Awful Movie of the Day: Glen or Glenda (1953)
Counting Down the 50 Worst Movies Ever Made
50. Glen or Glenda (1953)
“Glen or Glenda” (1953), directed by Ed Wood, was a fun movie to revisit. I saw this movie for the first time ten years ago, and I am happy to revisit it now with a different perspective on things.
I realize now how extremely progressive and forward-thinking this film was, since it was made in 1953. Christine Jorgensen, in the previous year, was the first successful person to transition genders with the help of “modern medical science” (as is often touted in this movie). So, this was still quite a controversial notion at the time.
Our top billing actor, Bela Lugosi, who has almost nothing to do with the actual plot of the movie, is rumored to have had a strong aversion to men who preferred to dress in traditionally feminine clothing. But he was also broke and dealing with substance abuse addictions at the time, so he was desperate for work and took the job of “The Scientist” in this movie.
