Is that the Wolfman?

I have to give credit to my mates in the Ed Wood appreciation site on Facebook for providing me with inspiration for this article. Thanks, guys!

Check out these pictures. Do they look the same to you? They certainly are similar. The one on the left is a Halloween mask of the Wolfman. It is distinctive because of the gray/blonde streaks in the fur, something I haven’t noticed in other reproductions of the character. The mask on the right also has these gray streaks. I don’t know who manufactured this mask. It looks like it could possibly be a Don Post mask but I can’t say for sure. Don Post Studios is responsible for providing us with perhaps the most iconic and instantly recognizable of Halloween masks throughout the years, and as I said, this looks like one, but it’s not *so* recognizable that we can be certain.

Anyway. The shot on the left is a still from the film ORGY OF THE DEAD. The latter, released in 1965, is a “nudie cutie,” which is maybe a notch below a softcore porno. Directed by Stephen C. Apostolof, it is notable today because the screenplay was written by Ed Wood and the film stars Wood collaborator Criswell, who had appeared in previous Wood films PLAN NINE FROM OUTER SPACE and NIGHT OF THE GHOULS. Vampira, who also appeared in PLAN NINE, was supposed to be in ORGY OF THE DEAD but (perhaps wisely) declined the part. ORGY OF THE DEAD has no actual plot, save for a frame story written only to set up a promenade of semi-naked females doing dance numbers while in monster makeup. It’s only notable to geek culture today because of Wood and Criswell. Oh, and the Wolfman, of course.

By The Evil Cheezman

WAYNE MILLER is the owner and creative director of EVIL CHEEZ PRODUCTIONS (www.evilcheezproductions.blogspot.com, www.facebook.com/evilcheezproductions), specializing in theatrical performances and haunted attractions. He has written, produced and directed (and occasionally acted in) over a dozen plays, most of them in the Horror and Crime genres. His first novel, THE CONFESSIONS OF SAINT CHRISTOPHER: WEREWOLF, is available for purchase at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/734763 MORTUI VELOCES SUNT!

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