Ed Wood Wednesdays, week 162: Who was Patricia?

Patrick/Patricia is a crucial figure in Glen or Glenda (1953).

For reasons known only to himself, Ed Wood formatted Glen or Glenda (1953)— his surprisingly bold exploration of transgender issues—as a Dragnet-style police procedural. The film's inciting incident occurs when a young crossdresser named Patrick aka Patricia commits suicide in his small apartment after being arrested repeatedly for dressing as a woman. On the soundtrack, we hear Patrick's suicide note, presumably read in the man's own voice:

The records will tell the story. I was put in jail recently. Why? Because I, a man, was caught on the street wearing women's clothing. This was my fourth arrest for the same act. In life, I must continue wearing them. Therefore, it would only be a matter of time until my next arrest. This is the only way. Let my body rest in death forever in the things I cannot wear in life.

The policeman investigating the case is the humorless but sensitive Inspector Warren (Lyle Talbot). So concerned is he about the situation that he visits the office of psychologist Dr. Alton (Timothy Farrell). It is Alton who relates the two stories that comprise the bulk of the film, the first revolving around Glen/Glenda (Ed Wood), the second revolving around Alan/Ann (Tommy Haynes).

While Glenda moves on from Patrick/Patricia after about the first ten minutes, I could not help ruminating about this key supporting character and the actor who portrayed him. Glenda's own credits offer no help in identifying him, so we must turn to Rudolph Grey's Nightmare of Ecstasy (1992), where the filmography section tells us that this role was played by "Mr. Walter." Furthermore, the book's fourth chapter, entitled "Glen or Glenda & Jailbait" contains a Glenda cast photo provided by Conrad Brooks. There, the actor is identified as Walter Hajdwiecyz. Though he is at the center of the action and obviously among friends, he is unsmiling.

Back row: Makeup man Harry Thomas, Tommy Haynes, Ed Wood, unknown extra.
Center row: Conrad Brooks, Walter Hajdwiecyz. Front row: Henry Bederski.

Unfortunately, I cannot find any records of anyone with the surname Hajdwiecyz in the world. But a handle like Walter Hajdwiecyz can only be Polish in origin, and the similar moniker Hajkowicz is a real Polish surname. As for the "Mr." part, it was once common practice for hairdressers to go by "Mr. _____," omitting their last names. The most famous example was Mr. Kenneth (1927-2013). I'm not saying Mr. Walter was definitely a hairdresser, but he sounds like a midcentury hairdresser. In John Waters' Multiple Maniacs (1970), actor/hair stylist David Lochary is referred to as Mr. David.

Then, we must consider the voice we hear on the soundtrack, reading Patrick/Patricia's suicide note. We can take it on faith that this was Walter Hajdwiecyz himself, though it may not be. I've suggested in the past that this bit of voiceover narration was an inspiration for Johnny Depp's performance in Ed Wood (1994). I know Johnny watched Glenda repeatedly while prepping for the title role, and I feel that the Patrick/Patricia scene may have influenced his vocal cadence. Oddly, though, I don't think Ed Wood himself provided this bit of audio.

My dark horse candidate is another mysterious figure in the Woodiverse: Clancy Malone (aka Scott McCloud), the gawky male ingenue of Jail Bait (1954). I know it sounds screwy to you longtime fans, but these two characters have a very particular way of speaking—low and sort of whispery, their confidence wavering at the ends of sentences. Here, I've presented a little side-by-side comparison. Listen for yourself and make up your own mind. Either way, if you can provide me with more information about Mr. Walter, I'd appreciate it. You know how to reach me.

Ed Wood Wednesdays, week 104: The search for Clancy Malone (aka Scott McCloud)

Care to help me solve a mystery this week? Tell me who this man was!

A credit for Scott McCloud in Glen or Glenda.

If there is one thing that this project has taught me, it's that Edward D. Wood, Jr. has the most knowledgeable and persistent fans in all of popular culture. I think that would have pleased him greatly. Though he kept plugging away as a writer and director, always hoping for some measure of success and fame (or at least a little respect), Eddie barely subsisted on the fringes of show business from the late 1940s to the late 1970s. Even though he got his own lavish biopic in 1994, his career is nowhere near as well-documented as that of other, more respectable filmmakers. And so, his loyal acolytes have largely taken it upon themselves to gather information about Ed Wood and his movies. This week, I am hoping that the Eddie experts of the world will come to my aid as I try to solve a mystery that has stumped me for years.

