Glen or Glenda
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Movie Reviews of Glen or Glenda
Movie Review: "15 Frightful Horror Films ... Bela Lugosi ... Passport Video"
Summary: 5 Stars
Passport Video presents "The Bela Lugosi Box - 15 Frightful Films" (1942) --- (Dolby digitally remastered) --- Béla Lugosi was the stage name of actor Béla Ferenc Dezs' Blaskó (October 20, 1882 - August 16, 1956) --- Lugosi was born in Lugos, Hungary, at the time part of Austria-Hungary (now Lugoj, Romania), the youngest of four children of a baker --- best known for his portrayal of "Dracula" in the American Broadway stage production, and subsequent film, of Bram Stoker's classic vampire story.
Late in his life, he again received star billing in movies when filmmaker Edward D. Wood, Jr., a fan of Lugosi, found him living in obscurity and near-poverty and offered him roles in his films, such as "GLEN OR GLENDA?" (1953) (in which his role made no more sense than the rest of the movie) and as a Dr. Frankenstein-like mad scientist in "BRIDE OF THE MONSTER" (1955), during post-production of the latter, Lugosi entered treatment for his addiction, and the premier of the film was ostensibly intended to help pay for his treatment expenses. The extras on an early DVD release of "PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE" (1959) include an impromptu interview with Lugosi upon his exit from the treatment center, which provide some rare personal insights into the man --- this was one of Lugosi's most infamous roles was released after he was dead. Ed Wood (Director) features footage of Lugosi interspersed with a double --- Wood had taken a few minutes of silent footage of Lugosi, in his Dracula cape, for a planned vampire picture but was unable to find financing for the project --- Wood later conceived of Plan 9, Wood wrote the script to incorporate the Lugosi footage and hired his wife's chiropractor to double for Lugosi in additional shots --- notice however the "double" is thinner than Lugosi, and covers the lower half of his face with his cape in every shot --- Leonard Maltin (Famous Film Critic) was quoted - "Lugosi died during production, and it shows."
Lugosi died of a heart attack on August 16, 1956 while lying in bed in his Los Angeles home. He was 73 --- Bela Lugosi was buried wearing one of the many capes from the Dracula stageplay, as per the request of his son and fifth wife, in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California --- Contrary to popular belief, Lugosi never requested to be buried in his famous cloak; Bela Lugosi, Jr. has confirmed on numerous occasions that he and his mother, Lillian, arrived at their decision independently.
BIOS:
1. Bela Lugosi (aka: Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó)
Date of birth: 20 October 1882 - Lugos, Austria-Hungary. [now Lugoj, Romania]
Date of death: 16 August 1956 - Los Angeles, California
2. Edward D. Wood Jr. (Director, Writer and Producer)
Date of birth: 10 October 1924 - Poughkeepsie, New York
Date of death: 10 December 1978 - North Hollywood, California
This collection of "The Bela Lugosi Box - 15 Frightful Films" (1942) --- still has the magic that we remember from those bygone years --- but as long as we have the labels and networks who play and show these wonderful films of yesteryear, they will never be forgotten ... Plus the half-hour tribute "100 Years of Horror: Bela Lugosi", hosted by Christopher Lee --- and a great job by Passport Video for this release --- looking forward to more of the same from the '20s and '50s vintage...order your copy now from Amazon or Passport Video, stay tuned once again for more remarkable films from the vaults of classic television and Hollywood during the Golden Era of Entertaiment.
Total Time: 1034 mins on DVD ~ Passport Video #5260 ~ (9/05/2006)
Movie Review: Open your eyes and mind
Summary: 5 Stars
Ed Wood's continuing reign as the so-called 'worst director of all time' has earned him many fans, but it has also done his work a disservice: few reviewers dare to go against the tide and write constructively about his movies, preferring instead to hop in the so-bad-it's-good bandwagon. This is unfortunate, because his most interesting films are worthy of critical scrutiny - especially his first project, 'Glen or Glenda' (1953). Whereas most of his other films tackle a specific genre, this movie creates its own: an unlikely but personal blend of documentary and fiction, horror, romance, police procedural, and more. There isn't a single storyline throughout but rather a set of imbricated tales that feed off of each other. The bulk of the narrative is devoted to a couple of case histories which are recounted by a psychiatrist to an inspector, but the film is frequently punctuated by Lugosi's enigmatic character. His 'Scientist' name, much like an early scene in which he prepares a potion, is a nod to his past roles: he is a Demiurge-like figure whose utterances often have anthropogonic connotations and can affect people's lives. Lugosi's performance in this film is quite underrated, and arguably one of his most effective. (He was not quite as memorable in Wood's subsequent 'Bride of the Monster' [1955].) To further complicate the narrative, one of the two case histories related by the psychiatrist - that of Wood himself - features an elaborate dream sequence whose images are suitably bizarre and full of strange symbols. The film always operates on multiple levels at once, since Wood constantly shifts between characters while using a proliferation of contrasting techniques (voice-over, documentary, fiction, stock footage, image juxtapositions, etc.). Some have deemed this cinematic cacophony confusing and/or confused, but I find it fascinating, and sometimes even mesmerizing - this is automatic, stream of consciousness filmmaking that remains stubbornly indifferent to conventions. I strongly recommend this film to adventurous cinephiles.Movie Review: "Bevare of the big green dragon that sits on your doorstep."
