Monkees A La Mode

Written by Gerald Gardner&Dee Caruso

Directed by Alex Singer

Produced by Robert Rafelson&Bert Schneider

Songs: "Laugh" by H. Medress, P. Margo, M. Margo&J. Seigal, "You May Just Be The One" by Michael Nesmith

Guest Appearances

Toby                                    Valerie Kairys

Madame Quagmeyer       Patrice Wymore

Rob Rob                                 Eldon Quick

Rob Roy's Assistant          George Stratton

Assistant#1                         Nancy Walters

Assistant#2                      Carole Williams

Premiered on February 27, 1967

Summary

Madame Quagmeyer, a well-to-do editor of Chic magazine is searching for young people for the typical American young people of the year annuel.  Her editorial assistant Toby Willis shows her photos of the Monkees whom she photagraphed a week ago and the editor is impressed.  Meanwhile, as the guys are having their breakfast, they receive the chic magazine in the mail containing a letter stating they've been chosen as the typical young Americans of the year.  The guys are confused by the this since they don't subscribe to Chic magazine whilePeter induldges it's cereal of the month, this month corn flakes which he pours into the bowl from the magazine!

Rob Roy Fingerhead, the arrogant chief photographer arrives with Toby at the Monkees pad to tell them more about their plans of doing an article on them.  Rob Roy repeatly snobbishly snubs the surroundings.  To impress him, the guys show him supposedly objects from historical events.  First Davy shows a hatchet and in fantasy sequence Peter as George Washington uses to ax to chop his father's(Mike) cherry wood table and then feigns innocent.  Then Micky shows a lantern and another comical fantasy sequence of Micky as Paul Revere on a wagon announcing the British are coming(over his house for a party!) with Davy as a redcoat.  Then the Monkees claim they're aren't right for the article since they don't believe in being a typical anything but Toby persuedes them to go along with it.  Later at the Chic Magazine headquarters, the Monkees are greeted by Madame Q then interviewed by three beautiful sophisticated college graduates, Miss Collins, Miss Osborne and Miss Dilessips. Then in the studios, Rob Roy tries to introduce them to high fashion teaching them everything from prodding Peter against a pole to improve his posture(with a nail on the pole) to showing Davy how to pose(only to be mistaking as a coat racket) and tries to teach Micky how to combine colars in the wardrobe(who gets everything confused and makes a mess).  During a hilarious musical score of “Laugh” the guys romp around the studios wrestling with a stuff tiger, a stuff monkey, a giant chain and pencil, and dressed as scuba divers, Indians, etc.   After Toby hands in her article about the Monkees, Madame Quagmeyer rips it up.  Wanting to create the Monkees in her own image and she decides to substitute a fictional article that Rob Roy had written. 

Back at the pad, the guys to their confusion keep receiving unfriendly reactions from angry callers.  Davy’s girlfriend first shows up to return his friendship ring, then Micky’s girlfriend arrives and gives him a slap, Mike gets an angry call from old pal and someone throws a rock throw the window containing a hateful note stating “You guys are no good, you never were any good, you never will be any good, signed a friend”.  Just then Toby who just quit her job arrives to tell them about the phony article in the magazine and the Monkees are shocked as she reads it which states them as sophisticated eloquent snobs who like pheasant under glass( two live ones!) polo, croquet and who prefers chamber music and organ recitals.  Outrage by the fabrication, they hatch up a plan.   Later at the banquet  where they'll to receive the Typical American Young People's  Award,  Mme. Quagmeyer introduces each of the guys in grace, chic, and gentility.  Howevever, in an attempt to sabotage the Annuel, they guys  deliberately embarrass Madame Q with their usual clownish antics.  First, Peter as grace stumbles onto the stage.  Then Davy as the chic coiffure rips off a wig to reveal a bald head.  Micky as quiet and gentility, storms up into the microphone as a loud, obnoxious talkative speaker.  Then Mike who accepts the trophy makes a speech where he declares Rob Roy more deserving of the trophy and all the credit for everything.  Rob Roy tries to leave the stage and inadvertantly breaks his camera and is then dragged back by the guys to receive the trophy.  An irate Mme. Q orders Rob Roy to get them off the stage fearing she’ll lose her job but the guys continues to show off their clownish act to the audience off stage causing a hysterical Mme. Q to be restrained.

Next, the Monkees are back at the Chic Magazine offices asking for a retraction only to be confronted by Toby, now the ruthless new editor with Mme. Quagmeyer and Rob Roy as her assistants.  The show ends with the Monkees performance of “You Just May Be The One”.

Trivia Notes

Two days after this episode completed, the Monkees returned on the

road to finish the last four dates of their tour.  Their second album

“More of The Monkees” is released on the second day of filming.

TV Guide mistakenly credited the late Alexandra Hays who portrayed

Clarisse in the episode “Monkee Mother” as Toby Willis.

Actress Valerie Kairys(Toby) actually appeared in thirteen episodes

of the Monkees TV series but this is the only one she’s credited.

Patrice Wymore was once married to the late lengendary actor Erroll Flynn

Originally, the song "So Goes Love" by Gerry Goffin & Carole King was

suppose to be used in this episode but at the last minute it was replaced by

"Laugh" for an unknown reason and remained unreleased for twenty years

until it was released for the 1987 Rhino's Missing Links.

During the CBS Saturday afternoon repeat, "Laugh" was replaced by "Oh My My"

by Jeff Barry & Andy Kim.