Hag in a Black Leather Jacket (lost short film; 1964)

From The Lost Media Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search
Hag screenshot.jpg

Still from the film.

Status: Lost

Hag in a Black Leather Jacket is the 1964 short directorial debut film of John Waters (of Pink Flamingos and Hairspray fame). Early films by Waters are noted for being transgressive and shocking, earning Waters the title of "The Pope of Trash".[1] The film was shot on 8mm film and runs seventeen minutes in length. The film is also noteworthy for having a budget of thirty dollars.

Plot

The plot focuses on a black man who lives in a trash can who marries a white ballerina on a rooftop. The two were wedded by a KKK member in front of guests dressed in tin foil, American flags, and drag. Following the ceremony, one of the guests performs a dance called "The Bodie Green". The only known actors in the film are John Waters, Mona Montgomery as the bride, Mary Vivian Pierce as the Bodie Green Dancer and Tricia Waters. The movie was a "no budget" film shot on the roof of John Waters' childhood home and his mother played piano accompaniment for the movie.

Availability

The film was first screened in 1964 at a "beatnik coffee house". The film was later screened again as a part of John Waters' traveling photography show, John Waters: Change of Life. In September 2014, it was screened as part of the "50 Years of John Waters: How Much Can You Take?" film retrospective. Beyond these three screenings, the film has not been screened or released on any home video format.[2]

According to LMW user Robotkat (who saw John Waters talk live at a church in Canada in June 2017), the reason why the film has not been released to the public is that he could not secure the rights to the pop songs he used in the film. He also mentioned that he could legally show it to the public at festivals, if the public doesn't pay for the film.

External Link

References