Program

NYS Historic

Subject

House, People, Site

Location

35 Delano St, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601, USA

Lat/Long

41.703673960715, -73.934898316031

Grant Recipient

Millbrook Historical Society

In 1980, Edward David Wood, Jr. received two “awards” posthumously in The Golden Turkey Awards, a book published by film critics and brothers Harry and Michael Medved meant to identify the very worst of the silver screen. Wood’s claims to fame? “Worst Director” and the driving force behind the “Worst Film” as designated by the brothers, Plan 9 from Outer Space.

While the designations seem damning, they spurred renewed interest in Wood’s work culminating in festivals, tributes, a legally recognized religion in Oklahoma (The Church of Ed Wood/Woodism), and, perhaps most famously, a 1994 biopic starring John Depp and directed by—you guessed it—Tim Burton, which, while initially underperforming in the box office, has since developed a cult following similar to its subject.

Whether ridiculed or celebrated, there is no debate that Wood left his impact. His films are known for their campy designs, over-the-top and jarring storylines, make do approach to set design and costumes due to limited budgets, and eclectic casts, which included notable names such as Bela Lugosi who were at the tail end of their careers. All these elements came together in Wood’s most remembered film Plan 9 from Outer Space, which features the final and posthumous on-screen appearance of Lugosi.

Along with Plan 9… Wood, who worked interchangeably in his films as a director, writer, actor and producer, has over 180 credits on IMDB. An early film directed by Wood, who also played the lead, Glen or Glenda, was a semi-autobiographical and semi-documentary film loosely based on the experiences of Christine Jorgensen and Wood, the latter of which would regularly dress as a woman and had a female alter ego, Shirley. The film, produced in 1953, was one of Wood’s earliest, and is a major focus of the 1994 Burton biopic on Wood.

In addition to his work in film, Wood also served during World War II in the Pacific Theater and would author books across numerous pseudonyms.

Poughkeepsie’s connection to Wood is now recognized with a historical marker thanks to the students at Arlington High School and their teacher Robert McHugh, who partnered with the Millbrook Historical Society to research and apply for a historical marker grant identifying the house Wood grew up in. Their hard work now guarantees that Wood’s legacy, like the undead monsters so commonly featured in his films, lumbers on.

Links

• Ed Wood - IMDB