywood to pursue his dream of making movies.
Ed spent the first few years playing bit parts in movies and television, directing and acting for the stage, and even managed to write and direct his first movie. In 1953, Ed finally meets his childhood hero, Lugosi, for the first time. This unlikely pair developed a close friendship, and would make a series of movies together until Lugosi's death just a couple years later. Those who knew Ed always talked about what a likable guy he was, but agreed that he was a terrible businessman. Forever in need of funds, Ed would beg, borrow, and steal from everyone and anyone who would come into his orbit. And sometimes the money would come from the strangest places. For instance, Plan 9 From Outer Space was financed mainly from a group of Baptists, headed by a Edward J. Reynolds, who insisted that the entire cast be baptized into the faith before agreeing to give up the money. After the film was made, Reynolds couldn't find a distributor, and eventually purchased all the rights from Ed Wood for a whopping $1.
Over the next couple of decades, Ed Wood continued to pursue his directorial dreams, without much success. He spent most of his time writing scripts, often uncredited, and for only a few hundred bucks a pop. Desperately needing money to pay the rent, and to support his deepening alcohol addiction, Ed wound up making pornographic and exploitation films for the skin trade, and penning dozens of novels with names like, Black Lace Drag, Orgy Of The Dead, Death Of A Transvestite, The Sexecutives, and Hell Chicks, to name but a few. Ed longed to make a come-back in the legitimate pictures, but by the 1970's it was too late. Even his usual optimism couldn't save him from the bottle. The drinking had taken its toll on Ed, and what little credibility he did have was completely gone. Toward the end of his life, Ed and his second wife Kathy, were living in filth and squalor, with no money to eat much less pay any rent. And what money they did have was always spent on booze. Finally and tragically, Ed and Kathy were kicked out of their drug infested apartment, and allowed only one suitcase for all their possessions. Ed died of a heart attack a couple of weeks later at a friend's house. His body was taken out in a garbage bag. He was 54.
Ed Wood is often called, "The Worst Director of all Time". Admittedly his films lack a certain professionalism, however, what he lacked in craft, he made up for with enthusiasm and an undeniable eccentricity. Ed Wood was an American original. Who else could write with all seriousness:
"Greetings my friend. we are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives! And remember, my friend, future events such as these will affect you. in the future!"
Delve into the world of Edward D. Wood Jr. by checking out these:
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