I’d never heard of IT HAPPENED ON 5TH AVENUE until it’s recent broadcast on TCM. This unsung little holiday gem was a TV staple for decades before being pulled from viewing in 1990, only resurfacing in 2009 when a small but dedicated band of classic film fans put the pressure on to see it aired once again. And I’m glad they did, for this charming, unpretensious comedy boasts a marvelous cast, an Oscar-nominated screenplay, and a Frank Capra-esque feel without a lot of the Capra-corn.
Capra himself was scheduled to direct it back in 1945, but instead he chose to make another Christmas film you may have heard of, IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE. Veteran Roy Del Ruth obtained the rights, and IT HAPPENED ON 5TH AVENUE became the first release of Allied Artists, the larger budgeted, more prestigious arm of Monogram Pictures (and you know how much I love Monogram movies!)…
4 Shots From 4 Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films is all about letting the visuals do the talking.
4 Shots From 4 Holiday Films
Santa Claus (1959, dir by Rene Cardona)
Babes in Toyland (1961, dir by Jack Donohue)
Santa Claus Conquers The Martians (1964, dir by Nicholas Webster)
I don’t have much to say about this Spike Jonze music video. This was the same year Jonze did Buddy Holly, Sure Shot, and Sabotage. It’s a simple little indie music video. They probably had an afternoon to shoot in a little hotdog stand, so they made this video.
The reason I am spotlighting it is because I felt it was necessary to do this in between Dog Police and Da Funk. I am not sure whether Spike Jonze and drummer Tony Maxwell were already friends at this time. Maxwell would go on to do other things including playing Charles from Da Funk by Daft Punk that was directed by Spike Jonze two years after this video.
Let’s do the Erics in one batch. Eric Zumbrunnen edited the music video. He also edited Buddy Holly by Weezer, It’s Oh So Quiet by Björk, Where It’s At by Beck, and Weapon Of Choice by Fatboy Slim, among a couple of other music videos. He would go on to edit some feature films like Being John Malkovich (1999), Adaptation (2002), Where The Wild Things Are (2009), and Her (2013). Eric Matthies was the producer of the music video. He shot two music videos for Nine Inch Nails that were both directed by Eric Zimmerman. Matthies also has a bunch of producing and directing credits on IMDb. Yep, there’s three Erics tied to this music video for some reason.
Speaking of “for some reason”, Tony Maxwell is credited at the start of this music video as “Yoga”. You got me. However, that means Weapon of Choice had a “Philosophical Consultant” in K.K. Barrett, and this one had someone credited as “Yoga”. Maybe Jonze just likes to oddly credit people. Again, you got me.
That Dog would last till 1997 before reuniting in 2011. There are at least two more music videos for them where the band turns more and more into late-90s groups like Garbage and No Doubt in terms of looking polished and colorful. I feel like if I did Never Say Never and He’s Kissing Christian, then I’d need to do the two versions of Ready To Go by Republica and Don’t Speak by No Doubt respectively to go along with them.
4 Shots From 4 Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films is all about letting the visuals do the talking.
4 Shots From 4 Holiday Films
Holiday Inn (1942, dir by Mark Sandrich)
It’s A Wonderful Life (1946, dir by Frank Capra)
Miracle on 34th Street (1947, dir by George Seaton)
Seeing as Lisa requested I do Da Funk by Daft Punk, I thought it was appropriate to do a couple of other music videos leading up to it, including this infamous one.
Back in the 80s, there was a show on MTV called Basement Tapes. I can’t really find much information on it. As far as I can tell, they would air DIY music videos that were in a competition on the show. This music video was on it. Of course, decades later, YouTube got ahold of it, and now its truly the stuff of legends. This even spawned a failed pilot for a TV Show with Adam Sandler & Jeremy Piven called The Dog Police. Hopefully the video is still below.
It might seem crazy now, but remember that this was during the period when the cop-dog thing was at the height of its popularity courtesy of movies like Turner & Hooch (1989) and K-9 (1989). Other famous failed cop-dog TV Shows are the horrifying Poochinski and the short-lived Tequila and Bonetti.
