1h 8min. // A despondent figure lies dead after an apparent suicide, leaving behind women’s clothing and a baffled police inspector. Seeking answers, the inspector turns to Dr. Alton, a calm, analytical psychiatrist who uses the case as a springboard to explain the hidden world of cross-dressers and gender variance. As Alton narrates, the film shifts between clinical exposition, dramatized vignettes, and surreal interludes presided over by a mysterious, omniscient figure played by Bela Lugosi, who intones cryptic commentary about life, fate, and identity.
At the heart of the doctor’s explanation is Glen, an outwardly ordinary man engaged to the devoted Barbara. Glen secretly wears women’s clothing and wrestles with whether to confess this part of himself before marriage. His inner turmoil plays out in dreamlike sequences of guilt, fear, and desire, as he imagines rejection, scandal, and the weight of social condemnation. In a parallel case, the doctor introduces Alan, who undergoes a more permanent transition, presenting a contrasting path for those whose inner identity cannot be reconciled with their assigned gender.
The narrative drifts between pseudo-documentary lectures, melodramatic domestic scenes, and bizarre symbolic tableaux involving bondage, temptation, and rebirth. Through its patchwork of tones—earnest, lurid, and unintentionally comic—the film argues for understanding and compassion toward those whose clothing or gender identity defies convention. What emerges is a deeply personal plea for tolerance, framed within the trappings of exploitation cinema yet revealing a surprisingly vulnerable and progressive heart beneath the rough edges.
For classic film fans, the result is an oddly hypnotic blend of low-budget eccentricity and genuine social curiosity. The clashing styles, wooden performances, and threadbare sets only heighten its cult appeal, offering a rare mid-century artifact that dares to speak openly—if awkwardly—about lives usually relegated to the shadows.
Directed by: Ed Wood
Writing Credits: Ed Wood
Starring: Bela Lugosi, Ed Wood, Dolores Fuller, Lyle Talbot, Conrad Brooks
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