quote:

Originally posted by andrew sandoval:
The Program will run as follows:

Here Come The Monkees (unaired version of pilot)
(1965; approx 23 mins) 16mm print

Writers: Paul Mazursky & Larry Tucker
Director: Mike Elliot

The Monkees get a job playing a "Sweet 16" party.
Note: This unaired pilot features the original Boyce & Hart songwriters demos of the songs. When the pilot was eventually aired, some scenes were reshot and the demos were replaced by later "Monkees" versions of the songs.

Head
(1968; approx 90 mins) New 35mm print
Writers: Bob Rafelson & Jack Nicholson
Director: Bob Rafelson

The Monkees attempt to escape being The Monkees.
Note: This brand new 35mm, struck directly from the negative has only been screened once before. Features the original Mono soundtrack.

Q&A with guests
Intermission

Monkees Make Friends With Kool Aid
(1970; Approx 2 mins)

An extended advertisement from February 1970. Features one of Michael Nesmith's last moments as a Monkee. By this time Nesmith had officially left the Monkees and formed the First National Band. This advertisement/featurette was never shown widely (or perhaps not at all, since it exceeds the length of a normal sponsor spot).

Your Friendly Neighborhood Kidnappers
(1966; approx 25 mins)

Writer: Dave Evans
Director: James Frawley

The Monkees are corrupted by an unscrupulous manager.
Note: This alternate version of the program with a revised soundtrack, was only aired four times between May 1970 and May 1973. It has not been seen publicly since.

The Spy Who Came In From The Cool
(1966; approx 25 mins)
Writers: Gerald Gardner & Dee Caruso
Director: Bob Rafelson

The Monkees unwittingly infiltrate a spy ring.
Note: This alternate version of the program with a revised soundtrack, was only aired five times between September 1970 and May 1973. It has not been seen publicly since.


Don't Look A Gift Horse In The Mouth
(1966; approx 25 mins)
Writer: Dave Evans
Director: Bob Rafelson

Davy unwittingly adopts a horse.

Note: This alternate version of the program with a revised soundtrack, was only aired three times between December 1969 and December 1972. It has not been seen publicly since.

Success Story
(1966; approx 25 mins)
Writers: Gerald Gardner, Dee Caruso & Bernie Ornstein
Director: James Frawley

Davy's grandfather comes for a visit.

Note: This alternate version of the program with a revised soundtrack, was only aired four times between November 1969 and August 1973. It has not been seen publicly since.

Here is some additional info:

“Your Friendly Neighborhood Kidnappers”
Episode No. 4 of The Monkees (prod. #4703, originally aired on NBC October 3, 1966 and May 15, 1967)
New Song Added: "Do You Feel It Too?" (Jeff Barry/Andy Kim)
CBS Rerun Dates: May 30, 1970, June 17, 1972
ABC Rerun Dates: September 30, 1972, May 12, 1973

“The Spy Who Came In From The Cool”
Episode No. 5 of The Monkees (prod. #4702, originally aired on NBC October 10, 1966 and June 19, 1967)
New Song Added: "All Alone In The Dark" (Ned Albright/Steven Soles)
CBS Rerun Dates: September 26, 1970, April 3, 1971, July 1, 1972
ABC Rerun Dates: October 7, 1972, May 19, 1973

“The Success Story”
Episode No. 6 of The Monkees (prod. #4710, originally aired on NBC October 17, 1966 and May 29, 1967)
New Song Added: "French Song" (Bill Chadwick)
CBS Rerun Dates: October 29, 1969, June 13, 1970
ABC Rerun Dates: January 3 and August 25, 1973

“Don't Look A Gift Horse In The Mouth”
Episode No. 8 of The Monkees (prod. #4708, originally aired on NBC October 31, 1966)
New Song Added: “I Never Thought It Peculiar” (Tommy Boyce/Bobby Hart)
CBS Rerun Dates: December 6, 1969, July 11, 1970, September 18, 1971
ABC Rerun Dates: December 16, 1972, July 21, 1973


There are 27 episodes of The Monkees television series not to be redubbed with new music for repeats on NBC in summer 1967 and CBS/ABC Saturday Afternoon. They are: “Monkees A La Carte”, “Too Many Girls” (a.k.a. "Davy And Fern"), “The Son Of A Gypsy”, “Find The Monkees” (a.k.a. "The Audition"), “The Monkees At The Circus”, “Monkees A La Mode”, “Alias Micky Dolenz”, “Monkee Mother”, “The Monkees At The Movies”, "It's A Nice Place To Visit...", "The Picture Frame" (a.k.a. "The Bank Robbery"), "Everywhere A Sheik Sheik", "Monkee Mayor", "Art For Monkee's Sake", "I Was A 99-lb. Weakling" (a.k.a. "Physical Culture"), "Hillbilly Honeymoon" (a.k.a. "Double Barrel Shotgun Wedding"), "The Card-Carrying Red Shoes", "The Monkees In Texas", "The Monkees On The Wheel", "The Monkees Christmas Show", "Fairy Tale", "The Monkees Watch Their Feet", "The Monkee's Paw", "The Monkees Race Again" (a.k.a. "Leave The Driving To Us"), "The Monkees Mind Their Manor", "Some Like It Lukewarm" (a.k.a. "The Band Contest") and "The Monkees Blow Their Minds".