Dog Police were a Devo-inspired band out of Memphis. To my knowledge, some, or all of the members now help teach music. At least that’s what one commenter on a 2008 article over on Stereogum said:
“Hahaha I just found out about this video, from the lead singer actually. I attend Southwest Tennessee Community College in Memphis, TN. As it turns out, the fellow who has been my mentor for a year on bass, guitar, and vocals is the bass player in pink, and the very knowledgeable drum/music theory professor is the lead singer. Trust me, this isn’t exactly something they’ve been bragging about, but Tom Lonardo (lead singer) showed it to a couple of students for some giggles this morning. The bassist is Sam Shoup. Both of these guys are very sought-after Memphis musicians in their respective talents. Sam arranges for the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, the Orpheum theatre, and plays for the Memphis Opera when he’s not sessioning at Ardent Studios. Also, he is currently the director of the Jazz Ensemble at Southwest. I’m not sure what all of Tom’s endeavors include, but he is always playing around Memphis somewhere or lecturing at Southwest. Both of these guys have very generously set aside time to teach the eager young musical minds of tomorrow when they’re not doing their thing out in the world.”
There’s also a quote from the director there:
“I directed this video in Memphis in, I think, 1984. It was produced by Wayne Crook, the dog masks were created by an amazing guy named Bill Kopfler, and the cinematographer (16mm) was Larry McConkey, who overcame this experience to become one of the most revered Steadicam ops in the world — 100+ features and still going strong. Proof of his skill: the chorus shot at 1:32 is NOT fast-forward, it’s real time. Larry ran backwards with the Steadicam, turned a corner, then down 4 steps at the end of the shot, all the while keeping perfect framing. As I recall, he nailed in either 2 or 3 takes! Maybe not as unbelievable as Larry’s legendary two and a half minute Copacabana shot in Goodfellas, but amazing nonetheless!”
He isn’t kidding about Larry McConkey. Some of his credits include World War Z (2013), Django Unchained (2012), Hugo (2011), Shutter Island (2010), Kill Bill: Vol. 1 & 2, Vanilla Sky (2001), Bringing Out The Dead (1999), Showgirls (1995), Free Willy (1993), Silence of the Lambs (1991), and a movie I still keep meaning to get around to seeing, Seven Minutes in Heaven (1985). At the time of writing this post, he has 129 credits in the Camera and Electrical Department section on IMDb.
Seeing as he was the steadicam operator on numerous Martin Scorsese films, that means Scorsese might have seen this music video. I love the image of Scorsese watching Dog Police. It’s not unrealistic. The third credit listed on IMDb in the Camera and Electrical Department is for After Hours (1985).
In addition, Larry McConkey worked on Three Kings (1999), which had Spike Jonze in it. Larry McConkey worked on The Good Shepherd (2006) that was produced by Francis Ford Coppola. This one is weaker, but since he worked on Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004), it means he also has ties to Sofia Coppola since she got a “special thanks” credit. He worked on The Freshman (1994) with Marlon Brando. He also worked with Sofia’s cousin Nicolas Cage on four movies, including one of his earliest credits for the movie Birdy (1984). Since he worked with Nicolas Cage, that means that Dog Police has a connection to both the group That Dog and the music video for Da Funk through That Dog drummer Tony Maxwell and the character of Charles (Dog Boy) from Da Funk that he played seeing as he was also Cage’s body double in Adaptation (2002). Spike Jonze directed a music video for That Dog. McConkey worked on Little Nicky (2000) with Adam Sandler, which in turn means he connects the failed The Dog Police show into all of this. It all connects. He also won a lifetime achievement award from the Society of Camera Operators. You can go on and on with more McConkey connections, but I stop at the realization that The Godfather (1972) is connected to Dog Police.
I have mixed feelings about Dog Police. The song is like a cross between Devo and a Queen-like chorus. I just realized where that chorus comes from. It’s from the Spider-Man Theme Song by The Electric Company. Here is a particular episode of the show that also ties in with Dog Police and Da Funk.
