Let's All Go to the Lobby!: THAT HAGEN GIRL

Why Classic Movies are AWESOME!

Classic movies interest me because I like how they acted back then. I like their mannerisms, how they dressed, how they talked, and the expressions they used. For example, "Oh, a wise guy, huh?" It made me wonder if they really said that in real life, or did they just use it in the movies. They didn't use a whole lot of special effects, they mostly relied on acting. In The Hunch Back of the Notre Dame (1939), the actor, Charles Laughton, had an excellent speaking voice, but he didn't use it much in the movie. He wanted to be known for his acting and not just for his speaking.

Another good movie that didn't use a whole lot of special effects but was a great film was The Haunting (1963). The movie didn't show ghosts, but you knew they were there. It was obvious there was a haunting because of all the noises, the camera angles, and the acting. There were other versions of The Haunting but they weren't as good as the original. Mostly, because they valued special effects over acting. In the original you imagined and wondered what the ghosts would look like and that's why it did so good. And that's why I love Tuner Classic Movies.

Monday, April 29, 2013

THAT HAGEN GIRL

"That Hagan Girl" is a film about a teenage girl who lives in a small town, where the local residence has been gossiping about her behind her back since before she could talk. When she was a baby, she was adopted by two ordinary towns folk and when she was brought to her new home one of the town’s folk noticed a resemblance between the baby and a local girl from a wealthy family, who had returned home that same evening.

The Hagan girl grows up not knowing about the event that took place the night she arrived, but then things begin to be revealed to her when a man that used to live in the same town, arrives and is claimed to be her father.

This film reminds me of another movie about a small town that also has a residence of gossipers. That film is called “Peyton Place,” in it evolves scandal, hidden secrets among the residence, and even murder.

“That Hagen Girl,” was filmed in 1947, it was based on the novel by Edith Kneipple Roberts. It was directed by Peter Godfrey, and stars American sweetheart Shirley Temple as Mary Hagen, along with future president Ronald Reagan who plays Tom Bates.

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How I Got Into Classic Movies

When I was little, my parents let me watch Grease, starring John Travolta. It was filmed in the 70’s but they made it
look like a 50’s movie. Then, when I was about five or six, my mom got me The Wizard of Oz. Even before I watched the movie, I had a terrible fear of midgets. So, while other kids were afraid of the witch, I was more scared of the munchkins! You could say that my phobias are as unique as my taste in
movies.

I wasn’t the strongest reader when I was younger so whenever
a silent movie came on, my parents let me try to read the subtitles. I watched all sorts of movies with my dad. For example, we watched It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World, starring Spencer Tracy, which is about a group of people racing against each other to find stolen money that is hidden
under a giant “W”.

Also, every St. Patrick’s Day, my dad and I watch The Quiet Man, which is about a boxer who returns to home to Ireland after accidentally killing a fellow boxer in the ring while in the United States. The movie stars John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. My parents got me accustomed to watching old movies and over time I became addicted to great acting, and that’s why I live off of Turner Classic Movies.

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-Elena