Glen or Glenda (1953)

User Rating:

3.5/10   

Director:

Edward D. Wood Jr.

Writer:

Edward D. Wood Jr. (story)

Release Date:

30 September 1995 (Japan)

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:

Psychiatrist | Transvestite | Scientist | Sweater | Cross Dressing

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
Scott McCloud	....	unit director

Sound Department
Ben Winkler	....	sound technician

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

Music Department
Sanford H. Dickinson	....	musical consultant

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

Production Companies

• Screen Classics (II)

Distributors

• Screen Classics (II) (1953) (USA) (theatrical)
• Something Weird Video (SWV) (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• Lumivision (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Rhino Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Side Street (2005) (France) (DVD)
• Paramount Pictures (1981) (USA) (theatrical) (reissue)
• Arte (2008) (France) (TV)
• Arte (2008) (Germany) (TV)
• BijouFlix Releasing (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Catcom Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS) (as Continental)
• Englewood Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Nostalgia Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Passport Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Video Yesteryear (????) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Glen or Glenda: Confessions of Ed Wood
Glen or Glenda? (USA) (alternative spelling)
He or She
I Changed My Sex
I Led 2 Lives (UK)
The Transvestite

Runtime:

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

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

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

Filming Locations:

Jack Miles Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Screen Classics (II)

Trivia:

Surrealist filmmaker David Lynch has stated that this is one of his favorite films, and used the "howling wind" sound effect in his film Eraserhead (1977).

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In the very first scene with Bela Lugosi, the shadow of the cameraman is clearly visible when he zooms out with the camera.

Quotes:

Scientist: People... all going somewhere... all with their own thoughts... with their own ideas... with their own personalities.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made (2004) (V)

A Voice for the Voiceless

I don't know where this movie falls in the development of camp, but it sure is a milestone along the way to Pink Flamingos and other masterpieces of bad taste.

"All those people, all going somewhere!" Ok, so the dialogue is laughable, the editing could have been done better than a 6 year old, and there is really no development. But this is entertainment and a pretty brave statement in favor of those who've been bending gender for centuries. I value Ed Wood for giving a voice, albeit a fractured one, to those thousands of men who have feared their feminine side, and those who, like the young fellow in the film who killed himself, have been silenced by prejudice, fear, and hatred.

Watch it with a friend, preferably one who wears angora.