commercials
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Directed by Edward D. Wood, Jr.
Written by Edward D. Wood, Jr.
Wood regulars
Conrad Brooks
Phyllis Coates
Duke Moore
Edward D. Wood, Jr.
Additional cast
Unknown
Plot
A photo from the shoot for one of Ed's commercials for Wesson Oil can be found in Nightmare of Ecstasy. It seems to have been taken at the making of a commercial described by Kathy Wood in the text: two explorers (Wood and Coates) are captured by a cannibal (Brooks). The explorers explain that they can't be cooked because they are too old or tough for frying. The cannibal replies that no meat is too tough for Wesson Oil. This is most likely the commercial "Boiled in Oil" listed below.
Also, silent footage for one (unfinished) Wood-Thomas commercial for PyeQuick appears in The Haunted World of Edward D. Wood, Jr. It features Wood stalwart Duke Moore and other actors as they sit after dinner. Perhaps they are commenting on how good the pie is. Then a woman goes to her stove and kisses her box of PyeQuick.
'Wood'-ness
Ed made quite a few commercials early in his career. According to Rudolph Grey's Nightmare of Ecstasy, Ed made approximately 125 commercials for Story-Ad films and approximately 30 commercials for Play-Ad Films. Also, Ed and his partner Crawford John Thomas originally formed Wood-Thomas Productions to make commercials and apparently made a series of them for PyeQuick.
The following is a list of Ed's commercials according to his resume, circa 1956:
written and directed for Story-Ad films Inc.
"Lost Date", "Elopement", "William Television", "Treegirl", "Boiled In Oil", "Modern Indian", "Bum Pit", "The Bestest", "Just A Reminder", "Justifiable", "Wedding Bells", "Rest Easy", "Complete", "The Old Timer", "Little Red Riding Patch", "Surprise", "Magic Man", "Let's Be Practical", "A Problem Solved", "Treasure and Curves", "No Take", "Angora Sweater Girl", "First And Last Choice", "Grandma Knows Best", "Desire for Distinction"
written and directed for Consolodated TV Prod.
"H as in Hat", "As You Like It", "Graduation Time", "Justifiable", "Correct Size" and more left unnamed
written for Play-Ad Films
"The Big Surprise", "Television is Here", "A Great Help", "The Wedding Gift", "Pick of the Girls", "The Winner"
We have very little of Ed's work in commercials to view today. Kathy Wood stated in Nightmare of Ecstasy that Ed had copies of most of his commercials when they were evicted from their apartment on Yucca Street (meaning they are lost). Still, from what we can examine, it seems Ed had already begun to settle into habits that would last the rest of his career. There are signs of his love of westerns, girls, and even angora. Hopefully some more of Ed's commercials will surface some day, to shine a light on this lost corner of his career.
Best Line
Unknown
File Under
Ed Acting, Television
VIDEO RELEASES
COMMERCIALS
Only the footage shown in Haunted World has surfaced so far.| This is the VHS release of The Haunted World of Edward D. Wood, Jr. Manufacturer: Englewood Entertainment Year of issue: 1997 Video Format: NTSC Comments: The only place on VHS to find footage of Ed's work in commercials. |
| This is the DVD release of The Haunted World of Edward D. Wood, Jr. Manufacturer: Image Year of issue: 2002 Video Format: Region 1 (NTSC) Comments: Same commercial material as the above release. |
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This is the Legend flms Limited Edition DVD release of Plan 9 from Outer Space Manufacturer: Legend Films Year of issue: 2005 Video Format: Region 1 - NTSC Comments: Contains fully edited commercials, ready to air. |
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This is the Legend flms standard DVD release of Plan 9 from Outer Space Manufacturer: Legend Films Year of issue: 2005 Video Format: Region 1 - NTSC Comments: Same material as above.  
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This is the Legend flms Blu-ray release of Plan 9 from Outer Space Manufacturer: Legend Films Year of issue: 2012 Video Format: Region A Comments: Features the same commercials as the DVDs. |
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