That means Dog Police is connected to Marvel and Daft Punk had one of their songs used in Iron Man 2 (2010). That is also Morgan Freeman narrating who was in two movies that were worked on by Larry McConkey.
Getting back to what I was saying, the first thing I noticed about this song was how unbelievably catchy it is. It’s no wonder that you can now just listen to the song on that new YouTube topic thing.
I also noticed that if you watch the video closely, then you are seeing a woman who is persecuted because of presumedly liking to have sex like a dog. The bartender tips this secret police force that then comes in and drags her away to who knows where. However, since they are dogs themselves, it means they are not just a secret police, but a hypocritical secret police. A perfect fit for the 80s. I love how the waiter gives a short, but heartfelt performance in this.
It would be great if that was all there was to this music video. Da Funk has similar themes where someone who has always been different from everyone else, moves to the big city, and finds themselves dealing with having to get around on a broken leg, being a dog person, and being so tied to his radio because of its connection to his youth that he can’t get rid of it even though it means he has an opportunity to connect with an old friend in a new place snatched away from him. Unfortunately, while Da Funk does it right, Dog Police muddles the water. It doesn’t just have a clever political message. It was also meant to be funny in a crude manner and introduce the band to people. As a result, it gets its semi-offensive comedy mixed in with the other part.
Its still a lot of fun. I half wish they had fixed that issue. But that would also mean this amazingly ridiculous thing wouldn’t exist. I don’t want that.
The music video was produced by Wayne Crook, directed by Joe Mulherin, and the dog makeup was done by William Kopfler.
It’s that time of year where I share with my loyal readers a hidden treasure! For years, we were kept in the dark of parallel dimension! A Better World! A Brighter World! A world where Mr. Potter prevailed against the forces of evil that sought to undermine good itself! After Good prevailed, David Brinkley interviewed the Great Mr. Potter!!
The following is a re-broadcast of the 1955 interview with David Brinkley and Mayor Potter of the eponymous Pottersville.
David Brinkley: Ladies and Gentlemen this is a portrait of a town that came back. The best example of which is the bustling Boffo town of Pottersville. I am interviewing the man who brought this town back after a factory closing and 1920s financial collapse: Mr… I mean Mayor Potter.
Mayor Potter: Thank you, David.
David Brinkley: Mr. Mayor, your town is synonymous with nightlife and culture. Now, it is hosting it’s fourth International Film Festival. It seems to stand out among so many New York factory towns. What happened?
Mayor Potter: HRHHPFM! It was a near run thing.
David: How so?
Mayor Potter: We had this flirtation with communism in the 19 teens and 20s.
David: *Gasps*
Mayor Potter: It’s true. We had this Bolshevik style building and loan.
David: A building and what?
Mayor Potter: It was a bank … of sorts. This guy “Pa” Bailey *Uses air quotes with an eye-roll* would talk rubes into giving him money to build people homes who were too broke to pay their mortgages.
David: Come again?
Mayor Potter: Get this, when you wanted to make a withdrawal you’d either have to wait 60 days or some jackass would use his personal savings to “loan” you money.
David: *Eyes Widen*
Mayor Potter: Oh yeah Dave, This commie bank was always screwing with people’s money. The owner hired his brother Billy – he was this unreformed drunkard and he had a menagerie of unvaccinated feral animals in his office. And, when this Building and Loan would really squander their funds and bills would come due, Billy would knock on people’s doors holding a wicker basket begging for donations all over town.
David: Wicker? What kinds of animals? What?!
Mayor Potter: UGGHH, Bailey had everything in there… crows, squirrels, probably had a damn bobcat for all we knew. Bailey’s in a mental ward now. But, he wasn’t even the worst…
David: Come on..
Mayor Potter: Try getting a prescription filled back in those days. We had a homicidal druggist poisoning people … Bowser or something or other. He got locked up and’s he’s dead now …. good riddance.
David: Weren’t there two Bailey sons?
Mayor Potter: The younger Brother was a war hero and now works for DuPont and designed some weed killer Agent Purple or something.
David: Not to turn this into a History of the Baileys.
