FRIDAY NIGHT MOVIE: PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE (1959) Ed Wood

Plan 9 from Outer Space (originally titled Grave Robbers from Outer Space, or simply known as Plan 9) is a 1959 American science fiction thriller film written and directed by cross-dresser Edward D. Wood Jr. and released by Distributors Corporation of America (as Valiant Pictures).

ED WOOD

Shortly before Bela Lugosi's death in August 1956, he had been working with Wood on numerous half-realized projects, variously titled Tomb of the Vampire or The Ghoul Goes West. Scenes unconnected to Plan 9, featuring Lugosi weeping at a funeral, walking in front of Tor Johnson's house at daytime, walking in and out of Johnson's side door at nighttime, and a daylight scene near a highway showing Lugosi stalking towards the camera and dramatically spreading his Dracula cape before furling it around himself and walking off screen, had been shot. Only the first two sequences had reached any level of completion. When Lugosi died, Wood shelved these projects. It is not certain for which projects the Lugosi footage was intended, and Wood's own account of the affair in his written memoirs seems to suggest that the director had something like Plan 9 in mind when the material was filmed. This claim stands in apparent contradiction to the Vampires' Tomb/Ghoul Goes West theory, backed up by a comment Lugosi made about Ghoul being his next project in a filmed interview upon his release from drug rehabilitation.

 BELA LUGOSI

After Lugosi's death Wood planned to use the unconnected, unrelated footage of Lugosi as a means of putting a credit for him on the picture. Though Wood's actions were driven in part by the desire to give his film a 'star name' and attract horror fans, the Lugosi cameo was also meant as a loving tribute and farewell to the actor, who had become fast friends with Wood in the last three years of Lugosi's life. Wood hired his wife's chiropractor, Tom Mason, as a stand-in for Lugosi, even though Mason was taller than Lugosi and bore no resemblance to him.

CRISWELL

The film opens with an introduction by Criswell: "Greetings my friends! We are all interested in the future, For that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives! ...". Criswell was the star of Criswell Predicts on KLAC Channel 13 (now KCOP-13), and the introduction could be an allusion to the opening lines of his show.

 

 VAMPIRA

According to tv horror movie host "Vampira" (Maila Nurmi), she was recruited by Paul Marco to act as a vampire in the film. She was offered 200 dollars for her part. She recalled insisting for her part to be silent, as she did not like the dialogue that Wood had scripted for her. This recollection might be inaccurate since the undead of this film are generally mute.

 

 TOR JOHNSON

Tor Johnson befriended director Wood, Jr., who directed him in a number of films, most notably Bride of the Monster and Plan 9 from Outer Space, both which co-starred Bela Lugosi. During this period, Tor also appeared as a guest contestant on the quiz show You Bet Your Life; showing the show's host Groucho Marx, his scariest face, Groucho ran off the stage in mock terror pleading, "Don't make that face again!"

GREGORY WALCOTT

The plot of the film involves extraterrestrial beings who are seeking to stop humans from creating a doomsday weapon that would destroy the universe. In the course of doing so, the aliens implement "Plan 9," a scheme to resurrect Earth's dead as "ghouls" to get the planet's attention, causing chaos.

 

PAUL MARCO as Kelton the Cop

The Cast:  Bela Lugosi as Old Man/Ghoul Man; Lyle Talbot as General Roberts; Gregory Walcott as Jeff Trent; Tom Keene as Col. Tom Edwards; Tor Johnson as Inspector Dan Clay; Maila Nurmi (credited as Vampira) as Vampire Girl; Criswell as Himself; Mona McKinnon as Paula Trent; Duke Moore as Lt. John Harper; Carl Anthony as Patrolman Larry; Paul Marco as Patrolman Kelton; Conrad Brooks as Patrolman Jamie; Dudley Manlove as Eros; Joanna Lee as Tanna; John Breckinridge as The Ruler 

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ED SPRINGSTEAD, JR.