Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959)

Director:

Edward D. Wood Jr.

Writer:

Edward D. Wood Jr. (written by)

Release Date:

22 July 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Unspeakable Horrors From Outer Space Paralyze The Living And Resurrect The Dead!

Plot:

Aliens resurrect dead humans as zombies and vampires to stop human kind from creating the Solaranite (a sort of sun-driven bomb).

Plot Keywords:

Alien | California | Pilot | Cemetery | Flying Saucer

Cast

Gregory Walcott	...	Jeff Trent
Mona McKinnon	...	Paula Trent
Duke Moore	...	Lieutenant Harper
Tom Keene	...	Colonel Edwards
Carl Anthony	...	Patrolman Larry
Paul Marco	...	Patrolman Kelton
Tor Johnson	...	Inspector Clay
Dudley Manlove	...	Eros
Joanna Lee	...	Tanna
John Breckinridge	...	Ruler
Lyle Talbot	...	General
David De Mering	...	Danny
Norma McCarty	...	Edith
Bill Ash	...	Captain
Lynn Lemon	...	Reverend (as Reverend Lynn Lemon)
Ben Frommer	...	Man
Gloria Dea	...	Girl
Conrad Brooks	...	Policeman
Vampira	...	Vampire Girl
Bela Lugosi	...	Ghoul Man
Criswell	...	Narrator / Himself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Donald A. Davis	...	Drunk (uncredited)
Johnny Duncan	...	Second Stretcher Bearer (uncredited)
Karl Johnson	...	Farmer Calder (uncredited)
Tom Mason	...	Ghoul Man with Cape Over Face (uncredited)
J. Edward Reynolds	...	Gravedigger (uncredited)
Clay Stone	...	Mourner Reading Bible in Opening Scene (uncredited)
Hugh Thomas Jr.	...	Gravedigger (uncredited)
Edward D. Wood Jr.	...	Man Holding Newspaper (uncredited)

Directed by
Edward D. Wood Jr.

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

Produced by
Charles Burg	....	associate producer
J. Edward Reynolds	....	executive producer
Hugh Thomas Jr.	....	associate producer
Edward D. Wood Jr.	....	producer

Cinematography by
William C. Thompson		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Edward D. Wood Jr.

Makeup Department
Tom Bartholomew	....	makeup artist
Harry Thomas	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Vampira	....	Vampira makeup (uncredited)

Production Management
Kirk Kirkham	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Willard Kirkham	....	assistant director

Art Department
Tom Kemp	....	set constructor
Tony Portoghese	....	property master
Harry Reif	....	set dresser
Tom Jung	....	poster designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Dale Knight	....	sound
Sam Kopetzky	....	sound mixer: pickups (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Charles Duncan	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Art Mankin	....	grip (as Art Manikin)
Larry Smith	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Richard Chaney	....	wardrobe (as Dick Chaney)

Music Department
Gordon Zahler	....	music supervisor
Emil Ascher	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Karl Johnson	....	picture vehicles (uncredited)

Other crew
Donald A. Davis	....	production assistant
Diana N. Loomis	....	script supervisor
Jim Woods	....	electrical effects

Production Companies

• Reynolds Pictures

Distributors

• Distributors Corporation of America (DCA) (1959) (USA) (theatrical)
• International Film Distributors (1959) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Grand National Pictures (1960) (UK) (theatrical)
• Wade Williams Productions (1982) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Palace Video (1982) (UK) (VHS)
• Palace Video (1982) (UK) (video) (Betamax)
• Nostalgia Merchant, The (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Lumivision (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Rhino Home Video (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Salzgeber & Company Medien (1995) (Germany) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Englewood Entertainment (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Ventura Distribution (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Passport International Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• MPIC Video (2001) (UK) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Rhino Home Video (2004) (USA) (VHS) (on "The Ed Wood Box")
• Chapel Distribution (2006) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• Clint Hickman Productions (2006-2007) (worldwide) (all media) (3D version)
• Genius Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD) (special edition)
• Image Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Legend Films (2006) (worldwide) (DVD)
• Passport Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Passport Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Deimos Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Legend Films (2008) (USA) (DVD) (special edition)
• Punto Zero (2008) (Italy) (DVD) (as Enjoy Movies)
• GoodTimes Home Video (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• L'Atelier 13 (2009) (Spain) (DVD)
• Laserlight Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Cinema Mondo (1995) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Admit One Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• CCV (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Legend Films (2012) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-Ray)
• Lumière (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1996) (Finland) (TV)
• Manga Films (????) (Spain) (VHS)
• Prime Time Entertainment (????) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• S'more Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• S.A.D. Home Entertainment (2010) (Germany) (DVD)
• Something Weird Video (SWV) (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Unearthed Entertainment (2012) (Australia) (DVD)
• Winkler Film (2006) (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• PassmoreLab (3D)

Other Companies

• Clint Hickman Productions  3D process
• Legend Films  colorization
• Legend Films  restoration

Also Known As:

Runtime:

79 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

UK:PG (video rating) | UK:X (original rating) | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | Spain:T | Italy:T | West Germany:16 | Argentina:13 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #18451) | Australia:PG | Australia:G (TV rating) | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

USA

Company:

Reynolds Pictures

Trivia:

One of the legends about the production of this film was that Edward D. Wood Jr. used everything from automobile hubcaps to pizza pans to pie tins and even paper plates as flying saucers. The truth is that he bought a number of the Lindberg 1/48 scale "Flying Saucer" plastic model kits for use as props. One was modified with a wooden block, to represent the squared walled flying saucer set (the UFO seen landing in the graveyard).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Zombie Vampira flinches when Inspector Clay fires at her.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Criswell:Greetings, my friend. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future. You are interested in the unknown... the mysterious...

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Dark Chronicles (2011)

Soundtrack:

Operations Room

A film to be taught

First of all, how could a film that has brought so much enjoyment to so many people be called "the worst film ever made"? I have seen major Hollywood products with major Hollywood stars and some of these films are impossible to sit through even once. "Dick Tracy" comes to mind, as does "Caligula." The very first time I saw "Plan 9" in a NYC revival house, just hearing Tor Johnson's struggle with English pronunciation and watching him wriggle out of the ground was worth the price of admission! It was probably the hardest I'd laughed in a movie theatre in many years. I don't know what kind of movie the actor who plays Eros thinks he's in, but he seems to be having a lot of fun. We all know that the comedy of the film was unintentional, then why do we laugh? We laugh because Mr. Wood does everything conceivable to mask his non-budget to give the illusion of a grand sci-fi-horror epic. And he does it with such unabashed gracelessness with so little concern for time continuity or any other kind of logic, that we laugh at just how absurd the medium of film can become, if used in incompetent hands. Ed Wood gives new meaning to the word "schlock." The cinematic legacy he has left to enjoy should be called "pop-schlock." If the point of the film is to ultimately entertain, this is one of the best films of all time, not the worst.