Interesting, about the 2-minute Monkees Make Friends With Kool Aid piece from 1970.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: AarHan3,

The Monkees' 'Head' trip
The made-for-TV musical group's surrealistic 1968 film, penned by Jack Nicholson, got no love at the box office, but American Cinematheque has resurrected it.
By Susan King
November 12, 2008
Forty years ago, the Monkees' only feature film, "Head," hit theaters -- and people have been scratching their heads ever since.

Though far from a masterpiece like the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night" from 1964, the film, starring Davy Jones, Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith, is a surreal time capsule -- a psychedelic, stream-of-consciousness blast from the past. It's as if Jean Cocteau had consumed lots of LSD and decided to make a rock movie. Only its true history is a lot trippier, considering that Jack Nicholson wrote the script and a motley crew of the era's icons appears in the film.

On Wednesday, the American Cinematheque's '60s-centric "Mods and Rockers" series will present a 40th anniversary screening of "Head," featuring Tork and Jones, plus other cast and crew members, in person.


When "Head" was released theatrically in November 1968, the Monkees could not have been less hip, admits Martin Lewis, the "Mods and Rockers" producer who's hosting the event.

"With the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy, and the riots in Chicago, Paris and London, everything was very serious," Lewis says of the time. "Suddenly, though it had only been two years since the Monkees were created, it seemed like 20 years."

The Emmy Award-winning NBC sitcom "The Monkees," which followed the zany adventures of a struggling band in Los Angeles, had been canceled earlier that year.

Though the group had scored numerous hits, including "Last Train to Clarksville," "Daydream Believer" and "I'm a Believer," their teeny-bopper fans were no longer buying their records. The counterculture was thriving. People were turning on and tuning in. Hendrix, Joplin and the Who were zooming up the charts.

So "Head" was a major bomb. The film had critics perplexed. Teeny-boppers didn't understand it, and those who considered themselves remotely hip wouldn't have been caught dead going to a movie with the "Prefab Four," as the Monkees were mockingly called

Tork doesn't necessarily think the film failed because the Monkees were passé.

"The TV show had this huge ad campaign, and everybody went for all the hype," says Tork. "The 'Head' campaign was designed to be Postmodernist, and the commercials were off-putting. The hip thought it was going to be another bubble-gum movie, and they didn't want to see it. And the bubble-gum kids thought it was going to be a freak-out movie, and they didn't want to see it. I think if the movie had been thoroughly promoted in an appropriate way, it would have done much better."

Surprisingly enough, "Head" has quite the pedigree. It was directed by Bob Rafelson and produced by Bert Schneider, who also did the TV series. And it was written and produced by none other than Nicholson, who also makes a brief appearance in the movie. (Two years later, the three would collaborate on the classic drama "Five Easy Pieces.")

Also popping up in "Head" are Frank Zappa, surgically enhanced stripper Carol Doda, Dennis Hopper, Annette Funicello, Victor Mature, boxer Sonny Liston and even Teri Garr, who is billed as "Terry Garr."

The film itself, which spoofs movie genres, is definitely out there. At one point, the Monkees find themselves akin to pieces of dandruff in Mature's wavy black hair.

Dolenz jokes that he still doesn't understand the film, "and I was in it. . . . I don't think anybody knows what it is about."

He recalls Rafelson approaching him during the second season of the TV series about doing a movie. "I vaguely remember a conversation about what we would want to do and not want to do," says Dolenz. "I remember the general consensus was that we don't want to make a 90-minute episode of 'The Monkees.'

"In retrospect, that would have been much more commercially successful. On the other hand, we wouldn't have this wonderful, very bizarre film floating around now, which I am very proud of. I think I did some great work as an actor in the movie."

Rafelson introduced the group to Nicholson, who had written scripts before but nothing on an "A"-movie level.

"We hit it off with Jack famously, because he was and still is such a charismatic, intelligent and funny guy," Dolenz recalls.

For the next few months, Nicholson hung out on the show's set and visited the four at their homes, "just soaking up everything that was Monkee," Dolenz says. Then one weekend, he, Nicholson, Schneider and Rafelson spent a week at a golf resort brainstorming their concepts for the film into a tape recorder. "Jack took those tapes away with him and wrote the screenplay."

Though the film is 40 years old, "Head" doesn't seem dated, by Dolenz's estimation.

"There were a lot of movies about hippies [made then] getting turned on and all that stuff," he says. "Today, if you look at them, you sort of cringe in embarrassment when somebody drives by in a VW bus painted with flowers and goes, 'Groovy.' "

The counterculture era wasn't really like that, Dolenz says. "It was all very cerebral. It wasn't all about the trappings, the flowers and the bell-bottoms. It was more of what was going on inside of everybody's mind. They managed to capture the moment."

And that leads Lewis to conclude that, if the Monkees had been unknowns when "Head" premiered, the film might have fared better.