In Ed Wood's woozy, hellish crime drama Jail Bait from 1954, the central character of Don Gregor is played by a young man credited as Clancy Malone. While this is not necessarily a star-making performance, Malone brings a certain nervous, Anthony Perkins-esque intensity to the part. His skinny frame helps, since he always looks too small for his clothes. Don Gregory is a spoiled, immature boy lost in the very grown-up world of crime and death, and that's just how Clancy Malone plays him. If you think about it, this is really a dual role, since Malone also appears at the end of the film as the post-plastic-surgery version of gangster Vic Brady. Unfortunately, the Internet Movie Database says that Malone never played another role, not even for Ed Wood. So who was this guy, anyway?

The only full-length biography of Eddie, Rudolph Grey's Nightmare of Ecstasy (1992), contains a few, fleeting references to Clancy Malone. The book does clarify, for instance, that Malone was also known as Scott McCloud and served under that name as Unit Director on Eddie's feature debut Glen or Glenda (1953). In fact, the book contains a remarkable snapshot (provided by Conrad Brooks) of the Glenda cast and crew posing in the doctor's office set. Clancy/Scott is front row center with a knowing smirk on his face. If you didn't know better, you'd think he was the director!

Scott McCloud (aka Clancy Malone) is the smirking guy in the front row with the script on his lap.

Other information about McCloud/Malone is difficult to come by. On the 2011 DVD collection Big Box of Wood, filmmaker Ted Newsom relates the following anecdote about him:

"The lead guy who plays the profligate son apparently was the guy who delivered groceries to Eddie Wood's apartment. He said he wanted to be an actor, and Eddie said, 'I've got the perfect role for you! Here it is!' And that was it. I don't think he ever acted again. He's okay."

This is very possible. The surest way to gain access to Eddie's entourage was to be in close physical proximity to him. In his later years, as detailed in Nightmare of Ecstasy, Eddie planned to use his neighbor Shannon Dolder in a film. It's not difficult to imagine a plucky delivery boy worming his way into a couple of Ed Wood movies. ("Gee, you're a real live movie maker? That's neat! I've always wanted to be in showbiz myself! Think you could use me?")

Ed Wood obviously took some pride in Mr. Malone's performance, giving the young thespian an "introducing" credit, complete with his character's name.

Prominent billing for Clancy Malone

For some reason, though, the actor was listed as Scott McCloud on the posters and lobby cards for Jail Bait. This particular example features a striking closeup of the newfound star.

This poster for Jail Bait lists Scott McCloud, not Clancy Malone.

So what happened to this guy? People don't just magically disappear. Clancy Malone/Scott McCloud must have had some kind of life before and after working with Ed Wood on Jail Bait and Glenda. Other than those two films, however, and that marvelous behind-the-scenes photo, there is very little to attest to the existence of this human being. If you have more information about him, let me know.

John Avery in Jail Bait.

UPDATE: After sharing this article with an Ed Wood discussion group on Facebook, a few readers have come forward with what they know about Clancy Malone. Ted Newsom, director of the documentary Ed Wood: Look Back in Angora (1994), said he had no more information about the actor and had even forgotten where he'd originally heard abut Malone delivering groceries to Eddie's apartment. "It was obviously someone who had spent time among the Woodites," Newsom speculates about his source.

Meanwhile, artist Stephen B. Whatley, whose work is featured in Dolores Fuller's 2008 autobiography A Fuller Life, shared a 1983 article from Fangoria magazine entitled "I Remember Eddie Wood" by Jail Bait coauthor Alex Gordon. In addition to being Wood's creative partner for a period in the 1950s, Gordon was also Eddie's roommate. In the article, Alex talks about those days with Ed Wood and how their paths crossed with Clancy Malone:

"I had kept up my friendship with Bela Lugosi and saw him several times a week and introduced Eddie to him, and Lugosi was eager to become involved. Eddie and I took a small apartment near Lugosi on Carlton Way [in Hollywood], with two small bedrooms and a kitchen, and two would-be actors, Clancy Malone and John Avery, to help considerably with the rent payments and supply of food."

This is interesting, as it suggests Malone was actually living with Ed Wood for a time. The "supply of food" detail may be the origin of the story about Clancy delivering groceries to Eddie's apartment. Perhaps Clancy was the one in charge of actually getting food and bringing it back to the Carlton Way apartment. John Avery, for the record, played a small role as a police doctor in Jail Bait, reciting his few lines ("Couldn't be any deader.") in a colorless monotone as his arms dangle lifelessly at his sides. Like Clancy, he never acted in a motion picture again. Throughout this research process, I've never been able to determine if this man's real name was "Clancy Malone" or "Scott McCloud." At least one of those is invented. The way Gordon tells the story, I'm beginning to think that the Malone moniker is genuine.