Plan 9 from Outer Space
Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959) is a science fiction movie. It was written and directed by Ed Wood and shot in 1957. It stars Gregory Walcott, Mona McKinnon, Lyle Talbot, Tor Johnson, Maila Nurmi (Vampira), and Criswell. Some footage of Bela Lugosi as the "Old Man" was edited into the movie after Lugosi's death.
| Plan 9 from Outer Space | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster design by Tom Jung | |
| Directed by | Ed Wood |
| Produced by | Ed Wood Hugh Thomas, Jr. Charles Burg J. Edward Reynolds |
| Written by | Ed Wood |
| Starring | Gregory Walcott Mona McKinnon Tom Keene Tor Johnson Dudley Manlove Joanna Lee John Breckinridge Maila Nurmi (Vampira) Bela Lugosi |
| Narrated by | Criswell |
| Music by | Gordon Zahler |
| Cinematography | William C. Thompson |
| Edited by | Ed Wood |
| Distributed by | Distributors Corporation of America (as Valiant Pictures) |
Release date | July 22, 1959 |
Running time | 79 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The movie is about aliens who want to stop humans from creating a weapon that will destroy the universe. To do this, the aliens put their "Plan 9" in operation. This is a scheme to bring Earth's dead back to life. This plan will get Earth's attention and chaos will follow.
For years, the movie was aired on television without much notice. In 1980 authors Michael Medved and Harry Medved called Plan 9 from Outer Space the "worst movie ever made". They posthumously awarded their Golden Turkey Award to Wood as the worst director ever.
Cast
Earthlings
- Gregory Walcott as Jeff Trent, an airline pilot
- Mona McKinnon as Paula Trent, Jeff's wife
- Lyle Talbot as General Roberts
- Duke Moore as Lt. John Harper
- Tom Keene as Col. Tom Edwards
- Tor Johnson as Insp. Dan Clay
- Carl Anthony as Patrolman Larry
- Paul Marco as Patrolman Kelton
- Conrad Brooks as Patrolman Jamie
Aliens
- Dudley Manlove as Eros, an alien
- Joanna Lee as Tanna, an alien
- John Breckinridge as The Ruler, an alien
Ghouls
- Bela Lugosi as Old Man / Ghoul Man
- Maila Nurmi (Vampira) as Old Man's wife / Vampire Girl
- Criswell as Himself / Narrator
Plan 9 From Outer Space Media
Pilot Jeff Trent (Gregory Walcott) confronts the aliens.
Plan 9's director, Ed Wood
Quality Studios, where much of Plan 9 was filmed, as it appeared decades later in 2015.
Bela Lugosi, in silent footage for the abandoned The Vampire's Tomb, which was later recycled for Plan 9 from Outer Space.
Criswell's opening narration
A visible shadow of the boom microphone (center of photo's upper edge) in a cockpit scene, while the script can be slightly seen on Trent's lap
Two adjoining shots, in open matte and 1.85:1. The top image was composed for widescreen, the bottom is military stock footage that was not.
A flying saucer above the graveyard. Plan 9's special effects have been called "hilarious".
Other websites
- Plan 9 from Outer Space on IMDb
- Plan 9 from Outer Space at AllRovi
- Plan 9 from Outer Space at Rotten Tomatoes
- The Second Supper Cult Classics Review Archived 2009-02-17 at the Wayback Machine
- Plan 9 from Outer Space at YouTube