I’ve Got A Little Song Here
Written by Treva Silverman
Directed by Bruce Kessler
Produced by Robert Rafelson&Bert Schneider
Songs: “Gonna Buy Me A Dog” by Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart
“Mary, Mary” by Michael Nesmith
Guest Appearances
Bernie Phil Leeds
Joanie Janz Leigh Chapman
Producer Irwin Charone
Director Larry Gelman
Postman Bobby Johnson
Old Man Owen McGiveny
Harry Joseph Mell
Hilda Mary Foren
Watchman Bubby Lewis
Premiered on November 28, 1966
Summary
At the Monkees pad, Mike receives mail from the postman, one a is sub-booklet for Peter about a body building school. Another is a letter for Mike from High Class Music Publishing Company whom offer Mike a chance to write a song and get rich and Mike decides to show them a song he’s written. Mockingly, Micky and Davy do a fantasy sequence as vaudevilles with Davy on piano and Micky naming their latest songs. However, Mike is convinced he can make millions from songwriting as he answers the door again, where postman comes back to tell Mike there’s $.06 due on his letter.
Later that day, Mike arrives at the High Class Music Publishing Co.(which also does greeting cards, storm windows, reconditioned vacuum cleaners, magazine subscriptions, and door lettering) where he meets an old man and fellow aspiring songwriter who tells him he’s written a song called “My Funny Valentine”(although there’s already a song written with that title). Then Mike goes in the office of Bernie's Class and shows him the lyrics of his song “Gonna Buy Me A Dog”. Bernie praises it and tells him of his plans to sell the song to Joanie Janz, the greatest singer in show business who’ll use the song in her latest movie in exchange for $100. Mike is so excited about this that he uses the telephone booth to call up Micky, his mother and Mr. Conway(Tim Conway?) who he met on a bus five years ago about the news. Back at home, the Monkees excited about Mike’s soon to be success start performing the song “Gonna Buy Me A Dog” while imagining themselves romping around the park with a pack of dogs. Having pawned his guitar, Mike pays Bernie most of the amount(he’s a nickel short) and questions Bernie again about his plans regarding his song. Bernie then pretends to have called up the celebrity on the phone but he has really called up a middle-age couple Harry and Hilda instead.
Mike then tells the guys of his big break on the phone but the others are convinced he’s being conned. Not knowing what else to do they decide that this is a job for Monkeemen and change into superheroes. They then fly away except Peter who’s unable to fly and has to walk instead. While disguising themselves as piano tuners, the guys go into Bernie’s office to spy on him. They manage to overhear him talking into a dictophone ordering for Mike’s letter to be put into mimeo and have 500 copies printed which gives the guys proof he’s a con man and decide to warn Mike. Mean-while, Mike is at the studio to meet Joanie Janz who’s doing the film “The Wolf Girl Meets The Vampire in The Old West" regarding his song and learns that she never heard of his song or him.
Back at the pad, a depressed Mike hides in his room on his bed rejecting the guys attempts to cheer him up. Then the others come up with an idea to help Mike so Micky calls up Bernie claiming to be a big shot movie mogul M.D. asking to meet him at the studio. At the studio, Micky, Davy and Peter all dressed up as M.D. and his assistants park the Monkeemobile in Dean Martin’s spot and convinces everyone including the director and producer that he’s a big shot. When Bernie arrives, “M.D.” tells him about his new Joanie Janz movie starring Gregory Peck, Elizabeth Taylor, Doris Day and Sonny Tufts and that he wants a song about a dog in it since Joanie Janz will be playing an animal lover. The sham has Bernie fooled as he suggests Mike’s song. Then in several minute, he gets Mike over to sign an exclusive contract but Mike insists on $200 dollars before he signs. With that, Bernie gives him only $199 which Mike takes it anyway and he gives “M.D.” the song. When he's gone, the Monkees all rejoice at managing to turn the tables on him. Then to the song “Mary, Mary” the foursome are all romping around the studio as they chase Peter about.
Later, Mike shares his money with the old man since they’ve both been swindled and the old man tells Mike about his new song he plans on writing called “Gonna Buy Me A Dog”. As Mike, Micky and Davy wonder where Peter is, they looked up in the sky and are all shocked to see him dressed in a superhero Monkeeman costume now able to fly.
Trivia Notes
On the June 26, 1967 repeat of this episode, the song “Mary, Mary”
was replaced with the song “For Pete’s Sake” by Peter Tork&Joseph Richards,
which was used as closing theme for the series second season. This song was
also in the 1986 re-run on the Nickelodeon cable channel.
In the CBS March 7, 1970 and Nov. 6 1971 repeats the song “Steam Engine
by Chip Douglass was used instead.
Actor Irwin Charone(Producer) appeared in another Mokees episode as Mayor
Motley In “Monkee Mayor”.
Larry Gelmam(Director) who appeared in “The Odd Couple” and “Bob Newhart” appeared in two other Monkees episode as a stage manager in “Captain Crocodile”
and salesman in “The Monkees Christmas Show”.
Cameo appearences of David Price, David Pearl, Richard Klein and Valarie Kairys
who appeared in the episode "Your Friendly Neighborhood Kidnappers".
Mike says he's twenty-one in this episode when in reality he was twenty-three
years old.
A original rejected storyline idea had Mike meeting Bernie's secretary Ceil in
his office as well as two aspiring songwriters: a old lady and a truckdriver.