"If it had been introduced as a low-key, underground movie, it might have hit with the hip audience, who were looking for films against the commercial grain," he says. "It might have actually struck a chord with them."

King is a Times staff writer

susan.king@latimes.com

Thanks, Andrew, for posting this news article. With Martin Lewis hosting, you know there definitely will be a lot of surprises (like surprise guests!) This is going to be a really fun evening. Two days (well, one now--it's past midnight) and counting! :-)

-Debbie

A few members at the Steve Hoffman forums are talking about meeting up as well. One person suggested the Pig & Whistle (http://www.pignwhistle.com/) as it is right next to the Egyptian Theater's courtyard.

I'm likely to be there, carrying my 11x17 reprint of the "Head" poster and probably Andrew's book in case he'd be willing to sign it.

Hi, everone - new guy here. I had plans to fly in from Chicago to attend this awesome event, but cannot. I did purchase two tickets from Fandango, which will go unused. If there is anyone looking for two tickets, please let me know and I will give you my confirmation number. It is all you need to pick them up. All I'm looking for is what I paid, $22.00.
Have a ball, and please let us all know all the details of the night!

Jim
jamesmullahy@yahoo.com
630-915-6344

Excited to be in LA. Not even the traffic can get me down!

If you see me, say "hello"... It's hard to miss a heavy-set guy in a black shirt and jeans.

Thank you everyone who attended last night's screening. It was so nice to meet some of you in person and I can tell we were all thrilled to see the Monkees get a sell out reception in Los Angeles.

Very best,

Andrew

I just wanted to say thank you to Andrew and everyone else responsible for the "Head" program last night. As a lifelong Monkees fan, it was a blast to see Davy and Peter together again, and to hear Bobby Hart and Chip Douglas reminisce. Also, I got a pic with Davy, which means I've taken pics with all of the guys except Nez. Fingers crossed on that one. Thanks again, Andrew -- you've found a new fan in me, too.

quote:

Originally posted by andrew sandoval:
Thank you everyone who attended last night's screening. It was so nice to meet some of you in person and I can tell we were all thrilled to see The Monkees get a sell out reception in Los Angeles.

Very best,

Andrew

Nice to hear the gala was a success.

I would also like to say thank you to Andrew and everyone at the American Cinematheque for organizing this screening. What a thrill it was to see Davy and Peter in person, and to hear their stories about their Monkees experiences. And it was great to see Bobby Hart and Chip Douglas too. I now have autographs from three of the Monkees (all except Mike).
It was also exciting to see the show sell out. There's nothing like seeing a movie like this on the big screen surrounded by like-minded fans.

(Oh, and by the way, Hi, Marty! It was nice to meet you during the screening. I hope you enjoyed your visit here, and I hope you had a great trip back to Canada.)

-Debbie

Debbie- You should have stuck around! You missed all the changes songs!


Andrew-It was great meeting you, I can't believe I forgot to bring your first album (my fav) to get signed. Thank you for all of your help and sharing the rare prints.


I hope this event was recorded (the Q & A) and maybe this stuff can appear on a future DVD release of some sort.


Bob Rafelson convenitley didn't show up, as his wife was ill (which I don't doubt). But I also remember him saying that he doesn't watch his own films....


I bought a T-shirt off of Gary Strolb and he said that his book is still a go. I was surprised @ the turnout. The print of HEAD look a lot like the VHS version by Rhino, even the Rhino lego appeared before the film. However it was hard to tell, as it's on film and on the big screen.

Will the audio of the "Head" screening Q & A be posted to www.monkees.com ala the Nez and Bobby Hart interviews ?

Did Jones and Tork get along ?

Someone has posted the Q & A on YouTube; if you search Monkees stuff in order of date posted you should find it very easily.

I thought the tone between Peter and Davy was a little tense at first, but the more they talked, the more they seemed comfortable and later even complimentary of each other. Pete was very gracious, calling Davy one of the most talented musicians he'd ever met.

Or even a transcript, there really wasn't any new info (@ least to me). Is there a direct youtube link? I'll search...

I was really glad that I had seen pictures of Andrew before, because I met him immediately on arrival at the Egyptian and he was more than happy to sign my copy of his book. He also offered me a special "Head" pin that he said was a replica of the ones made 40 years ago. I also chatted with him afterward about the neat film rarities he brought to screen. Even though Rhino has the rights to release the Monkees, they are still tied to the materials that Columbia can provide, and (as with many television series), the various versions of the episodes are not readily cataloged and stored. So we're lucky that someone with Andrew's passion keeps an eye out for these less common copies of the episodes to turn up.

I was also lucky enough to get autographs from Peter and Davy. I do like autographs, but I try to be a sensible and appreciative person when attempting to get them. Over the course of the evening, I saw Peter agitated with some people, and I don't blame him. I heard one guy irritated that he couldn't get an autograph with a particular pen! Still, Peter did stay around until after the full schedule of films and met with people by the theater entrance.

During intermission, I shook hands with Chip Douglas and told him that I appreciated the work that he did with the Monkees.

And for those who might find it interesting, Rodney Bingenheimer showed up close to show time and sat in the row in front of me.