Local resident has part in film

Last Saturday, Whitehall resident Mike Hagan traveled to Dillon to attend a world premier screening of the "The Big Muddy Western Film Series".

Hagan was not only one of the many in the standing room only crowd, he was also able to watch himself on the big screen at Big Sky Cinemas, for what he called a minor speaking role.

Hagan said he originally found out about the movie when he met a producer visiting the set of "Ballad of Lefty Brown", which was filmed early last fall at the Bannack State Park.

Hagan said the screening Saturday was five shorts in the series that were made into a movie. The series is written and directed by Chris Hoffert of Helena, and is about a former gunslinger and his family braving an untamed world of killers, highway robbery, Indian raids and fabled treasure.

While noting that it was odd to see himself on the big screen, Hagan was very proud of the finished product.

He said it was well written, provided a lot of drama, and the acting was very good.

"I'm glad to be part of something that turned out as well as it did," he said.

Hagan felt the cast and crew was like a big family, and it is something he would like to do again in the future.