Glen or Glenda (1953)

Director:

Edward D. Wood Jr.

Writer:

Edward D. Wood Jr. (story)

Release Date:

22 September 1961 (Argentina)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

"I Changed My Sex!"

Plot:

A psychiatrist tells two stories: one of a transvestite (Glen or Glenda), the other of a pseudohermaphrodite (Alan or Anne).

Plot Keywords:

Transvestite | Psychiatrist | Scientist | Cross Dressing | Dragon

Cast

Bela Lugosi	...	Scientist
Lyle Talbot	...	Inspector Warren
Timothy Farrell	...	Dr. Alton / Narrator
Dolores Fuller	...	Barbara
'Tommy' Haynes	...	Alan / Anne
Edward D. Wood Jr.	...	Glen / Glenda (as Daniel Davis)
Charles Crafts	...	Johnny
Conrad Brooks	...	Banker / Reporter / Pickup Artist / Bearded Drag (as Connie Brooks)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Henry Bederski	...	Man with Hat and Receding Hairline (uncredited)
Captain DeZita	...	The Devil / Glen's Father (uncredited)
Helen Miles	...	(uncredited)
Shirley Speril	...	Miss Stevens (uncredited)
Harry Thomas	...	Man in Nightmare (uncredited)
William C. Thompson	...	Judge (uncredited)
Mr. Walter	...	Patrick / Patricia (uncredited)
George Weiss	...	Man at Transvestite's Suicide (uncredited)
Evelyn Wood	...	Sheila, Glen's Sister (uncredited)

Directed by
Edward D. Wood Jr.

Writing credits
Edward D. Wood Jr.		(story and written by)

Produced by
George Weiss	....	producer

Cinematography by
William C. Thompson		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
'Bud' Schelling

Set Decoration by
Jack Miles		(settings)

Makeup Department
Harry Thomas	....	make-up

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Clancy Malone	....	unit director (as Scott McCloud)

Sound Department
Ben Winkler	....	sound technician

Camera and Electrical Department
Bert Shipham	....	camera operator
Larry Smith	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Music Department
Sanford H. Dickinson	....	music consultant (as Sandford H. Dickinson)

Other crew
Nathan Bailey	....	medical advisor (as Dr. Nathan Bailey)
George Weiss	....	presenter
George Weiss	....	produced under personal supervision of

Production Companies

• Screen Classics (II)

Distributors

• Screen Classics (II) (1953) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1981) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Something Weird Video (SWV) (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Lumivision (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Rhino Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Englewood Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Englewood Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Catcom Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD) (on "The Ed Wood Box")
• Side Street (2005) (France) (DVD)
• Passport Video (2006) (USA) (DVD) (on "The Bela Lugosi Box: 15 Frightful Films")
• Passport Video (2007) (USA) (DVD) (on "The Ed Wood Collection")
• Passport Video (2007) (USA) (DVD) (on "Weird Cinema: 15 Freaky Flicks!")
• Arte (2008) (France) (TV)
• Arte (2008) (Germany) (TV)
• BijouFlix Releasing (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS) (as Continental)
• Nostalgia Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Video Yesteryear (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Winkler Film (2006) (Germany) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Male or Female" - USA (poster title)

Runtime:

65 min | 74 min (1982 re-issue) | 68 min (DVD version) | 61 min (cut) | Argentina:56 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | Italy:VM14 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (DVD rating) (2006) | UK:R (original rating) | USA:Not Rated | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-18 (2004) | Spain:T | Australia:PG (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

USA

Company:

Screen Classics (II)

Trivia:

The film was originally intended to be loosely based on the story of sex-change pioneer Christine Jorgensen.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Dr. Alton is explains the pseudo-hermaphrodite condition to Inspector Warren, he leaves the pen on the table prior to walking to a chart. When Dr. Alton returns to the table, the pen has moved. In the next shot, the pen is back in Dr. Alton's hand.

Quotes:

Dr. Alton:You're referring to the suicide of the transvestite?
Inspector Warren:If that's the word you men of medical science use for a man who wears women's clothing, yes.

Movie Connections:

Edited into Sleazemania Strikes Back (1985) (V)

Brilliantly Bad!

GLEN OR GLENDA is uniquely bad. Suffice it to say, one has to witness it in order to really believe it. There's almost no point of writing a sensible review of this "movie" because it's beyond wonky. It's so bad that it's almost pure genius. Bunuel couldn't have created a more surreal film than Ed Wood's treatise on the merits of cross-dressing. The "movie" is 70% stock footage or stuff that has nothing to do with the main "story." A huge chunk of the amazing dream sequence is just a nudie cutie. The "acting" is abysmal. Dolores Fuller wins the award for worst actress of all time. The dialogue is so hilarious that it's endlessly quotable. But the whole thing is oddly frank and earnest and because of this, this kooky disaster of a movie actually has a heart, which is more than you can say about most movies out there. I love it. There's almost nothing like it.