Hag in a Black Leather Jacket

Hag in a Black Leather Jacket
Hag in a Black Leather Jacket
Directed by	John Waters
Written by	John Waters
Produced by	John Waters
Starring	Mona Montgomery; Mary Vivian Pearce; John Waters
Distributed by	Dreamland
Release date	1964;
Running time	17 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$30

Hag in a Black Leather Jacket is a 1964 short 8 mm film made in Baltimore, Maryland, by John Waters and starring Mona Montgomery and Mary Vivian Pearce. The film has no dialogue, with the only sound being piano accompaniment played by Waters' mother and scattered pop songs playing over the footage.

Plot

A white ballerina (Mona Montgomery) is walking when a black man flirts with her leading to her getting in the car with him. Afterward, the black man climbs into a trash can and the ballerina takes a bath in full clothing.

On a rooftop, a Ku Klux Klansman performs the wedding. The wedding guests are played by people dressed in early pop-influenced costumes, American flags, tinfoil, and drag. Following the ceremony, Mary Vivian Pearce does a dance known as the Bodie Green. At the end of the film, the wedding guests drive off and dance.

Cast

Mona Montgomery as Ballerina/White Girl Bride
Tricia Waters as Bridesmaid
Mary Vivian Pearce as Bodie Green Dancer
John Waters

Production Notes

The entire film was shot in one take due to Waters' not knowing how to edit at the time.^{[citation needed]} The short was originally only shown once at a "beatnik coffee house" where Waters' did end up earning his $30 budget back.^{[citation needed]} The stock for the film was stolen by the lead of the film and Waters' then girlfriend, Mona Montgomery.^{[citation needed]}

Production and availability

It was a "no budget film" that cost $30 to make^{[citation needed]} and runs 17 minutes.

In 2004–2005, it was seen in John Waters: Change of Life as part of Waters' traveling photography exhibit. In September 2014, it was shown as part of the "Fifty Years of John Waters" retrospective at the Film Society of Lincoln Center in New York City.