Summary: 5 Stars
GLEN OR GLENDA (1953) - Bela Lugosi, Edward Wood Jr., Dolores Fuller, Lyle Talbot, 'Tommy' Haynes, Conrad Brooks
Infamous movie that began Ed Wood's reign as "worst director of all time" is an autobiographic semi-documentary on transvestism (now called "crossdressing"). Wood as Glen also boldly appears in his second self, here named Glenda. Fuller, playing girlfriend Barbara, is a really bad actress. Bela's "puppy dog's tails" speech and later "Pull da string! Pull da string!" narration over a superimposed buffalo herd are unforgettable. An extended sequence of wordless action with music track perhaps reveals the director's other idiosyncracies.
Here, as Glen and Barbara get married, a sports jacketed Satan nods his approval. The next curious segment is of an hourglass shaped stripper then a supine woman being whipped and bound by another girl. The previously tied up girl freely writhes on a couch in a sheer negligee, clearly aroused. A man enters and forces himself upon her; at first she resists but then kisses him back. All this as Lugosi watches with raised brows.
The sequence continues: a small crowd points accusingly at Glen and surround him as the devil urges them forward. He's now Glenda when they back away. Barbara slowly approaches but suddenly turns into Satan. Glenda recoils. An amused Barbara reappears in an overturned chair; she rises and mocks Glenda. A montage of laughers, plus their hands and grinning faces, segues to the devil repeating Lugosi's "Beware" soliloquy.
All this is preface to Glen's decision to reveal his dark secret to Barbara. Will she laugh for real and make Glen's nightmare a reality? Will she end their engagement? Before we find out, another case is presented plus there's lots more stock footage to use up! (Hint: Wood's story incorrectly concludes that love cures CDers.)
Movie Review: This Movie is PRICELESS
Summary: 5 Stars
There is no trick to making a normal bad movie. Most of the movies out there are bad or boring, or both. The people involved generally know the movie isn't very good. They are film professionals who realize they haven't brought what is necessary to create a quality movie. It may be due to time or a lack of money to hire the best actors and script writers. It may be pressure to clone the latest box office smash and capitalize on it's success. Whatever the reason it isn't because the director is so inept, incompetent, foolish, and inexperienced that they think incoherent rambling makes a fine picture.That is precisely why "Glen or Glenda" is a priceless gem. Ed Wood poured his heart and soul into what he considered a hard hitting drama to enlighten the masses about cross dressing men. A cross dresser himself, Wood even wore women's underwear under his uniform while in the military. He felt this movie would educate, inform, and bring a better understanding about cross dressing. He actually thought it was a great movie.
Of course what he made was a wildly incoherent mess, full of unrelated scenes and crazy dialog. The Bela Lagosi character, who is playing God, rambles about "Pulling skrings" while buffalos stampede across the screen. There are dream sequences where scantily clad women slink about while Wood stands offstage and looks "Horrified". It simply cannot be described and has nothing to do with the plot. In fact, nothing in the movie has anything to do with the plot. That in itself is a remarkable achievement.
"Glen or Glenda" is a high water mark in bad movies. Along with "Robot Monster" and his own "Plan 9 from Outer Space", it has stood the test of time to become an icon. Watch it and be amazed.
Movie Review: Priceless, absolutely priceless...
Summary: 5 Stars
I have seen Plan 9 from Outer Space (and own a copy), but I have never seen any other Ed Wood film (other than Burton's film about his life, which is my favorite Burton film), so I decided to rent Wood's debut, which he wrote, produced, directed, and starred in (under a pseudonym), and it's every bit as hysterical (and as bad) as I thought it would be.
This film has some of the most incoherent, uneven editing I've ever seen in a motion picture. The stuff comes out of left field that you're honestly flabbergasted at the incompetence of it all (the appearance of a "native" tribe and a small role for "Satan" are amongst the most "amazing" moments in the film). When Lugosi appears on the screen (presumably playing God who crossdresses like a mad scientist), he's hysterically bad and hysterically out of place. The acting is stiff and overdone, the "message" of tolerance is heavy handed and preachy as hell, the film takes itself so seriously (which is one of the reasons it's so funny), and the dream sequences are overbaked as hell.
Despite all this incompetence, Wood's film is watchable and hysterical, funnier than a lot of modern comedies. And in Wood's defense, this film and its subject matter was damn risky for its time. It was really ahead of its time, but it's so badly done that Wood's message of tolerance gets lost in the shuffle. Still, if you dig Wood's work, you should see this piece of crap gem.