Michael's Blog
November 29, 2005
I'll be adding sample reviews and obits plus whatever else on this blog as often as possible. There will also be a Psychotronic message board for anybody to sent in their comments, corrections, questions, answers... Here's a review of a rare Florida movie.
ONCE UPON A COFFEE HOUSE (Satellite Media, 65) D Shapard Traube, S Jerry Winters, P Frederic S. Berney At least 14 songs are performed in this extremely obscure regional Pathecolor musical comedy. Rich nice guy New Yorker Johnny (Curtis Taylor) wants cute dark haired folk singer Viki (Karen Thorsell) so bad that he buys the Miami club she performs in. Original owner Humphrey (Jerry Newby) tries to teach Johnny how to look and act hip. One of Viki's numbers is "Old Blue," later recorded by The Byrds. The Goldebriars, including platinum blonde sisers Dottie and Sheri Holmberg and the late Curt Boettcher) sing "Honey Bunny." Now considered "sunshine pop" they have a Japanese website and book (!). They and The Freewheelers (a clean cut Kingston Trio type group) both recorded for Epic. Headliner Oscar Brand (who recorded many LPS on various labels) does a comic Irish song and a variation of "My Old Man's A Dustman," a UK hit for Lonnie Donegen. Larry (Vince Martin), who also wants Viki, sings two upbeat songs in the Donegen style backed by The New Coachman. Even Pepe (Pedro Roman) the cook sings a sappy pop duet with the platinum blonde hostess (Barbara Cole) and a dance song ("The Tuggle") at a twisting beach party. Jim, Jake, And Joan do part singing topical comedy just like on the THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS TV show (64/5). Topics include the new Texans in the White House and a former Nazi NASA scientist. Jake is Jake Holmes (Led Zepplin stole "Dazed And Confused" from him!) and Joan is Joan Rivers who soon went solo and left this credit off her bio. Deanna Lund, in STING OF DEATH (PV #40) the same year, plays a dowdy woman who turns out to be the knockout who posed for a nude painting. Johnny has a jazzy dance sequence nightmare and it all ends with (pizza) pie throwing slapstick. Carl Yale wrote the story and the original songs. Traube had directed features in the 40s and some of the actors worked on soap operas. Berney and the wardrobe lady (his wife Ellen) have been running Satellite Media for many years, offering rare radio and TV shows and serials. See oldieTV.com. THE YOUNG SWINGERS (PV #38) and HOOTENANNY HOOT (PV #41) were other folk scene movies.
Michael J. Weldon
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