Mayor Potter: No big deal. George went off to college and married a local girl…Mary. He designs pipelines in Venezuela for Shell Oil. He calls me every now and again. He just got back from Europe with Mary- He goes at least once a year. Could you imagine if George had tried to keep his Dad’s commie bank going? He would’ve wished he’d never been born!
David: Back to the town, what changed?
Mayor Potter: Well, Pa Bailey died and then the Crash.
David: How did your recover from the crash?
Mayor Potter: Recover?! The Crash helped us! I bought up the failing businesses and turned this town around. We needed new revenue from new sources.
David: About that, after the war, Pottersville was criticized for what some called a seamy downtown.
Mayor Potter: *Shrugs* You’re a veteran. After the war, people wanted to blow off some steam and that means dancing, music, and booze. Our downtown is different now. Even then, it was still better than the boring Bedford Falls anytown USA….Bleh! We’re the only Right To Work county in New York! What did that bring? Headquarters and more business than Buffalo or Detroit combined! We have 12 museums, 200 restaurants, a financial center, a subway, and a Theater district second only to New York City! Besides, nightlife and culture is what brings people to cities. “Honey, let’s splurge and visit Des Moines… Said no one ever!”
David: You have a point. This is truly a magnificent achievement.
The evil Galactic Empire spent what had to be billions of Imperial credits to build the greatest weapon in the universe. It was known as the Death Star and it housed a laser so powerful that it could blow up a planet with just one shot. And yet, for all the effort and all the years that were spent building it, the Death Star had one glaring vulnerability, an exposed exhaust valve that the Rebel Alliance twice used to the destroy it.
For years, fanboys debated why the Empire would go to the trouble to build a super weapon with such an obvious design flaw. I have to admit that I was often one of them. No one else seemed to care but, to us, this was a huge deal. If the Empire could figure out how to blow up a planet with one super laser, why couldn’t they figure out how to protect that one valve?
Now, thanks to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, we have an answer. We not only know why that valve was there but we also know what was meant in New Hope when the rebel general said that the plans to the Death Star had been stolen at great cost.
Rogue One is a fan’s dream, one that answers questions while expanding on the Star Wars mythology. Unlike the previous prequels, it adds to the story without cheapening the original films. In fact, of all the Star Wars films, Rogue One is the first to make the Death Star into a believable weapon of mass destruction. When it appears over one planet, it blots out the sun. When it blows up a rebel base, we see the destruction from inside the base instead of observing it from the safety of Death Star. Director Gareth Evans does for the Death Star what he previously did for Godzilla.
Unfortunately, like Godzilla, the action and the special effects in Rogue One are usually more interesting than any of the film’s characters. Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Donnie Yen, Jiang Wen, Alan Tudyk, and Riz Ahmed are all good actors but they’re all playing underwritten parts. No one steps up like Harrison Ford did in the original trilogy. Commander Kennec, played by Ben Mendelsohn, has a little more depth than the typical Imperial villain but, for better or worse, the film’s most memorable performances come from a CGI Peter Cushing and James Earl Jones providing the voice of Darth Vader.
Despite the underwritten characters, Rogue One is still the best Star Wars film since Empire Strikes Back, a return to the grittiness, the thrilling action, and the awe of discovering new worlds that distinguished the first two movies. For once, a Star Wars film seems to have more on its mind than just selling toys. Though we already know what is ultimately going to happen to the Death Star at the end of New Hope, Rogue One is a frequently downbeat film. There are no Ewoks and, to great relief and rejoicing, Jar Jar is never seen. The closest that Rogue One gets to comic relief is Alan Tudyk providing the voice of a cynical robot. The emphasis is on the horrors of war and even the rebels are troubled by some of the things that they have done. For once, the Rebel Alliance actually feels like a rebellion and the evil of the Empire feels real instead of cartoonish.
Rogue One is projected to be the first of many “Star Wars stories,” stand-alone film that will expand the universe and hopefully clarify some of the points that were left unclear by the original trilogy. I think it’s going to be very successful very Disney. I’m just dreading the inevitable Jar Jar origin story.
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…
Through the Shattered Lens 