American Girl, An
American Girl, An is a short film from ca. 1950s released on 16mm. It is held in the Prelinger Archives collection.
11:01:14:03 VS CU 1950s teenage girl lies on bed and thoughtfully writes in diary, her mother calls her and knocks on the door, girl in panic Um, just a minute mother one minute! ; CU girl s hand hides diary under pillow; girls mother enters bedroom; MS 1950s mother says All the secrets away? , teenager plays dumb Secrets? ;
mother Mrs. Walsh just called, wants to know if you can baby sit for her tonight daughter Yeah, I can, I ll call her right back Mother provided you do your homework first as daughter exits room; mother sits on daughter s bed, lifts pillow and finds diary, and smiles warmly; CU pillows falls on top of diary on bed.
11:01:52:03 CU high-angle locked diary lying on blanket; text superimposed over shot: This film is dedicated to America s teen-agers and to their unerring instinct for juvenile DECENCY.
11:02:13:28 CU girls hand unlocks then opens diary lying on bed as other
11:02:35:21 VS 1950s teenage girl lying on her stomach on her bed with her diary open facing camera; porcelain doll sits on her pillows by her kicked up feet; girl gets up out of bed with diary in hand and looks at herself in mirror, raises arms and stands on tiptoes smiling along with audio track narration in her voice as if coming from the diary There is no question about it, my legs grew longer in the last two weeks! ; girls lies back down on bed and writes in diary, audio track over her writing It seems to me the world is changing; well last year there were woods in Dutton s Park, and now it s all houses, and there is hardly a tree left.
11:03:25:06 CU disembodied hand fills one of two cups on saucers with hot chocolate; camera pans up to hot chocolates handed to customers at counter of 1950s soda fountain.
11:04:02:08 Great shot of teenagers in 1950s soda fountain; teenage boy and girl in coats walk away from counter and as boy pays girl looks at book rack stocked with the Diary of Anne Frank with a photograph of Anne Frank on the cover; CU book Anne Frank The Diary of a Young Girl on book rack as hand removes it from shelf, behind Anne Frank book is one entitled Hiroshima. Audio track: What you got there? MS teenage girl smiles as she looks at book Anne Frank The Diary of a Young Girl, boy looks over her shoulder answers question Diary of Anne Frank Boy asks You like it? Teenage girl answers Oh, diaries kind of fascinate me, I keep a diary you know?
It s yours boy buys book for girl.
11:04:47:03 Teenage boy and girl exit soda fountain and stop just outside door, boy sticks his hand out and feels rain, then asks girl You like rain? girl answers sometimes
Me too, sometimes it s real nice
11:05:16:25 Little sister about ten years old with sharp bangs wearing t-shirt, somewhat tomboyish, enters teenage girls bedroom as in CU she reads the Diary of Anne Frank with depressed serious look on face; little sister stands akimbo in background and with frustration exclaims Alright sleeping beauty , wake up! Suppers on! Teenage girl I m not sleeping I m reading Little sister raising eyebrows in comical anger When did you become a bookworm!? Teenager now upset Look..how many times do I have to tell you not to come into my room without knocking Cute anger of little sister Look if you want so much privacy get yourself a doorman, suppers on the table.
11:06:00:28 MS 1950s teenage girl looking depressed reads Diary of Anne Frank at dinner table.
11:06:28:16 VS Teenage girl at dinner table explains Anne Frank story to her intellectual looking father wearing glasses Its about this little girl Anne Frank and her family they re Jews the Nazis want to find them and put them into a concentration camp just because they re Jewish, they didn t do anything. Is that really true? Father looks up from book nodding It happened Teenage girl How could people let a thing like that happen, why didn t they do something Father We did CU little girl with braids All the people in Dutton s Park are Jews MS father looks up from book What s that supposed to mean? CU little girl eating soup Nothing, just repeating chit chat. LS mother at table serving dinner Well if my family doesn t mind I d like to change the subject.
11:07:25:16 MS father wearing glasses, daughter in CU foreground of frame, father says For what it s worth, the war is over, the Nazis are finished, this type of thing doesn t happen anymore, so the best thing to do is forget about it and eat your dinner.
11:07:55:09 CU little brunette girl with bangs and braids hand pressed up against cheek teases sister Love and marriage, love and marriage!
11:08:04:19 mother fitting dress on teenage girl as she looks at herself in mirror. Teenage girl says Mother is that going to be too short? Mother No, they re wearing them short now. Little sister holding doll How come I can t wear a dress like that. How come I always get stuck with those silly frilly things. Mother raises arm and points out door, says playfully Out. out this minute. Your time is yet to come. I got rid of her
11:08:37:02 1950s teenage couples slow dance at a formal.
11:08:47:04 Three girls on two twin beds pushed together, wearing pajamas having slumber party; mother walks in with tray of milk and cookies.
11:09:13:01 MS teenage girl with arms behind head lies awake in bed with soft spotlight on her face, girls smiles then closes eyes and falls asleep.
11:09:34:09 CU Birthday cake with lit candles reads Happy Birthday Norma ; camera pulls back to LS of girl blowing candles out while parents and sister sing birthday song.
11:10:26:04 VS girl with family looks at charm little sister gave her and asks father about writing on charm Hey daddy what is it Arabic or Turkish. CU father I think its Hebrew it may be Arabic.
11:10:50:17 MS three girls at jewelry store look at charm on counter. One girl shocked That s a Jewish star , another girl You said it was Arabic , girl in middle I thought it was Arabic looks up and asks jeweler Is it Jewish?
11:11:00:16 CU Jewish bracelet with three charms on black surface. Finger points out and each charm as audio track explains each charm.
11:12:54:19 MS girl writes angrily in journal.
11:13:43:29 Group of 1950s high school kids socializing. Girl shows up and asks Who s up for a soda? Everyone makes excuses I have to go right home , me too , I have to go to the library.
11:15:19:01 CU teenage boy on collared shirt and sweater seated in cafeteria I wasn t trying to tell you what to do, just, well you know you can say what you want to, just don t say it out loud that s all.
11:20:23:08 CU middle-age woman I am talking about the fact that you re Jewish! CU girl surprised and confused I m not Jewish
11:21:26:11 CU teenage girls face with shocked and angry look.
11:25:32:19 CU of diary with audio track narration reading from pages of diary as scenes described are projected on to the diary itself.
11:28:11:01 VS stunned silent audience; various CU of pensive faces and teenage boy with proud look; teenage girls exits auditorium stage and is greeted by hug from her Mother; high-angle audience exits auditorium.
11:29:07:29 Girl curled up in armchair by lamp writes in her diary.| American Girl, An | |
|---|---|
| Produced by | Dynamic Films |
Production company | Dynamic Films |
| Distributed by | Dynamic Films |
Release date | ca. 1950s |
Running time | 28:30 |
| Language | English |
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