Plan 9 From Outer Space
Plan 9 From Outer Space, released in 1959, J. Edwards Reynolds production, 79 minutes, B&W, also known as Grave Robbers From Outer Space. Directed by Edward D. Wood, Jr. Cast includes Bela Lugosi, Vampira, Tor Johnson, Mona McKinnon, Gregory Walcott, Lyle Talbot, Norma McCarty, David DeMering, John Breckinridge, Tom Keene, Dudley Manlove, Joanna Lee, Conrad Brooks, Paul Marco, Carl Anthony, Duke Moore and Dr. Tom Mason. Schlock-Meter rating: 10 stars out of 10.
Plan 9 From Outer Space scores on every level as a cult film masterpiece. Say what you want about Ed Wood's lack of filmmaking talent, and he lacked a lot, but this film is UNIQUE. There has never been, and quite possibly never will be, a film this wild in plot and imagination: Alien invaders, having failed eight times to resurrect the dead, try Plan 9, and succeed in raising an old couple from the grave. They do this to give earth a message to stop building bigger bombs. Plan 9 also scores because it has priceless "schlock-meter" scoring dialogue. Who can forget Duke Moore's "Inspector Clay's dead, murdered, and somebody's responsible!." Or Mona McKinnon's constant use of the word "there" in one scene. Or Lugosi replacement Tom Mason, who covers his face with a cape so "nobody can tell the difference."
Also, Plan 9 scores because Wood manages to inspire the entire cast to give sincere performances. On paper this stuff looks ridiculous, and the fxs are very bad. You can see the string on the "flying saucers." But everyone, from major film studio contract player Gregory Walcott to drag queen star John Breckinridge give it their all in this film. Plan 9 itself was probably the biggest name cast Wood ever had in a film. Besides Lugosi, he had Walcott, Vampira, and the fairly well-known Talbot again. Aliens Dudley Manlove and Joanna Lee were fairly well-known in show business. Manlove as a voice-over guy and Lee as a low-budget actress. I just love this film. It has heart and is never boring -- just wacky, ridiculous and fun!
Lots of veteran Ed Wood cast members played a role in Plan 9. There's Conrad Brooks, Carl Anthony, Paul Marco, and as mentioned Lugosi and Talbot. Lugosi never really knew of this film. He shot some footage for Wood just before he died in the mid 1950s and Wood pasted it into the film. To make Lugosi's part bigger, Wood used his wife's chiropractor Mason, with hilarious results. As with all Wood's film, the story behind Plan 9 is very interesting. J. Edward Reynolds was Wood's landlord. A religious man, he wanted to make Bible pictures. Wood talked him into making this film, saying that the expected profits would fund several Bible films. However, Reynolds insisted most of the cast and crew submit to baptism, something that Wood gladly did to get the cash! Alas, no one made a real dime out of Plan 9. Wood eventual sold his entire interest in the film to Reynolds for $1, but he couldn't do much with it. He sold it as a second feature to a forgotten film, Time Lock, and eventually Plan 9 was sold to TV where it played often during the 60s and 70s.
I first saw Plan 9 From Outer Space about 20 years ago, on Channel 13 in Los Angeles. It was playing on a "movies till dawn" show and was followed by The Creeping Terror, another film with a cult. The latter film didn't impress me much, but I was enthralled with Plan 9. It had heart. Within this tiny, micro-budget of a film there was great imagination. That's a final reason why Plan 9 scores as a cult film. There were hundreds of low budget cheapies in the 1950s, like the Astounding She Monster or Teenagers From Outer Space. They are almost forgotten. Plan 9 gets more popular. Go to a video store or a big-city library. It's always checked out. The film has a certain sort of magic, like the director does, and it's been a pleasure to see the film's cult grow steadily these past 20 years.