Poughkeepsie native, cult movie director Ed Wood items for sale today
Want to own something from the cult filmmaker credited as the worst director ever?
You may get your chance.
A Boston auction house is offering fans the chance to own items that once belonged to Poughkeepsie native Ed Wood Jr. A polarizing figure in popular culture, Wood was ridiculed by critics but revered by devotees.
Wood lived at 115 Franklin St. in the City of Poughkeepsie and often saw movies at the city's Rialto Theater. His first job was as an usher at the Bardavon 1869 Opera House. He died in 1978 at age 54.
Beginning today, Thursday, RR Auction in Boston is placing up for online bidding numerous items owned by Wood and related to his legacy. The minimum bids range from $200 to $2,500.
"It's a peek into who Ed Wood was," said Bobby Livingston, executive vice president for RR Auction. "You can see his actual papers. It's pretty remarkable."
Included in the auction are Wood's leather briefcase and two trunks; four of his leather-bound notebooks containing original candid photographs; two binders of photos including original candid photographs, on-set photographs and movie stills; items signed by Wood; and numerous other items. Some of the materials are related to Wood's 1959 science-fiction film, "Plan 9 from Outer Space."
Far beyond the items up for bid, the auction offers insight into Wood's legacy and is indicative of the interest that many, from local residents to celebrities, maintain for the filmmaker. Comedian Bobcat Goldthwait told the Journal in 2013 that he was a big Wood fan. And actor Johnny Depp starred in a 1994 film about the director.
"He made a movie that was considered one of the worst movies ever made," said Wood fan Joe Mendillo of the City of Poughkeepsie, "and still, today, people are talking about him."
Wood moved to Hollywood in 1947. He enlisted the services of a then-elderly and drug-dependent Bela Lugosi, but Wood's low-budget, campy films were never well-received. According to the Internet Movie Database, "Plan 9 from Outer Space... has been called a contender for the worst film ever made" and Wood "won the Golden Turkey award posthumously for being the worst director ever."
But Wood's fans are fierce. Locally, Mendillo and others have raised a third of the $30,000 needed to erect a monument in his honor in downtown Poughkeepsie. Mendillo, who is coordinating the fundraising, and the others, have already secured a location for the monument at the Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center.
"We're so happy that enthusiasm for Ed Wood continues," said fan Donna Verteramo, who grew up in Fishkill and lives in Rosendale. "The more enthusiasm, the more likely Poughkeepsie will get its statue."
Livingston said RR Auction obtained the items from the widow of a North Carolina man who had recently died. He had collected various items, including coins, autographs and music memorabilia, along with the Wood items. The materials owned by Wood were authenticated by a third-party, according to RR Auction.
"This is one of the most incredible things I've ever seen," Livingston said.
John W. Barry: jobarry@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4822, Twitter: @JohnBarryPoJo
AUCTION INFORMATION
Online bidding for the auction of Ed Wood Jr. items begins today, Thursday, and continues through March 18. A live auction will take place in Cambridge, Massachusetts, at 1 p.m. Nov. 19. Bids will also be accepted over the phone and can be submitted by calling 1-800-937-3880. Audio from the live auction will be streamed online. Visit www.rrauction.com for information.